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ACP:STANDING WITH OUR PARENTS

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Since we are focusing much of the content of our newsletter this month on “gratitude”, I must take this opportunity to say how very grateful we are for parents who work hard to bring quality education to their children. For many, you have found yourselves in an unexpected situation: educational director for your children. This may mean you are keeping an extra close eye on and supplementing your children’s public school education; for others this means making many sacrifices to provide a private education for your children; for others it means taking on the role of primary educator for your children. We desire to partner with all of you, regardless of your situation. We understand that each scenario requires a great deal of hard work and sacrifice from you. At The Write Journey, we value your sacrifice and your hard work, and we hope to find more ways to help equip you to fulfil your role as educational director for your children.

This desire for close partnership, which results in equipping and empowering parents, is one of the primary goals of our Adult Training Program. WE want to help YOU to do the best job possible as you teach writing and communication skills to your children. We have spent more than fifteen years creating language arts classes, with a focus on writing, for your children. Now we have a vision to train you, the adults, to teach these writing methods to your own children and the children in your co-ops and communities. As our pilot group continues learning our writing methods, we look forward to a new group of eager adult learners to join us in January when we will begin a new ATP (Adult Training Program) Foundations class. Contact our home office if you would like more information about this opportunity. (916-696-1759 or info@thewritejourney.net)

While the job of educating your children well may feel overwhelming and even oppressive at times, you are not alone. At The Write Journey, we have experienced both the burdens and the blessings of parenting with a goal of bringing the best educational experience to our children. We are grateful for the freedoms we still have to take an active role in our children’s education. We thank you for doing the hard thing . . . the right thing. We honor you, and we stand beside you.

Written by: Kris Cordell

REMEMBER GRATITUDE

‘Tis the season of “Thanksgiving”. With all the warmth and good feelings that come with this season-- fall colors, yummy food, family gatherings, cooler temperatures and crackling fireplaces-- perhaps the most significant focus of this season is “THANKFULNESS”. On some level we understand the focus of this season, but if we’re being honest, we may be experiencing some added anxiety as we venture further into November. So let’s take a few minutes to refocus and speak life into this season:

  •  Each day I will choose to verbally acknowledge something I am grateful for . . . and nothing is too insignificant to express gratitude for it.

    •  A hot bath

    •  A cup of coffee with some added whip cream on top

    •  A rainy day that waters the ground and calls for crafts, baking or games

    •  Family to gather with and share a meal

    •  Read aloud time with my children

    •  ONE job well done (dishes, laundry, homework, etc.)

    •  A nature walk, filled with fresh, crisp air and pretty changing colors

    •  A friend who understands

  •  As I model gratitude, I will affirm my children when they too verbalize what they are grateful for. (This might be a fun sticker chart with a reward.)

  •  As we work to complete our school work, we will find ways to weave in acts of gratitude:

    • Write and decorate cards to give to grandparents, new neighbors, or friends (language arts: writing and creating)

    •  Bake a batch of goodies (or a meal) to share . . . just because you care (math and measuring)

    • Serve at a local food bank or other non-profit organization - remembering how grateful we are for all our provisions (community service)

 Even when I feel overwhelmed, I will speak life by giving thanks, knowing that this small act will shift my mindset, and sometimes even my circumstances.

Of course I know that nothing I’ve written is new or profound. Since the beginning of human existence, gratitude has been a choice . . . a perspective. Humans get to choose to be grateful or to grumble. It’s pretty simple, but it’s not easy. When we communicate and act from a grateful perspective, we elevate it to top priority in our lives. It’s easy to get out of the habit of choosing a grateful perspective, and that’s why we get to speak life into our circumstances this time each year.

I pray that you are excited about this season, and your mind is spinning with opportunities to bless others out of a place of gratitude. Search the internet using “random acts of kindness”, and within 5 minutes you’ll be overwhelmed with ideas. Just remember: the goal is to use gratitude to bless YOURSELF, your family, and others. Just one little act and/or word will bless. As you bless others, you will be blessed.

I’m grateful for YOU!

Speaking life, Kris C.

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TEAMWORK: BETTER TOGETHER

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Seriously! Few holidays have deeper meaning and greater potential for good than Thanksgiving. This is the season that reminds us of the importance of choosing gratitude. As we choose gratitude, our actions follow suit: We act grateful. Imagine a world filled with grateful people. While that may feel hard to even imagine, that is exactly what I imagine for TWJ Community. We are a community that chooses to be thankful all the time. We are thankful for:

  •  Friends/community

  •  Books

  •  Family

  •  Sharing ideas

  •  Encouraging words

  •  Trials that help us grow

  •  Art/beauty

  •  Health

  •  Nature

 And on, and on, and on

Of course we experience frustrations on our journey, but we do our best to remind each other to look for the blessings in each and every situation.

We are grateful that we get to partner with you on your journey to bring quality education to your children. Whether you are a homeschool family or not, we are with you; we are for you; we are grateful to support you in a variety of ways. We know a lot about teaching writing, literature, and communication in general, but we need you to teach us how to connect with you. In this crazy world of online connections, building relationships is filled with both challenges and opportunities. Would you help us find the opportunities? As parents who care about your children’s education, what are your greatest needs and how might we be able to help you, using the virtual platform?

  •  Attend conventions (which ones?)

  •  Create podcasts? (what topics?)

  •  Hold live virtual meetings (when should they be scheduled?)

  •  Create written documents to support parents (what content?)

The key to creating and supporting an active, vital community is communication. We want to hear from you whenever you have an idea that might help us serve families like yours as you educate your children.

No longer can we depend upon government run schools to do this job for us. For many reasons, the educational model that was built in the USA is no longer reliable, but that’s okay. In fact, it may be a blessing in disguise. Together we can teach our children well. Not only can we teach them about reading, writing, and arithmetic, but we can also teach them about civility, morality, honor. . . and gratitude. Together we can restore this great nation. This is a vision that requires teamwork and sacrifice at every level. As you do your part, we will do ours, and together we will travel this journey to make a difference. And we will give thanks for all the blessings (sometimes hidden) along the way.

Written by: Kris Cordell

BOOKS PLUS WHAT?

What an amazing experience our pilot group of Adult Certification individuals is enjoying as they learn together! Not only are our “students” learning, but we are also learning from them. We’re learning how to create a program that will work well for BUSY parents who are in the thick of the homeschool journey, oftentimes with multiple little blessings vying for their time and attention. We appreciate all of the feedback we are receiving from this group, and we are excited to move forward with additional modules that will be filled with practical, relevant content for busy homeschool parents and instructors.

Since most of our newsletter content this month includes reading and literature, I thought I’d give you a sneak peak at one of our upcoming modules: Making the Most Out of Literature. At every age of life and every stage of learning, books are critical. They create the foundation of learning. In fact, one needs little more than great books to enjoy some of the best educational experiences possible. Contrary to popular opinion, the latest and greatest is not always the best.

You may already be aware of the numerous outstanding men and women throughout history that had minimal academic resources. But they had books. A quick google search will show several well-known individuals who had no formal education, and yet they accomplished greatness. Of course there are many factors at play, but most will agree that books were a significant contributing factor in their rise to prominence. Even so, it is not always how many books one reads as much as it is how well one reads. As Mortimer Adler says, “In the case of good books the point is not to see how many of them you can get through but how many can get through to you.”

While I don’t have a date for you, I can tell you that we are working on a literature guide and a corresponding ACP (Adult Certification Program) module to guide parents and educators on their journey to “making the most out of reading”. Instruction will include the following:

  •  How and why we annotate

  • Literary terms for every age

  • Creating quality discussions around literary content

  • Effective writing prompts

  •  Logical analysis

  • Author’s writing style

  • Essential themes

  • And more

When parents and instructors learn basic strategies for making the most out of reading, we find that a few great books provide the foundation, as well as the heart and soul of our educational journey at nearly every level. No longer is it necessary to purchase extensive curriculum to gain an excellent education. This may sound like a radical concept, but history, along with personal experience, confirms it is true. I can’t wait to complete our literature guide and corresponding ACP module to share with all of you. Then you can experience for yourself just how possible it is to provide a quality education for your children by “studying” (not simply reading) great books.

Written by: Kris Cordell krisspeakslife@gmail.com