A Sunny Place

The Perfect Little Schoolhouse

Before this desk stood three rows of new, boughten seats.  Their smooth honey-colored finish matched the teacher’s desk.  The ends of the outside rows were tight against the walls… Laura stood a moment in the doorway, looking at the fresh, bright expensive room.  Then going to her desk she set her dinner pail on the floor beneath it and hung her sunbonnet on the nail in the wall. 

A small clock stood ticking beside the big dictionary; its hands stood at nine o-clock.  It must have been wound last night, Laura thought.  Nothing could be more complete and perfect than this beautiful little schoolhouse. 

She heard children’s voices at the door, and she went to call her pupils in.* 

This verbal picture is the nostalgic image that the new school year tends to conjure up in my mind.  The fresh clean books, bright new notebooks, new pencils, colorful crayons, and a freshened perspective.  As I pull these things out I think back on the old time one room school houses.  They are similar to what we try to model in our homes today when we school our children.  Yes, we may choose varying styles (classical, Charlotte Mason, eclectic, etc) but overall we are striving to give our children an education that suits their capabilities. 

During one room days a child was seated with his classmates by what reading level he’d achieved—not by what age he was.  The children mixed with varying ages at the playground because the entire school could range from 3 children to 20.  Children learned to socialize in a mixed environment each having responsibilities to help care for the schoolroom.  This likens to our homeschools today. 

Can we look at our little school house and reflect as Laura did, “Nothing could be more complete and perfect than this schoolhouse!”  Oh.. We aren’t perfect, our children’s attitudes may not always be perfect, our house most certainly isn’t perfect, the books and notebooks won’t look perfect for long.  But yet we are made new, every morning, through Christ Jesus!  By His grace through repentance we are made perfect. 

May we reflect this grace and attitude towards our children as we arise and start each new school day!  As a recovering perfectionist this is often difficult for me to remember!  The outside may not appear perfect, but it is the inside that matters, and that my friends is what we are educating!

 *Taken from These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Untitled Comment

10:23, Sunday, August 31, 2008 .. Posted by JulieFCC

Wendy - I just want to start by saying that I loved watching Little House on the Prairie as a child. And even though I choose to send my children to the local elementary school, I do homeschool them for the first 5 years of their life.....and I'm blessed enough to also teach many other children ranging in age from 6 weeks to 5 years in my family child care program. Although there is only 5 years difference between them, they are not separated by age. The youngest ones learn from the oldest ones (different skills) just as my oldest ones learn from the youngest ones (mostly patience). They learn in a mixed environment as they each have different responsibilities to help make our school day run smoother. Just like you, I don't claim to be perfect and just like you, I'm a recovering perfectionist. LOL But I know that what I'm doing (working from home) will make a difference in my children's lives just as it makes a difference in the lives of all of my daycare children. Thank you for reminding me of all that I have to be grateful for. Have a blessed day!! :)