Summer Vacation

Yesterday was the final meeting of our homeschool literature class. We had a great year, studying elements of fiction, drama and poetry and reading a broad range of works from authors as varied as William Shakespeare, George Orwell, O Henry, William Golding, e.e. cummings, and Robert Frost. I enjoyed my time with these students immensely--teaching them was what I had always envisioned teaching to be but what my classroom experience never bore out. They actually read the material, completed their assignments, and exhibited an interest in carrying on meaningful discussions, all while treating their instructor and one another with kindness and respect. And they did all of this without the need for carrots or sticks! Such a great year called for a celebration, so yesterday we left the books on the dining room table and enjoyed some outdoor time, officially kicking off the beginning of summer vacation (even though you wouldn't know if from the nighttime temperatures here in Chicagoland).

Next year we will take up a chronological survery of "Masterpieces of World Literature." I'm already looking forward to it and hope they are, too. Until then, here is a peek at the best literature class I have ever had the honor of teaching: