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Keeping Focus March 2010 |
MO – modus operandi. That's Latin for mode of operation. You might have heard it if you watch any one of the many crime investigation shows on television.
It's how the person typically acts when carrying out the crimes.
For homeschoolers, our MO is how we typically go about our day. It's how we organize all the activities we have to juggle. Just as there is no one way to homeschool, there is no one way to organize ourselves. In fact, the way you organize your life is one element of your learning style. Or should we say teaching style? When identifying learning style, we need to consider how students organize the information they receive. It's as if the brain has its own filing system. The process can be very systematic, with step-by-step sequences of information strung together. Or it can be very random, with numerous collections of information stored in no particular way. The more sequential the system, the more logical the person seems to appear. The more random the system, the more creative the person seems to be. In almost every case, that internal filing system works its way out to how we organize – or don't organize – our physical surroundings. Are you a neat freak or a clutter-bug? Here's the catch. Both MO's have their traps. Highly organized persons can get so caught up in maintaining the system of organization that they miss the teachable moments. Completing the lesson plans becomes more important than ensuring that the child has mastered the lesson. Checking off assignments becomes more important than allowing the student to run with some train of thought, question to research, or interest to pursue. Organization for organization's sake often leads to burn-out. On the flip side, unorganized persons can become overwhelmed by the mounting clutter and disorganization. It slowly builds until the task seems so big that it can't be tackled. Too often the family gives up or neglects some area of their life. Disorganization can be a symptom of lack of discipline. Although not always - sometimes life throws you so many curves that you have no choice but to let go of your normal routine for a time because of a family crisis. On-going lack of discipline often leads to stagnation. To make matters worse, most random learners tend to work best in a clutter-free environment – even though they are usually the ones causing the mess in the first place! They are easily distracted by the stuff around them, and their concentration lags because they can't maintain their focus. They catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of their eye and that sets their mind thinking about something totally apart from the task at hand. Most of us fall somewhere in between these two extremes. The point here is not to say that one MO is better than another. We're pretty much stuck with the way we are – unless out of desperation we make a last-ditch effort to discipline ourselves and change our whole way of operating. So why are we discussing MO then? Because if we are aware of how we operate and the potential pitfalls, we can stay on guard and stay focused in our activities. What's key is not the specific organizational system you use, but that you have one. Find a system that works for you – generally. Don't get caught up in maintaining it perfectly every week. You may have to experiment with what works. You can get tips and ideas from others, but use these as models only. Pull out what works for you and then discard the rest. The important thing is to find a routine that fits for most days. You should notice a certain rhythm developing. If not, then chances are you are over-extended. You may need more margin in your life. Margin is a term coined by Richard Swenson that refers to the “spaces” between the areas of your life – much like the white space and margins on a written page. The more white space there is, the easier it is to read the paper. Likewise, the more margin we have in our life, the more “breathing space” we have to collect our thoughts and have “down time” to refresh. Otherwise, our mind, soul, and spirit become clouded and inefficient. 716 words To view more 'Keeping Focus' Articles please 'Log In' and visit the 'Achives' page. |
