Reluctant Teacher

I confess....I am the Reluctant Teacher.  That's me!  After 23 years of straight home schooling, and while going through what I believe is a mid-life crises (please laugh with me)...I wasn't ready to start a new school year.  My school book's arrival is being delayed by financial woes....what's new.  The washing machine followed the dryer and died.  After their wonderful make-up, they still gave up the ghost.So priority one is clean clothes, pretty soon, before books.  Although I pressed through the summer intentionally living life to the fullest...I didn't have a vision for school.  So I have drugggggggggggggggggggggg my heavy feet into this school year, with a heart of a two-year-old, who is setting down as told, but standing up inside.

God is gracious.  He reminded me of all the activities we had enjoyed in the summer and He ignited two weeks of teaching from our experiences....each giving me excitement and motivation.

As I drove through a subdivision my eyes caught a pond.  Oh! what a great pond...so Monetistic.  God gave me a glimpse of how to take my draggggggggggggging feet and produce a fun-filled teachable day.

So, on Thursday we packed up an art bag, camera, bug spray (West Nile Virus prevention) and headed out the door before the heat ate us up.

Not only was the environment relaxing and inspiring, we were welcomed to an additional surprise.

Benjamin and I just soaked in the wonder of the ducks and the little one!  Benjamin crawled up under the branches of the tree to intently observe while he was drawing.  Later we saw the same tree in Monet's garden in France.

Back at the table he painted and drew the wonders before him, as we continued to soak in the sights and  sounds...a huge bullfrog croaking, fish jumping, mirroring reflections on the water and the whistling of the summer breeze.

As the heat began to beat down on us we returned to read and watch Linnea in Monet's Garden.  We searched the internet to see videos of Monet's Garden in France.  We located France on our map and discussed other books, like Madeline, which were written around the Paris setting.  We pulled our Monet study into the same time period of the discovery of dinosaur fossil bones around the world, which tied into our dinosaur study of two weeks....another adventure from summer discoveries.

As I picked up our remnants from the day I thanked the Lord that He loves even reluctant teachers.  He is concerned for my child's learning and his mom, who is just a little discombobulation as the school year starts.  I think we will make it...I WILL get use to the packed schedule, the evenings of running to lessons or work  and summer WILL show it's freedom again.  For now I look up for my inspiration and energy that no curriculum can provide, only He can supply my needs.