We have been working together as a family on a mission statement for our School of One Pupil. It's not a simple matter, and you can't just go copy a good one out there. It needs to reflect the values you have as a family, each one of you.
We've been working on five foci: mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual (they was suggested in an article I read.) I kind of look at the spiritual askance. I don't quite know how to deal with it yet, as our family is not religious. We'll think of something though--religious tolerance, respect for religious beliefs, ability to make up your own mind, knowledge of the world's major religions... Something.
We've already made some ideological adjustments. It's definitely nice to have a guideline. Husband's biggest concerns were around the social focus. Why anybody thinks that being in school will help your social skills is beyond me, but he's thinking along those lines. I think I will be able to meet his concerns around social skills without sending her to school, but we'll see.
The mental focus was an interesting one. We are still working on that one, but the two areas that we have decided upon as being of utmost importance were math and writing. Math for him. He has decided that he wants Mi'ita to finish Calculus by the time she finishes high school. I didn't meet that goal myself and it has left a whole series of brick walls in my life, so I stand behind it. It is a good goal to strive or, even if she doesn't eventually meet it. Not everyone is up for Calculus, but Mi'ita has a good mind and is good at math, so it I think it's good to put it out there.
Writing was my emphasis. Her reading is plenty adequate basically forever. That doesn't mean that you can put anything in front of her and she will understand it. It does mean that she is not learning to read anymore; she's reading to learn. It is a tool she has mastered.
Not so for writing. She is writing plenty adequately for a fourth grader. That is not adequate for life, though. I have not been focusing a lot on the writing skills and that has bothered me as it is important. In light of this new mission statement in progress, though, I've added a little to the plate. She has to keep a daily journal. Husband added an interesting element. He wants her to read an article out of the New York Times World Section, twice a week, and write a summary of it. Mi'ita's quite good at geography and world history, but her modern political history is as bad as most kids'. It's as bad as mine, I'm ashamed say. We'll both be learning.
It's good to have mission statement, even one that's in progress.
Dear Ineka, John, and Mia,
ReplyDeleteI believe I am a spiritual person, although not of the formal religious church or synagog sort. I gain my spiritual fulfillment by emercging myself in nature (the Japanese Garden, and nature walks wherever I find them.) I also seek persons who have influenced me to be a better person:
Ghandi, Christ, Nelson Mandela, Alan Paton, Ceasar Chavez, Martin Luther King, Saint Frances, Father Damian, Mother Theresa, Amish women...)I try to keep an open mind and NOT just a tolerance for those with beliefs not my own, but an APPRECIATION for who and what they do or have done for others.
Thinking ahead some weeks ago, I found several books about most of these folks which were written for young folk, and can share them with Mia or give them to you to share with her.
I think John has an excellent idea about helping her gain a much better understanding of world affairs by reading a news clipping twice a week. You might consider this thought.
If your PRIMARY goal is for her to gain an interest and knowledge of world affairs, you might consider making this an oral activity rather than a written one. I would not say this except that she fights writing and summarizing, in my experience is not something youngsters usually enjoy. It is a real challenge! I think I might try a bit of a different approach. A daughter and dad time when they cuddle up in his chair and build out from her love of geography. He could choose an article that he thinks might interest HER. Tell her the story after having her find the location on her map or globe. Then just talking about the article in a kid friendly way and asking her questions like, "Why do you think Richard Leaky wants to burn the ivory poachers have killed elephants to get? Kenya is a poor country. Why do you think he wants to do that? Couldn't he just sell it and give the money to poor people?" "What do you think the government of Kenya could do so really poor folks with hungry families could stop killing elephants for their ivory." ______... "Hummmmm. That's an idea, Mia. Can you think of another thing that might help?" This kicks in not only the information about the world, but also critical thinking skills, a closeness to Dad that makes world events something very special like her time with Dad. I would not worry about her becoming an expert in world affairs in the next couple years. I would just concentrate on your PRIMARY long term goal for this activity, make it kid friendly in content, and keep the HAPPY glow of Mia's beautiful relationship with her father.
At the end of this activity Mia and her dad could make an oral five sentence summary together to share with Mom at the dinner table or other cozy time. Something like this:
Summary:
1) "In Kenya, Dr. Leaky is encouraging the government to burn elephant ivory.
2) Very poor Kenya poachers have been....."
3) The poachers have been doing this because...
4) I think the poor people who have become poachers could find a better way to get the food their families badly need if the government ...
or... If that didn't work then they might try... ... ...
5) I think burning ivory in Kenya is a good/bad idea because... ..."
That will be five cents, please,
Love you deeply,
Mutti
Adorable kid hanging from the vine in the jungle!
ReplyDeleteDoes she always monkey around like this?