Homeschooling: Finding Joy With Shakespeare (Imperfectly)

We recently had another of our Shakespeare Reading Days, this time reading The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.

So. Much. Fun.

I posted this picture of our "Caesar" on my Facebook page and captioned it: We homeschool. 🤣

Seriously, can you have this much fun getting an education? (Yes!)

I have lost track of how many of these days we have had. (Six? Seven? More?) Here's what we do*: 

• Read a "retelling" of the play, usually from Beautiful Tales From Shakespeare for Children. (Julius Caesar was not in the book, so I found a summary online.) This is to familiarize ourselves with the characters and the story, which makes understanding the Old English a tad easier. 
• Assign characters and read Acts I and II in the morning.
• Eat our brown bag lunches, chat, and play. (Yesterday we had an impromptu concert. That was a first. ~smile~) 
• Read Acts III through V. 

There is a minimum of discussion. Occasionally someone will summarize a scene if a student (or adult) gets lost. Sometimes we will explain a word or phrase. The past couple of times I have listed some famous quotes from the play before we read it (i.e. "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" or "Beware the ides of March") and have everyone stand up when they hear that line read.

But mostly, we read the play.

My mom and I were having a discussion yesterday about perfection and "good enough," and I later thought about how it applied to our Shakespeare Reading Days.

Do you know that perfection can be paralyzing?

If I thought that the circumstances had to be "perfect," then I would never host these reading days!

1. I am not an accredited English teacher.
2. I am not a Shakespeare expert. 
3. Sometimes, I have not even had time to brush up on the play! 
4. I do not have enrichment activities planned. 
5. I do not have control over who does and doesn't come. (Maybe all the participants are good readers; maybe they are not.) 

But . . . 

Always, students are exposed to great literature. Always, we learn things we didn't know before. Always, we push ourselves to read, pronounce, and understand. Always, we become familiar with words and idioms we didn't know came from Shakespeare. Always, we learn stories and characters that we will likely encounter again in literature, movies, and even pop culture. And we usually have some fun along the way!

Even though we have done it imperfectly. 

Here, "Caesar" meets his demise by the hands of the conspirators!

The same principle holds true in many areas of homeschooling. 

Perfection paralyzes. Enthusiasm for your child's learning mobilizes.

Maybe you haven't found the perfect phonics system or the perfect math program. You don't have a separate school room. You're not a highly structured person. (Or maybe you are a highly structured person.) Maybe you don't have a big budget for educational materials. Or you have a toddler who requires a great deal of your attention. You missed Morning Time three times last week. Your child doesn't like science. You don't like science. You don't know all. the. things.

All of this reaching for perfection will keep you from finding the joy in the journey.

Instead, take what you do have and give it a go. Pick up where you left off. Pray that He will multiply your "loaves and fishes." Let your enthusiasm for your child's whole heart take over. 

If you will learn to accept "less than perfect," I believe that you can find joy in your journey of homeschooling! 

(And perhaps "less than perfect" will be the perfect fit for your child's needs!) 

* The idea for Shakespeare reading days was inspired by the ideas and experiences of Karen Andreola as shared in A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning.