Library Week

Libraries are a staple in the Roller family. My across the street neighbor when I was growing up was the Elk Grove Village Public Library. We were never able to borrow sugar, but I could get a cook book out, if I wanted to. Now, many years later, while I don't live as close to one as I did, libraries are still near to my heart.

A couple times a year our family embarks on library week. We stop formal schooling for a week and visit at least 1 library each day.












Here are the kids at the main library in Madison, WI.

In all we hit 5 libraries in 2 states. Library Week works for us because:

1) Libraries are fun, inexpensive places to learn and relax.

2) While library week gives us a break from our regular classroom environment, it does give me many ideas for future studies.

3) A well planned library week allows us the opportunity to drop in on friends and family and to visit other towns and cities. This type of multi-task travelling is educational as well as economical.

Even though we home school, I think library week can work for any family regardless of their educational choices. Spring, Winter or Summer breaks make the perfect time for library week. This is actually when we have done most of ours, so as not to interfere with Awana, and co-ops. Even if you have no children or no children at home, visiting libraries with your spouse or significant other can make an excellent date night.


So, library week works for me. If you'd like to see what works for other bloggers click here to go to the Works for me Wednesday page at Rocks in my Dryer.

Next Time: The Electrician who was an Angel

Goals for 2009

First of all to anyone referred here from Biblical Womanhood, I have no intention of being a biblical woman. The biblical I can handle, the womanhood, not so much. That being said, you can see many more peoples' goals for 2009 by linking here: Biblical Womanhood

Here are some of my goals for 2009:

1) I would like to yell at my children less. Actually I would not like to yell at them at all. Which would be less. First of all, yelling at them never works. Second of all, it gives them a model for dealing with frustration that is not biblical for any kind of hood.

2) I would like to communicate better with my wife. Since I took over home schooling, my wife and I have been misunderstanding each other. Here are a couple of examples (one of them may be made-up): My wife recently thinks she told me to use some of the money we were given as Christmas gifts to pay down the mortgage. I still distinctly remember her saying White Sox season tickets. Then there was the time at our children's swimming lessons last month, when she told me she was going to pick up dinner on the way home and would be stopping at both McDonald's and Burger King (they are across the street from each other) and asked what I wanted. I thought she said she was going to McDonalds or Burger King. So I gave her an order for each place. She was astounded that I would order so much, and I was equally perplexed when she brought me 5 sandwiches from their respective dollar menus.

3)I would like to grow in my relationship with God. Teaching the kids empties my spiritual tank quicker than anything I've ever done. I want my children to see my dependence on God for direction in mine and their lives.

4) To continue to minister as a family. Last year we began having a special needs child from our church stay with us for a day or two at a time to give the parents the ability to reconnect with themselves and their other children. This is allowing us to minister as a family and is good to teach the kids patience and selflessness. We hope to take other opportunites to minister as a family this year.

5) To bring back the perm for men. I have some pictures from my college days if you want to see them.

6) To write a letter a week in 2009. When I was a missionary in Russia, my roommate called me the post card king. Because as he would send out 4 page letter after 4 page letter, I would send out post card after post card promising a longer letter later (many of which never came.) Now 14 years later, I don't even send postcards. As part of their school work the children are writing a letter a month for the year. I plan to demonstrate the craft by sending out 1 a week.

7) To be funnier in 2009 than I was in 2008. Funny is very important to me. Back in my cubicle days, I cherished my annual reviews that said what a good sense humor I have. I know what you are thinking, that's the workplace equivalent of describing a blind date as having a "good personality." Well what's so bad about having a good personality? Being funny is no laughing matter and I intend to take it very seriously in 2009.

Next Time: Library Week

The Old Switcheroo!

So, if you've been following this blog, you have been informed of why we as a family home school. You have also been told that because of the current job situation, I am the home school teacher.

I would be remiss, however, to give you the impression that I am the teacher because of circumstance. I think its because of providence. I truly feel God's hand in my current avocation. Let me give you the skinny:

When Amy and I got married nearly 11 years ago I was newly employed at a mortgage company. I worked there for almost 10 years. The 2nd half of those 10 years of employment were much more stressful than the first. In addition, as our family grew, we barely managed to live on my salary. The idea of Amy and I switching responsibilites would sometimes bounce in my head, but I never felt peace in considering such a move.

What did occur was this: In the fall of 2002 I was given the opportunity to work a 4 day 40 hour work week. Amy got a part time job as a school psychologist 2 days a week and I got a part time job as a home school father 1 day a week. (For those doing the math at home, we did have 1 day a week wher the children were watched outside the home.)

What the experience brought me was this: I felt much more suited at my part time job than my full time one. I loved being home 1 day a week and being a more formal part of their formal education. Also during that 10 year period, I was given many affirmations whether in Sunday School teaching or training people at work that I would make a good teacher.

In late 2005 we had our third child. At the end of that school year Amy stopped her part time position and that summer I lost my full time position. Amy started subsitute teaching while I looked for work again giving me opportunities to home school the children. I worked in call center positions from 2006 to 2008. When my employment ended in July of 2008, Amy and I were ready for the change. She applied for a full time school psychologist position in the same district where she worked previously and was hired 3 days later. (She would have been hired sooner but there was a weekend in between.) We got to spend almost a month together as a family while we prepared for the switch. In late August of 2008 I became the 2nd full time teacher in the history of the Izola Becker Home School. I have never felt more suited for a job in my life. I love the commute. My students are like members of my own family.

I am far from perfect. I yelled at my children last semester more than I ever yelled at them in their entire lifetime before. Sometimes just getting through the day with the three of them is all I can handle. But with all that said, this is the best job I have ever had!

Next time: Home school goals for 2009

Why we Home School Part II

Pictures, they say, are worth a thousand words. You also don't have to use spell check on them. I used pictures in my first post to communicate why we home school. Pictures of our children. If my wife and I didn't have any children, we probably would not home school. We'd spend far less on curricula, at any rate. The truth be told, Amy and I wanted to home school our children even before children came into the picture. We actually separately desired to home school any children God might bring even before we were we.

The reason we had wanted to home school was that when we separately spent time with home school families and liked what we saw. We saw children who were sharp, well behaved, and knew how to talk with adults. We saw Dads and Moms and children who were unified as a family.

When we got married and became parents we wanted to be the main influences of our children. Not because we thought other people would do it worse, but because it would be a great blessing to do it ourselves.

Now, I must be honest, there are times that if we want to spend time with children who are sharp, well behaved and know how to talk to adults, we need to spend time with other people's home schooled children.

But now a full 9 years into this great home school experiment, we would not have it any other way. Which is why when I lost my job this summer, we said "let's both apply for jobs and whoever doesn't get one first gets the privilege of teaching our own children." And I won!

Next Time: The old switcheroo.

Beginnings Part I: When I first heard about homeschooling.

Do you remember where you were the first time you heard about home schooling? I was at a wedding. At the reception, I was placed at what I call the odd duck table , the table where you sit friends, family and coworkers not likely to know anyone else, I have a name for it because I have been placed at that table many times.

So at the odd duck table there was a lady from out of state, Colorado, I believe, who home schooled her children. This was the mid to late 80's and I had no idea what homeschooling was or why anyone would want to do it. I just sat there as she regailed other wedding guests with stories of her home schooling journey.

I think it was appropriate that I first heard of home schooling at the odd duck table. Home Schooling itself has been an odd duck for many years. People aren't quite sure what to make of it. As Home School parents we can easily get frustrated at seeing the same reaction from each person who learns you are home educating your children. This is why I asked you to recall your first experience with the concept. Perhaps, your initial reaction, was not unlike those you encounter today. We often expect people to understand things the way we do and forget our understanding is part of an ongoing process often over many years.

Home schooling over the years has quietly been inching away from the odd duck table. Everybody seems to know someone these days who is home schooling. It is not uncommon now for park districts and libraries to have special activities for home school families.

Next Time: Why we home school part II