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Thursday, September 30, 2010

The Homeschool Village - Blast From the Past

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Are you ready? Sitting down? Okay, don't know too many people who read blogs while standing up, but just in case, go ahead and sit down now. 1980's hair is COMING YOUR WAY. Don't say you weren't warned!!




Yep, it's MEEEEEE~!! I know you're marveling at the fabulousness of the WINGS and the curls and ... um ... (I can't even bring myself to say it!) the mullet. And oh my, what the 41 year old me would like to say to the 17 year old me ... but THAT, my friends, is not the topic of the day. I am the oldest child and a rule follower and a blank filler-inner, so I must stick to the topic of the day. (As an aside on the blank filler-inner side of me - I missed a blank on the listening guide of my Beth Moore Bible study and it just about drove me crazy. I had to come home and look it up because I felt like it was hanging over me. I suspect I have issues. Ahem. Comments on that not necessary.)

THE TOPIC!!

Share your post about your favorite teacher. Who made a positive impression on you? Whose words have stuck with you all through the years? Have you carried over any of their traits into you own homeschool?


Oh wow. I think all of my teachers made a positive impression on me in some way or another. Even the ones whose names I can't remember! I loved school and was a good student.

I think I liked best the teachers who would be willing to push and stretch me as a student. Mrs. Bishop comes to mind. She was not afraid to throw the hard concepts at us, and fully expected that we would "get it." Of course she was willing to help if we didn't quite understand, but her expectations were high and she kept us on our toes to meet them. She expected, and received, hard work from her students, and we were stronger and better prepared for the rest of life because of it.

While I'm on that topic, I think this is one of the hardest things about homeschooling. As the mom and teacher, it's hard to know how to push my own kids. I don't want to be the tyrant mom and have them think they can't meet my standards. Nor do I want to be raising lazy kids. I think I have some blinders when I try to think of what my kids are capable of - is it what they are really capable of doing, or is it what I THINK they should be capable of doing? Or the opposite - am I content with a lack of effort in one area (which may happen to be a subject I don't enjoy) when they would be better served with me raising the bar? This has become more of a challenge as my children have gotten older and it's become more and more clear that they're not just little clones of me. And let's face it - feeling like you're not good enough to meet a teacher's expectations is one thing. A parent? That's permanent damage territory. It's a constant prayer for wisdom and grace as we draw the lines of expectation! We are quoting this a lot:

Colossians 3:23: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men

I think that well sums it up, although I still find myself wavering between pushing for more from them and relaxing with what they do a lot of the time.

So, there's a bit about one of my favorite teachers, and a bit more. Plus ... 80's hair!! And BRACES!! Funny that I had my braces removed just a couple of weeks after my senior portraits. I'm glad I had them on in the portraits though; seems fitting since I wore them all through high school. Just one question - do senior girls still have to wear the fluffy thing in their portraits? Whose idea was that anyway? And WHY? Makes me want to sneeze just looking at it! Oops, I think that was more than one question!

8 comments:

Becca said...

My favorite teacher would probably be Coach White. He taught math. He was great at it, and he knew when to be serious and when to lighten up.

If Mrs. Bishop's first name is Judy (and I suspect it is), she was my mom's best friend in high school!! I know her, and I am sure she was an excellent teacher.

melanie said...

That's her! :) And yes she was an excellent teacher! :)

Cheryl Pitt said...

You look positively angelic :) It's so hard to find that balance between tyranny and push over...but I'm working on it!

Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet said...

Shh, I still have said "fluffy thing" in my closet. Just kidding! :) Love the pic!

Love how your teacher pushed y'all to do your best in all you do. Definitely need more of those today. :)

Becky said...

Aw! You got the foofy thingy; we just had the black drape. *sigh* :)
My fave teacher was Mr. Smock, 12th grade physics. He had two rules in his class: 1. People will be treated with respect in this class at all times; 2. Each of you is a people. He followed his rules, too. And then he proceeded to tell us to put our text in our locker and not lose it; we were going to need to turn it in at the end of the year but it was out of date and irrelevant. He also mysteriously was replaced the following year... Hm. Guess respect rather than control and real teaching rather than regulated text didn't sit well with the powers that were. Strange that an against-the-grain kinda guy would be my fave instructor, huh?? ;P

Dorie said...

Love the hair, especially because it reminds me of how I wore mine one year, but a lot less length in the back - a mullet want-to-be perhaps?
Also, such a blessing to have great teachers who have helped you become who you are today. I'm sure twenty years from now, your children will feel the same way about you as you strive to do your best by them, and follow the Lord's guidance.

Stef said...

Oh Melanie - the faux fur wrap! I think I had one with a leather jacket (snort)

Mrs. Bishop sounds like an excellent teacher! How wonderful for her to set the bar high rather than teach down! I hope I do that with my son and not just lope thru the day at a slower, lower level - but lovingly challenge him!

thank you

Stef
the hsv

melanie said...

Becky! Mr. Smock sounds like Robin William's character in Dead Poets Society! Haven't seen or thought about that movie in ages.