Setting the Records Straight and High School

As I mentioned last week, we have started back with schoolwork, so I have a lot of school-related thoughts in my head right now.  It's hard to believe that I have two high schoolers this year as Briana is entering her junior year and Destry is officially a freshman.  I spent the first couple weeks of my summer reading Setting the Records Straight by Lee Binz, updating Briana's transcript, figuring grades, writing course descriptions, and planning for the future.

While I can't say I necessarily learned anything new from Lee Binz's book, I did appreciate her examples and encouragement, and most of all I gained motivation.  If a parent really has no idea what to do for high school record keeping, or how to figure grades, or where to start with a transcript, her book would be a great resource.  Even though I had previously researched this information, it was still good for me to read her book and then allow it to motivate me to actually sit down and DO it.

One challenge to parenting teens that I have encountered is helping them handle the pressure they feel to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives.  Sometimes I think adults don't know what to say to teens, so they ask questions like "So, what do you want to be when you grow up?  Are you making plans for college?" etc.  I know we adults are well-meaning with these questions, but I have had to settle my kids and remind them that most people start college in one major and graduate with a different degree--and many people even start their career in one field but completely change careers several years later, many times making multiple career changes.  There's really no need to feel pressure at the age of 14 or 15 to have your life plan all mapped out.

At the same time, I have to fight my own (self-imposed) pressure to offer them every opportunity for every class to learn everything they might possibly need to equip them for their lives. (phew!)  Deep down I believe my responsibility is in the areas of shaping their character, preparing them to live for the Lord and teaching them a love for learning which will give them the tools to learn whatever they need to know as they grow and change.  Sometimes, however, I get caught up in "keeping up with the Joneses" (whoever that is!) and worry about depriving them of some wonderful educational opportunity they need.

I get torn between conflicting philosophies.  On the one hand, I agree with Lee Binz's philosophy:

Either I’m preparing my kids to be college-ready

or I’m providing them with the highest level of education they’ll receive,

 so I need to make it good~Lee Binz, the Homescholar

On the other hand, I hear speakers recommend that students study subjects based on their individual interests rather than spending their time checking off classes considered "college prep" by our society at large.  I don't know which philosophy is best, so meanwhile I continue one step at a time along my eclectic path trying to offer studies that appeal to their natural interests and giftings while also requiring subjects that expose them to ideas that would prepare them to excel in a liberal arts education.