Books for Grownups · Books for Kids · Family Life · Homeschooling

A Confession….

At dinner the other night, I told my kids I had a confession to make.

“What,” Ivy said.

(whispering) “I’m starting to get excited for school to start.”

Unsurprisingly, they did not share my feelings on the matter. But it’s hard for me not to get a bit excited. A couple weeks ago I was given a big box of books for the classes I’m going to be teaching at our homeschool/school this year (Charis Classical Academy). Cool books. Interesting books. I mean, I love summer and am certainly not wishing it an early end…but the books!

I’m very excited to be teaching a 7th/8th grade combined history/literature/theology class this year. The kiddos will be stuck with me for four hours a week (laughs maniacally), and I’m super intimidated by the books that we’re going to study…

…but excited too. I’ve already begun laying out my syllabus and reading Gilgamesh and Till We Have Faces. I’ve also begun thinking with some fear and trembling what a great opportunity it will be to have 8-10 middle-schoolers whose lives I can influence for a whole school year. To whom I can share the gospel and help make disciples (you know, that whole Great Commission thing).

May God grant me intelligence and wisdom beyond my abilities. Bring on the fall!

3 thoughts on “A Confession….

  1. Would you be able to add a list of the books you’ll be reading/teaching? I want to read them. Thanks

    1. Sure! The Primary Books are:
      – Epic of Gilgamesh
      – Code of Hammurabi
      – Odyssey
      – The Last Days of Socrates
      – Aeneid
      – Julius Caesar (Shakespeare)

      The Secondary Books are:
      – Chosen by God (RC Sproul)
      – Till We Have Faces
      – Prince Caspian
      – The Silver Chair
      – The Last Battle
      – The Eagle of the Ninth
      – The Screwtape Letters
      – The Holiness of God (RC Sproul)

      The course is really cool because it tries to balance theology, history, and literature. It gives each book a 10 point rating, dividing the 10 points between these three categories. For example, “The Odyssey” is given a rating of 2.2.6 because its value is primarily literature (6) and not theology (2) or history (2). Other examples would be “The Eagle of the Ninth,” rated 0.8.2 and “The Screwtape Letters,” rated 7.0.3.

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