Shortly after earning my teaching license, I took a long-term substitute position at a school in the same district in which I had completed my student teaching.  Before my arrival in the Spring semester, the full-time teacher had quit her job over winter break and my new students had had at least a dozen or … Continue reading Teaching Reading

Happy Monday, everyone.  I’m taking joy in my work today as a homeschool teacher today.  I woke up early on a snowy and cold November morning to switch out the week’s curriculum as my wife got herself ready to leave for work.  Some days are difficult, but as with any other job out there you … Continue reading Monday Benediction

Leslie and I had saved up to go to the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials Competition in St. Louis.  I called several times for tickets, but it was clear that they had sold out long before we even started trying to buy them.  Out of the blue, we heard that Sam Mikulak was hosting a gymnastics … Continue reading Mikulak Gymnastic Camp

Leighton has struggled in his writing this year. His curriculum is asking him to write essays and creative writing projects of five paragraphs in length. It’s often difficult to get him to go from an outline, to a rough draft, to a completed paper in a week’s time. He isn’t a very fast typist (which … Continue reading The Power of Voice

  I learned a lesson on encouragement the other day.  Edric was having a lot of difficulty learning syllables.  I can’t blame him.  He’s just moved past decoding words.  For a while, we were at the stage where he might read a word such as “tree” by sounding out each of its sounds as in … Continue reading A Lesson on Encouragement