I wish you could hear their voices—the laughter, the screaming, the sound of their imaginative play. These are the children who play in our yard. There are around 30 of them, and they also attend our Sunday School, whenever they take the initiative to run all the way up the hill to the church building. We are starting to see some of the parents come to see what this church is all about also, but that is for another post.
The other afternoon the noise had a different tune to it. Once again they had gone to the forbidden spot behind our house and grabbed about 20 of our empty aluminum cans (fruit, cream of chicken soup, etc) and were using them as drums. As one beat the drums the other children were dancing about with leafy branches from our trees. They were having their very own traditional Papuan festival.
Looking back, I wish I would have videoed the whole scene. Unfortunately, I saw them and was not very happy because they had disobeyed again. There is just one spot they where cannot play or go–behind our house. Since they are not taught to obey with consistency and love at home, they think nothing of rules. I am not with them all the time, but I refuse to resort to their parents’ tactics of hitting them or slapping them across the face, not to mention the ugly and degrading words they use.
Anyway, I was not happy, so I breathed deeply first and went out and told them to put the cans back. I started to say, “How many times have I told you not to…?” But then I thought how ridiculous the question was, not to mention unhelpful. They looked at me with fearful eyes as they put the cans away as quickly as they could. I wanted them to see the love of Christ in me.
Thankfully, the positive discipline ideas that I’ve studied came to mind. “Let’s think of a solution to this, okay?” I said this as I squatted down to their level.
They didn’t know what to think. “You like playing with these cans, don’t you?”
They nodded.
“Why don’t I get a bucket and put some of these cans in it, and we’ll put it over behind the well. As long as you are playing in my yard you can do what you want with them, but before you go home you must put them back in the bucket.”
I went over it again with them and asked them what they are to do before they go home. “Put them away!” They happily answered.
I customarily shook each of their hands, smiled, and went back inside my house. A few minutes later I came back out with some cookies for them.
They probably think I’m the craziest woman alive!
*The photo is the youngest boy of a family in our church. Their boys attended our Sunday School and eventually the parents came and received Christ. They have been faithful ever since.
Last Sunday we gave out the pins to the faithful teenagers. It was also the first Sunday we met in the new building as opposed to the small room in our house. The teen club will continue to meet there from now on. First, we gave out the pins, then we ate donuts (We’re teaching good eating habits, can’t you tell?) and played Frisbee and Uno. Josh also taught several of the teens how to play the guitar, as requested. We all had a really good time! Enjoy the photos.
The day has finally arrived to purchase the curriculum for the boys I will be tutoring! After much research and some discussion with the parents of the children, we have decided on the materials with which to teach. Dad liked the idea of a classical approach for educating his children. (I’ll call the father of the boys “Dad”.) He wants them to learn about ancient history, Greek and Roman mythology and philosophy. In my research, I tried to focus on the classical approach. I ended up finding curricula with mostly hands-on activities as opposed to worksheets and tests. It will be a drastic change to the boys (coming from a traditional classroom), but in the end I believe they will understand and learn more.
I did not choose a boxed, ready-to-use curriculum. Would that have been easier for me? Most definitely! However, it could have been about $3,000. I tried to pick and choose materials according to Dad’s wishes and the children’s learning styles. It will certainly be a challenge putting the lesson plans together, but hopefully it will be beneficial.
Following is the list of materials* that have been purchased. I found most of them at CurrClick, so I already have them downloaded! The philosophy book and Cuisenaire rods will be brought from America next month, by a friend of the boys’ dad.
- The Story of the World, Volume 1 by Susan Wise Bauer, plus the Activity Book (Ancient History)
- R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey (Life Science)
- Miquon Math Lab Books, 155 Cuisenaire Rods and the rod track
- Classical Mythology Unit Study
- Philosophy for Kids by David A. White
Perhaps you’re wondering where the reading, writing, spelling, and grammar lessons are? They will be interwoven with the above lessons. The boys will be writing, according to their abilities, in a notebook daily. This way I will know exactly what their weaknesses are and can give spelling words, for instance, according to their needs. Other materials are already on my bookshelf, computer, or at the library, such as level reading books for First Grader, cursive writing practice for Third Grader and so on. Most of the subjects will be taught to all three of the boys at once, but I want to also take time for individual teaching as needed.
*Please note that I do not necessarily endorse all of the content of these books but am teaching according to the parents’ wishes. However, I will not teach anything without presenting the truth according to the Bible along with it.
Jane Nelson talks about encouragement vs. praise in Positive Discipline and I just happened across an article that also discourages praising children. This is something that is probably very difficult for most parents/teachers to stop. I have been very big on praising children but after reading this article I am seriously reconsidering it. If you take the time to read it, it will certainly make you think!
Most children absolutely love going to Grandma’s house! And we know how much grandparents love their grandchildren. What is it about this relationship that makes it so special?
While there are probably a variety of reasons why the grandchild/grandparent relationship is so good, I am only going to point out a few. My purpose is to see what parents can learn from “the grandparent syndrome”.
I know all of these are not true of every grandparent, but these seem to be true of most. They could also be true of aunts, uncles, and other caregivers.
- Grandparents get a break. Because they are not with them every day they seem to have more energy and zeal to care for the children. I am not advocating that parents spend a lot of time away from their children, in fact, I am all for stay-at-home mothers and attentive fathers. The truth is, though, they need a break sometimes! Something should be said about whom parents leave their children with, but that is an entirely different subject for another time.
- Grandparents allow them to make mistakes. Grandparents seem to love their grandchildren unconditionally. While they might not let them get away with everything, they do extend some grace for making mistakes. You get the point. I didn’t say it was easy! I am just making observations.
- Grandparents try to win the child’s heart. Every grandparent wants to be loved by that little grandbaby. This is probably the most important thing parents can learn. “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” (Proverbs 23:26) Grandpa goes about trying to win that grandson’s heart by giving him undivided attention and really listening to him. He pulls him around in that wagon until they are both worn out. Grandma patiently teaches her granddaughter how to bake cookies, and they both love every minute of it! They are making time for the important people in their lives.
I know “grandparents have more time than parents”, they are “not the child’s primary enforcers”, and all the other excuses. This is just a little observation I thought I would share with you.
I feel like I have just discovered a gold mine! CurrClick is the place to find curricula in a printable pdf format! Since I live overseas and was going to have to ship materials to a place in the USA and then have someone bring it over, possibly paying extra luggage fees, this site is extremely profitable. Another benefit is that I can start planning the lessons the minute the books are downloaded! May I also mention that this makes consumable books non-consumable? I was planning on having the entire math workbooks photocopied since there are three boys who need them. Now all I must do is print them!
Interested in skipping shipping fees and getting curricula faster? Try CurrClick!
No, I don’t get any profits for advertising for them.
I just ran across an unusual but possibly helpful article about using traditional Christian textbooks for home education. Teri mentions that this homeschooling method is often discouraged, and I agree that it is. (I even discouraged it in a recent post!) This is a good reminder, though, that there is no method or curriculum that will fit every child and family. For some people, especially large families, a schedule and workbooks are a must or they will never accomplish their goals! For further reading notice the two other articles that Teri wrote on this subject, which are linked to in the following article.
This is part five in a series about our new teen club, Pahlawan Kristus.
Second Year Curriculum
I am currently putting together the curriculum for the second year, which actually begins in October of this year. I just finished writing the first set of lessons, which will be on salvation. Hopefully, they will see God’s awesome plan of redemption by having heard the lessons from creation to Christ the first year. The next lessons will bring these lessons all together with the culmination of an outline of how to lead someone to Christ. This will be the main point of the lessons which they must memorize and be able to narrate. I am working on a small, laminated booklet with pictures to give each of them, when they have the outline memorized. The goal is to see them come to Christ first, of course, and also have the ability to give someone else a clear presentation of the gospel, using the booklet.
Other lessons for next year include basic Christian concepts such as meditating on Scripture, prayer, who we are in Christ, and more. I am very thankful to have 26 more lessons which have already been translated into Indonesian. One set is called Who Are the Baptists, which have quizzes already made and a beautiful timeline of Baptist history. The other 13 lessons teach the main doctrines of the Bible.
Extracurricular Activities
I plan on doing something special or different about every 10 weeks. I hope to have some classes on how to play musical instruments, sing together, and perhaps even some outdoor sports activities. Hopefully, I can recruit some helpers with this since I am not an expert in any of these areas!
For the last 10 weeks or so, right before we go on furlough, I would like to do some training in serving in the church. For instance, I would like them to know how to teach a Sunday School lesson, lead the singing, preach, and serve in the church in other ways. (some of these activities are gender-specific, of course) I’ll also need help in some of these areas.
This concludes the series on Pahlawan Kristus! Thanks for reading!
