007 Pursuing Excellence in Homeschooling
The pursuit of excellence. How in the world do we do that during the day to day of homeschooling? Why is it important, and how do I model excellence without modeling vanity? As Christians, we focus on the why of excellence. We pursue excellence all for the glory of God.
Speaker 1:It is to reflect God's character, to honor God with our abilities, to be responsible stewards, and to grow personally. In today's episode, I look forward to grappling with this topic and giving you some practical steps for instilling excellence in your children. Hey, homeschool mom. I'm Erica Sagert on the intentional homeschooler podcast with more actionable steps and encouragement for your homeschooling journey so you can confidently and intentionally homeschool your children without sacrificing your sanity. Grab a pen and paper, your favorite cup of brew, and let's get started.
Speaker 1:I'm going to tackle a bit of a tricky subject today, excellence. What does that mean exactly? I hear all too often that homeschooling is an escape from high standards that if students simply finish their work, it deserves an a. I also fear on the opposite end of the spectrum that some are more concerned about the outside appearance in creating a facade to simply look good on the outside. I am not talking about either of those extremes today.
Speaker 1:I am talking about excellence as unto the lord. Like what Colossians three twenty three to 24 says, Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men. You are serving the Lord Christ. As Christians, we believe that Jesus died for us and redeemed us. So, of course, we want to pursue excellence for him.
Speaker 1:What does excellence even mean in homeschooling? It's not just about grades or test scores. It's about instilling a love of learning, a strong work ethic, and a desire to be the best version of yourself, all rooted in your faith. As Christians, excellence is about honoring God with your abilities. As second Timothy two fifteen says, study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Speaker 1:Our ultimate goal for excellence is so that we can rightly divide God's truth. We want our children to be well equipped to serve God in whatever path they pursue. So how do we pursue excellence, and how do we pursue it for the right reasons? Well, first of all, I think we need to set high expectations. Challenge your children without being discouraging.
Speaker 1:So focus on what your child excels at. Celebrate their achievements, both big and small. This builds confidence, and it makes them more receptive to the challenges that they will face. It prepares them for the real world. I believe setting the bar high motivates them to push themselves and achieve their full potential.
Speaker 1:When we set the bar low, we risk settling for subpar work. It might seem easier to set a lower bar, but it can actually lead to complacency and hinder their growth. Let's set a challenging but achievable goal that will inspire them to excel. Think of it like training for a marathon. If you only trained for a jog, you won't be prepared to run the full distance.
Speaker 1:If you only trained with short little jogs, you're not gonna be ready to run that full length. Setting a high bar helps them to build the stamina and skills for a successful life. Let's set them up for success by setting high expectations in a firm yet loving way. The second thing we can do is to grade honestly. When it comes to grading, when you get to that stage, you might not be dealing with that so much if you have elementary aged students.
Speaker 1:But in middle and high school, you definitely will be grading. So set up clear expectations ahead of time, create a rubric, create a grade scale, and grade appropriately. Grades are not my favorite thing, but they are a reality check. They help us, you know, to be prepared for what is to come in the future. It it's something that we all are gonna have to deal with at one time or the other.
Speaker 1:It helps us to have some data to see how things are going. The third thing to consider when thinking about excellence is to tailor the learning to your child. Use their strengths and interests to craft engaging lessons. So if your child loves dinosaurs, you might have them learn history through that lens. Or if you know your child is tactile, provide many opportunities for tactile learning.
Speaker 1:Think about their individual learning styles and their interests and tailor to that. It will help them understand and enjoy the process of learning. Therefore, pursuing excellence will come more naturally for them. The fourth thing is Christian integration. So I think it helps to weave biblical principles and values into all the subjects that you teach.
Speaker 1:Science can explore God's creation. Literature can discuss characters' morals and choices and things like that. Math shows God's order, complexity, faithfulness, and reliability. History shows God's faithfulness and teaches us about human nature. So by bringing in the Christian integration, it will help them to remember why they're pursuing excellence in the first place.
Speaker 1:Fifth thing is to cultivate curiosity. So encourage them to ask questions. Explore different ideas. Think critically. A questioning mind is a growing mind.
Speaker 1:Ask open ended questions. Instead of questions with yes or no answers, encourage deeper thinking with why, how, or what if questions. Expose your children to many things and teach them to think critically. Sixth, I want you to celebrate achievements. So recognize their hard work and milestones, big and small.
Speaker 1:A simple, I'm so proud of you for the way that you tackled that math problem can go a long way. We all have plenty of negativity. Create an atmosphere with a positive mindset. Encouragement always makes us want to do better. I remember several years ago, my husband was working for someone.
Speaker 1:His foreman would come up to them, and he would see that they were working really hard and getting a lot done, and he would have a pocket full of Tootsie Rolls, so he would pass those Tootsie Rolls out. So even those adult men working on that job site, that encouragement went a long way. It truly does make us want to do better. So make sure that you're celebrating those achievements so that they will want to keep pursuing that excellence. So to recap, excellence doesn't mean perfection.
Speaker 1:It's not about a facade. It is not simply about looking good on the outside. Excellence is about striving to do your best and using your abilities to their fullest. It also encompasses moral excellence and living a Christ like life. The focus should be on the journey, not just the destination.
Speaker 1:So let's set high expectations for our students to work towards. Let's grade honestly. Let's tailor to their learning. Let's integrate Christian principles into all of the subjects. Let's cultivate curiosity, and let's celebrate those achievements.
Speaker 1:Finally, remember that excellence is a gift from God. By nurturing a love of learning and a strong Christian foundation, we're equipping our children to be shining, excellent examples of faith and knowledge. We are raising difference makers in this world for Jesus Christ. If any of this resonates with you, you have further questions, or you wanna find out about the work I do at Hope Learning Center, book a virtual coffee chat with me. The link to my calendar is in the show notes.
Speaker 1:You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as right here where a brand new episode will drop every other Thursday. Until next time, you've got this, mom.
