Here are a few things I want to remember for next time:
- take a jacket, highlighter, snacks
- some families tailgate in the parking lot (good idea!)
- set a budget and wishlist before going- there really is a lot available there and it's good to know how much the items you really want cost before you start adding items!
- there are a lot of sessions where kids will really enjoy and learn too (my kids really liked Jonathan Morrow's talks- his notes are online now.)
- when you're picking which sessions to go to- read both the session topic and the speaker's bio and notes if they have some. I missed a few sessions that I think would have been really good and went to a couple that I probably should have missed. Not that they were bad just it's really busy time there and you can't get to all of it.
The booths I spent the most time were IEW (they were very helpful), MUS (we already knew what we wanted but was happy for a little discount), Rainbow Resource (good prices and lots of selection). Kids loved Action Math Baseball.
Now some of my lessons learned from speaker.
- A to Z Character Healthy Homeschool:
- do first things first. Model good behavior. OK to put academics aside to work on character. Goal to raise spiritually sensitive, mature, responsible adults
- start the conversation of character: when we show Christ like character, we are winsome and reach the world.
- Use Eph 4 put off old man, put on new man, when training children. eg "you may not covet, you must be thankful."... look in Proverbs and ask God to show
- Attitude is everything
- Contagious Excitement- be excited about service. Celebrate "morally great" actions/ attitudes in kids ("you did great" plate)
- Relationships are most important- pray for each relationship in family. Tough relationship. told him over and over "God chose him for your brother because He knew he was just the right brother for you."
Teaching the Classics from Seuss to Socrates.
- Ask key questions starting with young children and they will continue to ask those as they read harder books.
- who is protagonist?
- what does he want?
- why can't he have it? (peel back the onion)
- who doesn't want protagonist to have it?
- what kind of conflict? (5 types)
- any other conflicts?
- when is climax? (when you know what the outcome will be_
- what idea is the author discussing
Cindy Rollins "Mere Motherhood"/ "Morning Time" Turn off the noise
Andrew Kern "How to cultivate attention"
when soil receives seeds, it starts growth.
Give children a riddle to solve. You pay attention to things when you have questions- allow/ teach/ encourage questions.
1. should he have done it?
2. what should have have done?
3. find threads to compare- river crossings throughout the Bible ...
4. how do you define it?
5. how are things related?
"Quality of attention is determined by quality of questions asked."
Thoughtful Apology
1.I’m sorry for …
2.It was wrong because
3.In the future I will…
4.Will you forgive me?
