SUMMER 2022

The end of the school year brings the long awaited season of rest, relaxation, and recuperation. For many, this means vacation. Others may choose a stay-cation, especially with the cost of gasoline. No matter where your family finds themselves this summer, we hope some reading materials are close-at-hand; what better way to while away some free time?

I personally enjoy picking up a couple novels I had to set aside until I had time enough to sit and enjoy them. I also read in preparation for the next school year, so I will try to reread as many of the novels taught in all of our classes. One thing is certain- if I do not plan in advance to read, I may not make the time available.

I live in a humid climate, so mid-afternoons offer an excellent window for choosing to stay indoors in the air-conditioned house. However, I have also been known to bring a book along to the water’s edge at a lake or even in a boat! I simply use a one-gallon or two-gallon sized ziplock bag that is big enough to lay the book open and turn pages with some effort. The extra work is worth it to me. What a way to enjoy new adventures, think deeply, or get lost in an old favorite.

Some other options include heading over to the local library, where you may sit and read in a quiet place. You may also try that new coffee shop or cafe. Also, don’t forget to take along a book during an extended drive (my daughter believes there is ample time to read in a 5-10 minute car ride), as long as you don’t get too carsick. Audio books work in car rides as well, and many library memberships allow one to borrow these options.

However you decide to enjoy the three ‘R’s’, I hope you find yourself with a book in hand. Remember to share your new titles in our social media pages!

IN DEFENSE OF CREATIVE WRITING

By Meagan Stanley

When you hear the phrase “creative writing,” what pops into your head? For some, you may think of writing stories, tales of dragons and princesses or of aliens and spaceships. Of sitting over a typewriter with a mug of tea, plotting a murder mystery. For others, this phrase may be synonymous with the phrase, “a waste of time,” the “throw away” writing assignment. The one where it’s all for fun, but not beneficial to actually learning how to write well.

But my friends, I am here to argue that the practice of creative writing strengthens the writing muscles and teaches techniques that a student will not learn from essay writing alone.

So, what’s so important about creative writing? In the year of 1580, an Elizabethan poet by the name of Sir Philip Sidney wrote an essay titled The Defense of Poesy. This essay was written to defend the academic pursuit of poetry and by proxy, literature, aka stories. In academia, philosophy and history were and are viewed as high forms of knowledge. With one we understand how people think and why people think what they think, and the other tells us the story of humanity. Stories, on the other hand, can often be hand-waved away as a lesser academic pursuit. “They are just stories afterall,” one might argue. However, Sidney starkly disagreed with this perception, and crafted this main argument, “Poesy [and thereby literature]. . . [is] a speaking picture, with this end—to teach and delight.”

Now pay attention to that last phrase, “to teach and delight.” That is the power of stories, of poetry, of creative writing. Unlike history and philosophy, which mainly target the student’s mind, can lack emotion and swamp them with their academic heaviness, stories have the capacity to both capture the heart and mind of the student, to both “teach” and “delight” them. Stories can “teach” the student about truths about the world and the human condition. Stories can “delight” by taking a student to far off lands and meet characters far different from anything he or she could imagine. But perhaps most importantly, stories can “delight” by providing an emotional connection that gives the student the ability to walk in the shoes of others far different than themselves, an attribute philosophy and history are hard pressed to do themselves.

In short, stories are one of the most powerful ways a student can learn about the world and themselves.

And that is why I am passionate about teaching the art of “poesy,” the art of creative writing, to the next generation. But enough about the “why” I believe creative writing is important, let me show you “how” a student can learn from this type of writing and then apply this knowledge to everyday essay writing.
Skills students learn by studying Creative Writing:

•  Mastery of literature devices, such as simile, metaphor, and alliteration.

•  Mastery of stylistic writing elements, such as very short sentences and right branching

  modifiers.

•  Mastery of grammar mechanics, such as sentence syntax and punctuation.

•  Mastery of a strong vocabulary, such as the use of strong verbs, nouns, and adjectives.

•  The mastery of critical thinking skills and formulating original ideas.

•  The formation of a student’s writing “voice.”

  All these items are critical for being a skilled writer, and creative writing allows for the “delightful” practice of these skills. So, the next time you may see a class for creative writing, I hope I have encouraged you to see past the surface, and how this style of writing truly belongs in academics and in the pursuit of excellence.

CALLING BOLD ADVENTURERS (THAT'S YOU!)

By Mikaela Bagdanov

Every calendar year has two New Years. Everybody knows the one in January, where we look back at how we’ve changed in the past twelve months and look forward to how we’ll grow in the next twelve. The second New Year goes by another name: Summer Break. We celebrate our students’ maturity and achievements during the school year and anticipate their next growth journey. For many parents this year, Summer Break prepares a new adventure into the homeschooling realm. Thanks to recent pandemics, politics, and policies, the homeschool community now welcomes many public school parents into its guild of bold adventurers. Do not be mistaken, dear parent-educators, it is an adventure - the likes of which you’ve barely seen.

I worked as a classroom aide in a mainstream school during the distance learning years, and I witnessed teachers’ valiant efforts to maintain the familiar system. To the defense of my former colleagues, the familiar has its place and its purpose. However, the public school system seemed to me like a train track, where students follow a single, inflexible path to arrive at certain standards. My job was to help those students who learned outside the box to learn according to expectations. As a homeschooled student myself, let me tell you - we all learn outside the box. That is the beauty and the challenge of homeschooling.

If public schooling compares to a train track, then homeschooling relates to an all-terrain vehicle. It’s not the same method or experience as following a system. You are embarking on a journey, through murky forests and across scenic mountaintops. Before you lies the quest for your student’s education that will lead to places you never thought to explore. Like all adventurers, you need tools of flexibility and creativity as you uncover the hidden treasure in your students. Here in the homeschooling realm, you have the opportunity to teach outside the box - to follow your child’s pace, to seek out fun assignments, and to re-chart your curriculum as needed. What’s more, you have the resources of your fellow adventurers who have traversed this journey before you and of those who trek beside you.

Bold adventurer, this is a New Year. Look back at what you’ve learned about yourself and your child in public school. Take those lessons, yet also invite new approaches and novel perspectives. Enlist the help of guides to navigate those forests and the companionship of friends to climb those mountains with you. Watch your students grow into the expert life-adventurers you know they can become. Lastly...remember to enjoy the journey!

CURIOUS ABOUT OUR ADULT TRAINING PROGRAM

I love learning. Very rarely would someone hear the words, “I really don’t want to learn more about that,” from me. However, I also love sharing what I’ve recently learned with others. My favorite teaching moments involve those moments of clarity and understanding. The “AHA!” from any student makes my heart sing. As parents and adults leading students to learn, I hope our TWJ community shares that same satisfaction. We help equip adults with the tools to teach what we teach, and know with certainty that these exclamations of discovery will empower our families.

This summer, consider taking our Adult Training Program classes to first help you learn the writing process we use in every class, and then find new ways to grow your language arts instruction at home. Whether you pursue blending literature with writing, multi-paragraph and essay length compositions, or developing a fantastic learning environment at home, we have years of experience, teaching, and insight into each of these aspects of homeschooling education. And we want to share what we’ve learned.

If you find yourself wondering how to help your students tackle the academic written response tasks, we teach that. If you long to learn how to compose a well written paragraph that leads to well written compositions, we teach that. Most importantly, we teach adults in interactive courses. Through relational education, we ensure that the adults in our courses learn the content, skills, and tricks of our trade. We hope you will consider joining us in the fall. Send us an email if you’d like to learn more, or simply to reserve a spot in the fall classes.

SETTING US UP FOR SUCCESS THIS SUMMER

Summer is in full swing, so why do I feel a bit of panic in my soul? Perhaps you know what I’m talking about. This is the time to sleep a little more, plan FUN outings with friends, play, create, relax . . . enjoy life. So why the unrest? I imagine there are many possible explanations, but for me, that “feeling” often brings an opportunity to pause and consider my choices. In particular, choices about what to set my mind upon.

Like most busy moms (and women in general), I appreciate a break from routine. And summer brings that break: a welcome change. While extremes like complete freedom and spontaneity, or extreme planning and scheduling, will likely set us up for disappointment, setting our minds on reasonable expectations for these fun summer months reflects wisdom. Sounds good, but what does that mean practically? Consider setting your mind on these thoughts this summer:

I’m intentionally seeking balance in each day

• Some rest and some work

•  Something new and something familiar

•  Time together with family and friends, and time alone

•  A lot of praise and affirmation, along with some correction and discipline

  (as needed)

•  Tasty treats and healthy meals

•  Toys and nature

•  Getting dirty and washing off

• A plan . . . with some flexibility built in

Setting our minds on balance helps to reign in our expectations. Consider one true statement that you would like to be able to make at the end of this summer season:

• “We feel refreshed.”

• “We created some awesome memories.”

• “We finished that project.”

•  “We enjoyed the outdoors.”

• “We visited a new place.”

• “We loved each other well.”

  Now plan accordingly. Attempting to do it all brings those feelings of panic. Even halfway into the summer, we can assess our expectations and desires, and intentionally seek balance every day, as we choose what to set our minds upon.

  Speaking life, Kris