Anyone up for a philosophical discussion about teaching from a state of rest re: Circe discussion and how it is interpreted/applied?

[8filltheheart]

I am not normally a blog reader. Actually, I am not a blog reader is a more accurate statement. ;) However, recently a few people have been directing me toward blogs about the philosophy of teaching from a state of rest and, to put it mildly, obviously we all take what we want from discussions and that take away can be radically different. These are my thoughts on "teaching from a state of rest" which are very different from the blogs I have been directed toward. I am curious about other people's views about what it means b/c I wondering if I have a completely interpretation from others.

 

For me, teaching from a state of rest is completely dependent on my preparedness as a teacher. How it appears to outsiders or even to my young children is radically different from the "behind the scenes." Consider a movie. A movie for the viewer appears smooth and effortless. It is what we as the viewer get after all the hours of preparation, cutting, retaping, sound effects added, etc have been completed. It is certainly not what was lying there in a script on a table with the director (or producer.....showing my ignorance here of the actual functioning of my analogy! :p ) simply picking it up and reading it. Huge amts of work, effort, planning, etc go into moving the script into what we as viewers enjoy on the other side of the screen.

 

Today I read a quote on the Schole Sister blog from the book The Art of Teaching about lecturing a class being less difficult teaching environment than engaging/debating with one or two students individually.

 

I think that quote is an accurate assessment of being a great teacher. How that quote plays its role in our homeschools obviously means different things to different people, similar to what teaching from a state of rest means.

 

For me, being a tutor, facilitator, or what ever word someone wants to peg on me as a homeschool mom means that my job is MORE difficult than a classroom teacher. I have to spend more time reading, researching, preparing. I want my homeschool to represent the quote bc that is the sort of interaction I value as teacher. I seek the interaction that questions answers and desires deeper explanations which means that I cannot depend on curriculum to do the teaching, but nor can I just rely on my simple knowledge. It means I need to spend the hours it takes to find the answers to questions I myself do not know the answers to or provide my students with the resources that have the answers OR from my educational perspective, I am limiting their education to the script being held in my hands and read w/o it being fleshed out into what the production is capable of becoming when fulfilled.

 

For younger children, my children have the benefit of viewing the movie version of my preparedness. For my high school subject ready students, sometimes they are have active roles in assisting me in the final production (doing more of the producing role than I do). Unfortunately, sometimes it also means that my kids also get less than a good teacher can offer if I can't find the resources to help them achieve that level of success. Sometimes their education is reduced to the reading of the script--that isn't a decision I take lightly and an option I definitely try to avoid.

 

This is all connected back to the idea of being prepared to teach that I have discussed in the past--the morphing of the Jesuit understanding of prelection (which really is offering to students a preview of what they are supposed to be learning in order to give meaning to the subject matter) to my being prepared for studying material with my students with the pre-study of the material so that I am not only able to present a preview of material but actually engage in actively teaching/discussing/debating the material.

 

Teaching from a state of rest for me is having confidence that I am well-prepared and that I have put in the extraordinary effort it takes to have that confidence. It does not mean resting in virture or my role as mother or resting it a house that is peaceful. :) Those are the products of work from the hours I have spent forming myself to be the "expert" in the material I am not.

 

Sometimes I think the idea that I allow my children to have huge input into their educations and that I am often child-led in our studies misconstrues the notion that academics is not required to involve serious effort. That is inaccurate. My expectations for my kids' work level is high. How we go about education resembles the quote and not a typical lassroom, but it certainly is not a peaceful experience for me if I am not prepared as teacher. :)

 

Anyway, just some of my rambling thoughts as I have been reading ideas that are more along the lines of going with the flow and sunshine and roses vs. digging the ditches that water the fields. :)

 

(excuse my errors. I didn't realize the time and I have to leave! Oops!!)

[Kidlit]

8FilltheHeart,

 

Thank you for sharing that. I, too, don't think that I'll ever get to that state of "rest""--of being satisfied with our homeschool--unless I am well prepared. For me that means putting in the time every weekend to prep the next week and choosing curricula (tools) that help me achieve my goals.

 

May I also say that I want to be you when I grow up? :)

[lewelma]

8, in addition to teacher preparedness, what are your thoughts on the importance of children's attitudes and habits to creating an environment where you can teach from a state of rest?  I have one son for whom both good attitude and effective habits are hard to develop and master, and I find that I must continue to pounce on small misdemeanours in order to create an environment where I can actually teach from a state of rest.

 

Another aspect affecting a restful learning environment is that I often set my expectations too high.  This is simply misjudging both the child's level and the materials' level.  It leads to a hurried environment and one in which there is constant renegotiation of what is a realistic expectation. And this then leads to arguing and sometimes whining. Unfortunately, the best cure for inappropriate expectations is experience, which I don't appear to have.

 

Ruth in NZ

[Kidlit]

8, in addition to teacher preparedness, what are your thoughts on the importance of children's attitudes and habits to creating an environment where you can teach from a state of rest? I have one son for whom both good attitude and effective habits are hard to develop and master, and I find that I must continue to pounce on small misdemeanours in order to create an environment where I can actually teach from a state of rest.

 

Another aspect affecting a restful learning environment is that I often set my expectations too high. This is simply misjudging both the child's level and the materials' level. It leads to a hurried environment and one in which there is constant renegotiation of what is a realistic expectation. And this then leads to arguing and sometimes whining. Unfortunately, the best cure for inappropriate expectations is experience, which I don't appear to have.

 

Ruth in NZ

I also often have too high expectations. I'm not sure what to do about that, either.

[Kfamily]

I only have a little time, so I'm cutting and pasting from a thread from which I posted in August of this year and a few comments from a blog entry of mine.


This is from the thread from here in August on CM and Classical:

For me, teaching from a state of rest doesn't mean less is more, but rather creating an environment where a full prepared teacher (that's me) is able to recognize the needs of each of her students and create the give and take needed to keep them moving forward without frustrating them. Flexibility built into an organized set of goals and an awareness of each student's individual needs. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but this is how I see teaching from a state of rest. It doesn't necessarily mean that I teach less, but rather that I teach well. Rest, or a peaceful heart and mind, comes to me when I'm prepared, and can allow for detours within a set of larger goals. Usually skills are not negotiable but content and outcome can be.

I do realize that sometimes some families, especially those with a larger number of children than I have, may need to combine in some areas and in other ways condense some subjects. This may be their less is more and I understand this. I think the goal is to find a balance between the sanity created by combining in some areas and keeping a child's individual growth in mind.


Here are a few similar points I made from a blog post:

A curriculum which lends itself to an atmosphere which is calm, tranquil and reliable is one which soothes and brings peace to the hearts and minds of its recipients. Hearts and minds are at peace when immersed in an environment which is predictable, but yet is flexible enough to adjust seamlessly and is challenging in a gradual and inconspicuous manner. This requires quite the balancing act! One who teaches from a state of rest is one who is prepared and one who consistently checks to see that the learning environment is soothing. One who teaches from a state of rest is flexible!

Consider these questions to ensure that your environment is reflective of a peaceful and calm atmosphere:

• Am I prepared for all that I need to teach today?

• Do I have time set aside or can I be flexible with unexpected detours and delays?

• Am I diligent about keeping the larger picture in mind? For example, does it really matter if my student wants to write the narration from the perspective of Antony rather than from the perspective of Calpurnia?

• Can I accept that some days will be more productive than others, but yet know that I must start each day with the intent of being as productive as possible?

• Is the day balanced with regard to levels of intensity and concentration? For example, do I follow a period of focused work with a period of joyful and/or relaxing work?

• Have I noticed and have I attended to the student(s) who are either becoming frustrated or are losing their concentration?

• Am I giving each of my students enough practice, time and/or attention on a particular skill so that they may continue to improve or grow, but yet not confuse or overwhelm them? (Tip: I keep a notebook which is similar to a lesson plan book but that has been altered over time to best fit me. I write notes in the margins when I've noticed something that I want to go over again with one or both girls.)

• Can I play classical or other types of soothing and non-distracting types of music while we are working?

• Is the television off and am I keeping interruptions to a minimum?

• Do I have a basic structure for a schedule so that times slotted for learning stay available?
 

 

I'm hesitant to post this...I hope it reads as gently as I intend for it to read. Also, I'm not as eloquent a writer as many here are.  :)

[Catherine]

Yes, ditto to what Lewelma has said. I find my child, who does have LDs, but is also bright, has far more trouble with "output" than I anticipate he will. I think this is because he has surprised me at times...so I keep expecting him to live up to those occasionally surprises and day-to-day, he generally doesn't.

 

It makes him feel I am "always" (said with some drama) making things too hard. I struggle to keep on an even keel myself wwhile avoiding overwhelming him. It's hard to me to ensure he is sufficiently challenged, while not making things truly too hard.

 

But I stand chastised, as I KNOW I do not spend enough time preparing. I rely too heavily on textbooks.

[8filltheheart]

Kfamily I am on my phone which I do not know how to type on but what you wrote is beautiful. Yes knowing the big picture means freedom to adapt vs feeling tied. It also gives ability to assess. It can be hard to assess attitude vs struggle, but that is when adapting can shed cues.

[freesia]

For me, teaching from a State of Rest is more about not being motivated by fear. I have high expectations, but not because I am afraid of what will happen if I don't have high expectations (iow they won't get into a top college and therefore their lives will be ruined, or something like that). We work hard, but not to prove anything. We do it to grow in knowledge, to learn about our world, and to develop our gifts and our personhood.

 

I completely get what you are saying, though. When we are prepared, things are way more restful. I have never sensed that you make decisions because you are afraid. You seem to have that confidence. The less fear we have, the more we can dig in and be prepared because we are not constantly bouncing around trying to find the "best" thing so our kids don't miss out.

[Coco_Clark]

So much to think about.

 

I like what you've said, 8, about preparedness creating rest.  If I am prepared to teach, If I know my subject, ect I can be restful (at least in mind, if not action).  

I would also add that confidence creates rest- knowing that what you are teaching is what should be taught at that moment.  I know the thing that most often disrupts MY rest is hearing what the public school is teaching right now, hearing what so and so down the street is teaching, hearing how many math programs other forum members complete, ect and so on.  There is a kind of frenzy in trying to "keep up".  When I sit and really ponder my own children, their particular needs and individual abilities, I am definitely more at rest.  For one thing, what they need doesn't change as dramatically as what everyone else is doing!

 

Maybe this can play into those "high expectations" several people have mentioned?

 

One things I know I DON'T think teaching from a state of rest is, is not worrying about what I will teach or what they need to learn because it "will all work out in the end" or "it is all in God's hands".  I'm not arguing that either is untrue.  It's just not what I think restful teaching is, and unfortunately it's what I am hearing often these days. 

[ErinE]

Like lewelma, I wonder how I can encourage my child's attitude so we can approach our roles (mine as teacher, child's as student) from a state of rest.

 

Last year, with guidance from me, the kids picked key subjects they wanted to study. Before the arrival of dc#4, I came up with topics, book lists, and goals I had for each child. This helped greatly as I finalized plans for this school year so I feel prepared on a daily basis. When we have good days, things go so smoothly and our discussions are fantastic. But for far too many days, I'm bumping up against this Immovable Will which causes me to feel frustrated and harried.

 

ETA: also what ican change about my attitude so that I'm not letting external actions effect my feelings.

[ErinE]

Another aspect affecting a restful learning environment is that I often set my expectations too high. This is simply misjudging both the child's level and the materials' level. It leads to a hurried environment and one in which there is constant renegotiation of what is a realistic expectation. And this then leads to arguing and sometimes whining. Unfortunately, the best cure for inappropriate expectations is experience, which I don't appear to have.

 

Ruth in NZ

This is perhaps inexperience on my part, but I wonder if my expectations are unrealistic? How can I tell if some days, my child absolutely exceeds the work assigned. Other days, it's a strain to get the bare minimum.

[73349]

This is perhaps inexperience on my part, but I wonder if my expectations are unrealistic? How can I tell if some days, my child absolutely exceeds the work assigned. Other days, it's a strain to get the bare minimum.

Maybe a day is not the right unit of time, and you would feel better if you looked at a week or a month as a whole? Maybe you'd even discern some interesting patterns.

 

 

 

To me, "rest" is in this sense security. I am secure when I can be confident that we are doing what we should, in an effective way, at the right time.

I contrast it with teaching school, in which I was teaching what I was required to teach, using the materials someone else chose or that I had to create from scratch, in time to have the test graded and returned before the end of the marking period.

[FairProspects]

I don't know - I honestly am not sure if I can teach from a place of rest with my LD students. I can prepare myself all I want - we've done evals, I've done a ton of reading about alternative methods, I've adjusted all our materials and how we work, and I still am not confident that things or even that today will turn out ok in the end. EVERY single day is a battle with the LDs. I really don't know how to combat the insecurities that dealing with LDs causes in terms of teaching. I can do everything in my power to be prepared, my kids can try as hard as they possibly can, and the outcomes may still not be good. I'm not at a place yet where I can see how living with that reality can be restful. Maybe I will get there someday. Maybe.

[justamouse]

Something I wrote on a thread from some time ago...

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/511101-question-for-those-that-like-circe-etc/?p=5587279

 

THIS. I get SO FURIOUS when I hear mom's talking about teaching from rest and then it sounds like all airy puffy clouds. 

No. This is hard work. This is up before the kids reading, and sacrificing your time to pour over their lessons. It is sacrificing the fun over the summer (for me) to compile lists and write notes. It's letting the house get trashed because schooling comes first. It's saying no to all of the fun stuff you could do--and this is where I feel guilty most of the time--because You, Mom, have to study so that you can teach. How I get around this is stuff like the fishing, and time outdoors. I read, they fish. Thankfully, I, for the most part, like the research and reading. 

I am relaxed because I am well prepared. I have done my job, and I am not that often caught unaware. I am confident because I am well prepared. I am in a state of rest because I have done my part, and I know God will show up for the day. I know that even with mistakes, He writes straight with crooked lines, and that as long as I'm doing my part in good faith and to the best of my ability, God will fill in my gaps. 

 

 

[Tonia]

For me, rest means that I'm not frantically trying to cram too much into my day. I'm learning (continually) to pare down what we work on to the essentials, leaving us more time for discussion and interest-led activities. That means less stress and more learning for both of us. Having that work pared down also creates less of a "let's check this off the list and move on" mentality, which creates a lot of stress in our home.

 

Preparedness is also a huge, huge part of it for me. I'm less stressed and more "restful" in my teaching if I'm prepared ahead of time and not flying by the seat of my pants. 

 

On the other hand, getting to that point doesn't feel very restful (all the reading and thinking and preparing...) :-)

[Kidlit]

Another thing for me, and this sort of echoes what others have already said: it helps me tremendously to pull back and consider the big picture. Sure, maybe today wasn't fabulous, but overall we've had a good week, etc.--that sort if mindset.

[8filltheheart]

I don't know - I honestly am not sure if I can teach from a place of rest with my LD students. I can prepare myself all I want - we've done evals, I've done a ton of reading about alternative methods, I've adjusted all our materials and how we work, and I still am not confident that things or even that today will turn out ok in the end. EVERY single day is a battle with the LDs. I really don't know how to combat the insecurities that dealing with LDs causes in terms of teaching. I can do everything in my power to be prepared, my kids can try as hard as they possibly can, and the outcomes may still not be good. I'm not at a place yet where I can see how living with that reality can be restful. Maybe I will get there someday. Maybe.

FairProspects, it is so hard when you are struggling with LDs. I have a boatload of mistakes and regrets that I made with our Aspie. But I have also been around enough moms of adult Aspies to know that our ds is actually better off than what the school system offered his peers. The bigger picture isn't as bad as my 20/20 hindsight in isolation.

 

I love listening to our dd talk about her OTA work. She loves it and she loves the kids she works with. The way she describes progress with clients is how parents should think of teaching their children. Small, tiny changes are big leaps for kids with disabilities. You have to turn on a different gauge. It is irrelevant what other kids are doing and how they are progressing. What matters are your kids. It may be a baby step that avg kids yrs younger make, but how is that baby step toward their individual target goals?

 

We can't make our children into who they aren't. We can only try our best to help them be the best them they can be. There is no easy answer when everything is hard. (((hugs))) You are a very dedicated teacher. Your kids are blessed to have you in their lives.

 

For me, rest means that I'm not frantically trying to cram too much into my day. I'm learning (continually) to pare down what we work on to the essentials, leaving us more time for discussion and interest-led activities. That means less stress and more learning for both of us. Having that work pared down also creates less of a "let's check this off the list and move on" mentality, which creates a lot of stress in our home.

 

Preparedness is also a huge, huge part of it for me. I'm less stressed and more "restful" in my teaching if I'm prepared ahead of time and not flying by the seat of my pants.

 

On the other hand, getting to that point doesn't feel very restful (all the reading and thinking and preparing...) :-)

Tonia,

 

what you wrote resonates with me. It ties into the "less is more" idea when less is actually deeper connections to fewer things. That is where I dwell with my younger kids. My older kids often have their own ideas and that is when I let them take the lead and control over their own lives.

 

But you wrote in a handful of words, "getting to that point doesn't feel very restful" what it took me way to long to say and your few words said it far more clearly!!! But those were my thoughts. This is a difficult job and restful takes a lot of work! :)

[ByGrace3]

For me Teaching from Rest in an attitude more than anything. It is not sitting back with your feet up worry free because "God's got this."  :tongue_smilie: But it is, engaging your children moment by moment and not worrying/stressing about the end result whether that be the end of the math lesson or college admissions. We take each skill, each topic and teach to our best ability, allowing our child's best to be enough. 

 

Yes, we need to be prepared, that helps us not be stressed, but I can be the most prepared parent in the world and not be restful...because my child may not always appreciate my "preparedness," or participate accordingly.  ;) 

 

I read the book by Sarah McKenzie (sp?) and truly enjoyed it. I often get so tired of hearing parents say "relax, it's just kindergarten/first grade/3rd grade" etc and then use the whole "God will not allow your kids to fail" excuse while they fill their lives with unnecessary excess and busyness and actually fail to "teach" their children. T

 

he book was very careful to say that God will not allow  you to fail when you are faithful.  Teaching from rest is work. It is just having a perspective that the little person in front of you is made in the image of God and deserves respect for them as a person, and they are more intricate and individual than a "lesson plan" or "schedule."

 

I am thoroughly enjoying ruminating on this topic lately. It is my goal/focus for this year. :) 

[8filltheheart]

Yes, we need to be prepared, that helps us not be stressed, but I can be the most prepared parent in the world and not be restful...because my child may not always appreciate my "preparedness," or participate accordingly. ;)

This is where my perspective is different. If I am not actually in control of the content and the teaching, I am completely under the control of the books/curriculum vs. me controlling the situation. Preparedness allows me to not stress when the presentation in the book does not connect with my child b/c I can close the book and focus on teaching/discussing and help my child achieve the goal via an alternative approach. That is inner peace b/c I can adapt to meet my child b/c I know the material.

 

When the material is unknown to me, I am at the mercy of the material and my child is left with materials that aren't working and teacher who can't teach.

 

I read the book by Sarah McKenzie (sp?) and truly enjoyed it.

 

I don't know who Sarah McKenzie is nor have I read her book. I only wrote this post b/c someone sent me the link and I read the quote. The quote struck a chord with me b/c that is how I approach teaching my kids. It is exhausting, but in a good way. It is exhilarating b/c my kids are so much fun to engage with that way. But, it is not something I see as encouraging moms that being a tutor is restful. It is actually harder work and a more intimidating way of teaching. Opening a box and just flipping opening to a page and filling it out is less work. It is not less stressful, but it is less intimidating b/c surely the publisher is right. :P

[ByGrace3]

This is where my perspective is different. If I am not actually in control of the content and the teaching, I am completely under the control of the books/curriculum vs. me controlling the situation. Preparedness allows me to not stress when the presentation in the book does not connect with my child b/c I can close the book and focus on teaching/discussing what it is I am teaching. That is inner peace b/c I can adapt to meet my child b/c I know the material.

 

When the material is unknown to me, I am at the mercy of the material and my child is left with materials that aren't working and teacher who can't teach.

 

 

I don't know who Sarah McKenzie is nor have I read her book. I only wrote this post b/c someone sent me the link and I read the quote. The quote struck a chord with me b/c that is how I approach teaching my kids. It is exhausting, but in a good way. It is exhilarating b/c my kids are so much fun to engage with that way. But, it is not something I see as encouraging moms that being a tutor is restful. It is actually harder work and a more intimidating way of teaching. Opening a box and just flipping opening to a page and filling it out is less work. It is not less stressful, but it is less intimidating b/c surely the publisher is right.

The book I am referencing is Teaching from Rest: A Homeschoolers Guide to Unshakeable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Rest-Homeschoolers-Guide-Unshakable-ebook/dp/B00KD0IUTK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1410311711&sr=1-1&keywords=teaching+from+rest

 

I think I understand what you are saying-- focusing on the material instead of the curriculum-- not being tied to the presentation of "that" curriculum or programs way of doing things. That is a definite part, but teaching from rest as a philosophical concept is so much more. It really is a great ideal. It is about approach-- knowing who you are, who your kids are, and why you are doing what you are doing, more than the specifics of "how" you are doing it. Be restful in spirit because it's not about completing the math lesson, it is about teaching your child.

 

The author I mentioned above did several interviews with Andrew Kern, Christopher Perrin, and a couple of others. I haven't listened to all of them (they are podcast), but the ones I have were well worth it.

[prairiegirl]

 I agree that preparation leads to teaching from rest but I think, for me, it requires more than that.  I have two children who have LDs.  I spend most of my time in preparing how to teach them, as well as research the best ways to teach them but I am still not teaching from rest.  Fear and lack of faith is the reason for my inability to teach from rest.  Fear that even though I am doing my best in teaching them, it will not be enough.  For me, then, rest comes from a myriad of things, not just one thing.

[Mrs. A]

I agree with what's being said about preparedness. In fact, that is where I really feel like I am bumbling around in the dark. There are so many things that I don't know how to prepare for. It's so frustrating to realize how very little I know and really how ill-equipped I am to teach my kids. But, frustrating as it is, it's also motivating me to get my act together and learn the things I don't know and learn how to get it across to my kids. I did finally get my hands on a copy of Bloom's Taxonomy, so am hoping that helps a little. :) 

 

 

I also think that teaching from rest has a lot to do with assessment. If I assess my kids based standards that have been set by someone else, there is bound to be stress and angst. When I lay out my goals and my objectives for my own children then I have to be careful to measure progress against the standards that I have set and not those of someone else, no matter who it is. 

[ErinE]

Nm

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Anyway, just some of my rambling thoughts as I have been reading ideas that are more along the lines of going with the flow and sunshine and roses vs. digging the ditches that water the fields.   :)

 

 

 

THIS. I get SO FURIOUS when I hear mom's talking about teaching from rest and then it sounds like all airy puffy clouds.

 

 

This fluffiness is what I walk away with almost every time I take a leap of faith and click a blog link... It's also one reason I try to stay away from blogs...they leave me feeling anything but restful... ;)

 

From time to time when my daughter feels like slacking, I remind her that no one will see the blood, sweat, and tears on the day of glory, but this is not a day of glory. This is one of the other days.

 

I then try to be sure to repeat the line when it is a day of glory - high test scores, acceptance into programs, etc - to remind her that all the blood, sweat, and tears were worth it - now is the time for basking in the sunlight.

 

It's vital to know which days are which - for her and for me. Plenty of ditch digging here...

[8filltheheart]

The book I am referencing is Teaching from Rest: A Homeschoolers Guide to Unshakeable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Rest-Homeschoolers-Guide-Unshakable-ebook/dp/B00KD0IUTK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1410311711&sr=1-1&keywords=teaching+from+rest

 

I think I understand what you are saying-- focusing on the material instead of the curriculum-- not being tied to the presentation of "that" curriculum or programs way of doing things. That is a definite part, but teaching from rest as a philosophical concept is so much more. It really is a great ideal. It is about approach-- knowing who you are, who your kids are, and why you are doing what you are doing, more than the specifics of "how" you are doing it. Be restful in spirit because it's not about completing the math lesson, it is about teaching your child.

 

The author I mentioned above did several interviews with Andrew Kern, Christopher Perrin, and a couple of others. I haven't listened to all of them (they are podcast), but the ones I have were well worth it.

It really sounds similar to big Circe thread and the ensuing conversations. IIRC it was Andrew Kern who used the phrase teaching from a state of rest during that conversation. It was a great conversation that sparked a lot of thoughtful reflections on the purpose behind what and how we teach. We all have our own interpretations and ways of applying those ideas.

 

My personal view from the trenches and the long haul is, yes, that it is about teaching the child, but it is equally about teaching the math lesson. The 2 are not disconnected. The big picture goals need to be gauged within the spectrum of a child's abilities. But, the responsibility to find the way to connect the lesson to the child falls on the teacher. The value of the lesson is not diminished or the purpose in the lesson was lacking in the initial planning anyway.

 

Peace is not necessarily pleasant. The following is blatantly Christian, but that is the core of how I function. I love Rumer Godden b/c she eloquently reminds readers of that point: "The motto was "pax,' but the word was set in a circle of thorns. Pax: peace, but what a strange peace, made of unremitting toil and effort, seldom with a seen result; ......It is My own peace I give unto you. Not, notice the world's peace." (In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden) For me, teaching from a state of rest means that the peace is earned from the work and planning specifically for connecting both: the needs of the child to the lessons needing to be mastered. Both objectives need to remain in focus.

[TianXiaXueXiao]

It seems like people interpret "teaching from a state of rest" to mean being either relaxed and unscheduled or not being stressed out about teaching, and trusting that the hard work you are putting in is paying off even if the results are not immediately visible. I personally take the latter view on the subject and it has changed my life dramatically.

 

It being the end of my day, I am not sure that what I have to say will sound very coherent or philosophical, but I can attempt to describe what "teaching from a state of rest" looks like in my own home. I have two girls. One is in 6th grade and the other is only 3 years old. For this new school year, I have made many changes. The biggest changes were to stop a) researching homeschooling methods and b ) attempting to schedule our entire school term beyond knowing what materials we will use for the given semester. Otherwise, I schedule one day at a time. I use a composition book from Dollar Tree to write out dd's school assignments. I read all of the materials that we are using before we started, so I would be familiar with everything she would encounter. I have reduced stress in our home school by eliminating the need to have weeks planned in advance. Everyday dd has 3 hours of "together time" studies that include read alouds, literature, composers, grammar, memory work, composition, poetry, logic/critical thinking, catechism, history, and the math lesson. We rotate through poetry, literature, composer studies, and logic/critical thinking, so that we do each once a week. All the other subjects happen daily. Then dd has 3 hours of "independent studies" where she completes the math practice, vocabulary, Latin, map work, timeline work, reading, piano practice, and research for whatever project she is working on.

 

I have disciplined myself at keeping our school areas clean and organized. This makes for a much more restful atmosphere. I keep all of our together time lessons short and sweet. During "together time," dd and I are comfortable on the couch while little sister happily plays with blocks, magnetic tiles, coloring books, and kindle apps for preschoolers. We don't do the whole 3 hours in one sitting. We usually do an hour after breakfast, an hour after lunch, and an hour after dinner. She completes all her independent work by about 3 pm. By the end of the day, we are easy people to be around. I have time to pick up the house and make dinner. The little one feels that her needs have been met by getting at least an hour of my undivided attention. The kids still have time to play, to attend outside activities, and to relax. If there is something on dd's assignment sheet that isn't finished by the end of the day, I simply add it to the top of her assignment list for the next day. This is rarely the case though. She is really motivated by getting through the day's work and she gives it her best on most days. It helps that all lessons besides Math and History are 30 minutes and under.

 

I think it has just been a subtle shift in attitude and intention that has made the most difference in transforming our experience into one of more peace. Instead of getting bogged down with feelings of being overwhelmed, I'm now able to savor this precious time I still have with these young ones. I still have to work hard, but I don't have to worry that we are falling behind, not keeping up with some arbitrary standard or some blogging mom out there! I prioritize what I think is needful and we do it. It sounds simple and it is. Staying organized and cleaning as I go has really helped tremendously. One step at a time, one bite at a time, that is how I define being restful.

[justamouse]

 "The motto was "pax,' but the word was set in a circle of thorns. Pax: peace, but what a strange peace, made of unremitting toil and effort, seldom with a seen result; ......It is My own peace I give unto you. Not, notice the world's peace." (In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden) For me, teaching from a state of rest means that the peace is earned from the work and planning specifically for connecting both: the needs of the child to the lessons needing to be mastered. Both objectives need to remain in focus.

 

That line, I knew exactly which one you were going to quote when you wrote her name. That line resounds. 

[justamouse]

Something I should say, too, about my quote from the other thread (apart form the fact that the house gets trashed TO ME because I need order to function well and freely). 

Because I am well prepared, I can enjoy my children as I teach them. I am the director of the lesson, I can manipulate it the way I want, and we spend the time enjoying each other. So it's not a soulless drag, the lesson and my preparation. It's a joy. It's hard, and tiring, but a joy. And the more I am prepared the more time I have to enjoy them. 

 

[Soror]

I'm enjoying the conversation, I think it is a good one to have, especially when in the trenches of finding peace it feels anything but peaceful. I'm certainly not there. I'm working my way forward inch by inch, learning, preparing and growing more as a teacher as I have the time and energy to do so but I wouldn't say I have achieved this goal. However, I'm a bit closer this year than I was last and I expect I will say the same next year. 

 

I think part of the difference is just difference in philosophies, goals and educations. Another difference lies in our different personalities, some really feel uplifted from vague flowery language and affirmations. It makes others of us bristle because the total lack of practicality gives the words a hollow tone for us. I scanned the above article but I had time focusing on it because I couldn't discern there was any meat there. I need meat, not milk, but I passed it on to my own group because I knew others would find it uplifting. I don't really need uplifted and affirmed right now, I need a shot in the arm and a kick in the pants and someone coming alongside to commiserate that it is crazy hard but good, fun work. I could be doing so many other things but this is what I have chosen and it is oh, so important and worthwhile.

[Critterfixer]

I thought about getting into this debate last night, but  thought I'd see where it went, because I sort of felt the tone was a bit off...better this morning with a bit more clarity. 

 

I got through Kern's lectures this summer. I think I took more from an object lesson that happened during that time than I did from the lectures pertaining to teaching from a state of rest. 

I had a series of set backs this summer. My kitchen flooded. For weeks I was smelling mold, waiting to be able to do something about it. The kitchen repairs took forever. I lost my school room until really last week. My books were in these huge piles in my room, next to the mixer, the plates, the bowls, the spoons. On top of that, I couldn't get any new curriculum. The money I had carefully saved for that got spent in one week. I didn't get much say in that---it just had to be. That was tough. I couldn't prepare. Much of the kitchen repairs were done, but that didn't mean the kitchen was done. It was my job to get it back. That included moving cabinets and fixing mistakes made in the demolition and reconstruction. I've never gone into fall having not done summer term. I still feel unprepared!

 

And yet....we've had probably one of the best starts we've ever had. I just started reading aloud during the school day again, and low and behold we were discussing the very things in regard to literature that I had planned to buy books about. Just talking about them and learning. The library became very important to me, as did free resources that I had, and my used book store. Things were just there that I needed. 

I didn't get to study ahead of the kids. We started back in Latin when we could as co-students. Same thing with grammar and history. I'm reading a lot of things at the same time, instead of being prepared more than knowing about what we are going to read and about how much. It's not blind, but I certainly haven't had the time to get ahead and to have everything as structured as I would crave.

And it's awesome. The three of us sitting down at the table, pens in hand, listening to Latin together, doing the exercises side by side. We had the most amazing grammar lesson, same thing. I did the exercises side by side. We were able to discuss parts of speech and style in ways I've never been able to figure out how to do before. 

 

I think that is what teaching from a state of rest is about. Instead of being stressed about education, I just started working with them. I had to do with what I had and what I could do. It wasn't that I stepped out of the way and let Providence take care of everything. Shoot, I lost about five pounds, painting! I worked my hind-end off getting my school room back. That work left enough money from the kitchen repairs to get my books. I have to keep up, because I don't want to be the student that isn't ready for my lesson, and Latin leaks out of my brain pretty easily. But I didn't get all upset about how much time I was losing in not preparing, I didn't feel stressed. (Quite possibly the stress of the kitchen left no time for any other stress! Or God was merciful.) But I entered the year in rest.

 

[The Governess]

Thank you for this conversation. I am one of those who feels like I am not ready for my day unless I have over-prepared. The problem for me is finding the time to do it. I have a ten year old who is starting pre-algebra, is a third of the way into Latin 1, is studying Chinese.... I am exhausted trying to study ahead of her, research and find her resources that will fit, plan her lessons, in addition to the actual teaching, cleaning, and other work I need to do each week, not to mention the busy extracurriculars my girls love. When my younger can learn from the same curriculum that I already used with my older, I jump for joy.

 

I will be reading and re-reading this thread.

[LostintheCosmos]

This conversation resonates with a discussion my husband (a public educator) and I have been having about Christopher Lasch's analysis of the history of mass education in his excellent book, The Culture of Narcissism. Lasch points out the growth over the last century or so of the "belief that education should be painless, free of tension and conflict." He notes that this belief has enabled and excused bad teaching: "Under cover of enlightened ideologies, teachers (like parents [!]) have followed the line of least resistance, hoping to pacify their students and to sweeten the time they have to spend in school by making the experience as painless as possible." My husband's experiences testify to the vicious cycle in public schools that Lasch identifies as the result of all this: "Standards of teaching decline, the victims of poor teaching come to share the experts' low opinion of their capacities, and the teaching profession complains of unteachable students."

 

It seems to me that homeschoolers have not been immune from this trend, even ones trying to follow a more "traditional" educational path. There's such a scarcity of resources that really address in concrete ways the true heart of teaching - this connecting of student and lesson, two pieces which may be conceptually distinguishable, but in practice are inseparable. Instead, most of what's out there seizes on one half or the other as the supposed secret to painless learning. Frustratingly, I've found that generally speaking even good teachers - in school and at home - lack the vocabulary to explain what it is that makes them effective and often attribute the results of their own careful preparation and good teaching sense to some absurd ideology that doesn't actually describe what happens in their classroom or their homes. Thanks, 8FilltheHeart, for being an exception.

[TianXiaXueXiao]

What I personally gained from listening to Andrew Kern and reading about "teaching from rest" is that we must stop making comparisons with others and stop living with anxiety about whether what we are doing is "enough" or if it is providing the "best" education for our children. There is really no such thing as the perfect educational experience or the perfect curriculum. Teaching from a state of rest does not equate to lack of diligence and effort. I think it relates to the atmosphere we set for ourselves and our children to learn and grow in. When we are anxious, it sets the tone for the house. Our children know us better than anyone, so even if we are not openly discussing the stress and anxiety, we are quietly dripping it and oozing it through our pores and the consequence is that it feeds the anxieties of our family members. When I was always reading about the latest and greatest programs and searching for the perfect materials, I would catch myself getting really worried and anxious about the choices I had already made and committed to. I was always battling this desire to jump ship and try another math program, a different history series, etc. I never felt content with the decisions I made because I was constantly comparing myself and my kids with others. Following Andrew Kern's philosophy about teaching from rest has shown me what a tremendous waste of money, time, and energy was going toward feeding my anxiety. I already struggle with anxiety, so I was really a mess there for the first couple years of home schooling! The big take away for me was to stop looking at other families and stay focused on me and my kids and our needs based on who we are. This is why I can claim success in this endeavor to teach from rest. I am not anxious anymore and I am not making my kids anxious anymore, either! God bless them for tolerating my pride and anxiety for as long as they did! Lord have mercy. :)

[Soror]

What I personally gained from listening to Andrew Kern and reading about "teaching from rest" is that we must stop making comparisons with others and stop living with anxiety about whether what we are doing is "enough" or if it is providing the "best" education for our children. There is really no such thing as the perfect educational experience or the perfect curriculum. Teaching from a state of rest does not equate to lack of diligence and effort. I think it relates to the atmosphere we set for ourselves and our children to learn and grow in. When we are anxious, it sets the tone for the house. 

I agree with this but it seems we're talking about 2 separate things here, trusting in the yourself and trusting in the preparation you have made. I am getting there with both but I still feel I have plenty I need to learn before I feel I have arrived. What I can feel confident about is that I'm doing the best I can in the moment. As time has passed I do certainly feel more restful with what I am doing and I don't feel that are days are filled with stress or anxiety (beside that from the off/on chaos of keeping everyone on task) but my own education and preparation could be improved but I think that is just something that will continue. So, although I would say I wish I had more preparation and education it doesn't mean I feel stressed about it but I think that is just a difference in perspectives. I can acknowledge my weaknesses though, I'm a realist. I do have confidence that I can do this and do a good job.

[TianXiaXueXiao]

I definitely do not feel like I have learned all there is to learn about being a good teacher/parent/facilitator/model. What I have learned and will always need to reorient myself to is to be less anxious about how we are doing compared to others.

[MotherGoose]

I have steered away from looking at "State of Rest" stuff because I thought it was all clouds and lollipops.  Although that didn't really make sense with Andrew Kern, but anyway.  I've been reading, and it coincides with some personal epiphanies I've been having.  Going from having a baby to having a 3rd grader is a difficult transition.  In babyhood, if baby was fed, sleeping, and clean, my work was done.  Not so now (and of course not for awhile :) )  Every year I become more and more disciplined about getting things planned, and about making sure I have all the necessary supplies on hand so I'm not scrambling about.  If I have to run downstairs to make copies, mayhem begins.  If I have to look for things, we lose time.  It's so helpful to know every day exactly what we are going to do and when we are going to do it.  I have changed my mindset from "Oh we're homeschoolers, we can go do that on a school day" to "No, today is a school day.  We are staying home." Exceptions exist of course, and it was more acceptable to have those plans when I was doing K-2.  Not scheduling anything before 12:30 or 1:00 is immensely helpful.  Then we don't have to rush through things to get out the door.  

[8filltheheart]

In reading through the replies, I keep thinking, 'Out of chaos, comes order.' When I deep clean any room, my fridge, closet, cabinet, etc., the area looks far worse during the process than it did before I started. But in order to organize, evaluate where things belong, what to keep/what to get rid of, etc., I have to see everything I am dealing with, what was in the wrong place, where things fit properly, and then, and only then, I can reorganize and put things away in their proper place. Order ensues and I feel at peace with knowing where everything belongs and how to find it when I need it.

 

My having inner peace about homeschooling does not mean that I am a perfect teacher or that I dont make mistakes (that is laughable! I make them all the time. My 10th grader and I have already changed what she is doing for math this yr. Our original plan was just not going to be good enough.) What it does mean is that I **do** have to evaluate what I am doing and make sure it is meeting a standard. The difference is that it has to meet **MY** standards which are based on the abilities and goals of the individual child and the long term vision we have. It isn't simple and easy bc I have to know the objectives behind what we are doing.

 

It is pointless to compare what we (my children and I) are doing compared to schools bc I honestly reject ps methodologies. It is pointless to compare to other people bc my kids have their own abilities, strengths and weaknesses. But, I do have to have a plan and standards with clear objectives that I have to compare our outcomes against. For some people, those objectives may be found via WTM, for others it might be LCC. For kids with LDs, the objectives may be steered by goals help set by therapists, etc. I have created my own. But, objectives created for the individual child are still clear objectives, and goals still have to be met. When I have a child that is struggling with a math lesson, yes, I can close the book and end the lesson **for them.** BUT, that is when for me as the teacher I have to do deep cleaning. I have to go through what we have been doing, decide what was working and what wasn't, how do our objectives and goals match their progress. It is the "chaos before the order," and it is not restful in the terms of resting in the idea that I can close the book and focus on the child. It is hard work and effort in evaluating, re-organizing, and re-planning. It is only a lasting peace b/c it is the peace of joy and understanding that I am meeting my child's needs, not making them fail or progress through something w/o actual academic worth for them as presented. However, the academic goal, in and of itself, hasn't changed, only how to meet the objective has. And closing the book means that **my** work and responsibilities have just increased bc I have to decide how to proceed.

 

For me, teaching from a state of rest is constant work in maintaining a clear vision of where we are going and evaluating what we are doing. Just like maintaining a restful environment actually requires more effort than not. Keeping a house tidy, orderly, and restful means not letting the dishes stay in the sink, things lying around wherever they are put, laundry piled and never completed, etc. Walking into a setting with music playing, perfect lighting, things arranged pleasantly to the senses, clean and appealing.....those things don't just happen, nor do they stay that way without constant purpose. Something is defining the arrangement and maintaining the goal/objective of the space.

 

Not sure if any of that makes sense. I haven't had my coffee yet this morning. I have a pounding headache and gave myself permission to stay in bed late. But, those are where my general thoughts are wandering.

[Soror]

8, thank you for taking the time to talk about the chaos and work as well as the peace, that to me is the part that is missing from so many of the discussions about peace. 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I agree. The missing piece about peace is the hard work. ;)

 

There doesn't seem much point in putting a ribbon on chaos or a bow on disorder.

 

 

[8filltheheart]

I agree. The missing piece about peace is the hard work. ;)

 

There doesn't seem much point in putting a ribbon on chaos or a bow on disorder.

And have a market for it anyway. LOL! Reality is far less appealing than pretty packaging!

 

(but I am a practical sort of person, so I tend to view things through functionality and possibility. :))

[Critterfixer]

I do think, had I been teaching ninth graders and not fifth graders, even hard work would not have saved me from worrying. I wonder if the idea of rest changes over time. 

I think it must. Rest for me is certainly not the same now as it was when the boys were, say, two. Or even in second grade.

[justamouse]

http://www.elizabethfoss.com/reallearning/2014/01/the-pharisee-in-us.html

Elizabeth Foss did a wonderful blog post on comparisons and how they hurt us. 

 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

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[ScoutTN]

For me, rest means that I'm not frantically trying to cram too much into my day. I'm learning (continually) to pare down what we work on to the essentials, leaving us more time for discussion and interest-led activities. That means less stress and more learning for both of us. Having that work pared down also creates less of a "let's check this off the list and move on" mentality, which creates a lot of stress in our home.

 

Preparedness is also a huge, huge part of it for me. I'm less stressed and more "restful" in my teaching if I'm prepared ahead of time and not flying by the seat of my pants.

 

On the other hand, getting to that point doesn't feel very restful (all the reading and thinking and preparing...) :-)

This! I struggle with the mental checklist as a gauge of our homeschool effectiveness. A constant battle. I am an administrator by nature and I have to work hard every. single. day. to keep the big picture in mind. Our homeschool days have a better emotional tone and pace of work and we all learn more when I can see the forest and not just the trees. Preparedness certainly plays a role in this, but so does my own mental discipline and focus.

 

Patience, flexibility and creativity in teaching absolutely come easier when I am thoroughly prepared for the day. Since my kids are younger and their academics do not always require intensive studying on my part, sometimes household responsibilities or my part time job are what I need to have worked on ahead of time in order to be ready for a "restful" day.

 

Perhaps obvious, but as a Christian, my ability to "teach from a state of rest" depends on my spiritual state of being too. Here, as in academics, household management and physical fitness, discipline pays off. When Bible reading and prayer, study and reflection, take place regularly, I am a better teacher. Romans 12:2 Being transformed by the renewal of my mind. Another text that comes to mind is Philippians 4.

 

Fear and it's effects are great obstacles to "restful" teaching for me. Fear is a formidable enemy not to be underestimated or ignored.For me it requires both hard work and "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" to vanquish it, day by day.

 

 

[Tonia]

I agree. The missing piece about peace is the hard work. ;)

 

There doesn't seem much point in putting a ribbon on chaos or a bow on disorder.

 

Love it! Yes, it takes work. Lots of work. 

 

You win the most concise answer award!  :thumbup:  

[FloridaLisa]

I've been wanting to join this conversation but had family things and was too busy to join in 'til now. (How's that for talking about rest?)

 

8 - I agree with you that rest doesn't mean light work and that there is a fair amount of work that goes into being able to teach from rest versus teaching from a state of disorder. 

 

Having done this for some years now, I do think I'm more restful in our homeschool than in my early years. When I think of the need for teaching from rest, I think of shedding the overhanging anxieties about whether I'm doing enough and expectations on my kids that put them under anxiety and create distance in our relationship. I've done all of that.  I'm not really sure I could have had complete rest 15 years ago.  I think it's taken me putting a few kids all the way through this homeschooling process to see that it works. And it can work marvelously better than I could have expected. Really.

 

I do remember as a young homeschooling mom going to a monthly support meeting led by a mom about where I am now.  We were mostly beginning homeschoolers and we would come every month all a-fluster about our kids and their behavior and whether to start Latin yet and how to keep the baby happy when we had SO MUCH TO DO with the olders. We were so mired in our full everyday and so young, we just had no long-term vision.  I can still see that wise older homeschooing mom now.  She would smile and very calmly tell us, "They are going to be okay. You're doing a good job. The fact that you're asking these questions and searching out your children shows that they will be okay." (And by okay, I don't think she meant mediocre, I think she meant, they're going to thrive more than you can even think they will.) She knew because her older ones were already doing it. 

 

So every month, I got a small dose of this calm encouragement and it helped me, to extend 8's analogy, continue to spring clean out all the closets. I could clean them out in a state of exasperation or I could clean them out with assurance that after all the work, the closets would indeed be clean. 

 

That's the connection I am seeing to the motto to "teach from a state of rest." I think younger moms (and maybe older ones as well) who are buried up to their eyeballs in dust rags, sorting bins and garbage bags want to hear the message to take a breath, relax, just teach every day and put the anxiety aside.    So yes, work absolutely.  But work that is measured and ordered (I think 8 said that as well) and rests on the fact that work sown day in and day out produces a crop. 

 

Lisa

[FloridaLisa]

Wait, are y'all all done talking about this now?

 

 

:001_huh:     :blushing:     :bigear: 

 

 

 

Lisa

[justamouse]

Wait, are y'all all done talking about this now?

 

 

:001_huh:     :blushing:     :bigear: 

 

 

 

Lisa

 

Your last comment was pretty awesome. :D 

 

[Jane Elliot]

Wait, are y'all all done talking about this now?

 

I hope not because I've been enjoying listening in even though I'm too busy right now to comment. I really love what you said, Lisa, and as another who has been through the whole process more than a few times, I agree wholeheartedly.