Type B Checklist

“The Brave Learner” was just released a week or two ago. The library purchased it and I listened as fast as I could! The writer has similar ideas and ideals about education as I do, and her writings inspire me.

As a home educator (of just my oldest child at this point) I have to fight my own tendency to ‘check things off my list’ when it comes to doing studies at home with my son. One of the biggest values for me in home education is the opportunity for connection and relationship building, but that isn’t reflected in many of the ‘school books’ and resource lists that fill my headspace and my desk as a homeschooling Mom. The focus is very often on academics and I find myself pushing back from that at times.

Therefore, I REALLY appreciated this list that she had in her book. It IS a checklist, but it’s an unique one that puts the focus on the connection and relationship that I really value in education.

Type B Checklist

• Make eye contact with each child
• Listen without distraction (Hands off the keyboard or phone, Mama!)
• Give a hug after an achievement
• Jot down a little narrative that one of the kids spontaneously shared
• Sit with a struggling child
• Add a treat to a challenging activity
• Spend a whole afternoon playing (whoaaaaaa that’s a hard one)
• Notice improvement and comment out loud
• Chat about the book being read
• Find a real world application for today’s math problems
• Hold back angry words (for me lately I should put this on the list 20 times)
• Be curious about the interest that makes you uncomfortable
• Use a brain break during the lesson
• Skip the hard part for today
• Smile
• Share your child’s success with the other parent in front of the child
• Do one new thing today
• Prepare, Execute, Enjoy, Reminisce (A post  about Julie’s One Thing Principle explaining this item on the list is here)
• Use surprise, mystery, risk or adventure to enhance how you present a subject (some of Julie’s ideas about an ‘Enchanted Education’ here)
• Apply one of the four doses of vitamin C:
• curiosity
• collaboration
• contemplation
• celebration
• Activate the mind, body, heart or spirt in the lesson
• Make a mess and let it stand (Like, for how long?!)
• Connect to the child, rather than shouting
• Participate in the child’s hobby to know and understand it
• Reflect on the ‘weather’ of the home today (Meaning: what is the ‘mood’ in the house)
• Do one activity that helps you be an ‘awesome adult’
• Go to talk therapy for a little self-care
• Be a type A person with a type B checklist

I believe I will print the list and keep it on hand. I am motivated by checklists and I want to be the kind of Mom that does these things more. Who knows? Maybe after a couple rounds of check-listing these, I’ll be doing them with less reminder?