Motherhood and Education

I love my kids. Being a mom is so fulfilling and satisfying.

Andrés gives me joy every day. Today he was practicing being a gentleman. We walked up to the school supply store and back, he concentrating on walking between me and the road, crossing the streets carefully and telling me when to go, holding my hand and directing me around the crowded sidewalks, and opening and holding doors for me. “Pase, madam,” was his polite way of allowing me to pass. As he went, he racked up points, and received a Gogo for every 20 points he earned. By the time we got home, he had 50 points.

Elizabeth has finished her school year, passing every class but one. Granted, some of her classes she received a 7, which is the equivalent of a D, but she passed. She has to take her Natural Science test again, and has until the 16^th of December to study. Next week there is a scheduled study day with the professor, so she will study at home until then, spend some time going over it with him, then take the test in a little over 2 weeks. Tomorrow she has an awards ceremony, and she is receiving an award – for scholastic excellence! I am so proud of her, that she worked hard and even though she came in towards the end of the second trimester, she has been diligent to work towards improving her grades. She says that she didn’t work as hard as she could have, and so we have something to work for next year. I told both the girls that I don’t expect that they will get 7’s next year, that I would hope (expect) 9’s and 10’s on their report cards.

Emily said yesterday, “You’re dis-concentrating me!” to Andrés, who was dis-concentrating her! Tonight she was crying again, wanting to be back in Colorado. It breaks my heart to hear her long to be back in the US, especially as I struggle with not being there, not allowing her to be where she wants to be, seeing her struggle with not having friends at school, hearing how mean they can be to her because she is so innocent. Please God, give her a friend!

Emily is my best study-er. She is very conscientious about what work is due when, and getting a huge jump on it to be finished with plenty of time. I wish her teachers could see the amount of work that she invests in her studies, whether it be for presentations, tests, or just homework. She takes more time than the average student, but she also schedules time for it as well. Many times she won’t go to bed until late because she is still working on an assignment and wants to finish. She has taken her math test twice now, has invested countless hours into studying for it, and hasn’t passed it either time (we think). She will have to take it again in December, and hopefully pass, or she will then have to take it again in February. Again, I pray, God, please help her to pass!

I’ve been thinking about classical education, and am intrigued by the idea, and want to look more into it. I don’t know much about it, only that it focuses on teaching the ability to think, and uses good literature rather than the junk that schools are using nowadays – I say that because the books Elizabeth had to read this year, and what she has to read for next year are sensational, sexual, violent, depressing, godless and (therefore) hopeless. What is she learning from reading them? How is that improving her as a human being? We have to work extra hard to combat this stuff with godly principles and give her tools in order to understand why we don’t agree with what she is learning in school. Seems pointless to have to jump through hoops for school, when you don’t agree with what you’re being taught. Or worse yet, to learn something in school that you don’t quite agree with, but it sits in your brain and you think it over, and it becomes part of your natural though processes. Elizabeth might be able to understand what we are saying about the books that she reads, but I’m not sure Emily will. She won’t understand the books, won’t understand why we object to them, and will get frustrated over it all. Is it worth it?