Slow Down and Ask Questions

If you hosted a Christmas dinner earlier this week, maybe you felt like collapsing afterward. I know I did, and my wife was the one who did most of the work. I took the day off before our get together and dedicated my time to whatever tasks she needed me to do. Doing so helped me gain some awareness and appreciation for what she does to make these things happen. I think I’m like most guys, a little slow on the uptake in this area. We need regular reality checks since our memories have a short shelf life.

In my last post, I referenced Steven Covey, the author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He wrote about our need to “sharpen the saw,” and used the analogy of a wood cutter. By this he meant something other than taking a break which, if you’re feeling tired and burned out, is what’s needed.  Covey had an actual activity in mind, not a break from activity.

The wood cutter’s blade becomes duller and duller. His productivity, less and less.  Simply laying the saw down, that is, taking a break, taking some time off, etc., still leaves the saw dull when the woodcutter returns to work.

As applied to home schooling, to “Sharpen the Saw” is to take some time to look at what you’re doing as a home schooler to see if you’re getting the results you want.  It’s the difference between “doing it” and looking at “what you’re doing.”  Is your curriculum really working for your children?  Do you need to change it up, modify it, or switch to something else?  Do you need to add a subject, drop a subject, or change the order you present the subjects each day?  Should your children be spending more time or less time in their studies each day?

Asking these kinds of questions are the key to “sharpening the saw” academically as a home schooler.

But, there are other questions worth asking, some related to lifestyle. More on that later.

For now, sharpen your saw by asking academic questions.

That’s the tip of the week!

Curt Bumcrot

January is the month we promote our Diploma Program and Privately Developed Plan Program. It’s also the month we extend our deepest enrollment discount to existing families. This year we’re inviting new families to take advantage of this discount too. Click Here to learn how to save $50.00 per student. But, you’ll need to act now. This offer will not be repeated.