adjusting school

I will confess that my homeschool experience is limited to my own schooling (I don't remember much of my brothers' schoolings) and teaching the kids. We've been homeschooling since Mini-Me began Kindergarten. That was the EASIEST year EVER!!!!

She'd learned to read in K-4 at a local Christian school while I was taking classes. That year, I had Jeremy and Gabriel who was 3 or 4 depending on the part of the year. Then I had Gabriel to teach - but we waited a year. So the second year was easy, too. Sort of.


Lots of issues and changes in curriculum even then.

And that's one of the blessings of homeschooling. Especially here in the state we're living...it's a very homeschool friendly state. Anyway -- Our year for the 2010-2011 year has not started the best.

I didn't want to do it. I wanted to send half the kids to public school. Holy Spirit told me no. The professor told me "It won't be a good idea". So we started the school year...and we got off to a very slow, very rocky start. There were tears. Mostly mine.

The Professor kept encouraging me even if I discounted his encouragement because "he wasn't home during the drama". Then he took the initiative to teach J-man his lessons in the evening. I swear, my husband has the best patience with kids when mine is short.

So ... all that to say We're gaining momentum. Holy Spirit told me one of the reasons we're still teaching at home. (Protection of ideas and securing a future) and he's given me a very Excellent friend who's willing to listen even though she sends her kids to school. She still listens to my crazy and loves me for it. (*waves enthusiastically*).(She knows who she is) (and she'll wave back)

One day when we were out for a much needed sanity break for the both of us, we found the coolest calendars that had a week per page. We both had uses for them. So we purchased.

First Use of Calendar

I bought two. One for Mini-Me and one for G-man. I put their lessons for the day and told them that if the work didn't get marked off, it gets moved to the following day. Then the day after, and the day after until Saturday. Saturday could be forfeit to homework.

Mini-Me who loves schedules loves it.
G-man gets stressed.
There might be more adjustments.
A stressed child is no fun to be around.

In case you didn't know.

A friend talked to me last night and I was expressing my concern that G-man was having problems getting his work done. She told me that his age is perfect for just filling his head with knowledge. She said to ignore the curriculum and go get science books and history books and to let him read. Get him to memorizing facts and poems. Anything.

So this morning, I asked him what he'd like to learn about.

Architecture. Designing. Blue prints. Construction.
I can see the science in this. So we've ordered the books from the library.

He was funny. He told me, "I DON'T want to learn about bugs. They're creepy."

Duly noted.

The little kids are working on Phonics.
I LOVE my post-its for phonics and numbers. Easily movable. Easily adjustable.

Phonics and Post-its

G-man likes to watch the little kids plat at learning. I think he'd often like to go back to kindergarten to play. So maybe we'll make up some games to play for him, too.

Adjusting school means I have to adjust, too.
Hopefully, I'm up to the task.
I'm a dreamer. ... hopefully these dreams are easily doable.
Otherwise...it might not be pretty.