Day three dawned tired and uncertain. Our contractors haven't finished installing the backsplash tile over the counter, so our usual workspace is full of the counter's contents. For the first couple of days, since they are almost done, i gave the kids a day off and we worked on the novels we're reading together. (A post for another day)
Unfortunately, they didn't complete the grout on Friday, and further breaks are just a bad idea. We moved upstairs to the kids bedroom. Not ideal, but comfy and roomy enough for all our materials and bodies.
Our morning was also disrupted by sloppy sleep schedules over the weekend. And we all woke up very late.
All in all the result was poor. We skipped our morning work. We made it through half the school day. I climbed up and down the bunk bed and was generally more in the way than usual. People were sleepy and hungry way too frequently. And we had i fight for progress.
I did learn a couple of useful things- i can completely navigate the day without my own laptop. The lesson plan books are delightfully complete from supply lists for the day and broken down stepwise. Also, school at the table is just necessary for now.
Hope your day went better than mine!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
And we ride the waves!
Today? A good day.
We all seem about on the same page as far as lessons go. Persephone is one day ahead of the boys. Her curriculum seems to flow the most smoothly. Also, she finds the "sharing mom" aspect of this whole experience much easier. Her Calvert curriculum requires a lot more writing than the boys' Lincoln curricula, so I know we will see everyone waxing and waning in the schedule.
I've got the week laid out in pencil, so I can adjust as we go along.
Today's success came from being ready to go on time. In fact, Havoc decided to start a little early. He's got a brand new video game and this is lighting a fire under his bottom.
I also gave up on the idea of keeping everyone on the same subject at the same time. Just letting things flow naturally seems to be the best. Why I didn't decide to do it that way in the first place, I can't tell you. Actually, I can. I'm just scared of getting behind. Working at our own pace in the past has really meant not paying any attention to completing the material over the course of a year. It's been nothing but bad. But, maintaining a good track of everyone's lessons with this nicely portioned out curriculum is really easy. I might be able to relax about trying to run science and math at the same time and not lose my place.
The other nice aspect is there's a checklist at the beginning of each lesson in the planning manual. I can just check stuff off as it's completed or read. I've lost my place a few times and been saved by this.
I'm really glad we're working with the self-paced materials. I think the virtual classroom might have had some fun aspects, but my moody little people would have either gotten way too excited or zoned out or both. This way the teacher-me-is right there to notice when the wheels are turning and when they've spun off in another direction.
Let's just hope for more good days.
We all seem about on the same page as far as lessons go. Persephone is one day ahead of the boys. Her curriculum seems to flow the most smoothly. Also, she finds the "sharing mom" aspect of this whole experience much easier. Her Calvert curriculum requires a lot more writing than the boys' Lincoln curricula, so I know we will see everyone waxing and waning in the schedule.
I've got the week laid out in pencil, so I can adjust as we go along.
Today's success came from being ready to go on time. In fact, Havoc decided to start a little early. He's got a brand new video game and this is lighting a fire under his bottom.
I also gave up on the idea of keeping everyone on the same subject at the same time. Just letting things flow naturally seems to be the best. Why I didn't decide to do it that way in the first place, I can't tell you. Actually, I can. I'm just scared of getting behind. Working at our own pace in the past has really meant not paying any attention to completing the material over the course of a year. It's been nothing but bad. But, maintaining a good track of everyone's lessons with this nicely portioned out curriculum is really easy. I might be able to relax about trying to run science and math at the same time and not lose my place.
The other nice aspect is there's a checklist at the beginning of each lesson in the planning manual. I can just check stuff off as it's completed or read. I've lost my place a few times and been saved by this.
I'm really glad we're working with the self-paced materials. I think the virtual classroom might have had some fun aspects, but my moody little people would have either gotten way too excited or zoned out or both. This way the teacher-me-is right there to notice when the wheels are turning and when they've spun off in another direction.
Let's just hope for more good days.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Crashed
More like stalled.
We got up on time, but were dragging this morning. I think the kids need an alarm clock.
Then getting started was hard.
Then one lesson really sucked.
Then a book never got here.
Boom, it's was the end of the day and only about half of the material wasn't covered.
Ugh.
Tomorrow's a new day. And we started a week and a half early, so all the work we get done now is "work ahead."
We'll just spend the evening relaxing and reading, maybe playing rockband 3. (woo hoo! music)
We got up on time, but were dragging this morning. I think the kids need an alarm clock.
Then getting started was hard.
Then one lesson really sucked.
Then a book never got here.
Boom, it's was the end of the day and only about half of the material wasn't covered.
Ugh.
Tomorrow's a new day. And we started a week and a half early, so all the work we get done now is "work ahead."
We'll just spend the evening relaxing and reading, maybe playing rockband 3. (woo hoo! music)
Monday, August 22, 2011
We Did It!
One full school day performed as scheduled!
This doesn't sound as exciting as all that, but it really is a first for us. All subjects covered in a day? Yeah, we really have lacked that.
To the right are my stealth homeschool room decorations. Just a little schedule so the kids can see what's coming and our calendar and weather chart. Not a big deal. They worked very well.
We still have lots of things to work out. Hawthorne aparently is DONE with school at 2 pm. No more of this following directions or using his brain. Certainly he either needs a substantial break or to start earlier. I only hope we can find a solution that doesn't stretch our day out into late afternoon. We all have lives!
Today's schedule went smoothly, I got up, lesson planned, hit the gym and everybody was just getting up and finishing breakfast.
Cross my fingers that we can do it all again tomorrow
Testing the phone post
No way to post a photo?
My hanging stuff is ready, the kids are still asleep. Hopefully i can get their materials together quickly when i get back from the gym!
My hanging stuff is ready, the kids are still asleep. Hopefully i can get their materials together quickly when i get back from the gym!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Inservice day
It's a bit early, but I needed the day to untangle how we're going to juggle three schedules and what I need to make in order to really be able to pull this off. Also the kids friends start school on Monday or Tuesday, and everybody's eager to spend as much energy as possible. Win-Win situation. They all went to a friend's house until 3 oclock!
After sorting and reading for a few hours I feel more on top of things.
I've ascertained that there isn't a formal spelling list for the non-spelling sixth grader. A problem quickly solved by the internet.
I need to dig out a couple of old cork boards for the "word wall" and weather charts and make a space for the calendars. Also one kid has morning work and the others don't so I have a schedule hole to file. Hooray for missing spelling and other projects I'd like to work on. I think I'm also going to make re-arrangeable subject hang cards so the kids can see what they're day's going to look like at a glance. And I'm going to hide this all on the backs of the doors to the coat closet, so we can put school away. My house is just a little too small to have a dedicated school room.
I need to talk to the Calvert teacher. Persephone's assignments in composition are a big deal and there's a very strong formal requirement. I hope it's not a big part of the grade. She loves to be formal, but I'm worried that she'll get caught up in that and will neglect content. I'm sure a short conversation will make me feel better. I really wish there was a Lincoln curriculum for her. The material in Calvert is excellent, but it's more formal than I like. Formality for a year won't hurt, probably.
All I know is our days are going to be full full full.
After sorting and reading for a few hours I feel more on top of things.
I've ascertained that there isn't a formal spelling list for the non-spelling sixth grader. A problem quickly solved by the internet.
I need to dig out a couple of old cork boards for the "word wall" and weather charts and make a space for the calendars. Also one kid has morning work and the others don't so I have a schedule hole to file. Hooray for missing spelling and other projects I'd like to work on. I think I'm also going to make re-arrangeable subject hang cards so the kids can see what they're day's going to look like at a glance. And I'm going to hide this all on the backs of the doors to the coat closet, so we can put school away. My house is just a little too small to have a dedicated school room.
I need to talk to the Calvert teacher. Persephone's assignments in composition are a big deal and there's a very strong formal requirement. I hope it's not a big part of the grade. She loves to be formal, but I'm worried that she'll get caught up in that and will neglect content. I'm sure a short conversation will make me feel better. I really wish there was a Lincoln curriculum for her. The material in Calvert is excellent, but it's more formal than I like. Formality for a year won't hurt, probably.
All I know is our days are going to be full full full.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Day 2ish?
Wailing. Gnashing of teeth. Rending of garments...
The first part of the day was good. But we had a guest and the cleaning ladies were coming and organized school with lesson plans really weren't in the cards.
We were playing Eurorails and the kids were working on their own to figure out reading the map (sometimes we help) and calculate the best advantage of routes and payoffs.
Then we dug out our spelling words in order to play a matching game and create some study aids.
All good stuff. But now I'm still wanting my weekend preparation and digging out Havoc's spelling words is harder than I thought it would be and...
Yeah, same old same old.
As soon as I had that sorted enough to move on, it was time for lunch and our "recess" (read as kids, spend 30 minutes outside!)
OK
and then the wailing began. Suffice it to say, that excitement about school they were feeling as the boxes upon boxes arrived has evaporated in the light of spelling lists and math facts and essays.
We all had a long talk about school and the things they preferred about Edgewood Elementary, the teachers, the kids, the classroom. And it was very productive. Perseph loved the visual lessons her teacher presented and the fact that her math book was a workbook as well. That's too bad as a fourth grade math book is almost never a workbook and this particular curriculum is the only self paced one for this school. However, I think we can make things more interactive. Assuming I get a handle on lesson planning!
We have friends who can act as emissaries to friends at school whose numbers we didn't catch. Arranging outings and inviting friends over should be simple once we rectify those situations.
None of their concerns are very difficult and in general, everybody is ok with working with me to make this all work.
I just really liked the kids saying "When can we start school!!!!!!"
The first part of the day was good. But we had a guest and the cleaning ladies were coming and organized school with lesson plans really weren't in the cards.
We were playing Eurorails and the kids were working on their own to figure out reading the map (sometimes we help) and calculate the best advantage of routes and payoffs.
Then we dug out our spelling words in order to play a matching game and create some study aids.
All good stuff. But now I'm still wanting my weekend preparation and digging out Havoc's spelling words is harder than I thought it would be and...
Yeah, same old same old.
As soon as I had that sorted enough to move on, it was time for lunch and our "recess" (read as kids, spend 30 minutes outside!)
OK
and then the wailing began. Suffice it to say, that excitement about school they were feeling as the boxes upon boxes arrived has evaporated in the light of spelling lists and math facts and essays.
We all had a long talk about school and the things they preferred about Edgewood Elementary, the teachers, the kids, the classroom. And it was very productive. Perseph loved the visual lessons her teacher presented and the fact that her math book was a workbook as well. That's too bad as a fourth grade math book is almost never a workbook and this particular curriculum is the only self paced one for this school. However, I think we can make things more interactive. Assuming I get a handle on lesson planning!
We have friends who can act as emissaries to friends at school whose numbers we didn't catch. Arranging outings and inviting friends over should be simple once we rectify those situations.
None of their concerns are very difficult and in general, everybody is ok with working with me to make this all work.
I just really liked the kids saying "When can we start school!!!!!!"
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