Drama 101

As you may remember, I have taken on a leadership role as a homeschool leader for a large homeschool group. This was not something I was looking to do, it just sort of fell into my lap. And this blog was supposed to be my place to share about this journey through leadership.

Well, the year is half over already. It's been a bit busy as you will see.

So here are the issue I have dealt with this first half of the year:

Safety

Gossip

Having a Student Council

Dancing/Dances

Dating/Dates

Mail/Mail Boxes

Payments and Deposits

Music

Hugging

Budget

Membership

Room Requests/Reservations

Dress Code

I know I could think of more that I am forgetting, but this is the main stuff I can remember at this moment. Every issue has been a learning experience and I have grown from the lessons learned. That is what I try to focus on when dealing with challenges like these.

The biggest lesson I have taken from all of this so far? That parents are the ones usually making non issues an issue rather than the kids. This then starts the domino affect that leads to the kids complaining or spreading rumors, or sometimes setting us adults straight. It has made for a difficult year so far, but one I feel blessed to experience since I am able to take what I learn with me at the end and apply it elsewhere.

Another lesson? I can't wait to find my replacement. I don't mean for that to sound so bad, but with the amount of work one does for this job and the amount of time spent dealing with all the drama, it becomes taxing on the soul. I am also a mom, a homeschool teacher, a substitute teacher, a non-profit board member, a wife, a full time student, care taker to my mother on occasion, and am about to take on volunteering at my church for a counseling program. I have a lot on my plate and dealing with drama is not high on my priority list. So, I will be moving on from this adventure very soon. But until then, I will do my best to continue to share my experiences a little better. So check in soon for more updates.

Home School Leadership - I'm ready to find my replacement

This has been a challenging year for me, yet one full of hard lessons and inspiring moments. And although I have grown a ton, it's time to face reality. I need a replacement! So, I am going to be praying about who will fit the bill. There are some I think would love to take over, and some I think would love to give it the old college try! But there really is one person who would be great at it, who has the knowledge of both the good and evil, and who has been around the block a few. Whether or not she realizes it yet, can't say, but I hope she will. I hope she jumps right in and takes the rains and leads us on as I know she can. Prayer. Lots of prayer.

Life in the Crazy Lane & New Adventures

We have begun our homeschooling year and it is going rather well. As a home school group leader, I have already begun to learn many lessons. Lessons in patience, humility, crisis intervention, and organization just to name a few. And that has been in the first two months. Now that I am finally getting the hang of it, I have found myself venturing on to another areas.

So, now let me share some wonderful news...

I would like to introduce to you RISE Resource Center! What? You haven't heard of it? Well, you will and very soon too. RISE stands for Renaissance In Student Education "Bringing them back to the basics" We are already in process of getting it up and running, and we are on the lookout for a building. It is amazing how fast this has been moving too. I began dreaming about a center for homeschooling families about three years or so ago. I'm excited to see it become a reality. We will need a lot of help in all areas, but this is going to be a great adventure.

I will share more as I can. For now, if you are interested in finding out more, let me know.

Proceed with Caution

It would only be natural that a home school group would need to be cautious about the types of events they put together for their children, yet can one be too cautious? Some of the things we celebrate for example, sometimes originated out of twisted and bizarre things in history. But do we really need to condemn those activities when they aren't done the same way today?Couldn't we still have the event in a positive way and teach our children the history and why it was twisted and bizarre? Or better yet, teach a new way to make it a positive thing?

 Perhaps I am not making clear sense, but I guess what I am trying to say without getting too specific is that there are things our children are interested in learning about, or doing, that might have a jaded past or that we know wasn't the best idea back in it's day. But by keeping our children from doing those things (I'm talking things that aren't physically harmful to themselves or others) we tend to just make the activity that much more intriguing. I'm not saying we should let our kids go out and do dangerous things, and then teach them why they are dangerous, but there are interests we can monitor and provide a lesson for while fostering creativity and providing them an experience that satisfies their curiosity and teaches the history that explains why people don't do it the way it used to be done anymore. Or why people don' t normally do it at all.  

Home School Leadership 101

So far the lesson has been that home school leaders have a lot of meetings. Leadership meetings, financial meetings, co-op meetings, etc...

And there has been a lot of meeting new people and hearing their issues. Actually, pretty much all of the people I have met had some type of issue or another. So the next lesson is that home school leaders are really counselors and mediators as well. Hmmm...

Leader for Eagles Homeschool Group?

Seems as though I have been led to a totally unexpected path. For the next year I will be the leader of our home school group. I have no idea what that really means, but I do know that I will be busy and all of the things I have been learning about in school will be put to good use. While I am looking forward to the challenge, I am also dreading the drama. And between home schooling, my own schooling, working part time and leading, I though I would try keeping a written record of all the wild and wonderful things that happen along the way this first year. 

So, if you care to read up on the trials, tribulations, and successes of home schooling life and fly by the seat of your pants leadership, come back by later and have some fun.

Another Paper

It's almost funny, but not really. I try to sit and write and nothing comes out, yet the moment I have a paper due for class I can whip out a good 800 words in 30 minutes with very little thought or preparation. What's up with that?