Day 2

I couldn't write to you on the first day of school. We had so much "fun" I was wiped out! That along with trying to get the website ready for the upcoming class I'll be teaching online was more than even this multi-tasking mom could handle. The first day we handed out new school supplies and went over our new and improved schedule.

Every year I change things up a bit. This year there was a dramatic change. We are including art and music almost every day. They weren’t as delighted I thought, but they were excited after spending time on both the last few days. We also instituted the “permission-to-speak” rule. One day, this past summer when bickering had reached an all time high I prayed for direction. After sending children to various corners of the house to cool down until appropriate punishments could be meted out, an inspiration came to me. Since they felt that talking was a “right” and they were using it incorrectly, I decided that no one was allowed to talk to me or each other unless they asked for permission. The punishment would be severe if they broke this rule. After the shock registered, and the punishments were handed out (of course they forgot to ask for permission, often at first), the beauty of the silence was a thing to behold! They calmly asked for permission to speak and when they did it was well thought out and wonder-of-wonders, kind!

This has been reinstituted for this coming school year, and so far it has worked beautifully. This goes entirely against my nature. I am a disciplinarian but a sporadic one. My teaching techniques were taught in the 70’s an era of the open classroom, coloring without lines and children having great self-esteem. Well, these theoretical concepts didn’t work in my home. I’ve taught my children to think for themselves and sometimes it is in thinking that selfish behaviors crop up. Having to ask for permission to speak allows them to think before they speak and so far, it has been the great beginning of a new year.