Unexpected Gifts...

Last day of co-op before Christmas break is always a cheerful time. This year the spirit of joy was overwhelming. My Bah Humbug flew out the window in the midst of so many special hugs and handmade cards. A few of the teens had the idea to come dressed up like funky elves and reindeer, and handed out candy canes and chocolate to everyone at lunchtime.

The biggest surprise was how much giving was going on there. These families really chose to show their appreciation in a way I have never experienced before. There were lots of gifts being exchanged; some were precious and homemade, while others were thoughtful and unique.
The children, many who I've never had as students in my own classes, were coming to hug me with holiday wishes. The most adorable was one little second grader who told me that our co-op has made this "the best year of her entire life."

Can you imagine a better gift than that? I didn't think it was possible, but then I had forgotten what an amazingly thoughtful gift-giver my dear friend and partner in this venture always manages to be. She surprised me with the most precious gift: a large framed collage. She has a candid shot of me in the middle, with the quote "Education is the not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire." (Our motto). Underneath, she wrote "Thank you for being our spark. Surrounding this is a photo of almost every student and teacher who is a part of our group. I cried it is so beautiful!

You can only imagine then, that my spirits were quite high after a day so wonderful. These families had not only reminded me of the intrinsic value of all the work I do for co-op, but had actually found a way to share their contagious holiday joy. Both kids went off with friends after the day; one for a major biology study session and the other to just hang out and play a bit. I kicked off my shoes and sat down to read through the mail, and found that there was one more unexpected gift waiting for me.

Buzz Boy's PSAT scores were in the mail. I had been anxiously awaiting them after a call from the local high school's guidance counselor on Monday. The scores had been sent there , as he had taken them with the group there. The counselor had told me that Buzz had done "extremely, extremly well" and that he in fact scored second highest of anyone in their school that year. I was able to review each section and was thrilled with how well he had done. He did so well, falling just short of National Merit scholarship numbers. (Remember that the "second best" is relative to that school's population, not all students nationally) .

I was so thankful for the quiet house then, to sit and reflect on this homeschooling journey. Certainly, this test is not the end all proof that homeschooling has worked for my kids. I can look at them as such unique and capable young people and have pride on any day.

But what this test shows me is that success in the traditional popularly- recognized ways is readily possible as well. Buzz is certainly bright, but is by no means a self-motivated student. But his world was filled with quality literature and adults who have a passion and excitement about education, and it rubbed off. I'm not brilliant, but I am resourceful and admit my limitations. If I couldn't teach something well, I found someone else who could. We were able to find that nice balance when we hit the high school years between delight- driven studies and plowing through the harder, sometimes boring stuff for the mere learning of it.

I told Buzz that he was going to have to let me present him as "the poster child for success of normal homeschooled teens " on my blog, and he agreed with laughter. He likes that label a great deal. He is rightfully pleased with himself. He surprised me to mention that he wants to get an SAT study guide, hoping to increase his scores at least another hundred points. A friend had told him that the better the score, the better chance for scholarship money.

The best gifts are sometimes take a while to arrive, but boy are they worth the wait!!