Last swim of the season

It's technically autumn in the foothills, but you wouldn't know it by the signs in nature. Nights are getting longer, and a few leaves are turning golden, but our giant liquid amber tree persists in its greenness. Today it was 92 degrees, so we went for a refreshing swim. Emily was the one with nerve to jump off the diving board. . . .she came up gasping from the chill. Wayne immersed himself, and frantically swam to get warm, but I couldn't make myself get in above my waist. The water was 69 degrees.  Last year our final swim happened on October 1st, but I think today was it for 2008. The shorter days keep the pool from warming up, even though the weather is hot.  I'm ready for some cool weather and rain!

This has been a lazy Sunday.  We've only done the essentials to prepare for a new week.  I did my usual menu-planning/grocery shopping/family calendar reconciling for the week. Emily reminded me to fill in her assignment book, and completed her own "to do" list for tomorrow. The junior academy has a minimum day this Wednesday, which means a day free of afternoon music lessons. That will give us a chance to catch up on assignments where my help is needed--home ec, and education and career planning.

Yesterday we attended a small local church where Wayne sang with the community men's chorus. The church is so small that the men's chorus and their few accompanying family members (about 20 people) outnumbered the church members. The church had a pleasant and folksy atmosphere, and we shared a scrumptious potluck meal afterwards. When we returned home, Emily had a couple friends to visit, and they had a chance to catch up, and be silly. They took movies with Emily's flip video camera and did much giggling. 

Last week Emily worked at the registration table for a children's evangelistic effort called "Amazing Adventures". Each evening she went to the church for 30 minutes, to sit at the registration table, greet, and log in the names of children who attended. That activity will become part of her portfolio for "volunteer" work.

TGIF. . .Thank Goodness It's Friday!!!

Another week draws to a close, and the weekend looks like an oasis!

Wayne has gone to play a well-deserved game of golf with a friend, and Emily and I are left here to do our Friday thing.  It's 9:00 am, and in a few minutes we'll leave home to attend our "GROW" Bible Study.  GROW stands for "God reaching out to women", and the study is based on Beth Moore's "Believing God" study.  Emily is the youngest one there.  We'll enjoy tea and scones with other ladies, and participate in a small group discussion.  Today is our day to tidy up after the study. 

When we return home we'll have a bite of lunch, then we'll compress 6 hours of school and housework into 4 hours.  Emily has a geometry test to take, a pillowcase to sew, and two instruments to practice.  If she has any remaining stamina, she'll make dinner.  I think I foresee that dinner will be a joint effort.

This week was filled with emotional ups and downs for me, and I've had an opportunity to reflect on the messy business of human relations.  How often do we think we understand what someone is saying to us, only to discover we are mistaken?  Conversely, how often do we think someone understood us, when instead they have profoundly misinterpreted our motives and actions?  Feeling misunderstood is not a sensation I enjoy (in common with the whole human race), and I like it even less when I'm not allowed to clarify myself.  The whole experience gives me much empathy for people who leave communities in a snit bearing loads of resentment.  I never admire people who do that, but I can see how it happens!   Well, I'm not planning to leave any community in a snit! But I'm trying to figure out how to be a good role model for my daughter and true to myself, without allowing myself to get stomped on.  

I'm grateful for the peaceful and refreshing oasis of home and family, with a weekend approaching!    

What about Wayne??

Wayne is a rock of stability!  

He is the one quietly caring for the yard, pool, and garden; the one who puts gas in both cars, pays the bills, calls the plumber.  He's the one there when I call for emergency dinner ingredients, or have to say, "I'm late at work, can you pick up Emily?" or, "could you do the big music lesson commute today?"  He's the one with the map, showing me how to get from A to B. He hauls the trash can up the LONG driveway, and brings it down again; he picks up the mail, does a large share of laundry, cleaning, and dishes.  He cares for pets when everyone else has forgotten them.  He keeps the machinery of our home running smoothly, and picks up whatever slack is left.  His steady consideration is always there when decisions must be made--large or small. 

Wayne doesn't choose curriculum or schedule activities in our homeschool, but he is the wind beneath our wings.  He's principal, custodian, secretary, and board of directors.   

Questions to ask a homeschooler

Ask the same questions you would ask any student whom you care about, such as:

• How's school going?

• What is your favorite class?

• What are you studying about right now?

• Are you involved with any clubs or groups?

And frankly, if you have any question about whether or not the student has adequate opportunities for socialization, just ask "are you lonesome?" or "do you wish you were in school around other kids all day?"  The answers you'll get from a student of any age might surprise you!

Years ago, when we first embarked on our homeschool adventure, I attended classes and conventions.  Socialization was of special interest to me, since Emily had no one near her age in our home.  Here are some nuggets of wisdom embraced by veteran homeschoolers:

• Children are not socialized at school so much as they are socialized at home (hopefully!)

• Homeschooled children are able to relate to people of various ages more comfortably than kids who are surrounded by same-age kids all week

• Homeschooled children don't succumb so readily to "age prejudice" as traditionally schooled children (yes, there's plenty of room for argument here)

• Homeschooling parents DO make efforts to socialize their children with others their age, but their energy goes into what they refer to as "high quality socialization"; this, as opposed to the incidental stuff that happens when kids are unsupervised on the playground, or in the locker room.  Locally, there is a group of teens who get together weekly to learn a sport. They spend weeks on the same sport, then move on to another one.  They spend 2-3 hours together in a cooperative effort.

• Another method of high quality socializing is associating with other students with similar interests, such as clubs like Scouts, 4-H, Pathfinders, or hobby groups like stamp-collecting, music, or reading groups.

• Homeschoolers with large families put an emphasis on socializing within the family.  That's not something we can do with our family of three, but I will say that we three enjoy ourselves immensely when we are together, and our family vacations are great fun.  Try asking Emily, and see what she says.  Homeschooling makes for close families!
  

• Oh, yes!  And, homeschoolers have FRIENDS.  :-)

Other people have argued the merits and superiorities of homeschooled kids' types of socialization more eloquently than I have.  I embrace argument #1--a child learns to relate to other people at HOME.  We know nice kids in school, we know nice homeschooled kids. We've seen "less nice" homeschoolers, and "less nice" kids at school.  There's a closer behavioral correlation with members of a family than drawing generalities about students in (or out of) school.  People are people, however they choose to educate.

So, having said all of the above, I will add that Emily's two years in school taught her much about living around other people, and moving in a "pack" as they do at this age.  It was not a bad experience (for the most part), and was a valuable part of her "growing up" years.  If local circumstances were different (if our community was larger), she would be in a school setting.  As it is, we're making the best of it that we can, and it's turning out to be a really good year.

 

So WHO IS her teacher?

I am!  That doesn't mean I daily lecture Emily from my vast and comprehensive stores of knowledge.  It also doesn't mean I'm an expert in all of her subjects.

It means my first concern is for the quality of her education, and I will leave no stone unturned in making sure she has access to resources to help her learn.  The "no child left behind" law requires that all public school students have access to a "highly qualified teacher" (HQT) in all core subjects.  When Emily took the assessment test, her scores were high and we were given the option of waiving our HQT requirements (we did).  

In the case of geometry, my search led me to the Teaching Textbooks program, which has a built in "tutor".  Every lesson is explained in detail, and every problem is painstakingly reviewed--all on CD's which she watches on her computer.  If this fails to help her comprehend the subject (as evidenced by low test scores), we will search out a math tutor.  The charter school has tutors, and I know a few personally.  So far, she's getting an "A".

In home economics, I am truly the teacher.  She has a textbook in which she works independently, but the practical portion is what I teach on Fridays--sewing, cooking, baking, and home-caring.  We talk much (I don't lecture. . . .how dull would THAT be!?!), and work together. Her recent #1 career choice is "professional organizer", so this course is highly relevant.

English grammar is hard, and I won't pretend I remember (or care about) the rules, but the Bob Jones University Press text is incredibly thorough.  I correct her work, and tell her when it looks like she's mixing up indirect objects and objects of prepositions.  She laughs and says she knows.   Literature is more fun, because we both love to read.  She just finished the study on A Midsummer Night's Dream.  I decided it was time for a more modern English author:  J.R.R. Tolkien.  We're both going to read "The Fellowship of the Ring", and discuss it, adding a Tolkien study when we finish.  We'll explore spiritual applications as well.   Other English authors we'll explore are Dickens, C.S. Lewis, and Jane Austen.  Later, we'll look at American Literature (Steinbeck, Mark Twain, maybe Herman Melville), then poetry by both American and English authors.

As for writing skills. . . .this is something I care deeply about.  I am able to help her for now, but I foresee a day when I'll want to find someone more qualified to help her hone her skills. She has the option of sending her writing to Lisa, our ES (educational specialist) from the charter school. Lisa's area of expertise is English and writing, and she will give feedback and suggestions.  I think this will serve us well this school year.  

I heard this expression the other day, "studying to pass the test, not studying to learn."  In the best homeschool situation, the goal is to nurture a lifelong learner, not an expert test-taker. I'm grateful Emily is just the way she is--someone with a passion for learning and a natural curiosity.  If tools are available to her, she will use them.  The nice thing is, when I choose to, I get to learn right along with her!

Normal

We've done it!  We've settled into a routine of sorts. How long has school been going?  A bit over a month?  Now we know how long each subject takes, and we're familiar with our commutes. French has been tweaked to a rate of 3 lessons in 2 weeks, and other subjects are being followed at a predictable rate.  There's time to practice both instruments.  Best of all, Emily is happy, busy, and self-motivated.  It's a good school year!

Current interesting assignments: 

• research paper on the man who discovered King Tut's tomb
  
• learning to use the Bosch compact kitchen machine we just bought (making bread)
  
• writing a resume
  
• GROW Bible study
  
• starting to work on Pathfinder Voyager requirements 
  

A Tuesday in the Life. . . .

Each day has its own rhythm, but here is a typical Tuesday--a day with no music lessons in the morning.

• 6:15--wake up, morning devotional reading, and run.  Emily chose this running activity, and I think it's a good one.  She is having some trouble staying motivated, and I have begun to take a morning walk when she runs so we're on the road at the same time.  I'd try running, but am afraid I'd kill myself--this body isn't used to that kind of uphill exertion!
• 6:45--shower and breakfast
  
• 7:30--practice violin for 25 minutes
  
• 8:00--geometry:  watch the instructional CD on the computer, do the problem set, and watch the solution CD if any problems are insurmountable
  
• 9:00--practice piano for 30 minutes
  
• 9:30--French for 30 minutes--this is done on the computer with the Rosetta Stone program; she's trying to complete 2 lessons each week, and it's hard with only 30 minutes a day--those lessons are VERY thorough
  
• 10:00--Education and Career planning assignment; History reading and/or project; Home Ec lesson book; literature reading and/or assignment
  
• 11:30--practice violin for 20 minutes
  
• 11:50--eat lunch
  
• 12:15--drive to the school
  
• 12:30--band class
  
• 1:15--"study hall"--she goes to the band director's office and does her English assignment, and whatever leftover lessons she has time for
  
• 2:12--P.E. at the school; lately they've been playing basketball and football
  
• 3:15--handbell choir
  
• 3:45--return home and finish any unfinished work, or relax!
  
• 4:30--early family dinner
  
• 5:15--drive to Youth Symphony about 35 miles away
  
• 6:00 - 8:00--Youth Symphony
  
• 8:45 return home and get ready for bed; she's been reading the book The Once and Future King by T.H. White to me at bedtime.  Since she learned to read at 4, she has done most of the daily "out loud" reading.  Once in a while, when she's sick, she'll let me read to her, otherwise she does it.

The "at school" schedule happens Mon, Tues, Wed, and Thurs, alternating band or choir.  It's busy, but she likes it that way!  She gets most schoolwork done Monday through Thursday, so Friday only contains both instrument practices, geometry, and home ec practical work.  This week we'll begin a ladies' Bible study which will meet for 10 weeks for 2 hours Friday morning.

So far she's been able to avoid doing schoolwork in the evening, or the weekend. The only class work that takes much time is geometry--she whips easily and and accurately through the rest of the courses.  This "Teaching Textbooks" geometry program is fabulous, and makes math nearly painless.

Last week when there were almost no afternoon school classes, she went to band, and then volunteered at the school, helping two teachers correct papers and some other odd jobs.  I'd like to carve out more time for this in the future.  

Emily keeps herself on task very well, and doesn't need much reminding not to dawdle.  She's remarkable that way, and I feel blessed that she's so self-motivated!

******************

I just read this post, and remembered that some of her friends commented, "with homeschooling you can pretty much do whatever you want, right?"  

Organizing

Oh, how I love to organize!  I even like the word--it makes me think of neat drawers with pens, pencils, erasers, and nice clean stacks of paper, which of course leads to a nice orderly life, with everything tucked into its proper drawer or niche. . . .  Emily has this trait in common with me. In fact, her love of organization exceeds mine.  She thinks she has OCD, but I see evidence in her bedroom that it is not a full-blown case.

To prepare for a brand new homeschool year, I went to my computer to make weekly assignment sheets, with school subjects listed.  Each quarter of the year is color-coded, to track our journey through time at a glance, and each subject is filled in as much as possible.  I lovingly printed each page with corresponding dates, made a cardstock cover, and additional pages for special events and reading lists.  I took this treasure to Staples to have it spiral bound.  The dear young woman who took my order got distracted midway through punching holes, and turned half the pages upside down. . . . .to make a long story short, I had to re-print half the pages, again dating them individually.  This re-printing took a while! I returned to Staples to have it spiral bound (yes, they did it for free, or rather, I only had to pay for it once). The book has justified the effort to get it properly bound, and now serves as our anchor. I fill it in Sunday evenings, or whenever there is time before Monday.

Emily wants her assignments to come in daily--not weekly--packages.  After four weeks of school we've worked it out pretty well. Each evening we look over the week's assignments, and figure out a rational division of work, taking daily schedule challenges like music lessons into account.  She writes her assignments on a notepad for her own reference, and crosses assignments off as she completes them.  Crossing things off a list is almost as much fun as making the list in the first place!  Have you ever written extra little jobs on your to-do list, just to experience the joy of crossing them off and feeling like you've accomplished something?  Do you have urges to medicate me now?  A little Prozac, perhaps?

Making the assignment book was a good thing to do.  Making plans for a week is simple with a ready-made list in front of me, and I have the record of previous work available at my fingertips.  It might be a bit compulsive, but it is saving time in the long run, and will serve as a fabulous record of what Emily did her 9th grade year of school!