I completely forgot I had a blog! December 16, 2010

We seem to be on a role… one crazy year after another.  While I am fond of change and not particularly opposed to craziness, it does not make for smooth, productive schooling.  Just once, I would like to approach Christmastime without being behind! 

This year’s craziness came from moving… in October… by ourselves.  Between sorting through everything we owned to downsize in advance, packing the rest in some type of logical fashion and finding somewhere to move to, there was just no hope of staying on schedule. 

I tried.  I really did.  I ordered all of our curriculum in April.  I bought a downloadable planner and scheduled everything in early summer.  I packed everything we wouldn’t need for the current school year.  I was on the ball, on top of it, 3 steps ahead. 

Until we signed the papers on the house. 

It all went downhill from there. 

It is hard to teach while packing an entire household. 

 It is hard to teach when the curriculum you ordered in April hasn’t arrived in August.  And then arrives without the first 2 readers which are an absolute necessity. 

 It is hard to teach when your 3rd grader announces, on day 2, that he hates his Greek curriculum and doesn’t want to do it anymore.  Nor does he want to do reading, penmanship, Wordly Wise, spelling, any type of worksheets or anything else that requires holding a pencil. 

On top of all that, we have a new problem this year.  My children are several years apart, the first 2 spaced at just over 6 years and the middle and last child have 4 1/2 yrs between them.  We have always homeschooled.  But this is the very first year that I have struggled to have time for both students at once.  (Only the younger two are still at home.) I spend so much time with the very easily distracted 3rd grader that I have little time to help the 8th grader who has developed an aversion to anything that requires more than minimal effort.  I spend a lot of time trying to make sure that they are both doing something, preferably what is scheduled. 

Add in ballet and taekwondo and we are always just a little behind. 

Now Christmas break comes along and I am left wondering  if we can take any time off.  I know we should be conducting science experiments and learning about Jamestown, but I really want to curl up on the couch and watch Snowball Express, bake cookies, play board games and read aloud. 

Decisions… decisions.

School in the summer? July 12, 2010

Today I am wondering if anyone actually gets schooling done in the summer? 

This last year was disrupted by a couple of major events which put us behind schedule.  We are supposed to be completing the work this summer.  However, we haven’t been very successful so far.

Our official school year ends in mid-May in our neck of the woods, and it just so happens that the weather in May was glorious.   So virtually no schoolwork was done.

It rained pretty much all of June.  Still, no schoolwork was done.  We were too busy with a taekwon do seminar, readying the house to sell, swimming lessons every day, getting together with friends who are moving, and running errands. 

Now, we are well into July and still… almost no schoolwork has been completed.  My daughter will be heading to camp.  We are expecting company.  There are some local events to attend.  July isn’t looking good either.

And August… well, that brings the state fair and the beginning of the new school year. 

I am ready to throw up my hands in defeat.

Yes, there is a downside! July 9, 2010

I am one for finding the upside of everything.  I try very hard to see the positive in whatever life throws at me.  But, I do have to admit to one big negative which goes hand-in-hand with homeschooling:

Too many books! 

I never thought I would put those 3 words together.  I love books.  I love to read.  I will read almost anything (well, except books about the occult, horror novels or scifi… just not my thing) and I like to own the books.  The library is nice, but I have this odd personal relationship with my reading material and frankly, I don’t want to share.  Well, that isn’t entirely true either as I will happily loan a book to a friend.  Anyway, I’m rambling.

Homeschoolers have a lot of books.  Shelves of books.  Boxes of books.  Bins of books.  Books in the attic.  Books in the basement.  Historical fiction, biographies, nature guides, classics.. maybe even some textbooks.  So many books that you can’t read them all, much less remember what you have, which leads to duplicate books. 

There is such a thing as too many books, something my hubby has been trying to convince me of for years.  And I have not only arrived at, but surpassed that point.  I get it now and do you know why?  Because I had to move the books! 

The biggest problem with too many books is that they are heavy.  Hernia-inducing, back-breakingly heavy.  I know, because I spent the better part of yesterday moving and sorting through 15 years of homeschool books which were stored in 9 large plastic bins.

I had to empty them all out and sort through, discarding what was too young, not a favorite or too girly.  I sat and pondered my organizational options and finally sorted them the way I always do, by historical period (ancients, medieval through reformation, early modern, modern) each in their own clearly labeled bin.  I added 2 additional bins, 1 for science and 1 for math &  teaching aids. 

Once the keepers were boxed, labeled and returned to storage, I boxed those destined for craigslist or a yard sale.  By this time, I was fairly sure I would never be able to stand upright again because of the excruciating pain in my back.  I was fully prepared to laze about today doing nothing while I recuperated.  No such luck.  I woke up feeling fine!

I will, however, stop and think next time I stumble across the “coolest book about ______ ever!” and think about the agony it will one day cause.  No, I have enough books to see us through the education of my two youngest, and possibly my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, the neighbors kids and their kids, etc, etc. 

I have learned my lesson… for now.

Losing focus July 8, 2010

I am easily distracted by new ideas.  Especially new homeschooling ideas.  But also new takes on parenting, new recipes, new budgets… and definitely new diets.  I love to read.  I read all the newest, latest, greatest… and then I get confused.

The ideas contradict one another, yet they all sound plausible.  Every idea seems to work… for them.  Me, however… I get going in 20 different directions and end up not doing anything very well because I am trying to do it all at once.  It would be easy enough to pick and choose, taking only the best parts and leaving the rest if it didn’t all sound good. 

I am reading Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille and it is excellent.  The ideas sound wonderful.  And they work…. for them.  I tried to talk to my hubby about implementing some of the ideas, but his eyes kind of glazed over and then he fell asleep.  I am sure there was a “here she goes again” in there somewhere.  And he would have been right!  There I go again, trying to fix what isn’t broken. 

How you educate your children should be unique to your family.  Not every family should homeschool.  Not every homeschool family should follow the same educational model.  As parents, we know what the strengths and weaknesses are in our own family and in our children.  The key is to find what works, keeping those strengths and weaknesses in mind.  Once you figure that out, the whole family will grow in knowledge and character.

An AHA! moment June 22, 2010

Okay… now that the basics are out of the way, I can have fun. 

Last week, my daughter walked into the house with a huge grin on her face and a “boy, are you going to be soooo happy!” after biking down the driveway to our mailbox.  My Rainbow Resource catalog has arrived.  All 1275 pages of educational bliss!  I was so happy.  Gleeful, even.

I quickly began reorganizing my time to spend every possible millisecond with my catalog.  All the options, all the new stuff, all the fantastic educational whatchamacallits that my kids just have to have!  I usually go through it cover to cover.  I don’t always read every single description, but I read all the titles, always on the lookout for the next great thing.  I make lists of things that would “make our school year really great.”  I total the items on my list, then, appalled, make a new list without prices.  I think of all the wonderful things we could learn with that curriculum, lab or kit. 

I didn’t actually have very many available milliseconds those first couple of days.  Home school moms are busy.  Then, when I was just about to get busy reading, it dawned on me… I have already planned our next school year.  I know every book, every supplement, every everything that is needed.  And for once, it shouldn’t take 8-10 hrs a day.  (I get a little over zealous, try to cram too much in.)

And then I did something completely out of character:  I set the catalog back down and left it there.  If I go through it now, I will find a dozen or more things I think we just have to have for the perfect school year.  I will buy those things.  I will cram them into our school day and NO ONE WILL BE HAPPY because we will all be too busy to smile.  Even then, I will not have used everything I thought I had to have.  Nope, I will not look at my catalog until we actually need something.  What a concept. 

I have been reading Leadership Education: the Phases of Learning by Oliver and Rachel DeMille which emphasizes the necessity of play time and curiosity led learning.  I overschedule my children.  My desire for academic success may be stifling their natural genius.  It is time for some down time… and some tv free time… so they can learn and explore on their own.

Is home schooling for you? June 9, 2010

Are you thinking about home school?  There are a few questions you should ask yourself:

1.  Why do I want to home school?

2.  What are my expectations?

3.  Can I be consistent and stay on task?

4.  Is my family on-board?

5.  What are my state’s laws regarding homeschooling?

Knowing why you choose to home school is important.  It isn’t something to be undertaken on a whim.  It isn’t something to try out as an experiment.  You want to have solid reasons for going that route.  On those difficult days when you are wondering what on earth you were thinking, you will need something firm and real to pull you back on track.  You will need to be able to say, “(this) is why we home school.  It is the best educational opportunity for these reasons…”   and get your focus back.  That is hard to do if you didn’t have focus to begin with.  Know why it is the best choice for your family.

What do you think you can accomplish through home school?  What are your expectations?  You need to be realistic.  Some home schooled children graduate from high school with a college degree.  But not every child will do that.  Children are unique and will learn and grow how they are uniquely wired, whether in home school, private or public school.  That being said, there are still advantages to home school:  teacher-student ratio, catering to their learning style, pursuing their interests, etc.

What are your expectations on cost?  Schooling costs run the gamut, depending on your academic plan, your available resources, and what extras you want to include.  Some people home school almost completely from what is available at their local library.  Others spend big bucks on complete, online programs and additional classes.  Most of us fall somewhere in between.  Spend some time investigating what’s out there.  You will be pleasantly surprised by the wealth of materials from which to choose.

As in other aspects of parenting, consistency is a necessary ingredient of home school.  Parents need to be able to make an academic plan and stay on task.  Life will continue to interfere and it is all too easy to put off that math assignment, the trip to the library, study time for the science test, etc. if you aren’t prepared.  Some curriculum options provide a schedule to follow, but you still have to follow it! 

Is your spouse in agreement?  If you and your spouse do not agree about home school, please tread carefully.  You will need support.  It is a rich and rewarding experience but also tiring, frustrating and lonely at times.  If you are a single parent, do you have a support network to offer encouragement?  Many communities have home school groups, co-ops or both where you can meet other families, learn from other’s experience and support one another.

It always shocks me a little when I hear how many public school kids wish they could home school.  Really social children that have already been in the public school system are often horrified by the idea.  In their minds, they will be locked away in their room with stacks of books and no friends.   It’s silly, but that is the fear.  The vast majority of home schooled kids I know are extremely busy with friends, activities, sports, classes, and church.  In fact, it can be difficult to make sure we have enough time at home to finish our schooling for the day.  The myth that homeschooled kids lack socialization is just that… a myth.  ( I will tackle myths in another post.)  The easiest way to have cooperative children is if you home school from the beginning.  My children love to do school at home.  They recognize the unity and strength it gives our family.

The best way to find out your state’s laws is to go to the Home School Legal Defense Association’s website, www.hslda.org, and look them up.  The requirements vary greatly from state to state, but home school is legal in every state.  I also strongly encourage you to join the HSLDA. 

Of course, there are other things to think through that have escaped me right now.  The point is to give it some thought.  Know what is motivating you and how you plan to succeed.  In the beginning, I thought everyone should home school, but over time I have learned that it does not work for every family.  You know your family best and only you and your spouse can make the decision on whether or not it is right for you.  If you decide to go with it…wow!  Have I got some great things to tell you about!

The rest of the story…

During that first homeschool year 2 important things happened. 

 First, I ran into a friend at the library who told me about a new, statewide program for homeschoolers that was just getting started.  She didn’t have any details except a possible name, but that was enough.  The program is part of a public school system but allows homeschooling families to use some of those tax dollars we pay toward our children’s education.  We can order curriculum (as long as it is secular,)  purchase supplies, and pay for lessons or online classes.  I order quite a bit of my own curriculum as I prefer my children to have Christian materials for most subjects, but we do use the allotment for extras (microscopes, educational games,etc) and classes and that is a huge blessing.  We could not do swimming, ballet and taekwon do all in one year if they didn’t pick up part of the tab. 

The program also provides a contact teacher who has become a real friend.  We are required to check in monthly and provide quarterly work samples and grades each semester.   Personally, I like the accountability.  Life happens and it can be easy to shove schooling to the back burner when we get overwhelmed.  That isn’t as likely to happen when you know that grades are due on Tuesday. 

Some homeschoolers do not consider this “real” homeschooling.  I beg to differ.  I still choose every bit of our curriculum.  I write our schedule, make the assignments, correct the work and give the tests.  Every year the program is subject to an audit and changes are made by the Department of Education.  I watch these changes very closely.  There will likely come a time when the program no longer allows us the choices necessary to provide the best education for our children.  When that time comes, we will homeschool without it.

The second important thing that happened is that I met some other homeschooling families.  I was able to learn about their homeschool day, look at the curriculum they used and get encouragement from women that had a little experience.  It made a world of difference.  I tend to be fairly self-sufficient, but I needed that.  I needed to know that I was on the right track and hadn’t already ruined my child for life!  Big relief.

Let’s blog. June 8, 2010

I am many things, but “homeschooling mom” is where most of my time and energy goes.  Our family has homeschooled since our oldest started kindergarten in 1996.  It is one of the greatest joys of my life… and sometimes the biggest frustration.  There are times when I am ready to throw in the towel, pack them off to school, and get a job.  There are times when I question my ability to teach them effectively.  There are times when we don’t even like each other.  But those times don’t last long and are quickly replaced.  When it comes down to it, I couldn’t give it up.  I love homeschooling and want to share that joy with everyone.

We really stumbled into it.  We didn’t know anyone who homeschooled.  I don’t recall even hearing it mentioned.  I remember my husband hearing from a friend that his daughter was reading until she started school.  The other children in her kindergarten class couldn’t read yet, so she stopped.  Kids don’t usually like to be different.  That broke my heart and I was determined that would not be my daughter.  At the same time, there was a controversy regarding textbook content that made us really think about education… what it is, what it should be, and who is responsible for what our children learn and believe.  God put them in OUR care.  We would homeschool, whatever that meant.

For kindergarten, I winged it.  I bought workbooks and games and Bob books and we “did school” as similar to my own kindergarten experience as I could recall.  It was a disaster.  She did learn, but we had a lot of tears, a lot of frustration, and a lot of the times I mentioned before.  Thankfully,  I am nothing if not persistent.