Are You Measuring the Right Things?

 

Measuring Sticks Are you measuring the right things?

We have a fun “first day of school” tradition at our house.  I print out a little “Beginning & Ending” worksheet I picked up along the journey of homeschooling.  It has spaces for the all the usual - like how tall you are, what you weigh, some goals for the year, etc.  Then, we mark everyone’s height on the wall with painter’s tape. The tape marks usually stick around (no pun intended!) for a couple of days until I take them down.  We repeat this activity around the end of our school year, if we remember. Please tell me…I can’t be the only one who suddenly realizes that the school year ended, or um… fizzled out. We compare the measurements, and marvel at how many inches each of them grew in such a short time!  This got me to wondering, what are the measuring sticks I am using in our homeschool adventures?   Do different measuring tools show you different results?  Am I measuring their growth with the correct measuring sticks?  Very early in my journey, my measuring sticks included ridiculous measurements like - Did we finish all the pages in the workbook?  Did we check all the boxes on the lesson plan?  How did they score on a standardized, end-of-the year test - were they at “grade level” or better yet… above grade level for reading skills? Silly, now that I look back.  My measuring sticks were measuring the wrong things! They were measuring my children against some arbitrary standards set up by those who had never even met them. Or, worse they were comparing them to other children (that they didn’t even know).  The measurements were useless, really.  What they measured were things that didn’t matter in the long run.  Could they take a test? Could they check the boxes?  Not one of these measured what they really knew, or how much they had grown that year. I’d like to think I learned the lesson right away, don’t we all?  But as they grew I continued to use the wrong measuring sticks at times.  High school measurements included more boxes to check, more tests to take, and counting dual college credits or ACT scores to determine their growth.

The Lord has been gracious to teach me along this path.  The realization that my measuring sticks were measuring the wrong things has come gradually with experience.  (Thankfully, the Lord gave me multiple children to practice on…). In this season, I’ve had my eyes opened to new, and more effective, measuring tools.  I’m starting to see the shortcomings of superficial measurements that don’t address their hearts, minds, souls, and strength. Here’s a few of my new measuring sticks, some questions I’m asking to determine if they are growing: How is their time spent learning to invest in their personal soul growth in the Lord?  Are our days so jam-packed with curriculum and content that they have no time to spend with the Lord or with us as a family?  Do they know and love the Word more this year than last?  I know high schoolers can carry a heavy academic load, but the Lord promises an easy burden and a light yoke.  Have I modeled that to them, or made the focus of our time together only about academic growth? Am I earnestly investing in activities and plans that encourage growth in their hearts?  Did their compassion for others grow this year?  Are they learning to value people around them more and more?  Can they set aside their personal desires to help another family member get closer to one of theirs?  Do they have time to do activities they enjoy–just for the enjoyment, and not for credit on the transcript?  Is there enough quiet to listen to whispers in their hearts and freedom to chase their dreams? How about physically?  Am I putting priorities in front of them that neglect their need to have strong bodies and make healthy habits?  Am I encouraging them to take the time to move and build those muscles with practical, hands-on opportunities (sometimes at the expense of book or computer work).  Are they learning the extent of their physical capabilities?  Are they stretching to reach new goals? When measuring the growth of their minds, am I relying on a “find the right answer” approach, or using a score on a test to determine if they have learned or am I guiding them to really think deeply?  I’ve discovered that the “fill-in-the-blank” and “answer the quiz correctly” approach was really just an early step in the process of growing their minds.  Am I continuing to challenge them to look at things from different perspectives?  Can they make connections between ideas and come to conclusions? Am I teaching them to think and question, or merely memorize information?  Does it change the way they see the world? Can they confidently communicate what they believe and why? It can leave me with more questions than answers.  But I do know that it changes the way I use my measuring sticks to determine if they are growing well.  And it requires constant reliance on the One that knows them best to help me guide them along the path! I encourage you to reexamine the measuring sticks you are using.  Don’t be afraid to throw them away and go a new direction, it’s never too late to begin again. I’m praying for you, and I believe this is going to be a great year, full of growth! Blessings, Renita

There is no greater or higher measure of success than the praise of our Savior, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant”  - Matthew 25:23