Homeschool Journal: Poster Power

Our home is... what's the word?  Oh, yeah, cozy.  With a family of 5 (6 when Zach is visiting from college) I have had to learn how to be smart with my use of space.

I'm also sort of obsessive concerned with the aesthetics of the main living area because my heart is in hospitality.  However, our living area is also our school area so the management of this space is often under my own scrutiny. 

When my kids were elementary age not only did we live in a house with a separate 'school room' but I deliberately managed my decor to be kid friendly. This isn't the case anymore though.  Teenagers are a different breed of youngsters.  Yet, I found out recently that certain tricks from their younger years are actually more effective in the older ones.  Or maybe just more effective in our simpler, cozy-home lifestyle!

I'm talking about educational posters.

Currently I have framed, on a cork board, a vintage colored poster of the United States to supplement our studies of U.S. History this year.  I reference it often, as do they.  It nestles next to our magnetic dry erase board, which I would love to have framed in wood so it blends better, but instead it is usually edged out with some sort of seasonal greenery, disguising the schooliness of it all!  A vintage looking globe and pretty basket of dry-erase markers are housed in one corner and an un-knowing onlooker might wonder if it is a school setting, a study setting, a missionaries meeting area, or just a retired teacher's attempt at vintage decor with a modern board in the mix.

This year, however, I found myself utilizing the blank wall space underneath in a more non-traditional way.  Our walls are plaster so I can't pop tacks in them as I use to in other homes.  But I can hang posters and print-outs on magnetic clips positioned on my dry-erase board and that is just what I did.

First, battle maps from the Revolution War took rotations every few days during class.  Then, a miniaturized constitution hung proudly for a few weeks as we moved into the establishment of our country's laws.  As that came down, we were entering our study on Chemistry in our 9th grade Earth Science book and a periodic table I scored at the Dollar Store a couple years ago made it's appearance.  More colorful and less keeping with my subtle tones decor in the main living area of my home, I was nervous about this one.  But I hoped.

My nervousness about this bright poster hanging in our otherwise homey-cozy space?  This same poster had hung in our craft studio where we once did science experiments and art class.  It had hung on our laundry room door in our last house where our school room was set up in our large basement which mostly just got used for computer games and morning get-togethers around the dry-erase for English from the Roots Up lessons... oh, and laundry when that door was opened and closed to the task.  No one seemed smarter on the Periodic Table of Elements for these attempts at subtle education.

Now? We do schoolwork at the same table we eat at and do Bible study at and sometimes have hearty discussions at.  This same intimate dining area is directly connected to our modest living room where the main couch faces the stage of our learning.  To stroll out to our back deck, one must pass through this educational alcove.

My hope was obvious: perhaps, this time, in seeing a study-related poster hanging in it's simplicity where they live and eat and breathe, my children may gaze over throughout the day and reinforce the information.

I tried this when they were younger.  I LOVED putting together billboards (it was always a nod at one of my favored jobs in High School student council).  But I never really noticed info being absorbed.  But now they are older, it was worth one more try.

So, imagine my excitement last week when, as we were having a totally separate, non-science discussion, they began talking about the elements and atomic numbers and relating it to a regular-life observation.  When I asked how they knew that, they explained knowledgeably, they had observed it on the poster I had reluctantly left hanging on the wall.

Wow.

In the past I had sooooo much on my school room wall and, if I am honest, it was mostly decoration and I rarely ever pointed to it. Maybe part of the problem for them was not knowing where exactly to attend information so they chose not to attend any, other then what I directly taught them.  I just wanted a "school" room with all it's fandangles like I had grown up with and worked in as an adult.  But for my kids, simple and direct and hanging right-where-we were learning was what hit the spot.

There is power in posters.

It helped, too, that I kept drawing their attention to the hanging posters I have used lately.  For Chemistry, I gave them a personal sized one to reference for some of the smaller numbers which might not be so clear from their vantage point.

Poster Power. 

Don't underestimate it!  Don't over-do it either.  There are a lot of great posters out there.  Unless it is a map you are using regularly in your schooling.... or the alphabet or weather chart for those early learners.... (basically, something you are referencing daily throughout the year) my advice is to keep it simple:

• Pick and hang posters which directly relate to the current lesson
• Take them down when the unit is complete
• Check the Dollar Store, you can often find great scores there (my chemistry posters even came with copy-able worksheets on the back which my kids ate up!
• Reference the information on the poster throughout your teaching sessions, don't just use it as a pretty prop

Have fun!!

Our Homeschool This Week...

Crazy.

Dad had an episode on Sunday and we thought I was going to be flying out even earlier then early!  He is doing better though and surgery is still scheduled for next Friday (the 14th).  I leave this coming Wednesday (the 12th).  Hard to believe.  His doctor's appointments this week and last-minute preparations often interrupted the schooling routine but everyone was great sports about it.  They continued to work on their assigned reading and Brooke even found confidence to self-teach her composition which is great because I am going to be leaving her with a unit to do while I am gone!

On that note, we read through the Civil War battles this week. 

TIP:  Get excited about teaching!  It can make the driest material come to life!  Act shocked, disappointed, even excited as you read about events, actions, and even how things work... even if you already know the info, your kiddos don't and they will be more engaged with your narrations then without.  Also, don't be afraid to pause reading material to share related info in a side-note.

We only have one lesson left in our PACE History booklet on Civil War. I was going to have them work on a Civil War battle map but decided to leave that for them to do when I leave.

We will be ready to wrap up our formal schoolwork Monday so we can hang out together Tuesday and I can start packing since my flight leaves shortly after noon Wednesday.

I won't have anymore "Homeschool This Week" after this one until next school year.  But I will try to get some articles up on schooling and teenagers and how our long-distance learning is going.  So stay tuned!

 While I waited with baited breath Sunday to see if I was catching a quick flight out to help my dad, I worked on a Menu Planning notebook for the girls to use while I am gone.  I got the idea from Pinterest.  As usual, I put my own twist on it!  Included are tips for shopping, tips for cooking and recipes to go with the menu suggestions.  Most of which are family favorites, easy and my own.  I tried to pick recipes the girls have either helped me with enough to know how or ones that would be easy to figure out.  I should really do a photo-shoot and share on Menu Monday!

I attended a Facebook Usborne party recently and decided to order language books for the kids.  They may be high school but I figure it is like Rosetta Stone in book form: pictures with words to associate.  Brooke is fascinated with French and the book came with a reference in the back to help in sounding out the words.  She has enjoyed thumbing through it since it came.

 Thursday we ran some errands and then I took the kids for a rare treat:  ice-cream at a downtown specialty shop.  We had a bit to burn before getting hubby from work so we visited an antiques mall around the corner.  I love that my kids love antiques like I do!  Ashley made a great point: antique malls are like museums but better because you get to touch most of the displays!  I whole-heartedly agreed!!  Great field trip possibilities for older kiddos who are more skilled in not breaking things they touch then younger ones! 

Thursday we also finally captured that illusive haircut.  I forgot how fresh and even more handsome my man-child looks with a cut!

 Weeds were taking over my front gardening area.  A situation I desperately wanted to rectify before I left.  I don't know if my garden will get put in this year with my trip and all the unknowns when cancer is pronounced, but I at least didn't want a garden of weeds to present to the public at large!  The girls helped and between the three of us we made quick work of it after school books were closed on Friday.

 Clearing away weeds and leaves I found a patch of random green onions!  I planted seeds last spring but they never grew.  I thought our outdoor cat dug them up, yet here they are, about 2 feet over from where I put them!

 

Weeding helped make the flowers POP.  Bulbs planted by the previous owners are super fun to watch bloom in the spring.

Brenden finished his yard work (mowing and raking) and I sent him in to shower while the girls and I finished up.  We looked up from our task to see this in his window!  He is too funny.

 Speaking of things in the window, I planted herb seeds only a week and a half ago to get my window garden re-vamped.  A didn't expect to see them flourish before I left so I was super excited to see little plant babies peeking out. 


What have you been up to this week?

Blessings,

Linking up today with some of these...

Homeschool Journal: Helping Kids Love Learning

Homeschool is on crunch time since my dad announced he has cancer, prompting me to start plotting and planning my trip 1200 miles east to help out after surgery in late April.  Phone is always on the ready, waiting to hear of the latest test results as each pre-op appointment is completed.

Yet, despite our defunct fall schedule which fizzled and flopped for almost a month and a half, we may actually manage an early out this year on most subjects (Contrary to a previous announcement, I'm hoping to just leave the kids with some history reading and writing as well as some science research).

In the midst of the Big Push to wrap up all other areas of study in a punctuated time frame I have been blessed by GREAT attitudes from my kids'.  If anything, I have caught them moaning over missing out on some of those non-essentials!  True story.  Upon reflecting I recognized it wasn't a fluke... they are genuinely excited about their homeschool high school experience.

Please, don't think I am trying to paint a rosy picture of every day spinning through beautiful mountain-top fields singing, "The hills are alive with the sound of music...."  If only every moment of every day were that spectacular!  HA! No. What I am talking about is overall contentment.  Maybe it stems from that deep-down knowing that school is necessary and, like it or not, it will get done and we might as well like it!  Maybe it is something else.  Whatever the source of this good attitude, what I do know is; I have always tried to foster an attitude of love for learning.

How do you help your kiddos like, or even love, learning?

First off, there is no magic formula... sorry!  Every kid is different.  Some will tackle schoolwork with exuberance while others will drag and whine.  Another hard fact of life!  However, I believe there is hope:

Younger years
One thing I have observed over the years with four very different learners under my roof is, while the younger years may be easier by way of simple materiel and loaded with more hands-on "fun" projects, children in this stage tend to make less of an association with the value of education: whether homeschool or public school.  All they know is that their favorite toy is beckoning them in one direction while you are calling them in another.

I know, that is not helpful... but perhaps it can be hopeful.  I seem to remember battling more whining and complaining in elementary school then I have in middle and high school.  I may not have been able to impress upon them, in those early years, how important their education was... but I could regularly remind them that it was with a plea of 'trust me, mom knows' and then; I could make it fun!

Ultimately, I have learned, while some text learning is imperative like spelling and math and the mechanics of writing, much learning can be done solely or supplementally through hands-on activities.  Engaging children in the process of learning and giving them choices in some of their activities, will plant the seeds to empower them as self-learners. It will also water them with the possibility of at least tolerating (if not loving) the learning process.

Another aspect during this stage is helping children feel successful.  It can be discouraging when you just can't get something... or worse, when you think you have got it only to find out you failed.  I'm not saying sugar coat the truth, that won't solve anything.  However, encouragement, taking a break when a child is overwhelmed, slipping in easier problems here and there, or tackling the work from another angle are all options to help them taste some success.

It also helps to know what kind of learner your child is. 

• Visual Learners: Prefer to see info and to visualize the relationships between ideas
• Auditory Learners: Prefer to heat info rather than reading or seeing it displayed visually
• Reading/Writing Learners: Learn best when reading and writing!  Interacting with text is more powerful for them than hearing or seeing images
• Kinesthetic Learners: Hands-on, experiential learners, they learn best by doing

If you are trying to teach a visual learner by only giving them books to read and worksheets to do, you are fighting an uphill battle.  You may have a great idea of how you want to teach something but if it doesn't fit with your child's learning style, both of you will be miserable with your homeschooling experience. 

The web is full of resources for determining your child's learning type and tips for how to teach to it.... it is also good to know YOUR learning style because it directly affects your teaching style.  Don't feel like you and your child HAVE TO have compatible learning styles in order for you to teach them.  Again, resources are available to help you understand how to help your child best. 


Later years
As children hit around 7th grade and on, I feel it is important to bring them on board with choosing curriculum and listening to them express interests in how they would like to pursue the material.  As homeschoolers we have a great deal of luxury here and I do recognize public school really only allows a student to select class subjects but not content.  However, let's be realistic... our students aren't going to public school and the potential next step for them is college, where you do actually have a great deal of choice.  You not only choose your courses, but you can also choose instructors based on their teaching style and many college homework projects leave a great deal of room for personal pursuit in the topics.  So why wouldn't we prepare our kids for that?

Yes, some testing and subject lay-out has to come from us, as their instructor.  However, the more opportunities your budding pupil has to be a part of his or her learning experience plans, the more excited they will be about their education.

Not only should we encourage them to voice ideas on curriculum, but we should also have good discussions about routine and schedule.  Agreeing on a 4-day school week verses a 5-day school week.  Planning lessons year round or with summers off.  How often to take breaks (days or weeks off).  Even what time to start school work for the day and if subjects should go in specific order.

It is what I shall call the broccoli or green bean theory: you need to cook a vegetable with dinner and they have to eat it so let them pick which one.... the same goes for homeschooling.  Know what YOU are able to do both curriculum and schedule wise.  Jot down some notes of options you are prepared to bring to the table, then, open up the discussion.  Be flexible for good ideas they may think of as well.  Discuss pros and cons to the various options and finally, make your decisions as a family, compromising if necessary.  Teens benefit long-term from learning this kind of diplomacy and logic behind planning.

No Matter the Age or Grade
Above all:  pray and make God and His Word the center of your homeschool. 

Pray for their love of learning... pray for wisdom as you teach and wisdom for them as they learn... pray for peace in the rough patches.  Pray together over each school day.  Pray together over decisions.  Prayer is the power which fuels a blessed homeschool!

As Charles Spurgen wisely said:

"When the home is ruled according to God's Word, Angels might be asked to stay with us, and they would not find themselves out of their element."

Our Homeschool This Week...

It is hard to believe, as we wrap up this week, but I only have 2 weeks of school left with them before I start packing leave.  I bought my ticket this past weekend and I leave in THREE Wednesdays.  It will be here FAST.

I'm excited we were able to hit the Civil War right-on-schedule and will wrap-up our PACE text in plenty of time.  We are all reading Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt.  It is a page-turner if you haven't already read it.  Turns out the stories are based on ones the author's grandfather shared with her from growing up!  Makes it even more exciting.  Both the kids are LOVING it.  We plan to have a book discussion on it at the end of our Civil War studies.

Our Chemistry unit is just about complete.  I was nervous about teaching it because I always remember Chemistry being a dry subject in high school... however, we have all pleasantly enjoyed it.  I plan to share next week how POSTERS pay off in homeschooling, because of this unit!

Last week we did an experiment on diffusion, I love these beakers I found at the annual homeschool used book sale last year!

Algebra is coming along great as well. I was stuck on a particular topic in Linear Equations because it has been quite a while since I last taught/used it - if I have one complaint about ABeka, it is the lack of clear instruction in some areas.  However, a quick search on YouTube kicked out an extraordinary video and we were working problems like pros! We are set to start roots and get more done in that unit then I originally anticipated.  I do wish we could have taken more time with the text so far, and so do the kids, but I know a lot of the topics we are skimming through will come back in Geometry and Trigonometry.

 My birthday was Tuesday.  Yes, I'm 43... that may either seem like a big number to you or a small one, but to me... it's just a number!  Every day I get to walk with Christ and glorify Him here is a blessing.... someday I will worship him and stand in his presence there.  Oh, Glory Day♥ The above is from Brooke.

 This picture came out of Brenden's brain, through his pencil and onto a piece of paper just for me.  He amazes me.

 The girls put together this ditty!  Ashley baked, Brooke decorated.  Hubby said they couldn't put 43 candles on the cake because it was a fire hazard!  Where is his sense of adventure?!  Ha!

He also encouraged some left-over cake to be done-up a bit differently.  To his chagrin, Brenden labeled it "Dad's Cake"... as if my per-diabetic husband needed it!  It was all good fun though.  More on these two beauties in my upcoming Menu Monday post.

Speaking of wild and crazy ideas... what about this hair?!  The man-child needs a haircut and things keep coming up before I can get him in!  Brooke and I couldn't stop giggling on Tuesday during "class" discussion and he couldn't understand why, so I snapped a shot and showed him the results of his nonchalant fingers-through-the-hair stretch mid-discussion!

On a classier note, Brooke was dressed for youth group and wanted to do a mini-photo-shoot.  I still hope she starts that teens fashion blog someday!

And finally, super excited about these.  Every year a church down the road from us does a HUGE book sale - no exaggeration - 50,000+ books.  I thought I heard all the funds go towards missions.  I stashed some cash for the kick-off, on my birthday no-less.  Got 3 complete literature sets and a bunch of other awesome finds including a book with prints on Norman Rockwell.  And all of these goodies totaled out at (drum roll please.....) $19 flat.  Seriously.  I was super excited, especially considering some of these volumes were going to be needed for Brooke's Junior year literature class and a good number of them are sturdy antiques!


What have you been up to this week?

Blessings,

Linking up today with some of these...

Homeschool Journal: One Foot in Front of the Other

If you saw last week's Homeschool Journal post you know I was living life in limbo for the week.  Word came, surgery is scheduled and I actually won't be leaving town until around April 20th.  Many more tests need to be done between now and then, dad is doing great and has a very positive outlook... which helps me be at ease as I just wait, 1200 miles away.

Knowing he is trooping along, I can relax and actually find some relief in the extended wait.  I am hoping to review lesson plans this weekend and trim, where possible, so we might finish the bulk of our studies before April 20th.  This would allow me to leave the kids with only minor studies to round out their school year.

How do you plug forward when limbo swings around?
#1 - Don't give up! It seems to me that there is always something to slow up or stop the homeschooling process.  It is easy to drop everything and just succumb.  Sometimes you need to and that is OK - BUT - when this becomes a daily or weekly habit it is time to grab a hold and plug in.  Maybe at a slower pace, but still a pace which moves forward.

#2 - Put one foot in front of the other!  This sort of goes hand-in-hand with #1.  Once you resolve to not give up, don't feel like you have to have it ALL figured out.  Simply take one-step-at-a-time. 
     ...Maybe in a difficult time you can't handle your full subject load
     ... maybe you are behind or disoriented with what to do
Pick one thing to start with and step forward in that.  When you are ready, add another, and so on.  No one gets to the top of the stairway in one leap... it is one-step-at-a-time.

I could have been daunted this week by all I wanted to do AND needed to do both academically and in all the other little side ways we house-mamas have to juggle.  But I took it one-step-at-a-time and plugged ahead.  I didn't get to EVERYTHING this week, but I got to things and more is done at the end of the week then was done at the beginning.

Our Homeschool This Week...

In-line with walking out the above steps, this week we cut out a couple of our subjects and focused on some of the basics I was most concerned about.  We did Science, History, and Algebra and, on the days I could, Brooke and I tackled Composition.  It was all good - not our usual load - but we didn't give up!

I didn't take very many pictures this week.  I suffered a pretty bad migraine starting Monday.  I wasn't really feeling well enough to look at screens until Wednesday.  Jumping into our geology unit as previously mentioned, it only took us one week to study the basics in our Earth Science book.  The kids requested an edible science project to review the layers of the earth - proof that it doesn't matter how old you are; edible science is always a good idea!!

We started with drawing up a "recipe" chart showing approximate relative thickness for each layer they would be building

We are using A-Beka Earth Science for 9th grade.  Brenden only got through half of this his Freshman year so he joined up with Brooke for the other half this year (her Freshman year, his Junior this year)

 I left interpretation up to them on exactly how to draw it out.

We taped their "recipe" card to the back of a clear tumbler.  I happened to have glasses the size they wanted to use but you can get clear plastic cups at the store.  The kids wanted to use large and later, I think, wished they had chosen smaller because it made A LOT!

 Earlier in the week we made a list of ingredients to correspond with the different layers and then shot over to the grocery store.  Oreos and pudding were on sale, it was a score!  We made the pudding in the morning and stuck it in the fridge while we did our other school work.  I crushed half of the cookies for the crust and lined up all our ingredients with respective labels to avoid confusion.

Ashley may be graduated now... but that doesn't change the fact edible science is always fun to join in on!!  Brooke was lining the pudding up with the appropriate line on her "recipe" card.

Our unit had covered layers of the earth, continental plates, earthquakes and volcanoes so it is only natural we would add an extra layer on top of the crust to display the pieces of continent.

Bon appetit`!

While enjoying our edible earth we watched a video on volcanoes!

In other news this week.... Brooke painted her face for St. Patrick's Day!  We all enjoy Irish heritage here, some of us (like my husband) more than others but it makes St. Patty's extra special knowing some of our Christian heritage under this roof might be traced back to the man himself.

I forgot to include this picture last week, it is a new favorite:

We had a girls' day out two Saturdays ago, it was discount day at the local art museum and the girls wanted to go.  We love art ♥ and I love the rare treat of time alone with my girls.

What have you been up to this week?

Blessings,

Linking up today with some of these...

Homeschool Journal: When Terminal Illness Casts Shadows

It will be 14 years in October since my mother passed away.  The keeper of my memories left behind only me, my step dad and my grandfather.  Grandpa's heartache was so fierce he joined her only 3 years later.  Dad has hung on.  Dad.  He has been my stand-in father since I was 3.  A lifetime. 

Every Sunday evening the family knows mom is off-limits because she is talking to grandpa 1200 miles away.  Every Sunday we gab about life from the week, family, politics, faith and passions that run deep.

Every now and then I miss a Sunday, usually for good and agreed upon reason.  We often make up for it with a phone chat somewhere else in the week.  This week was one of those weeks and as Wednesday approached with a new storm brewing outside, my eyes on my computer screen setting to work on bloggy things, my phone rang.  Dad's picture readily showed and I figured it was time we made up for the missed call.

It wasn't what I expected though.

He didn't waste any time with small talk.  This wasn't his usual.  I could hear a form of nervousness in his voice as the words; blood, hospital, and growth in kidney began to paint a picture I knew did not look good.  The doctors hadn't confirmed it yet but I knew the news which was forthcoming.  He silently did too.

He didn't ask me to temporarily leave my family here and make the trip across the miles, but with NO ONE, not a soul, to look out for him there, wild horses couldn't keep me away.  The screen on my computer switched from blog post to bounce between Orbitz and the medical boards to better understand the little bit of information we had so far.  He didn't fight me when I explained how, as soon as surgery was schedule, I would be getting on the next flight out to be at his side.

This was serious.

He always fought me on such things.  Fiercely independent.  He hates being alone but he hates compromising just as much.  He's a 6'2" viking built version of Chuck Norris.  Nothing keeps my dad down.  Nothing.  This time was different.  Like hearing the foreign sound of his heaving sobs the night my mother died, I knew we were in uncharted waters.  He did too.  He didn't fight for a second but instead, relief almost seemed to wash through his voice as he went on about directions to the hospital, security codes and spare money.   

Homeschool needs, home needs, family needs all suddenly seemed to change shape.  Then came Thursday's call confirming cancer in the initial imaging and blood tests.  I drove hard into the core of needing a plan and needing to be ready.  This coming week a follow-up with the Urologists will, hopefully, give a better glimpse at a departure date while, in the meantime, I live life on-call.

What happens when terminal illness casts a shadow over your homeschool?  

Simply: life becomes a teacher.

Shouldn't life always be the teacher?  Of course.  But most of us supplement life lessons with good curriculum and lesson plans (unless you un-school). 

I feel so blessed to have read a plethora of articles and books over the years which provided perspective into the varied forms of teaching/learning.  Two, out of the masses, have stood out to me most to this day:

1) A mother who was diagnosed with cancer and given barely a year to live.  Homeschooling mattered not, as she collected her kiddos around her each day just to be with them and drink in every moment they could before the Lord took her home.  She was a miracle though.  Healed and thriving.  She looks back on that year as some of her greatest challenges coupled with not-a-single-regret over an entire year off of homeschool.

2) Another family, not by the result of illness, rather, through circumstances of life and the Lord's leading to take a year and learn by interaction.  ONE YEAR out of her children's academic careers was spent in living books, hands-on home projects and interacting with the unexpected circumstances of their lives.  This mom (and her husband in agreement) did not regret a single moment of their off-the-beaten-path year.  As a matter of fact, her article raved about the amazing skills, knowledge and understanding which ignited and grew in her children as a result and fed the fervor of their traditional academic studies once they returned to them.

So, what now?
I wait.  I'm fully aware of the long healing process which often accompanies cancer, and just as often doesn't end with healing on earth.  I can't leave my family for months on end and neither can I leave my dad alone to manage all that lies ahead.  We do realistically know I can easily be gone for a month or more before the opportunity to see my family here again arises.  The potential and process of moving him from the home he has lived in since he was 10 will do nothing to shorten my time away or the stress at missing everyone while caring for my sick dad. My heart aches no matter which way I look.  But there is work to be done.

So I plan.  A sort of floating-on-call-ready-at-any-moment plan.  I'll share about my household-in-my-absence plan on Monday.  As for today....

I am re-evaluating schooling needs. I am grateful my children are high school age so they can self-pace.  If you have smaller kiddos don't feel bad for a second about taking a few unexpected months off, I promise, it won't destroy them!  If you really want something, educational videos and hands-on activities are great teachers in your absence or inability for a season.  LIFE is an amazing teacher when mom can't stand at the head for a time.

My plan:

• Follow the over-all outline of our science by way of videos on YouTube.  To drive the lessons home, the kids can then draw and jot in their science journals about what they learn
• History we will switch to mainly living books.  I am thinking of combining history with writing and giving them time period topics to research and put together papers or outlines on (we are studying American History this year)
• Algebra I am thinking of switching to Khan Academy or CTC Math in my absence.  Both are great programs we have used in the past.  We have made it far enough through their text book I feel absolutely comfortable with this.
• Spelling and Vocab I am considering having them continue independent.  Ashley will be here and she can issue spelling tests and grade them for me.  (Believe it or not, my kids actually like this!!  Otherwise, I would probably drop this subject off their plans until I return)

This overall plan provides almost complete independent learning.  I will probably put together some log-sheets they can fill out each day for the purpose of record keeping and transcripts.  I will only need to go over their history writing and, of course, I will check in with them about the rest as we go. 

I talked with them about this and they are completely on board.  Having missed a month and a half in the fall for some curve-balls life threw at us then, we really can't afford to miss a bunch more with Brenden graduating next year.  Besides, I believe the school work will be good for them to keep their minds on something other then nothing in my absence.  It will be good for me too, since my involvement will be minimal but I also won't feel stressed about all they are missing on top of everything else.

If terminal illness casts a shadow on your homeschool... the #1 thing to consider isn't what lessons your kids can't afford to miss.... it is what is best for the family as a whole while someone you love battles illness.  Your answer might be to put the books down altogether or it may be a trimmed down version of school. To know for sure, simply seek God, He will show you the best path.  His plans are always better then anything we could try to devise ourselves!  Don't over-think it, just follow.  After all, some of life's best lessons are not found in books.

Our Homeschool This Week...

 Even in the midst of un-settling news, we managed to wrap up our study on the ocean in Earth Science.  I even brought in a clear bowl of water with salts and dirt to throw in as we discussed salinity one day and waves the next!  In light of the news on my dad I do believe we will jump to the geology unit in our book and save chemistry for later.  I don't want to get in the middle of a beefy topic and then have to leave town.

 I pulled down my white twinkle lights and evergreen garland with snowflakes as a nod towards impending spring.  Hanging vines and flowers in their place while the kids did their school work and we all watched this happening outside:

Most our snow had melted a week or more ago but the good Lord decided to send more in the form of a snow storm that lasted around 24 hours in the middle of the week.

It wasn't a bad storm, this picture was taken after the first round hit, but since it started with rain and then progressed to snow... it was sort of messy out on the road-ways.  Brenden is such a great sport keeping the walks maintained.

 You've heard of parakeets?  We have a para-kitty!  He LOVES riding on shoulders and backs.  While Brooke tended her rabbit Friday morning he hung out on her back.  Ashley went to relieve Brooke of her cumbersome buddy and Jay (the kitty) readily jumped onto Ashley and road back to the house.... then hopped down and went right back to Brooke for another ride around!  He is too funny.

This is one of my favorite pictures this week.  I went into the hallway outside Brooke's room and glimpsed her in the mirror as she sat in the rocking chair in her room while doing her Bible Study.  I couldn't help sneaking a shot!

What have you been up to this week?

Blessings,

Linking up today with some of these...

Homeschool Journal: Being Content in Your Curriculum

As the winter doldrums drift on in some areas... and spring fever breezes into others... it can be tempting to lay aside the books or even question if they are still a good fit.  If you are anything like me, I usually hit this mode in both late fall and early spring.  Fact is, it usually isn't faulty curriculum at work... it is weariness of teaching the same thing day-in-and-day-out and the changing seasons outside the window beckoning us to join in their adventures.  So what do you do when you suddenly become discontent with your curriculum?

#1 - Remember what you liked about it in the beginning.  You had a reason for choosing the curriculum you have.  I was gifted with a lot of our ABeka though I have chosen to purchase a few items I enjoyed as well.  Other curriculum has come through homeschool book sales/sellers or the rare garage sale finds.  There are certain types of curriculum out there I would love to purchase instead of what I have but it doesn't fit our modest budget.  But that doesn't matter.  Each year I choose what and how we will learn and each year I have a good reason for it.  I have learned to hold onto that reason and trust what I liked about it in the beginning.

#2 - Deny the "Oooo Shiny" complex!  Admit it, many of us get totally ADHD with curriculum.  We hear about another kind of curriculum, this one has full-color pictures or that one has GREAT science projects you can do in your kitchen.  Oh, and this one will make your kid smarter then her peers in 5 easy lessons, and this one over here will enliven his writing with ease.  Printables and lap books and sitting at a desk and sitting in nature and you know... you are certain that if you don't switch NOW, your kid is doomed to miss the BEST learning experience ever, or, worse... to be messed up for life because you used the wrong curriculum for an entire year and if you had just switched sooner..... 

Don't buy into that lie.  Remember #1 above.  There are a plethora of GREAT ideas and curriculum you could use out there, but this curriculum or idea you have right-now... this is the one YOU chose at the beginning of the year and it will work GREAT.  I am a curriculum junky so trust me when I tell you: there is NO such thing as the full-proof perfect curriclum out there.  Nothing in life is "perfect" why would our educational materials be?!  If you really, really, really like Curriculum B better then Curriculum A which you chose to use this year, guess what?  This isn't the last year you teach!  Try B next year and see how it goes!  I have.  Sometimes I go back to A the year after that... sometimes I stick with B from the next year on... sometimes I try C... or D... or.... you get the idea!

#3 - Sometimes curriculum really isn't working for your kiddos.  Be honest with yourself before you ditch it though:

• Do you feel it isn't working because your kids are complaining about it?  Kids are expert complainers when it comes to things they don't want to do... even homeschool (don't feel bad, they would do the same thing with public school as well!)  Often their complaining isn't a curriculum flaw or incompatibility issue...sometimes it is because they just don't like being challenged and pulled outside their comfort zone, sometimes they just want to get back to Minecraft or Legos or Pretend.  Watch them for effort.  If you see true 110% effort consistently yet still no productive results then, yes, it may be curriculum incompatibility.  But if you are honest and your child is not trying the hardest, find ways to encourage them out of their slump.  Sometimes they just need to find success in their work.  Don't focus so much on what they can't do or are doing wrong, rather, encourage them by pointing out everywhere they are getting right and every area they begin to show improvement in.
• Is it not working because you don't feel like teaching it? Maybe because you just have the blahs or maybe your child (as in bullet-point above) is fighting you on it.  Take the advice above along with remembering: success in homeschooling and curriculum isn't measured in snapshots... it is a slow and steady pace from the day you begin teaching until the day you hand them their diploma... with a lot of bumps and slumps in between.  Be encouraged to know persistence does pay off and remember Hebrews 11... many of God's faithful followers were counted as "righteous" not because they ever saw God's blessings... but because they believed God for the results.... whenever He saw fit for those results to appear.
• Are you having trouble understanding how to use the curriculum or make it work for you? Talk to other parents you know who are using the same curriculum; search social media for groups or check with your local homeschooling support group.  Sometimes these other parents may be able to give you pointers or explain tricky aspects of the curriculum.  Remember, they were once new at it and probably struggled then too... reaching out gives them the opportunity to share that hard-earned knowledge!

#4 - Don't complain about your curriculum.  If you once loved it, I promise, with the right attitude, you can and will love it again.  Complaining causes your current dissatisfaction to fester and boil.  Complaining in front of your kids gives credence to bad work attitudes and your kids will begin to grumble as well... then you will all be miserable and your dissatisfaction will barrel down a very reckless path.

#5 - Retool it!  Ever get tiered of your living room furniture arrangement?  What do you do?  You rearrange, maybe switch out some trinkets on end tables while your at it, find a great throw blanket at the thrift store and drape it over the arm of your couch... you get the idea.  Did you know you can do the same with your curriculum?  Maybe you do math in the afternoon instead of the morning.  Maybe you add some historical art projects in with history.  Maybe you take it slower through science and find ways to incorporate the outdoors into your studies (if you aren't already).  Maybe, instead of doing Language Arts from the book FIVE days a week, you do it 3-4 and for the other days you play an L.A. game or write letters to loved ones or make your own books.  Maybe you buy a microscope or a telescope or an Easy Bake Oven or puzzles to supplement activities with... The ideas are endless and they all start with thinking outside the box and shuffling it around a bit so it fits better into the season of change or un-settling you feel right now.

~~~
My lack of a well networked support system in homeschooling early on coupled with my low self-confidence at that time and our tight budget led me through quite a treacherous adventure in and out of contentedness with curriculum.  Finally, the good Lord grabbed a hold of me and got me FOCUSED on being content with what He provided and what I had each year and what-do-you-know... each year has grown in contentedness and boy do I wish I had known this sooner!!

Our Homeschool This Week...

Hurricanes!!!!!

Brooke's Journal

 While Brooke's was beautiful and colorful and she did great... my dyslexic color blind son took his typical visual-learner creative approach on the assignment of diagramming storm surges in the 5 different Categories of a Hurricane (notice Snoopy and his accompanying tree):

Never a dull moment with him!  I'm going to miss this when he graduates next year.

Tuesday we had some very warm weather and decided to have lunch on the deck... 2 out of 3 were still in their pajamas!  Ashley may be graduated now but she still hangs out with us from time to time providing faceless pictures!

One of our cats is an outdoor bum.  He was soaking up the warm sun... literally!

Brenden and Brooke joined forces in Algebra this week.  Brooke started the year in Algebra 1 and Brenden had Algebra Freshman year but we never finished the book.  He is considering studying some CAD or engineering post graduation so I decided to draw him back into advanced math for a refresher and then pull him through Algebra 2 with Brooke next year before he graduates.

 Shhhh, don't tell Brooke I shared this shot!  It is a rare glimpse into her silliness amidst homework!

Now this one she is fully aware of !  Ever-creative, she wanted to do some face paint this weekend so she painted around her right eye to match her shirt on Saturday!

We hung out here Wednesday afternoon.  I picked up materials for a project I'm working on and the kids hunted around for some new books.  It was nice to get out, even if it was snowing huge fluffy flakes in contrast to our picnic the day before!

What have you been up to this week?

Blessings,

Linking up today with some of these...