Part Twenty-One--A Father's Impact on Education

A Father's Impact on Education

 

Although in the background during most school hours, Hal's impact in our children's education was profound. 

From correcting papers to dressing up as historical figures, from driving to seminary to giving school blessings, Hal has been either behind the scenes or in the forefront of every part of our homeschool experience. 

Hal read's The Wizard of Oz--a girls' book club book--to Giselle.

Hal climbs a rope at Hal IV's cub scout meeting

Chase and Hal look up at Hal (Moroni), during Family Home Evening

CURRENT EVENTS, FREEDOM, AND HISTORY

Hal made sure his children knew about important current events and understood the principles of freedom. He also shared many stories about our children’s ancestors, many of whom are famous historical figures. 

Before our children graduated from our home school he taught them the principles of economic freedoms and had them read the book, The Creature from Jekyll Isle, and write a paper on it.

READING AND CORRECTING PAPERS

Hal took a writing class in graduate school which influenced him as he read and graded the kids’ papers, which he usually did at the high school level. He would read their papers immediately and give good feedback to help them take a paper from rough draft to final form.  It was so nice to have Hal take over this part of the children's education.  

CHAUFFEURING and ATTENDING EVENTS

Hal picking up Chase from scout camp

Most of my friends drove their kids to church youth meetings, piano, dance, sports, etc., but Hal said it was his job to chauffeur our kids around. He knew errands weren't my favorite. He tried to be available as much as possible so that he could drive our children to lessons and parties so that I wouldn’t have to. He would leave work early and come home late, just so I didn’t have to leave the house, especially when I had little ones. In terms of supporting me, I mark this as one of his greatest contribution to our homeschooling adventure, because it helped me to be free of stress and rested!

Space cake made by Hal and Hal IV for a cub scout pack meeting--

Giselle at Young Women in Excellence--

MATH

Our children enjoyed Hal as a math teacher. They could learn the majority of their lessons themselves, but they liked having him explain certain things, especially the higher math concepts.  The kids would sit at the dining room table and Hal taught them using the whiteboard which hung in that room up until last year. I don’t think I ever took any photos of him doing that, but I wish I had. I’m sure some of my children could tell a story about something Dad taught them during math time.   

BLESSINGS

Every September Hal gave us, the children and me, school blessings. I loved watching the little ones who were too young for school climb up on the chair to have a blessing from Daddy too! The blessings he gave were life preservers. I always moved forward with confidence after those blessings. 

I wrote down the children’s blessings and typed them up every year. Amber and Jasmyn, and later the rest of the kids wrote my blessings down too. I compiled these later and put them in the Bradley Family Treasury  in 2008. I know that at least some of our children have reread through their blessings since then and have feel the Spirit touch them again.

VISITORS

From our very first EPIC Adventure Hal has dressed up every time I asked him. He never loved it, but did it.

Colonial Escapade 1991

Dressing up for Halloween during our Noble Birthright year 1994

At our closing day of Heroes Quest: Mount Olympus and the Guardians of the Flame, a few dads dressed up as visitors. One of them asked Hal why he wasn't ever dressed up, and he said that he had paid his dues over the years.  As we sat there we both thought his “dressing up for school” days were over, but just a few months later I asked him to dress up again.

We needed a king and queen for our Swords of Honor opening day. When some ladies in my group told me that I should be the queen, I decided this would be my last chance to be a queen of anything.  I told Hal that the ladies said I should be the queen, but that I couldn’t be a queen without a king. “Please dress up this ONE LAST TIME so I can be the queen.”  I forgot that the king and queen had to be there for the closing day as well. Plus, I think wearing a tuxedo twice the next year probably counted as dressing up too!  

 Hal tries on the costume I made for him, with sword and helmet too

FIELD TRIPS

Hal and Hal IV at the LA Natural History Museum

Hal Jasmyn, Giselle, and Chase at the Fleet Science Center, San Diego,
during the Knights of the Periodic Table 2001-2002

Opening Day Etiwanda Jones and the Quest for Quetzalcoatl 2007, Tijuana, Mexico

Hal went on field trips with us, even if he wasn’t in many photos--driving to Tijuana for the opening day of the Quetzalcoatl year; or staying overnight in San Diego for a two-day WW2 field trip; or asking his boss if his two kids could come along on an adult-only company Hawaii trip so they could see Pearl Harbor for school.

Santa Barbara Mission, California Campfires 1992

Kennedy Space Center, 1997 

  

LECTURES

One of Hal's lectures, 2010

I used to joke that whenever my close friends came over, they would corner Hal first and ask him questions about the scriptures, then they would visit with me. This happened repeatedly. 

Autumn Heather takes notes during a lecture by Hal--

 

In 2005 Symbria asked if Hal would give a lecture about the ten tribes of Israel or the Table of Nations. Over the years he was asked to share various lectures. I’m not sure how much my kids appreciated these college-level courses on everything from Bible history to principles of welfare and consecration. But whenever he was giving a lecture, other friends came too--Symbria, Deena, Karen, Joan, and Suzanne. 

Etiwanda Jones and the Quest for Quetzalcoatl 2007

Giselle looks up a scripture during a lecture

MUSIC

Hal bought most of the classical music that we own. When we needed certain music for school, before the internet, Hal was willing to look for and find what we needed at places like Best Buy.  I think he was the one who found the copy of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony, so that we could write our school song during writing week of The Unfinished Symphony 1999 

He ‘educated’ our children about the popular music of the day too.

DEVOTIONAL

Amber, Chase, and Hal during family devotional--

I will share more about this later. For now, it must be said that without Hal leading our family every day in hymn-singing, scriptures, and prayer, it wouldn’t have happened as consistently.

EXAMPLE

Whenever a mother asks me what she can do to foster a love of reading, I tell her to read. It's so important that children see their parents furthering their education. Hal is a great example of someone who loves to learn.

Hal holds Chase, just out of the bath, while he reads--

Our bed covered with Hal's genealogical research

ETC. 

Here are some of the things I remember because we took photos of them. 

Hal and other dads build the Greek temple stage for Heroes Quest: Mount Olympus and the Guardians of the Flame 2010

Hal IV, Hal, Chase on their way to the priesthood session of general conference-- 

SUPPORT

Hal always supported and encouraged me. When I told him I wanted to homeschool, his only concern was for me. He never minded that we spent our family resources to fund education--field trips, books, and private lessons. He never commented about missing the dinners I never made because I was on a field trip. 

Hal videotapes the kids at Easter 
(this is what he did many times during school though I didn't get photos of those times)--

I might not have realized the impact of Hal’s support unless I had seen other mothers struggle along with less-than-supportive husbands. His reassurance and encouragement was so important to my well-being.

 Victor Valley Family of the Year about 200

 

Without Hal, there may never have been a Bradley homeschool!