More curriculum talk--because I'm boring like that

I'm finally stepping out of my shell.  I've loved most of Sonlight's boxed curriculum for 3 years now, but I noticed something was working for my oldest.  So this year I've talked and talked and talked, and read, and read, and read about curriculum until I finally think I've got a solid Language Arts program planned for my kids.  Yes, I realize I've mentioned this to the point where I'm driving everyone around me nuts.  But really!  I've got it.  At least... I hope I have.

Here's the plan:  

*Rod and Staff English 2-accelerated for the oldest, on course for the Princess.  When the Angel gets through Rod and Staff English 2, I'll move her into Rod and Staff English 3.

*All About Spelling for both, probably at the same pace.       

*Latina Christiana I, I'm going to slow this down for both of them (which means go the pace that is recommended.  We've flown through Prima Latina).  If I need to, I'll supplement it with Ludere Latin for the older one.

*New American Cursive II, we are wrapping up NAC1 soon, and I'm finding this to be a very usable cursive curriculum.  

Its kind of liberating to have a handle on my plans and to have my program put together.  The girls are finishing up cursive 1, Prima Latina, and have just started the Rod and Staff, and so far I think my biggest concern is directing how they do their table work as they are sharing some of the materials.

Also in the shake-up we are ditching Sonlight's Bible program for Memoria Press' Bible curriculum.  I wanted something a little more in depth for the kids as they are getting older.  I hope that I'm not disappointed.  We'll keep the Core from Sonlight though.  That is our favorite part of the school day.  We'll keep our Horizon's Math too.  Every now and then I get worried as we move into new territory, but I still think overall its working well for the kids.  We're also trying a new Science this year, Real-Science-4-Kids Physics which is exciting.

SO deep breath as I hit the place order buttons for more curriculum!

Humility

A thought has been niggling at my mind lately and I keep seeing the triggers for this thought popping up around me.  There is a certain pride that some people take in educating their children. I know I take pride in it.  I love the chance to choose the right program for each of my children.  I relish thumbing through curriculum catalogs as I consider each child, and each child's interests, strengths and occasionally even weaknesses. I feel joy in knowing that I am doing the best thing for my daughter who is advanced in her studies, but very much emotionally her age.  I am happy to report that I have followed my children's leads in their desires to learn.  All of this feels great to contemplate.  Yet, then there is that little thought at the back of my mind.  Its been there for a while, but its finally become loud enough to listen to.  And it makes me feel ashamed, and worried.

You see, we started that fantastic Latin program, which includes learning prayers.  I made the remark a couple of times about how I wanted the kids to learn the table blessing so that we could say it each night.  I made jokes about people who sing a table blessing, as they all hold hands and how it used to make me uncomfortable as a kid.  I like the table blessing the kids learned, and I like how it sounds when their sweet voices repeat it.  I like the translation of it.  But recently, I realized that my child has been praying this prayer to show off her Latin.  Pride has rushed in like a wave and taken over a spot that shouldn't be full of pride.  Prayer should never be about pride, and I'm teaching my children pride instead of humility.

What drives this home is an encounter I had with another child.  I took 2 years of Spanish in high school and 2 courses in college.  I can ask you where the bathroom is, and I can repeat the "hi, how are you?"  "I am fine (or so-so, or bad), and you?"  bit.  In my education, I picked up a different accent (I'd wager because all of my instructors experienced Spanish in Spain and not Latin America).  It surprised me then when in a playful greeting exchange, the child I was speaking with corrected me rudely and told me that I was wrong in how I pronounced something.  I smiled and let it drop since it wasn't a big deal.  

I thought about her assurance in her correctness, and about how she took the opportunity to show off her own education in this matter.  I was reminded that my own daughter did this just a couple of days ago when she begged to pray at her cousin's birthday celebration, and did so, in Latin.  I realized I have taught my children to do the exact thing that I found uncomfortable to be a part of as a child.  I also realized that in my desire to teach my children to value their education, I haven't taught them to value kindness and humility--not showing off what they know, not making people uncomfortable with their actions and words--above that education.  It's humbling to see this failure and to know that it is directly because of my own pride and my own actions.