17 posts tagged “homeschooling”

I have to admit that I was a little reluctant.  My smart, but sometimes tech-nerdy(I am not even sure that is a term) husband wanted  me to try this system out.  Right now I am in the process of trying to organize my very eclectic homeschooling plans.  By early next week I would like to hand in my notice of intent form to the board of education.  I am not too worried about what I have to include (curricula wise), but I am putting the pressure on me to know what I need to teach 2 of my children.  Basically I want, and need to order things, get the material in my hands, and PLAN!!!!!!

So here is the site ... www.mindjet.com   You can get a free 21 day trial.  The idea is that I can visually and logically organize ideas, information and resources.  IT IS COOL!!!!!!! My husband is actually utilizing this program for his work (manufacturing).  He is loving it!

I know that I really didn't, but taking on the responsibility of 2 of my children's education full time, feels a bit like a new job.  All this is exciting, but a little scary too.  I am one of those people that worry a lot BEFORE, but once I dive in, things are never as hard as I thought.  Hopefully homeschooling will be the same ;)

This summer will definitely be a BUSY ONE!!!!!

Today I walked into the front office of my girl's school and asked to withdraw two of my girls.  The other 2 (my soon to be K and 7th grader) will stay at their current school.  I was so worked up about doing this, but it was rather uneventful.  I am sure as soon as I turn in the withdrawal slip later today, they will call up some other family on the waiting list and tell them that there are openings.  Good for them, and GOOD FOR ME!

Last night I stumbled upon this ... http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=1500338  I probably got lost in a blog and now I can't recall where I found it.  To see the story on television you can view it here ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfRUMmTs0ZA (this is a 40 minute story, so you may need some time to view it, but it is worth it!).  The story may not appeal to everyone ...  I know some people don't love John Stossel, but I kind of like his bold style (although I know he is not right all of the time).  This story may have some skewing, but overall I can understand its points.

There are some excellent schools and some excellent teachers out there, but I also know that our country does not have consistancy by any means.  I think we are do for some major reform with our education system.  The No Child Left Behind Act is not the answer (in my opinion).  Honestly, many countries have better systems, and I do think that we can learn from them. 

INTERESTING ....

I feel like this blog has been awfully quiet lately.  I guess I feel so busy in my life that articulating something to write here has been far too daunting in recent days.

Recently I found this educational site that I think looks wonderful.  One of the biggest complaints that I have pertaining to my girl's school is their lack of writing ... they do very little of it.  I would really like to make reading and language arts a big focus of mine.  I know that math has to be up there too, but so far, they have shown great skills in that area.

So here is something that looked interesting to me ...

Daily Paragraph Editing, Grade 5

Lisa V. Mathews

 For math next year I really think I will go with http://www.mathusee.com/.  I have seen a lot of their stuff and our local homeschooling convention will host the developer of this curriculum.

I still need to plan a lot more, but I hope that in the next month I will get my plan's finalized.

Sort of depressing sounding (sorry)...

Lately I feel down about some of my negative traits ... difficulty articulating(most days I feel like a stammering fool), an inability to take criticism well (even more so lately), and some patience issues (mostly with myself).  What about me is "GOOD"?  I can occasionally cook and bake well, I can keep a clean, orderly home, and gosh, darn ... I do laundry like no one else can.  Those are nice "homemaking" traits to have, but I feel like I want to be known for other things.  I am sure that some other Mommies feel like this, but I am not about to run out and get a job just to magically see if the feelings go away.

I asked my husband the above question, and his quick response was that I am ...

DRIVEN

I had to ask for the compliment, but it was a nice answer to hear. My husband said that he wishes that he was surrounded by people in his workforce that were so driven to accomplish ... to succeed.  A long time ago, I would have described myself that way, because I actively set out to accomplish some big things ... go to the college of "my choice", to move away from home, to get my college degree and do it with high honors, to marry and raise a family even when money was tight ... I just knew things would be okay (and they are). 

Maybe the things I am driven to, are not as concrete as they once were. I want to be happier, more fulfilled ... those are hard to measure.  I want my children to do well and be successful ... that also takes a lot of doing on their part.  Providing them the best possible education is really important to me.  I know what they currenty get (education)could be a lot better, but the "negative" (pessimistic) part of me wonders if I can truly provide a "better"  education for them.   

AGAIN ... I need to stop second guessing myself.  Those would be my husband's words and I know that he is right. I am smart, I am DRIVEN, and I just need to be confident (and organized).  A small part of me hopes that when I homeschool next year, I will feel a sense of accomplishment that I have not felt in a long time ... one that makes me feel proud (for hopefully doing a good job), and one that makes me feel "good" about me! 

Here is  a site that has books and teacher study aids to analyze books.  This is one example ... http://www.candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=Title&mode=book&isbn=0763625892&pix=n (you can download a teacher study guide)

I may do this next year with {E} and {K}.  I am finding that there are many book club sites for kids.  We talked with {E} last night about possibly allowing her to have a book review blog.  I think it would be great for her to have an account of some of the books she reads .... she reads a lot.  Her latest book was this one ...

It was lost, but now IT is found!

Clothing, things for the home, see-and-buy items ... NO CARES at all.  Show me a book that sparks my interest, and I am there!  I feel like l am constantly waivering on the homeschooling thing ... more towards it, but there are moments I have my doubts, then I remember how much reading really, REALLY educates someone.  I SO want to incorporate it into our schedules.

 I have boasted and bragged on my oldest DD {E}, and how smart she is, but I am not kidding.  She is an avid reader, and remembers EVERYTHING that she is ever taught, or that she has read.  Scott just went to conferences on Friday, and he happily heard the same feedback that we have heard in the past ... ALL GOOD, smart children
(every one of them)!  One of {E}'s best teachers in NJ was Mr. Malatesta.  Scott and I loved him ... a manly, man (former football player) who chose teaching later in life (not your typical male teacher).  He was passionate about writing, and encouraged children to research, and be independent!  My {E} was exposed to this at the age of 7/8 (3rd grade).  Mr. Mal, as we affectionately called him, was enamored by {E} and told us that we had a special child ... one that would likely be smarter than her teachers by middle school.  She just needed to make sure that her smarts were kept in tact.  As Scott went to {E}'s conference this past Friday , he was reminded once again ... {E} is now smarter than her teacher.  Sure her teacher has life experience, and a broader knowledge base, but she {E}is more intelligent, and more capable.  This just encourages me even more to homeschool her. I know that there are some GREAT teachers out there, but to catch one is not as common as you would imagine. I know that she is smarter than I ... but she is self motivated, and she is ALREADY surpassing her peers.  I don't want {E} to suddenly feel completely unchallenged and bored.  I think she is starting to feel that now!

Back to reading ...

I have spent the weekend with my {M} ... the child most like myself (stubborn, smart, intuitive, aware of everything around her).  She picked out a few books at the bookstore and the library.  YES!  We went to both today.  I bought her a Magic Treehouse book (kind of silly since we can get them from the library).  Then we were heading home, and I needed to drop books off at the library ...  {M} begged me to go INTO the library.  I said okay, but only for a few minutes.  {C} was at her limit ... so cranky today.  We ended up getting two Little House Books (The MARTHA YEARS) written by  Melissa Wiley.  They are a little above her, but she seemed to enjoy chapter one of Little House in The Highlands. I have enjoyed the quiteness of this weekend with just 2 children.  When {C}  goes to bed, it is just {M} and me reading.  She and I both love it!

I guess my point in this entry is that READING can make you smarter, and suddenly I feel smarter .. more EMPOWERED!  I think that my "waivering" feelings about homeschooling really just stem from how others will think of me.  I hate, HATE that I am obsessed with the opinions of others...especially nervous about how my husband's family will perceive me. Will they think I am about to ruin my children? ... especially their grand-child prodigy {E}??????  I really do not think so ... I know so, but I have to keep reminding myself! One year at a time ... that is the plan!

5 girls all under the age of 12 walked by my house this afternoon.  I did not speak to them, but Scott did.  Apparently there are 12 children who just moved into a house down the street from me.  ALL OF THEM ARE HOMESCHOOLED. I may just have to bake some yummy chocolate chip cookies and bring them over to them.  There has to be some "potential" friends in the bunch!

Today was a good day.  When I unload my inner most secrets I always feel better.  Today was a family day at a swim meet ... long, long day.  {E} and {K} are now in two different age brackets.  So now meets take place all morning and afternoon.  {K} did awesome ... she really is a natural ( got a 1st overall in breast and just blew the competition away).  Poor {E} moved up to the 12/u and is now at  a disadvantage with her age. Despite that, she did a great job with her times ... took seconds off.  I am proud!

I bought myself a T-shirt  (at the swim meet) today.  Not sure the last time I did something like that.  IT reads ...

swim mom (swim mahm) n. 1. One who spends her life in an automobile driving to and from the pool. 2. The person who attends every swim meet and sits for five hours to watch you swim for two minutes.  3. The only person at the pool who can see that you did the stroke, turn, or start perfectly and should not be DQ'ed.  4.  The one who always has the dry towel and the perfect snack.  5.  The person who loves you win or lose. 

 I just thought it was  a great t-shirt and made me realize how much I love the fact that my girls are excelling at a sport that I loved ,and that I participated in.  What a  proud Mommy I am!

The school/activity life of kids can really be nuts.  When my girls were little, I didn't mind the adventure of getting "out", but lately I feel so much happier being "in" (just a little part of my feeling like a turtle).  School days were shorter (preschool, that is), activities were less, and play time was a lot more.

Now that my girls are getting older we've got school everyday, activities, and a lot more homework.  Rarely is there a day off or just time for fun.  The fun gets squeezed into increments that are so small.  I can still recall coming home from school (when I was little), doing a little bit of homework, and then playing outside until it was dinner or dark (whichever came first).  I loved the fall ... raking leaves, collecting acorns and pine cones.  My girls don't do that ... it is rare if they do.

{M} who is 6, gets a lot of "busy work".  Some of it is helpful, but all of it, everyday is too much.  She gets a math sheet, a poetry sheet with questions for both her and me, her daily checkoff for studying her words (flashcards), her daily reading of the book she gets each week, and then she MUST log in her 15+ minutes of reading.  Add that all up and it is a lot.  I actually sit down with her in spurts ... a little here and there.  This typically means that we are up until 8-8:30pm  with activities, dinner, showers, and homework mixed in. Mostly it is the Monday to Thursday schedule that is busy (Wednesday is the toughest). 

  Today it seems like children "need" to be kept busy.  Everyone is busy, so why not give your child a busy life too?  Goodness ...what if our children have to entertain themselves? Can they even do that? IF they do nothing, or next to nothing, then your child is home more ... to some parents, that may be enough to drive them nuts.  Sports and extra activities are good for them, but it seems like many parents tend to fill up the week with many different types of them.  We want our kids to be productive, well rounded, and not bored.  In other words we want them to be successful and not get into trouble ... boredom doesn't usually help out in this area.

I guess I am the parent who plays into this.  Although we don't have as many different types as other families do.  My girls are swimmers (also Brownies, choir, and cotillion) and that takes 4 afternoons and 1-2 meets every month.  It is a great sport and I would love for them to make it a life sport.  They are good at it, and I would be lying if I hoped that maybe it could lead them to obtaining a scholarship someday. Still, our lives are busy, and I feel like we are suffering some days ... always rushing, and sometimes there are not so kind words thrown at one another.  This makes me sad.

I really can't wait for next year.  It may very well be the hardest year of my life with my children, but we will be in charge and that is something exciting to me.  I hope to have less school time, less busy work, more fun time, and more kindness to one another.  I really am looking at the year as an adventure.  It may only be one year, but we will take it as it comes.

Today I picked up the girls, we ran a quick errand, came home, did homework, threw a pizza in the oven, and played.  We took a day off from activities and it was really nice.  Dad is away, and Mom had to do it all.  I certainly am feeling run down. I cannot imagine being a working out of the home parent.  I am blessed to be able to see my girls off to school, and see them as they walk out the school doors.  Next year it will be even better ... I hope!

Computermom

 

• organize the house (cleaning, errands, bills, etc.)
• do "other" things that give me pleasure (exercising, reading, baking, and simply playing with the girls)
• learn my photoshop program ... that was supposed to be a big goal of mine this year (and that would be the only time I would do extra computer time )
• Become better at adding faith and religion to my family's daily life (this should really be at the top of the list)