Favorite Speakers From Teach Them Diligently

It’s conference season!! I was blessed to attend Teach Them Diligently in Nashville, in March! 🙂 I see lots of folks talking about heading to the other conferences that TTD is putting on in Spartanburg, Dallas and Washington D.C. Now, if I were going to Spartanburg this year I would definitely want to hear Angie Smith speak!! You should definitely check it out if you haven’t registered yet!! {If you’re local and can’t travel this year, be sure to check out the brand new conference coming to Pigeon Forge in June!}

Each family is so unique…I hesitate in telling folks YOU SHOULD HEAR XYZ FOR SURE!! Of course, I have my favorites, but my favorites may have spoken to me because of where I’m at in this homeschool journey and won’t be applicable to you or vice versa. So, instead of telling you who you SHOULD hear, I’m going to share some notes from a few favorites and let you decide if they sound good for you! Nearly every single session I heard this year was a “don’t miss” session for me!! You will have your own favorites! And don’t neglect to PRAY about where you should go! God will direct your path!!

Whatever sessions you choose, I encourage you to make every effort to attend a conference somewhere this year! Honestly, I need this motivation and encouragement more than I realize. Each year when I get there I find the motivation and strength to keep going. Homeschooling is not easy and has never been easy for me. I need all the help I can get! Being around like minded friends and hearing these speakers is just what I need to keep on keeping on. I know you will be encouraged and blessed as well!!

Motivating Your Reluctant Learner with Joyce Herzog

• “I don’t know what to do with this child!!!” Joyce’s advice — ASK GOD!!
• God did NOT make a mistake in giving you this child!! Sometimes our reluctant learners (or any children with any learning disability or such) are given to us to teach ME and prune ME.
• Don’t push your child to be grade level when you know they aren’t ready – trust your momma gut!! God gave you this child, NOT the government or schools…don’t let the school dictate when your child should be reading, multiplying, etc.
• God has equipped you to teach your individual children!
• What can we do to earn the respect of our children? Respect = TIME
• At the very time when we begin seeing unique gifts and individuality in our kids the schools begin putting them in a box
• What is your child doing with their free time?? If legos — he/she is a hands on learner! If reading — don’t complain! Let them read and give them options! If playing — play is the school of children! With some guidance and steering, all of these things can be TOOLS for LEARNING.
• Make how you teach RELEVANT to their interests!
• We teach our children not to bow to peer pressure, yet we do it continually as we teach them — “THEY say we should have them reading by age 5…”
• If you don’t have time to be a blessing to others and SERVE, you’re TOO BUSY. Even if it’s your curriculum keeping you too busy…
• Meet Joyce Herzog

Learning Styles & Beyond with Carol Barnier

• If your child is being taught OUTSIDE of their primary learning style, they are going to end up frustrated and feeling dumb.
• How do we find their styles? Spend MORE time on the prescription rather than the diagnosis. Try crazy things – try things that would NOT work for you personally, you never know what might work for your child!
• 3 basic styles: visual, auditory, kinesthetic
• For reluctant readers: magazine subscriptions, kids newsletters online, comic books, letters in the mail, print in the car instead of electronics, silly poetry
• get the pencil OUT of their hands for every subject except writing and they will soar!
• Remember, slow does not mean stupid! Give your kids time to answer your questions and do their work. Don’t always be in such a rush!
• Hearing it once is not enough for most children
• do not correct everything on writing assignments, work on one skill at a time
• Meet Carol Barnier 

How Do I Teach This Highly Distractible Child with Carol Barnier

• The one consistent thing about distractible children is that they are inconsistent.
• Tools to limit distractions: tri-fold boards around work areas, auditory blinders – earphones, while you read put something in their hands – silly putty
• Allow transition times between subjects
• A failure to learn is a failure to TEACH — as the teacher I should be finding new ways to help my children, not blaming them for not getting it!
• Quiet movement ideas while learning: movement helps them concentrate, exercise balls to sit on, mindless and repetitive motions, silly putty, salt dough, legos, screws into a board, dried corn with tweezers, battleships (pegs only,) mopping, drawing, paper dolls
• Active learning ideas: Mother May I with review questions, go to park and each time down slide do math facts, toss small bean bag back and forth as you skip count or recite bible verses
• Don’t miss the GIFT of this child no matter how different they are!

The Power of Humility in Parenting with Norm Wakefield

• Many of the things my kids suffer is a result of my own selfishness as a parent – a lack of humility
• Philippians helps us model a love for the gospel for our children
• our children will appreciate us more if we live a humble life
• Meet Norm Wakefield of Elijah Ministries

7 Characteristics of the Humble

1. Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. Philippians 1:27. What is your purpose in this activity or this decision? the answer to that question SHOULD be to MAKE MUCH of Jesus. Our home schools can’t be about us, they must be for Him and to bring glory to Him.
2. Empty yourself. Philippians 2:3 – do nothing out of selfish ambition. Do I homeschool or make decisions as a parent for my own reputation? The Lord emptied Himself to overcome sin and self. Self is a huge anti-christ. Humility is recognizing that everything comes from God. Admit to your children that you are selfish. The humility of Jesus is what draws us to Him…the same will draw our children to us.
3. Be concerned for other’s interests over your own. Philippians 2:3-4. Ask your family what is important to them – incorporate that into your agenda for the day/week/year. 
4. Have a servant attitude. Philippians 2:7-8 – Jesus was a bond-servant. He humbled himself and went to the cross. When people treat you like a servant, how do you react? Pridefully or humbly? Pride reacts, humility bears the cross without complaint.
5. Willingly bear the burdens of others sins and fleshliness. Philippians 2:8, John 10:17-18. No one can take your life away if you’ve already given it away!! This does not mean we never discipline.
6. Follow my example. Philippians 3:17. Tell your children to follow you as you fail, tell them that you do fail! Admit it when you’re wrong to your kids! They need to hear us apologize.
7. Trust God to reveal Himself. Do I want my kids to grow up to be what I want them to be? Or what God wants them to be? Philippians 3:15. It takes a very humble person to not be controlling!! One of the greatest hindrances in the parent/child relationship is a lack of trust in God. We as parents cannot be the holy spirit for our children!! Do I trust the Lord to work in their hearts or not??

Teaching Science {Though I Don’t Like It Myself} with Kendra Fletcher

• Science in the early years is exploring creation!! Don’t make it more than that!
• Teresa Bondora’s site has easy periodic table explanation www.howtoteachscience.com
• In the older years, think about if they will be going into a science field or not — and if not, there may not be need for upper level hard core science topics. Plan your science courses with your children’s bents in mind. If you have a child that loves science – have them take a class elsewhere to encourage that love in them! Look for options!
• Think about coaches for folks such as major league baseball players or Tiger Woods. Are these coaches BETTER than their players??  In most instances, NO. Do I have to be smarter than my child to teach him science? No! I can learn right along with him/her!
• Utilize KHAN academy – all online, free, great resource!
• Kendra shared a LOT of online sites and practical helps in this session! Look at the picture below to see the links she recommends for Junior High Science — the age I was looking at. 🙂
• Meet Kendra Fletcher of Preschoolers & Peace and HomeschoolingIRL (these podcasts are GREAT!)

Anxiety & Anger as Moms with Todd Friel

• “Home is a school of character.” Martin Luther
• We all should be able to say “this is hard” because IT IS. We weren’t created to do this on our own!
• Do you know how I know that we ALL struggle? Because the Bible tells us so. Jesus didn’t have to come for a bunch of perfect people! We are desperate for a Savior!
• Even a pagan can be a good homeschooler – that is not what God wants from us. He wants our hearts.
• Children are sinners who desperately need Jesus. Point them to Him!
• Mom is chief of sinners – make sure your kids hear you say this and admit selfishness and apologize. Don’t act like the children are bigger sinners than you are.
• If you feel like a failure, you’re forgetting that Jesus is your Savior. You are NOT dependent on yourself to succeed!!
• What is your worst homeschooling moment? God already knew about that and Jesus STILL came to earth FOR YOU!!
• Do your failures as a parent lead you to despair? Why? Jesus already finished the work!
• Jesus never treated Judas any differently – Jesus loves sinners.
• Do you have a Judas? A trouble child? That is the best thing God could have done for you! That child is a part of your sanctification process!
• Thank God for your little Judas.
• God doesn’t give us self-help tips, He gives us HIMSELF.
• What can we do when we struggle with anxiety and/or anger?? Read the Bible!! This is our MAIN SOURCE of help. God parted the red sea FOR ME. He made a way for me to be rescued. Read those OT stories and place yourself in those moments of salvation when God did the rescuing. The doctrine of sovereignty is an anxiety killer! God is more interested in your sanctification than your safety and your happiness. Pray and pray rightly. Don’t ask God to make it better for you, ask him to make you holy through it. Fellowship. Don’t give up meeting regularly with other believers. We need each other! Those ordinances – baptism, Lord’s Supper, they are each miracles intended to encourage the body! Be heavenly minded. The enemy wars against you pointing your kids to Jesus. Good advice without the gospel becomes legalism. It’s ok to be sad about sad things and grieve. Sadness and anxiety are different things. Remember the gospel. How do you react when someone brings something to your attention that needs to be changed? Your husband will continue to disappoint you. He can’t make you happy. Our fulfillment can only come from Jesus. Remember the gospel daily. Remember the cross daily. You’ve been accepted by the One, True King…don’t let it bog you down or get discouraged because others don’t appreciate you!
• Don’t change your family — let GOD change you!
• Meet Todd Friel of Wretched Radio

Dealing with Doubt ~ Strengthening Your Child’s Faith with Chuck Black

Elements of Effective Family Devotions

1. be consistent
2. be purposeful
3. be applicable
4. be meaty
5. be investigative
6. be innovative
7. listen to the Spirit

• are you purposefully discussing doubts your child may be having?
• the enemy IS placing seeds of doubt, you don’t have to wonder if it’s happening
• everyone experiences doubt, don’t ignore it in your children
• ask them questions — have you ever wondered about what is in the Bible? whether it’s true or not? how do you know it’s really true?
• talk through these questions with your kids and also help them to learn to discuss the answers themselves so they can share with friends in the future
• Jesus did not give FLUFF answers — be meaty with your kids!!
• figure out what will be applicable with them, if they aren’t interested, they won’t get much out of the discussion
• Common areas of doubt: God’s existence, creation, truth of Bible, reality of Jesus and His sacrifice, existence of hell, their salvation, God’s love for us
• just like adults, our kids need to be reminded (and often) of God’s love for them!
• Meet Chuck Black 

Here are some favorite posts from years past: 

• Why Introverts Need Homeschool Conferences
• A Post from Leslie Nunnery on Why TTD is NOT just for Homeschoolers
• Notes from Deb Bell on Raising Independent Learners
• Notes from Mark Hamby — my ALL TIME favorite sessions have been his! {Til this year, now Norm Wakefield and Todd Friel have tied for that place.} 🙂
• Notes from Norm Wakefield — great sessions on raising tween and teen boys – I bought all his sessions on audio after hearing this one!
• Notes from Pam Tebow — another very encouraging session
• Notes from the Clarksons 
• Notes from Ann Dunagan — Mission Minded Homeschool

More Teach Them Diligently Fun 2014

I was blessed to meet so many blogging friends this year!

Another sweet friend I got to meet is Michele from Preschoolers and Peace!

Keith and Kristyn Getty did an amazing concert for us Friday night!! Such a huge blessing!!