I’m a big fan of persevering. Being persistent. If I get a little bit done each day, I know it will add up. If I keep going, I’ll eventually get the results I want. The key is to hang in there and never give up… except, maybe not always. A recent experience reminded me of the power of pausing and how productive it can be.
We’re fast approaching the holidays. If you’re like me, you’re looking ahead and thinking of all you want to get accomplished in your homeschooling before you take a winter break. Or, perhaps you just have a vague sense of dread that the fall semester is nearly finished and you haven’t accomplished anything.
Of course, that’s not true. You’ve accomplished a lot. If you really take a look at what you’ve gotten done, you’ll nearly always find that it’s more than you think.
Put any lists aside and consider what you’ll gain from a winter break. A breather. A chance to rest and reconsider things. (Okay, maybe not right away. But definitely after the holiday rush is over.)
Now, I want you to also consider the power of pausing beyond your upcoming winter break. I want you to consider two types of pauses, one I often use and another that I don’t but should.
The Mini Pause
Take a day or two off one subject or all of them. It’s okay. I often do this. It frees up some time – time that you can devote to learning something else. It can give you time to take a field trip or just remember how to relax and goof off.
When we know we have a day off school or even a break from one subject, we usually work harder beforehand to make up for it. The result? We get at least as much done, plus we have a break from our regular routine. I’m a big fan of the ‘mini pause’.
The Extended Pause
This is the pause I don’t often consciously pursue. This fall, I’ve been reminded of how important it can be.
One of my favorite homeschool group students – okay, they’re all my favorites – but he’s been in the group from nearly the beginning, was an original member of our youth speakers group, and is just a great kid. A few years ago, he withdrew from our public speaking group. Nothing was really wrong. He was speaking well and improving, but you could tell he didn’t enjoy it.
I was sad for several reasons. First, as I said, I enjoy having him in the group. But, more important, I want very badly for our homeschool students to get a good solid foundation in public speaking. I didn’t get this foundation and know it held me back and made parts of my life needlessly difficult over the years.
Side note: Never make a fourth grader sing a solo in music class if a) they’re afraid of public speaking and b) they sing like a cat with its head stuck in a tin can.
Our Youth Public Speaking Program
Well. From nearly every bad experience you can, eventually, find some good. Many years after that fourth grade experience, I started our youth public speaking group with the help of my good friend Sharon Koenig – who, among other things probably was one of those fourth graders who could belt out a great song for an audience with no problem. She’s also an accomplished Toastmaster (the international adult public speaking and leadership program). Together, we’ve made a good team.
Over the last five or six years, we’ve run a youth public speaking program. We give the students leadership roles in the meetings and, while we work on specific skills, our main goal is to provide a safe and encouraging environment for public speaking practice. It works. In fact, I have countless stories of how well it’s worked for my own children as well as others in the group.
The cover photo for this post is of a small group activity during a Green Mountain Youth Speakers meeting.
The Return
Back to the story of our ‘drop-out’ student. Last year, I asked if he would rejoin the public speaking group. I think he’d been out for a year or two at the time. Funny thing – he wanted to come back. And, what a difference. The power of pausing was so evident.
He came back, jumped in, and looks like he’s enjoying the whole public speaking experience this time around. It’s been so fun to see how he has… well, a teenage boy might not like this descriptor, but I would say he’s ‘blossomed’.
This was most apparent at our last meeting when he had to deliver an impromptu speech on whether we should call the season fall or autumn. He chose to present this as two people talking and moved back and forth on stage giving opposing viewpoints. And even doing different voices. His comfort on stage was evident in his creativity and ability to move, gesture, and even laugh at his own attempts to do two different voices.
Persevere or Pause?
My default position will probably always be perseverance – the mindset to keep going and persist for success. And that so often works.
As Sharon and I have led Green Mountain Youth Speakers, we’ve worked hard to always grow and improve what we do. We’ve helped some struggling kids become accomplished speakers. We’ve helped good speakers elevate their skills. And, we spent a good part of last year making it work in a virtual format. Persevering has made our program, our students, and us so much stronger and more capable.
But, I’ve also come to recognize that a pause, maybe even an extended pause, can be valuable. As you look ahead to your winter break, consider whether there are parts of your homeschool life that need a more extended pause. Think about it. Are there any tasks you or your children should set aside for a while and return to later when the time is right?
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