One of the advantages that homeschooling families have is the ability to design a learning space for their students in their own home. Social media sources like Pinterest and online blogs are full of ideas for homeschool organization. These sources often emphasize the importance of designing a learning space that fits the needs of your family.

Today, I would like to take this idea one step further and suggest that the ideal learning space may not be the same for each family member. What is seen as ideal by a parent may not in fact be ideal for a student. What qualifies as an ideal learning space may even differ from child to child.

Deciding on essay topics is daunting. I remember sitting in front of my computer staring at a blank page, just wondering where to start. Even a fairly specific prompt usually leaves plenty of room for personal choices. So what happens if you are waiting for inspiration to strike, and it never does? The essay will still be due, that’s what.

As a student, I have come to realize that some of my best essay topics had to be dragged out of the compost at the bottom of my brain, rather than springing fully formed into existence, like crocuses in springtime.  As a teacher, I see it as my task to guide students toward essay topics that are interesting to them, that they can learn from, and that result in essays that they can feel proud of.

As an English teacher, I encounter idioms constantly.  As a student of languages, I find them constantly fascinating. As a Christian who seeks wisdom from scripture, I found biblical idioms reflected in God’s Word.

An idiom is a phrase that has a different meaning than the one suggested by the words that make up the phrase.  There is no logical reason that we say “It’s raining cats and dogs” or tell children “Don’t cry over spilt milk,” but we do.  What’s more, we understand each other.  Finding the correct meaning in these phrases is “a piece of cake.”