Just the other day I had a moment of educational serendipity.
A little background of the educational experiences of our children:
- Rachel – Homeschooling in America; 1 year of private Christian school in America; 1 year of public school in America; homeschooling in Scotland; 2 years of public school in France; 1 year of private Christian school in France; this year doing school by internet at home; next year heading to Germany to do private Christian High School.
- Noah – Homeschooling in America; homeschooling in Scotland; 2 years of public school in France; now into his 2nd year of private Christian school in France.
- Olivia – Homeschooling in America; homeschooling in Scotland; 2 years of public school in France; now into her 2nd year of private Christian school in France.
Can you say “eclectic”? I knew you could…
Anyway, the other day, I was “grading” Rachel’s 125 question Algebra 1 mid-term test on the Internet while she was working on another lesson on the other computer. I then went upstairs to see what was happening elsewhere in the house. Angela and Noah were in our bedroom working on his French homework. Down in the dining room was Olivia working on her math homework. (I think all of us were helping her at one point or another!)
Anyway, it occurred to me that this is the way that it should be. A true collaborative effort of the whole family endeavoring to teach the whole family using any and all means available. It certainly continues to have its challenges. For example, helping Olivia with math resembles more of a trip to the dentist for a root canal than “warm family moment”! But all in all, we’re glad to be about moving forward with the next generation en famille!