Education

School Seasons, by Mark Szewczak

August 26, 2010 By Sarah Reinhard 1 Comment

Here we are, the end of the Summer, and the world is full of school preparation activities. Final shopping expeditions and the back-to-school sales, packing for college or final summer vacations, young folks preparing for the next year or first year of high school, little ones excited about seeing friends again or sorry that endless playtime is over, that very, VERY first day of school. Everywhere the world is taking a large collective breath, counting down, buzzing with anticipation.

Right?

Of course, even for a couple of empty-nesters like my wife and me. I had this worry thing in my mind when our last one left the nest and entered the working world. No grandkids yet. It was strange facing this empty freedom stretching before us through Autumn, into Winter, into the rest of our lives. It sent me into a funk, that idea of growing old and useless and all that.

But…it hasn’t happened yet. I find myself surprised that my world still revolves around the cycle of the school year. Time still is determined by when kids have Christmas breaks, by the school pageants at church, and the anticipation of the Summer recess filled with vacations and outdoors.

What gives? Why am I still in this cycle? I have been thinking a lot about this lately. Old habits die hard? Maybe. After all, it’s been 30-plus years of the school year routine ingrained into our psyches. Yet somehow that doesn’t feel quite right. The question remains: Why do we who are without little ones follow this yearly school cycle?

I think I have part of an answer. See if you agree: the cycle of the school year really isn’t about school. Our little smidgen of God’s universe works in a seasonal flow. We know that, it’s obvious. The school year, holidays, farm planting cycles, work opportunities, the rainy seasons and hurricane seasons and dry times are linked to the cycle of the Earth’s seasons.

We see the school year because we find it familiar. Having kids going to school for 30 years means I still see the year oriented around school. If I was a farmer, I would see the year oriented around soil prep, planting, fertilizing, harvesting. For a baker, the year revolves around holidays and wedding seasons…same with florists. These human, social, work, and school activities overlay the seasons on God’s Earth. The Divine Planner made us a part of this miraculous parade of the seasons. Pretty simple, pretty dramatic. Maybe scary.

Now consider one of Jesus’ teachings as described in the Gospel of Matthew:

Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you…?

And then the take-home message for me:

Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. (Mathew 6: 26-30; 32-33, New American Bible)

So there is a hint of an answer for me and a great deal of relief. I don’t really worry much anymore about the empty nest. My wife and I are anxious less often about being older or not having kids to send off to school or should we take a vacation in October because we CAN.

My nest may be empty but my life, seeking God’s kingdom, is not ended. I am finding that there are many seasons of social interaction that have always existed but that I didn’t see.

In seeking His kingdom as first priority, the cycle of the year can be one of joy and fulfillment and service. My hours and days in reality are quite full. I realize I have a place here and a part to play, one given to me by our Heavenly Father. A plan in harmony with all the seasons, leading to the Kingdom.

Oh, and that empty nest? They will all be home to celebrate Labor Day.

Filed Under: guest post Tagged With: back to school, Education, empty nest, Faith, guest post, Mark Szewczak, seasons

A Crisis in Adult Religious Ed?

September 16, 2009 By Sarah Reinhard 8 Comments

I work in a parish office of a very small rural parish. We have 300 families max.

Recently, I was talking to Father about a column he wrote for our bulletin (I’m the bulletin designer and editor). In it, he shares about his frustration (he calls it a step before despair) about adult religious education. He’s in good company; the priests in our diocese who have 1200 families are doing good to get 20 people to their adult education events; guess we shouldn’t complain about the four or five who show up to ours.

Father’s an amazing teacher and catechist, and we’re blessed to have him. Before I was married, and then before I had kids, I was at most of his evening offerings and some of his morning Bible studies. I’ve been through his RCIA series at least three times, and every time I learn something new. I often share books with him and since he’s a bottomless pit of reading, I often get book recommendations from him. I have an advantage many others don’t: I work in the office with him (though less now than I ever have before), so it’s convenient.

Talking to a friend recently, we discussed that what has worked in our parish in the last five years has been small group events and studies, especially those from our MOMS (Ministry of Mothers Sharing) group. We have a number of small Cursillo groups that meet too.

But what about the rest of the parish?

Here are a number of the challenges I have thought about:

A majority of families in our parish are young families, with children in school. They leave their houses for school commitments and sports, but someone has to be home to help with homework and tuck the kids in at 8 (or earlier). In fact, this is the challenge my family faces. I struggle with the idea of hiring a babysitter (I have family close, yes, but I tap into them quite often), and at our parish, we have enough of a problem getting attendees without also lining up the two adults (who have had the appropriate Protecting God’s Children trainings, etc.) for child care (though I think offering child care is a great idea; it’s just hard to carry out with limited volunteers).
It’s not convenient. At first, I hesitated with this one. My first reaction was to get critical. But when I step back and look at my own life (and I’m different from a lot of people; I live out in the boonies, not in a neighborhood), I see this as a major factor in how I make my own decisions to spend my time. No evening is good for everyone who’s interested. Saturdays are filled with the things that don’t fit in anywhere else.
We don’t know about what everyone needs. Is it Bible studies? Is it a series of recommendations and how-to’s with Catholic podcasts and other Catholic in-home resources? Is it support from others who struggle and triumph in their daily faith journeys? I think it’s a combination of these, but it’s hard to address them. The quick answer is to do a study of the parish, to which I smile. That is a good idea. I’m biting back my cynical comment about low turnouts and responses. We haven’t tried it lately.

I don’t go to a lot of parish adult religious education things, mostly because they’re in the evenings and I just don’t have that flexibility in my life right now. But I do listen to a lot of Catholic podcasts (see the left-hand sidebar), read a lot of Catholic blogs (see the right-hand sidebar), read a lot of Catholic books (see my book lists), and I think I’m probably doing OK (not great, just OK) on the educational front. Oh, and I work with a priest. That’s always good for helping the ole catechesis along.

But still. I’m one person and I’m probably, as I considered it the other day, a Catholic freak. In fact, when I discovered the online Catholic community, I felt a great deal of relief, because I hadn’t found anything like that in my day-to-day life (I have to be careful how many books I throw at people, and how much information — I can see their eyes glaze over, their ears cake shut, their eyes flutter shut…maybe I’m just a bit too enthusiastic?). It has been a place of support and growth for me, and I’ve found ways to supplement it with face-to-face encounters recently (working in that parish office helps, yes, but I also have a very close Catholic friend who has been helping me along).

But it’s hard not to despair if you’re the priest, trying to provide education through the parish and having no one show up.

Now I ask YOU: is there a crisis in adult religious education? What works at your parish? What would work for you?

Filed Under: Education, Faith Tagged With: Catholic, Education, parish life

Seven Quick Uns

September 11, 2009 By Sarah Reinhard 3 Comments

7_quick_takes_sm

–1–

At last! We have the first episode of Catholic Vitamins! Have you checked it out yet?

–2–

The Online Retreat in Everyday Life starts the week of September 13 (which is next week!), if you’re interested in making it in conjunction with the liturgical year. Last year, I did a series of reflections inspired by the online retreat, and I can’t recommend it highly enough…whether you’re Catholic or not. It’s fabulous!

–3–

For about a month or two, I’ve been doing what I’ve called “Screenless Sundays.” It’s a cousin of “Offline Evenings” (see #6 on this post)– I don’t use the computer. The screen is the computer screen, not the TV, though I don’t really watch TV. It hasn’t been a family thing as much as just a personal resolution to make Sundays a day of rest. I’m not the only one who’s been thinking this way, apparently, and isn’t it just interesting how these big thoughts seems to sweep everyone at once? Greg and Jennifer talked about “Tech-Free Sundays” on their last Catholics Next Door podcast and they really got me to thinking — could I ask this of my family? Sundays are a day of (cough, ahem) FOOTBALL. Football = rest for a certain someone in our household.

Well, regardless of whether I go tech-free all the way, I’m experiencing a lot of peace with my Screenless Sundays experiment. Yeah, there’s more to do on Monday, but I find I am rested in a whole new way. Maybe it’s because being in front of a computer screen means work to me in so many ways, whether I’m doing parish work or writing work. Maybe it’s because I’m paying attention to my family with more focused attention. Maybe it’s because it’s something different.

Since this can’t just be something I am pondering, I have to ask…how about you? Do you do something like this on Sundays? If not, what do you do to make Sundays a day of rest?

–4–

Mr. Oompa Gloompa has been silent lately. (He’s introduced here, in #2.) My four-year-old just hasn’t asked to talk to him. Then, out of the blue, she asked to talk to him on Wednesday in the car. (The car is the only place he talks to her.) We’ve learned quite a bit more about him.

And I’ve realized that I need to make notes. For one thing, I can’t remember what his wife’s name is. For another, he has seven — seven! — daughters, and my dear remembers-everything daughter wants to know their names. Well, they can’t just be Henrietta or Jane, can they, not with a father named Mr. Oompa Gloompa! His oldest daughter, who’s orange, is Galoompa. I had to just admit that I didn’t know all the rest of their names, and my four-year-old was OK with that.

She moved right on to the next most important question.

“Mr. Oompa Gloompa, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Principessa.”

“Is there God in your world?”

Pause.

“Yes, Principessa, there is, though my world is different than yours.”

“Mr. Oompa Gloompa, can I ask you something?”

“Why, of course, Principessa.”

“Is there Mary in your world?”

Now how do I answer that? Does God have a mother in this other world? I hadn’t thought about it. There are a lot of things I haven’t thought about, and I guess I’ll have to get a little notebook to jot these things down so I remember them.

Though I doubt it’s any safer to reference those notes while I’m driving than it is to text or talk on the phone…

–5–

On a whim, a week ago, I got a bunch of books on insects from the library. My four-year-old had asked to learn all about crickets, and I figured, “Why not?’ cricket

Last week, inspired by this book, Cricketology, we went cricket-hunting. This week, still inspired, we made cricket castles. What will next week hold?

One thing’s for sure: bugs.

–6–

How’s homeschooling going? I’m finding out what it means to have the learning just, well, happen all the time. We get together with our friends (Belle is the other four-year-old, and Penny is the toddler), and we work on the subject of the day. But, really, it doesn’t stop. I have piles of books acquired from the library thanks to my handy-dandy newly-minted teacher library card (oh joy!), and my four-year-old is immersed in them. From horses to insects to the wide world of all animals, she will sit and pore over the books in the evenings, in her bedroom, in the mornings.

And this is SOOOO why I wanted to homeschool.

(Yes, there are challenges. Don’t get me wrong. But I’m enjoying it and keeping a smile in my mind — if not always on my face.)

–7–

I was lamenting the American Girl catalog a couple of times after it arrived in our mailbox on Tuesday. These dolls seem great, don’t get me wrong. I want one. For that matter, I want the horses too.

But to shell out that money for a doll that my kid’s going to probably forget in five minutes seems…silly. (I told her she had to save her money for one, and if that involves Christmas and birthday money, fine. But still…) Anyway, getting these catalogs in the mail (How did they get my name? How’d they know?) has caused mixed emotions with me for some time…we go through a spell of constant “I want…” and, well, I just seem to struggle.

Then, somehow, I remembered the painter’s tape one of my friends recommended as a must-have around the house. And I gave my four-year-old permission to use it to hang something up. And suddenly, her room redecoration was born. Yes, the entire American Girl catalog can be found on her bedroom walls.

And, incidentally, the old-fashioned Holly Hobbie quilt (the profile Holly Hobbie with the bonnet, not the new-fangled one who’s popular now) my grandma made me when I was a girl of about five is on her bed, underneath all those smiling American Girl catalog pages. I don’t know if that’s what inspired her to make her bed every day this week, and even insist on it, should I imply that it’s not, perhaps, necessary. I’m not a bed-maker, for whatever reason. So either that old, washed-soft quilt is inspiring her or she’s only related to me by blood.

Thanks to Jen at Conversion Diary for being our lovely 7 Quick Takes hostess.

Filed Under: family, Quick Takes Tagged With: Catholic Vitamins, characters, Education, family, homeschooling, links, online retreat, podcasts, Quick Takes, rest

Significance in the Small Stuff

September 10, 2009 By Sarah Reinhard 3 Comments

small_successes_badge

Ah, it’s time for this week’s small successes. Every week at Faith & Family Live, there’s a celebration of the small successes we celebrate in our daily lives. It’s a nod to the importance of recognizing the importance of what we do and of encouraging each other. Go check it out!

1. On Monday, my husband and I accomplished a cleaning task that has been waiting for us for, oh, months. We made such great progress that we walked back into the house feeling hopeful about how the continuation of our farm clean-up will go. It was a good feeling. It’s still a good feeling.

2. Last night, after dinner, we collected soil and lettuce and dog food for a terrarium. For crickets. Who stayed in their new Cricket Castle in my four-year-old daughter’s bedroom. And I’m OK with all this. (But that question about studying spiders? I’m shuddering a bit and plotting how to distract her with something else.)

3. Rather than give in to the temptation to post yesterday, I didn’t. I just let it go. And it was OK. (It’s probably not a success that I gave in to that temptation today, though, is it?)

Now, don’t waste any time getting on over to Faith & Family Live for today’s round-up of small successes!

Filed Under: Small Successes Tagged With: Education, homeschooling, Small Successes

When Back-to-School is Stay-at-Home

August 18, 2009 By Sarah Reinhard 1 Comment

This fall begins my adventure in homeschooling. I have shared more about that journey as part of Donna’s back-to-school series this week at View from the Domestic Church in my guest post, “When Back-to-School is Stay-at-Home.” Enjoy!

Filed Under: Education, writing Tagged With: Education, homeschooling, writing

Random Thoughts

October 31, 2008 By Sarah Reinhard Leave a Comment

I saw a version of this over at Jen’s place, and I’ve enjoyed it. So, because there are a bunch of things rattling around in my head, but no cohesion to them, I’m going to try my hand at it. (And, Jen, if you want to consider imitation as flattery, that would be fine, because I just love what you’re doing over there!)

~1~

Halloween is one of those “holidays” that leaves me feeling a little – OK, a LOT – unsure of myself. On the one hand, it is all in good fun. On the other hand, I’m more than a little creeped out as I walk around with my very young children and see ghouls and coffins and, well, scary things being made light of. I had a fascination with horror in my youth, yes. But I don’t anymore.

I can’t seem to forget that the “reason for the season” is All Saints Day. Even as I type that, though, I would be fooling you if I don’t admit, up front, that I just don’t have it in my (yet) to pull together something in my community. Those of you with co-ops or parishes that have All Saints Day parties have more than a little of my envy.

On the other hand, I like pumpkins and I have a deep-seated love of this time of year. I hate that after Halloween all of the pumpkins will be taken down, for the most part. The dressing up, the getting candy, the socializing…it’s all in good fun. Right? (Well, it’s supposed to be, right?)

And if you’re rolling your eyes at me now, just wait until we get closer to Christmas. Oh yeah, talk about torn! Talk about wanting to just fly away and not have to deal with the craziness!

I grew up with a family suicide being a big part of what Halloween was about. It doesn’t haunt me or anything; we just didn’t ever go nutso about Halloween when I was little. Add to that living in the country (hence no trick-or-treaters) for my first 16 years, and maybe I am just not used to Halloween. We’ll see. I’m still mulling.

~2~

This was the first year I’ve had to “do” Halloween. Last year, Prince Charming took Miss Muffet while I dealt with that brand-new babe. She refused to leave the house, and though she came home with a lot of candy (thanks to a certain aunt), it was easy. The year before that, she was too little to know the difference (only two years ago?).

Lucky for me, trick-or-treating was last night, and I got off pretty easily. (Translated: Miss Muffet believed me when I told her a full bucket was her fair share of the candy and then helped pass out what was left with Cousin Nell.)

~3~

I’ve been reading Charlotte Mason a lot lately. In fact, I’m working through her six-volume set. For those of you who know what that means, yes, we are still considering homeschooling. I feel called, and that’s a difficult thing. I’ve been really struggling with God over that call, and what it means, and where we’re going, and what he has planned.

So, that said, I have no idea if we’ll be homeschooling. The oldest is three. I’ve been battling this since she was conceived, when I was accidentally exposed to homeschooling as something other than something only nut-job weirdos did. I am reminding myself that it’s not life or death.

~4~

Babby came home yesterday, from preschool, with more candy than she got when we went out last night. To put that in full context, the school gave us this article about how, basically, candy and red dye and petroleum-based dyes are this awful onslaught against our children, blah blah blah, and then they send her home with about 20 pounds of said awful onslaught. The irony is hilarious…and a little maddening.

~5~

We might go to the horse farm tomorrow. I’m so excited I might pee my pants. We went to the park today (out of a need, not by me, surprisingly!) to go somewhere, and when I stepped outside, I couldn’t believe the mild day and the beautiful sun and the fact that, of course, I forgot my camera.

Filed Under: Education, Quick Takes Tagged With: Education, homeschooling, Quick Takes

It’s NOT Life or Death

February 29, 2008 By Sarah Reinhard 2 Comments

I’ve hesitated to post my thoughts about this, but just the other afternoon, after catching up and running some things by a dear friend, I decided that if you, dear reader, have been around any length of time, then the things I fear don’t really matter. (Those fears? Well, here’s the short list: (a) you’ll think I’m crazy (I know, I know, I shouldn’t care what others think…), (b) I’ll get hate mail (hey, it’s happening all over the blogosphere, and I don’t need to be part of it, I really don’t), (c) that I’ll post here before I’ve talked with the other person whose opinion really does, in fact, matter – my dear, devoted husband’s.)

My interest in homeschooling started as a bit of an afterthought when I was only just pregnant with my now-three-year-old daughter. A friend of mine (the same one I was chatting with the other afternoon, in fact) was going through the transition and I saw the decision process a bit from the inside. I then discovered a yahoo group and subscribed.

And then, before I knew it, I was holding the world’s most amazing baby in my own arms.

In the last three years, I’ve done quite a bit of reading (though the complete works of Charlotte Mason await me, after Lent). I’ve explored different theories, and I’ve started reading some highly addictive blogs. I’ve found out that one of the things I feared – telling my family what “hare-brained” idea I had in mind for my child’s education – was nothing to fear at all, as everyone in my family has been supportive. I’ve gained confidence that I can do it. I have my husband’s full support (I suspect he’s itching to teach math, but that’s just a hunch). It seems that, on the eve of preschool, we’re all set to go. (Well, you know what I mean. The decision side of things is set to go!)

And then, as it turns out, I have to reconsider.

You see, my three-year-old has her own opinion. And she has a PASSION for attending school. I’ve spent plenty of time thinking this through – could I co-op with some other families and make it seem like school to her once or twice a week?

But no, she knows what “school” is, and she knows it happens at a place other than her house. She knows the school bus goes there, and she knows that THIS, in fact, is what she wants to do with her life.

My friends, how can I look at those big brown eyes – the same ones that are in the other face I fell for years ago – and say “No, honey, I’m very sorry, but school’s not for you, not for us, not going to happen”? Well, OK, I could. Because I have a mean mommy mentality sometimes.

But I’m not going to do it yet.

You see, in this discernment process (I don’t know what else to call it, and we do see our children’s educations as the most important role we play as parents – whether it’s math or faith or manners), I had a hugely helpful revelation: this decision is not life or death. It’s not the end of the world if my daughter goes to school; it’s not the end of the world if she stays home. It’s a decision that can change later – she can go to school now (or later, for that matter), and come home, or vice versa.

Realizing this – that this isn’t a matter of life or death – was a huge burden off my shoulders. In reading A Thomas Jefferson Education (which I reviewed briefly here), I was struck by the concept that my husband and I have discussed, though not with this clarity. Education is the responsibility of the person (as opposed to the parents or the school system) – it is our job as parents, adults, teachers to INSPIRE learning. I can do that whether Miss Muffet is going off every day to an adventure in a classroom or staying home with me.

I don’t know what we’ll ultimately decide. A couple of mornings a week won’t hurt anything, really. But then again, NOT going for those couple of mornings a week won’t hurt anything either. That’s the beauty (and the pain) of this decision.