Reflections on the Year

The kids wrapped up their first year homeschooled in our little red schoolhouse last Friday. So what are my thoughts and feelings at this point?

Part of me still wonders, "Did we do enough? Did the kids learn enough? Is there more I should have done? Is this the right decision?" I shake my head because the questions could go on and on. There is no way to 'know' at any point whether the current course of action is the 'right' one for future success. And what is future success anyways? Is it making lots of money, or is it being happy? Is it using your talents to the fullest, or is it having a job to help someone else make lots of money? Admittedly, this borders on philosophy, but I am discovering that if I focus on essential questions like this I am completely confident of our decision to homeschool the kids.

The benefits smack themselves in my face every time I think about it. The kids are happy, relaxed, engaged in their learning and have pushed themselves and become better learners and people this year. Is it all roses? No. Having two very smart kids and trying to guide them is challenging. They have brains, opinions and wills. There is a daily balance of being mom and being teacher, of pushing and of backing off. When I think of homeschooling, in one sense I think of tension because there is a constant give and take. I sit here wracking my brain, trying to put this into words, and words don't come.

One of the best gifts of this year has been getting to know my kids much better than I ever did before. Ironically, it took most of the year and reading lots of books about teaching and parenting to gain a greater understanding of them. I have a long ways to go.

The kids' lead teacher with Connections said that she sees our family as the 'epitome' of homeschooling and the kids are lucky to have me for a teacher. I laughed when I told the kids that, and we all agreed that calling me a teacher is so funny. I provide the materials and learning opportunity, but the kids are the ones who do the work and actually learn. It is hard to imagine that this messy, somewhat uncomfortable process could be held up as a standard!

Dissecting a Mouse

Well, science happens, whether I am looking for it or not!

Last fall our cat was catching plenty of mice, and the thought of having my kids dissect it was--ewwww. Gross! Something has changed, for when Denver found a dead mouse in the house this afternoon, my first suggestion was to have him dissect it. I popped on Google and found mouse dissecting suggestions (http://www.ehow.com/how_2104794_dissect-mouse.html) and away he went! Denver even took a picture, which I'm not going to post here and gross you out.

Now I feel like science is one of our weak areas that my kids are interested in, but not the intensive book-learning way. So this mouse dissecting opportunity was perfect: a hands-on activity! Denver found it intensely interesting, and I'll bet not many other 4th graders have dissected mice at home....probably because their mom's couldn't stomach it!! So this homeschooling thing has given me a new perspective on learning: take it when it falls in your lap (or dies in your house at the hands of a cat!).

Grade Levels

Last year at this time we were exploring the possibility of homeschooling. I remember asking one mom who has homeschooled all of her children what grade her daughter was in. She hemmed and hawed and the pause went on so long I started getting nervous. How could I possibly trust an education where the mother doesn't even know what grade her kid is in?

A year later, I understand. Now when people ask what grade my kids are in I hesitate, think about it, and then often give the standard reply. Sometimes, though, people are actually interested in knowing what grade levels my kids are working at, so I can go subject by subject. The thing is, not all materials my kids use are by "grade level." For example, both the kids are working on a book called "Jamestown" for reading. It is the intermediate level. So what is intermediate? It is probably 7th-8th grade. My 4th grade son and 6th grade daughter are using a 7/8th grade book. In history we're studying ancient civilizations. I'm not sure what "grade level" ancient civilizations are taught, but I suspect it's not elementary school.

I doubt you're interested in what grade levels my kids are at in all their subjects, but the thing is, if they go back to a 'school,' they are going to be way ahead of their classmates in a lot of subjects. I'm sure there are gaps in their education that aren't being filled through homeschooling, but then there are gaps in education even in the classroom. So in homeschooling I end up with kids who simply are at the level they are at, and unless someone asks, I generally don't think about it too much except to find appropriate materials for them. A year ago, I was ready to write off homeschooling because of the response I got from one parent on this question. Now I'm right there too.

SBA Testing Week

Due to traveling last week, the kids were not able to make it to the state standardized (SBA) testing that is required of all homeschooled kids in Alaska. This week was make-up week. Of the 300+ kids in Homer who belong to Connections and took the SBA (I don't know how many of those are in pre-testing grades, but probably not that many), less than 10 were there for the testing make-up days this week. Since my kids missed all three days of testing last week, they showed up for all 3 days of testing this week. Technically they could have taken more than one test each day, but that would have been grueling. Reading was probably the easiest test, and took 1 1/2 hours. Writing took 2 1/2 hours for Denver to complete; he said he was having a lot of fun and got carried away with writing his story. For math both kids only had one problem they weren't sure of the answer but otherwise were confident of how they did; it still took them 1 1/2 hours to complete. Denver took the 4th grade science test the previous week during the scheduled time.

I had to drop them off at 8:45, testing started a 9:00. When they were both done they would call me and I would come pick them up. It works out--I just had to find a place to hang until they were ready.

In the schools the SBA becomes a huge event. Like Aurora said about last year, "My teacher spent 15 minutes just showing us how to fill in the bubbles!" Snacks are provided, notes are sent home to make sure kids are well rested and in school on time for test days, and relaxing events are planned for the afternoons since the kids are so tired from testing for hours. I will admit, both of my generally motivated kids had no desire to do schoolwork the 3 days they did tests. Two of the days I told them to pick any 2 subjects to do, and after 2 1/2 hours of writing on Wednesday I told them they didn't have to do any schoolwork. Both are hard workers and if they are fried, I'm not going to push too hard, especially since both have already finished their math books for their grade level and are ahead of their grade level in most subjects.

So testing is over; now we wait and see how it turned out!

Free Time Activities

Since schoolwork only takes half a day, I find it interesting to see what activities my kids do to fill up their free time.

Denver has some some passions: LEGOS are a never-ending source of joy, and hardly a day goes by that Denver doesn't come dashing down the stairs asking, "How do you like my hovercraft?" or some other creation. Long conversations could ensure if I care to engage him, with detailed explanations of what the object can do, how fast, how high, how strong, etc. Each item has stories that go along with it, but I don't usually have the patience to get that far.

Playing with his neighbor friend, also a homeschooled 10-year-old is another one of Denver's favorites. Getting pictures of the cat, putting them on the computer, moving pictures around and manipulating them on the computer are all high fun.

Aurora's passion is schoolwork. If she doesn't have a book to read or puzzles or brain teasers to work on, she will do math or continue writing her book. She is very focused and I often wish she would play more. I don't push or even guide the kids much in their free time; it's theirs. Learning is what Aurora loves to do and I don't feel right taking that away from her.

Reading is the standard standby, and I would estimate both my kids read for fun at least 2 hours a day and sometimes more. Both kids like to bike, climb trees, build forts and otherwise wander around the yard daydreaming or thinking. Both kids also love computer games. Neopets, Plant Tycoon and online math games are their favorites, and in this area I see the greatest cooperation between my kids. They share passwords and take turns and both agree on things to buy, sell, trade, etc. on their games. We limit their computer time to 30 minutes a day so that it doesn't become obsessional and take over their lives (like I see it take over so many people's lives).

Besides those things, the kids have their sports and we have our family and church activities. When I look at how many of my kids' free time activities are enriching their minds or bodies, I have to admit I am pleased. Partly I want homeschooling to be a time to allow the kids their passions and interests. Our days are relaxing and our evenings are a whirlwind of activities, so a balance is struck. If the kids were in school all day they would be too fried to want to go, go, go all evening with their fun extracurriculars. Right now I think we have a good balance!

An Even Weirder Day

My kids headed up to Kenai with my husband early this morning to hang out with relatives for a day before having some fun skiing at Alyeska tomorrow. This left me a day without kids!

Whoa! When was the last time this happened?? Never this year! The silence was delightful; I got a lot done and could really focus on my tasks. This was what life was like before homeschooling. Now I cannot imagine having this kind of time to myself every day. Today was great, and tomorrow will be nice, but then I will be ready to have my kids back. Just as kids need a break from school and adults need vacations from jobs, I think parents need breaks from kids, especially the parent who does the bulk of the work when homeschooling. It can be hard, in a way, to take that. The level of commitment to the kids is high, and one doesn't always "feel" like they need a break. I didn't when I decided yesterday to stay home and let the rest of the family go play. But when a friend at church today mentioned that I looked very peaceful and relaxed, I realized that I needed it. Now I just have to coach myself not to feel guilty about it!

The Importance of Handwriting

My handwriting is a mess and difficult to read, as Denver often reminds me when I scribble a note on his paper. "Mom," he levels at me, looking stern, "I can't read your handwriting. You need to write neater!" I don't know if handwriting would have even come across my radar with homeschooling if I hadn't been at a homeschooling mom's group where it was brought up. There, all concurred that handwriting was important, despite some reports saying that it is obsolete now that we have computers.

My minimum requirement for handwriting for my kids is that I can read it. I never have them practice cursive, and they generally print. I feel guilty about this. Should I be making them practice their handwriting? Just how important is it? When I look at what they study every day, I can point to the value of nearly everything, but handwriting is just not one of them that I want to torture myself with requiring. I'm sure my attitude is part of the equation here, but I know that they would balk.

Hmm. I had a thought. Maybe if I add a little bit of handwriting to their drawing lesson every day.....? Think I could sneak it in??

A Weird Day

We had the opportunity to travel out of town for a couple days with my husband as he attends meetings, and we were all set to do so until I looked at the calendar. When I realized just how many activities my son had for those 2 days, I opted to stay home instead. Wrestling practice, play practice, Cub Scouts and volunteering were all on the docket. My daughter, for a change, didn't have a full schedule and would only miss rock climbing so I suggested she go along with Douglas and hang out with relatives during the day while he was at meetings. I was surprised when she said she wanted to do that, so we got it arranged.

This was the first day of the entire school year I think that Denver was here and working but Aurora was not. It was strange. Denver talked to me (gosh darn interruptions!) a lot more and wandered about making his usual noises and flying various contraptions he'd built, which he does anyways, but he did it more than usual today. I think that the little edge of competition between the kids keeps both of them more focused, just as it did with a classroom of kids at school.

The sweet part for me was the lack of squabbling about who gets to use the computer and who looked at who how, and who touched whom. I thought I might have more time to focus on work with just one kid around but Denver made up for it. Apparently the interaction between them is a significant part of their social life and I picked up the slack until I shot Denver a look that said, "No more!" We could get used to this, but I'll be glad to have Aurora back in a couple of days.

Avoiding Work During Break

Since our school is close to the same place as our home I was curious to see if the kids would actually take a break from school during spring break. Denver is already counting down the weeks to the end of the school year (10!) so I didn't think he would have a problem forgetting about school and I was right! He loves to play and keeps himself thoroughly occupied.

Aurora took the first 5 days off and didn't even unpack her book bag from our pre-vacation travels, but a couple of nights ago I found her doing her math in bed at 10:30 one night, and as vacation goes on she's doing more math--just because she loves math so much! And I was talking to her this morning when all of a sudden she broke in and said, "I have a question for you about my math." Obviously her mind was on math and not what I was talking about!

Part of me really wants my kids to just take a break from the school work, while another part of me says, "If they like doing their so-called 'schoolwork' so much, let them." I can tell both the kids are thinking about summer since they've been asking questions about summer plans this week and talking about things they'll be doing during their summer break. So there is hope that they're not total study geeks!

Spring Break

Since we're homeschooling we get to decide when our spring break is. My husband's spring break with the Russian Old Believer school is in April since that is when their Easter is. The rest of the Kenai Peninsula School District's break is this week. My break with the college could have been either last week (UAA-Anchorage's) or this week (Kenai Peninsula College's) since I teach online and my students attend different colleges. Thus, I gave my kids the choice of when they wanted to take break (mine, my husband's, or the rest of the district's). They opted to go with the rest of the district's break so that they could hang with their friends. I find it interesting to have the flexibility to choose when we want break!

Pondering Writing....Making it Fun

This has been an interesting year encouraging my kids to write. Their journeys, like everything else, have been very individual to them.

The kids have to do either their Jamestown reading book (which also involves writing) or else exercises from their Vocabulary for Achievement books (First Course, Pub: Great Source), and they also have Daily Grammar Exercises (Pub: Evan-Moor) which they do.

We started out the year with Aurora doing writeguide.com, an online instructor-student relationship, but the instructor would have her make one word change and resubmit it, so it took an entire semester to write one semi-polished research paper. We dropped that and Aurora focused on doing her Jamestown, middle level, which studies 5 different genre's. That has clicked with Aurora and she has produced some delightful writings. I don't give her huge amounts of feedback on what she writes, yet her writing continues to get better and better. She also started writing for fun in a notebook and I suggested she type it into the computer for her daily typing practice. She did so, and continued it as 'typing practice' each day and is now on page 27 of a single-spaced story. In many ways, schools restrict students simply because teachers cannot have 20 students going 20 different directions at 20 different speeds. Somehow I doubt Aurora would be diving into writing projects like this if she were in a regular school because the school mentality is "Do what you're told to do and no more," while our homeschool attitude is "You make this what you want. Follow your passions and interests."

Denver has been more challenging to guide in the writing process. Jamestown is a bit advanced for his interest level (though not reading level), so he found it hard to muster any enthusiasm for the writing activities. Working with a tutor for 10 weeks on it made it clear that he was understanding what he was reading and had some good thoughts about it, but didn't have much joy in it. Sometime during the fall I added an additional day of writing to Denver's schedule called Fun Write. He could write whatever he wanted. He loves writing short stories about space adventures, and his joy knew no bounds.

Then his idea list petered out and he was having a hard time getting started. Sitting around one day, I started stringing a story together about a sister who steals stuff out of her brother's room and then he discovers it is actually the cat that is doing it through special powers of making lego creations into working machines at night when the boy was asleep. Denver's imagination was caught and away he went. That was a turning point for Denver in writing. Before then he was always trying to follow rules and do things the 'right' way and make them realistic. It was like there was a mental box in his mind for how he 'should' write. When we talked about it and he removed that box he discovered a great joy in writing. The words flowed and he worked on one story for an hour every day for a week.

Denver has been begging for a blog of his own for months and I finally got around to getting one put together for him. That has added a new dimension of joy to writing for him, and he is 100% self-motivated when it comes to keeping up his blog. As he informed me this morning, he only counts blogging as a fun write when it is over 300 words. He set that standard, though we had casually talked about whether it should count or not.

Both my kids know how to put words together and have great imaginations. Their grammar could be better, but then, I teach college writing courses so my expectations are pretty high too. Denver detests revising and editing his stories, especially when I mark all of the errors. I think in the future I need to choose a couple areas to edit (say, just punctuation or correct use of quotes) so that it is not so overwhelming.

Mostly, though, I am so happy that the kids love to write! It is not something I have to impose on them; they have found the spot inside themselves that loves to put their words on paper in a delightful way. Once again, I say, "Mission accomplished!"

Noise & Contact!

I have often heard that boys make more noises than girls. Since I teach in college classrooms rather than elementary, I'd never really noticed this phenomena. However, my son makes lots of noises in the course of a schoolday. I wonder how he would manage if he were in a classroom where noises are discouraged (I wouldn't want to be a teacher with a classroom of boys making airplane sounds!)? Noise becomes part of the background of our schoolroom as our son punctuates his studies with appropriate sounds--kind of like punctuation in the written language. Other times it seems to be a bid to alleviate boredom with a task or to bug his sister. When the noise goes beyond background noise to the point that I notice it, it is time for it to end! Sometimes I will put music on and I have found that that technique does reduce the noises coming out of my child.

Now, noise is just one way to invade another's space. The other is physically invading it. I find that the kids will also do this, though each has a different technique for doing so. We have plenty of space in this cabin; there is no reason why there needs to be any contact. But at times the kids seem to need something to break up their day, and a little physical contact seems to be one way to take a break (I'll bet this happens in the classroom too!). For example, just now Aurora was sitting on the floor doing her math and Denver got right over her. Needless to say, she didn't like that and gave a chase and a few pokes back. Now they're back to work (mom intervened....this time!). Some days I wonder why I am doing this to myself.

Worksheet Dilemma....

Like many teachers, I use worksheets to supplement and test what the kids are learning. While Denver enjoys reading books, he detests worksheets and lets me know each time I hand him some. Today I gave him a packet of worksheets to test him on recall on a CD he listened to about the Assyrians. He groaned as usual. Interestingly, what he did then was grab the globe hanging above my desk and proceeded to spend 10 or 15 minutes looking at Israel on it and ancilliary comments. We ended up having an impromptu learning session. Then he moved on to Russia, thinking about the 2014 Winter Olympics, and so got a geography lesson with that too.

It just struck me that that is how learning often happens in homeschooling. The worksheets don't click, but we have other learning materials around that the kids can get involved in. They have the time to pursue information in other ways than just what I present. I do wish I had more time and motivation to make all learning more interactive and hands on for the kids (our dream is to travel the world to learn history and geography!) but I don't. I do try to keep worksheets to a reasonable level though. (sigh) Seems like some things you just need a worksheet for, though!

Squabbling!

Gee, of course I didn't plan on my kids squabbling now that we homeschool, but it does erupt at times. This morning was a good example. We got one desktop computer through Connections for the kids for homeschooling. It wasn't too much of a problem at the beginning of the school year because both the kids did much of their writing in notebooks. Recently, though, Denver started blogging and Aurora is writing a very long story (now at 25 pages single spaced!) on top of history research and typing and whatever else comes up. The kids' agreement is that whoever gets out to the cabin first and turns on the computer gets to use it first. This morning Denver fell back asleep after his alarm clock went off so Aurora made it out to the computer first. Denver flipped out because he is virtually always the first one out and he has his routine: he checks his email, updates his blog (http://seymours.wordpress.com/) and does his Type Right! When Aurora gets on it is usually an hour before she is done.

Denver's routine was broken and he was mad. Many times I am so busy with my work I don't want to deal with their squabbles; I let them work them out on their own. Today I had the time, energy and gumption to get involved. I asked how they could work this out. Suggestions were not forthcoming. I offered to let them use Dad's computer; neither liked that option. Finally, after 10 minutes, Denver calmed down and stated, "Well, I guess I'll do my work," and he went to his desk and found something else to do.

I really hoped the kids would get along better now that they are homeschooled. Sometimes they do, but many times they don't. Their personalities are just so different, and they both have very strong personalities in their own way. I'm pondering adding "Interpersonal Communications" to their courses for next year--the class I teach online! ( :

I made them take swimming lessons....

I knew Connections offered swim lessons to kids during the school year and I knew that was going to be one of my non-negotiables. When I told the kids they both protested: "Do we haaaaaave to? Why? I know how to swim!" For 2 months I have listened to their complaints, but last week when they began lessons the complaints suddenly disappeared. Each day when they were done with swim lessons I asked, "How was it?" And each day they both would respond with a solid, "Good!"

Score one for mom (with full support from dad)! Besides it being a relief that they stopped complaining, my joy is twofold. My daughter has a beautiful stroke, and what was just a couple weeks ago a crazy, splashing frenzy is now a smooth, svelte crawl across the pool. And my son is now considering being on the Homer swim club, a well-developed, strong group with regular practices and good coaching. So cool! I am a happy mom. Though I have to admit, part of my happiness right now is that it is over! One hour practices every day of the week for two weeks has gotten old, though it has been great running errands and chatting with other homeschooling parents poolside.

A Fun Day of Science

Well, I finally found someone for my son to do science experiments with! A family that has 5th & 6th grade boys also ended up taking kayaking lessons with my kids, skiing at Ohlson Mountain on Sundays and taking swim lessons with them as well. With all this time to connect, we busy parents made it happen. It was supposed to be a rocket shoot-off day, which is what got Denver revved up, but the rocket building (and drying!) took longer than expected so we just opted for chemistry experiments.

The boys did 4 chromotography experiments, watching the marker colors bleed up the filter paper. The other boys' mom is a local vet and she does exactly this type of test to diagnose certain diseases in animals, so it was a fun sample of a real-world application!

To pep up the slow pace the dad got out a jar, filled it with apple cider vinegar, baking soda, dish soap and glitter, and the boys had a blast watching it ooze out and overflow. You could feel their imaginations catch fire!

Then we headed back to the chemistry kit and they used a battery, wires and lightbulb to light it up and tested the conductivity of various solutions. As they discovered, plain water does not conduct electricity, but salt water and sodium carbonate water do.

All in all, it was a fun 3 hours of science before we all dashed off to swim lessons!

Extracurricular Activities ARE Education

I'll admit that I was not one of those super-involved parents in the classroom who volunteered all the time and helped their kids with homework every night. I've always wanted my kids to be responsible for their own learning, and mostly they followed through and completed all their homework on their own.

As homeschoolers we are no longer depending on someone else to educate our kids. All the learning doesn't happen in the classroom, and we are now customizing our kids' education to their interests, needs as well as areas of weakness. Enter extracurricular activities and the "very busy homeschooling parent!"

My calendar is beginning to feel pretty overwhelming: swim lessons for an hour a day all this past and coming week, basketball, rock climbing, religion class, Scouts, forensics and volunteering are all ongoing activities, and this week we're starting wrestling, art classes, another basketball team and play practice. This doesn't include our family activities of downhill skiing/snowboarding every week, church activities and other miscellaneous meetings. Luckily swimming only lasts another week and forensics two, but it is enough to make my head swim. This is why we moved closer to town: so we can run home and regroup and recharge between activities!

If we weren't homeschooling I know we wouldn't be doing as many of these things. If the kids were in school they would be fried by 3:00 and would be screaming for a break. As it is, because they're at home in a relatively calm, peaceful environment working all morning, by afternoon they are ready for activity and social interaction and a break from the books. I think this is harder on me than them since I have chunks of time while they're in their events to fill one way or another. I have gotten more reading done (I guess I should say 'scanning') lately as I hang out here or there, and it provides a chance to run errands as well.

My bottom line, though, is that the kids are really enjoying their activities. They are discovering new interests and developing skills that might otherwise have gone unearthed or undeveloped. I am not an advocate for overloading a kid's schedule, and I stay aware of how the kids are handling it to make sure it's not too much. They still have the time to read anywhere from one to four books each week, so they can't be too busy!!

Found Out!!!

This blog has been my forum for thinking through and airing issues related to homeschooling for me. I write about my kids a lot, and I really didn't care for them to know that I was blogging about our journey. I'm just more comfortable writing without them as an audience (I was actually a little self-conscious about my husband reading this too. Go figure). Thus, I was annoyed the other day when my son piped up, "Hey, mom, I'm reading your blog about homeschooling!"

I replied, "Where did you hear about that?"

"Oh, there was a page with it on your iphone."

Found out! I told him to delete the page and that I'd rather he didn't read it. Being the good kid he is, he promptly deleted it. This may not last forever....hey, are you reading this, Aurora or Denver?? X out right now!

One of the side effects of homeschooling is that my kids are getting very tech savvy. They can do things on the computer now that I certainly never taught them, partly because they use the computer a lot more now, and partly because they have more time to just play around with it. For the most part I think that is a good thing, though of course I keep my parent antennae up about this to make sure all's well.

Spending Money: Homeschool Budget

One of the perks of homeschooling in Alaska is that you get a budget. Each homeschooling provider (for example, there is Connections, IDEA and Raven Correspondence in Homer) gives a slightly different dollar amount, but through Connections one receives $1600 per child K-5, $1900 for middle school kids, and $2300 for high school students (I'm pretty sure about the amounts and grades, but not totally). My kids are very much conscious of budgets, so part of the interest of homeschooling for them has been having a large amount of money to "spend" on their educational materials.

Unfortunately, I did not realize that we had to 'buy' all of our textbooks. Back when I sat down with the supervising teacher last spring and we decided on materials, she never mentioned costs for anything, so I mistakenly assumed that we were just borrowing the materials from the district (since they already had many of the materials and books we ordered) and would return them at the end of the year. As I found out, that is not the case. We had to purchase every textbook, teacher's manual, workbook and more. Apparently there is a storage space in Soldotna where homeschoolers can go and borrow things from, but there is no such space in Homer so we have to get the materials ourselves.

Our startup costs for homeschooling were large, in part, because I hadn't learned to scrounge around and find materials from other sources yet. True, we got an awesome chemistry kit, a robotics lego kit, a physical science lab kit and more. We also had to get a whiteboard, markers, easel paper, pencil sharpeners and other basic supplies that a school would already have. So before we even started school we'd probably spent over $1000 already.

Once we started adding sports and art lessons, that finished off our budget. Those things are very expensive. The sports and lessons are paid for, but not supplies, so that comes out of our own pocket (sports equipment, etc.). Our budget has been hit for the year, and I have learned that $3500 isn't that much money when we're trying to provide a vital, enriching education for our kids! Next year, however, we'll be much smarter about this whole thing. Plus, we'll already have lots of that 'big stuff' that we won't need to buy again.

Opinionated Kids

My kids, for the most part, know exactly what they like and don't like. There the similarities end.

My son is extremely verbal and will let me know every step of the way if he doesn't like something. For example, this morning I had him revise and edit a 1400 word story he has written over the past few weeks. I told him the editing would replace his normal Daily Paragraph Editing worksheet that he does. A few minutes later he pops off the computer and announces, "Mom, for future reference, the normal paragraph editing normally takes me 5 minutes. This has already taken me 10-15 minutes." I gave my "But that is what the real world is like" speech and sent him back to the task. I get pronouncements daily of things Denver doesn't like, so while I try to acknowledge them, I'll admit I get a little callous about being sensitive and responsive. "Just do it," becomes a favorite phrase, particularly when I am preoccupied with lots of other tasks.

My daughter, on the other hand, resists silently. I will ask her to do something and....she just doesn't do it. Well, she'll do it if 1-she wants to and 2-she remembers. Unfortunately, I have a lot of tasks that I juggle, so I often do not follow up on my requests or at least not for a day or two or more until I realize the task still has not been done. Thus, request #2 or #3 comes into the picture and it might drag on for weeks. Cleaning up her workspace, turning in certain assignments and turning in corrections fall into this category often.

I have to admire classroom teachers that deal with this huge range of students every day....and the whole spectrum in between. When you start looking at the complexity of a school classroom and all that a teacher tries to accomplish during a school year, it becomes mindboggling. Two kids are keeping me on my toes, and keeping me entertained as well as I practice flexible teaching/parenting!

Support Groups for Homeschooling

In researching homeschooling, it was highly recommend getting connected with other parents or groups for the kids. When we first made the decision to homeschool I started asking around about homeschooling groups. One that kept coming up was the "Christian mom's" group. I ended up getting an invite to one meeting, but not after that, so apparently I didn't fit the group's criteria. I also heard of a neighbor lady who hosts a group of homeschooling moms. Another neighbor introduced me to her, we had a wonderful chat, she said she would approach her group about "letting" me into the group. I didn't make the cut for that one either, and a polite email turned me down. Another mom started an 11-12 year old girls group, and there were a solid 12+ girls interested in this group, with about 5-7 showing up for each activity last fall. That one, too, has fallen by the wayside, with no more word about meetings coming through the pipeline.

I think part of the roughness with these groups is my hearing impairment. You would think that homeschooling parents would do email, but apparently not all are totally 'plugged in'. Since I have a hard time hearing on the phone and I prefer email contact, I think it just becomes easier for people to just not call. It could be, too, that our kids are smart and gifted, and many parents are homeschooling their special needs kids. It comes across as bragging to talk about smart kids so it can be difficult to talk about where they're at and what they're doing.

I'm not totally disappointed about being on the out and out with these groups. I would really like to have more contact with other homeschooling parents, but it seems like all are busy, busy, busy. Plus it has to be a good fit--more like a friendship than just an impersonal group since we are really talking about our lives here. Homeschooling can't be separated from "life". So while my kids have a vibrant social life (more so than when they were in school, if you don't count the school day!), I am finding my social life somewhat curtailed. I am home more because of homeschooling obligations, when I used to be off and about with friends. It's not that I can't go out, but the extra workload homeschooling puts on me eats up what used to be "free time." It takes a little more effort and planning to get out.

Tradeoffs (sigh). Still worth it, though. For now.

Another Good Read: The Homeschooling Handbook

Well, since I've got books on my mind, I have to share another great one that ultimately played a huge role in our deciding to homeschool. The Homeschooling Handbook by Mary Griffith has a complete treatment of just what homeschooling is, how it works (the nuts and bolts of day-to-day school), how to decide if it is right for you, resources galore for finding out more information state by state, finding local support groups and on and on.

I am so grateful to the gal from church who passed this on to me; I don't know if we would ever have dared it without this very practical information. I had talked to plenty of people who homeschooled, but I was always left a little discontent about their answers. It all seemed kind of fuzzy about what they did and how they did it. I needed to know before I made the decision that it was indeed a reasonable choice that wouldn't ruin my kids for the rest of their lives. As I read this book I shared the information with the kids and my husband, presenting it to the kids as "This is an option." The more I read the more I became convinced it was a viable option, or even a very positive step. Both the kids were hesitant at first, but the moment came when my daughter said, "Mom, I think I want you to homeschool me" one evening as I was putting her to bed.

I didn't give my 9 year old son a choice; if I was going to homeschool one I was going to do both, otherwise I'd lose all the flexibility benefits. The kids were nervous about it, curious about it and not totally sure about it. It helped when their dad got on board and began to discuss the benefits, relating it to performance-based assessment. The kids heard both of us extolling the positives of homeschooling as we traveled the country last summer visiting friends and relatives, explaining our choice to them.

One of the things that struck me the most from this book is that it said there are few "bad" homeschooling stories. If homeschooling doesn't work, kids usually return to the brick and mortar school building. It made me realize that the decision wasn't permanent. If it didn't work, we would just send the kids back to school. It wasn't like school was so horrible for them or they weren't learning. On the contrary, the kids have done well in school and enjoyed it and learned so much. This was "just another option." The thought that if it didn't work the kids could just go back to school was our safety net, and we needed that.

So here I am, not even a year later, blogging about this journey that I never on earth would have imagined I would take. Wow. I have passed this book on to others, but I always want it back. In a way I think I keep it in case I ever need reassurance about this being the right decision. It is kind of like a life preserver, because even though I haven't cracked the book open since we made the decision to homeschool last April or May, I think about that book sitting on my bookshelf regularly. And I like to keep it handy to lend to friends who are thinking of homeschooling!

A Really Good Read: Creative Homeschooling

In trying to find some resources to deal with the challenges of teaching my kids, I came across a great book in the library: Creative Homeschooling: A Resource Guide for Smart Families by Lisa Rivero. Wow. This is a book I could have used a long time ago--even before I started homeschooling. Now, though, having homeschooled for 5 months, I felt like this book was copying my thoughts word for word and it expresses, in a nutshell, why homeschooling is working so well for us--and I'm only on page 15!

Some of the things that really hit home were the decreasing enthusiasm and interest in learning for the author's intelligent son, trying to help gifted kids fit in with their peers, trying to get resources for gifted kids in schools, concerns about support and resources for gifted kids who are homeschooled, understanding special educational needs of gifted kids and on and on. The list of qualities of gifted kids really hit home with me and sounded all too familiar and highlighted my insecurities about whether I am able to meet the educational needs of my kids.

The difference between "gifted" kids and "smart" kids was outlined, with the advantage given to "smart" kids. Gifted kids see and experience the world differently and oftentimes have a harder time fitting in; 'smart' kids, on the other hand, have 'optimal intelligence' and have the social abilities to more easily fit in with other kids and use their intelligence. So I look at the continuum of where my kids are at and use sensitivity to tailor their education to their needs.

Thus the optimal education for the moment: homeschooling. Right now the kids are getting some great advantages to being homeschooled, and the advantages are outweighing the disadvantages. I am hoping that, being the teacher type, I will continue to refine my skill in providing them with an optimal education situation. My bottom line values, though, are not just of being 'smart' or 'educated', though those are certainly worthy goals. Learning to contribute positively to our human family and the world is vital. Teaching the kids to do things with love and passion is deeply important, and no matter what someone's intelligence level, if they don't do that it seems like life would be an empty shell.

Interruptions!

Because I am balancing my at-home job of teaching college classes online with my at-home job of homeschooling the kids, I have challenges when the goals of the two collide. One of the things that has been driving me buggy is how the kids end up interrupting me when I am in the middle of deep thinking, grading papers, planning, etc. Now, everyone the world over has to deal with interruptions. Some people have a nice, neat system for dealing with them (close the door, do not interrupt signs, etc.), which others take the interruptions in stride.

For significant interruptions I really don't mind the kids saying, "Mom, I have a question." This is their job and they often need the answer to move on. The interruptions that bug me are the little ones that are more social interruptions, general comments about this or that, thrown out yet requiring a response (if only eye contact) from me. These have become more numerous lately, and I find myself just telling the offender "Go outside and play." Often that's enough to send them back to their studies, but I think I need to work on a technique for dealing with this a little more effectively!

Testing, Testing!

I just got an email about TerraNova testing for 5th & 7th grade Connections students. It is testing time of year again. While most teachers I know get a little tired of the emphasis on testing, it also has a valid side. A month ago I asked for the SBA (Standards Based Assessment) tests for writing, math and reading for my kids. I do wonder whether they are learning what they need to be learning and "at grade level." I suppose this concern is part of the national testing mania and the desire to "quantify" learning. So last week Aurora began her SBAs and I will be having Denver do his practices starting in a few weeks. What it will do is reassure me that the kids are indeed learning (or that at least they know what other kids at their grade level should know), and it will also give me a platform for teaching the kids what they need to know, filling in any learning gaps. I feel like my homeschooling classroom is just one step away from a real classroom, with few radically different teaching and learning methods going on. The biggest difference is just that the kids work at their own pace and more independently. Thinking about the testing issue brings this home to me because many homeschooling families I know are anti-test and would avoid being in Connections just so they could avoid the tests. I don't want my kids to base their self esteem on how they do on tests, and I tend not to talk about test scores with them too much, but they are a good tool for seeing where they are at.

Getting Ahead

Last week my daughter finished her math book--one of those big, fat 3 inch thick ones. She did every single problem in the book. At the beginning of the year I tried to convince her to do, say, every other problem, but no, she insisted on doing every single problem of every single chapter because "that's what Bill made us do." Every single problem got checked and corrected. Every review and test was taken.

This happens to be the same textbook the kids in her class are using, and it will take them the entire school year to get through it. Aurora loves math, and I am glad she can move right along. But it brings me face to face with one of the reasons she brought up last April as to why she might not want to be homeschooled. As we began to explore the possibility of homeschooling, Aurora said, "But what if I get so far ahead and then I have to go back to school and do it over again? That will be boring." That was one of the few concerns she had that I didn't address, saying that "We'll deal with that when it happens." We don't have long-term plans as to whether we will homeschool or head back to the brick and mortar school, so I guess I still can't answer that question. It certainly is a valid concern. Many conscientious homeschoolers find that they are far ahead of their in-school counterparts. And after experiencing the freedom of learning independently and at their own pace, it can be difficult to "slow down" to the pace and level of the classroom.

I struggle with this question. I don't have answers, but I also trust that we are building a good foundation for our kids to learn, not just in school but in life. If school proves unsatisfying educationally, we now have the tools and initiative to seek other sources of challenge.

Extracurricular Activities in the Schools

One of the advantages of being in a 'school' is being able to participate in sports and other activities. One nice thing about having the school district running the homeschooling program is that there is an agreement that homeschooled kids can play in sports and participate in clubs, as well as take up to 2 classes in the school. Up until now my kids have not taken advantage of any offerings, but Denver expressed an interest in being part of the forensics club at McNeil Canyon School, so we checked with the organizing teachers and they gave it the thumbs up.

There was no big rigmarole. Denver just had to show up. It was quite a relief. Practice on Monday was the first time Denver has been in the school with other kids around since we began homeschooling. I was curious how that went for him. As he said, "It was horrible! Everyone wanted to say hi to me!" Personally, I think that is great: they were happy to see him and just wanted to talk to him. Denver, on the other hand, had some self-consciousness and even plotted coming in a back door for future practices so people wouldn't see him. I nixed that idea and told him to just be comfortable, or at least pretend to be comfortable. The practice itself was no problem and Denver was perfectly happy. He did have to make one tough decision: to work with Bill (the 5th grade teacher) or to work with Melon (his 3rd grade teacher last year). He waffled quite a bit until Melon helped him decide that he could go with his first gut reaction, which was Bill.

So now I get to head up the hill to McNeil twice a week, and Aurora and I will get ski time while Denver perfects his speaking skills. And for those of you that know him, working on his volume will NOT be an issue!!

Disappointing Results

Every so often my kids will turn in something that is just....pathetic. Today was one of those days. They've been working together on a webquest for their ancient India unit. For a webquest to last a couple of days is pretty long. One of the challenge assignments was to create a book telling about ancient Buddhist symbols and what they mean. They were to draw pictures and have text. Their finished products were slapped together, though it still took them 20-30 minutes to put together (Amazing how much time these things take!). When they turned them in my heart sank. They were pretty bad. I asked them what grade they would give themselves. Denver gave himself a "C" and Aurora gave herself a "B". Hm.

In the ideal teaching world, I would be previewing everything the kids do and going over it with them ahead of time, clarifying expectations and answering questions. In the rough and tumble of homeschooling with the management of 7+ classes for 2 kids, that just doesn't happen. If I had guided them through this project, I could have given them an example of what I had in mind for a book, or even just done a pretalk "What makes a good book?" Instead, this turned into a learning experience for me and we did it as a post-talk. "How could this be nicer? What do you think about doing this? You could have done this."

The kids were embarrassed with their work too. When I said, "What if I turned this in with your report cards as a sample of your work?" Aurora replied, "It would be better." So one of the downfalls of homeschooling can be that only a few people see their work so they get lazy and sloppy. My vigilance could help correct this in part. So should I have made them do them over--to their ability level this time??

Bad Habits I Blame on Homeschooling

Really, only one bad habit really jumps out at me that the kids have developed since we've homeschooled them: going to bed late. It could have been that before they were homeschooled they had their bedtime and then they would read for an hour or so in bed before they turned off their light, but we didn't necessarily know that, so we figured they were going to bed at 9:00. Now, though, despite our trying to be more vigilant about it, the whole family ends up going to bed at the same time...or at least going to our bedrooms since the kids still read before they sleep. I recall asking one homeschooled kid, "What is your bedtime?" When he loudly replied, "I don't have one!" I was a little bit shocked. For a 8 or 9 year old kid not to have a bedtime seemed like a breach of some parenting protocol. Yet now, only a year later, I'm afraid I understand all too well, though I would admit I would be embarrassed if my own kids said the same thing. But my kids get plenty of sleep going to bed 10-11ish and getting up at 8, so as much as the parenting protocol of the world might say they should have a certain bedtime, my kids' lives bear out that it is not a trauma not to be asleep by a certain time. However, what I will say, though, is that regularity is a good thing when it comes to sleep, and they have that simply because we as parents have that.

The other bad habit that comes to mind relates to Denver's headstrong ways: "I'm going to do this by myself and I don't need any help." But as we talked about last week, he was that way before we ever homeschooled so that is not necessarily a new thing, it's just that I notice it now since I butt up against it regularly!

I wish Aurora would brush her hair first thing in the morning instead of just before we go out for the day, but in that way she's like me. It's just that people usually can't tell when I've brushed my hair since I have a curly headful--it always looks nice or messy (depending on your perspective), whereas Aurora's always looks better brushed.

Besides that, the other "bad habits" my kids have picked up aren't any worse than some of the bad habits they might be picking up at a brick and mortar school, such as social meanness, educational loafing, school-as-a-social-playground, etc. So I think we're coming out even or ahead in the bad habits area!

Being in Public Embarrassment

One of the hardest parts for all of us about homeschooling is the looks people give us when we're out in public during the schoolday. The kids have gotten maybe slightly more comfortable with it since they started last fall, but it was not pleasant when I took them to morning mass one day and a well-meaning lady came up and said, "I'm the school police. Why aren't you in school?" At that time she didn't know they were homeschooled, but it still made an impression. Walking around the mall in Anchorage last week and bopping around town with the kids, I could see the same question on people's faces. Never mind that they are with both their parents, and my husband was wearing a tie even. There is always this niggling about it. I'll admit, that it's not very often, and it is generally just a few "toe the line" souls who want to make sure that every kid is being educated, and by golly, you'd better not be one of those deadbeat parents who don't send their kids to school.

Now I know I did the same thing when I would see kids out and about during the day. I wasn't obvious about it, but I did wonder. Of course, that was before I knew how many kids were homeschooled. In Homer there are like 400 kids homeschooled. That's enough to open up an entire school, and if they all were in the brick and mortar building, there would be a huge overcrowding issue.

I am confident that my kids are learning so I have learned to ignore those looks to a degree. I just wish my kids weren't so self-conscious about appearing in public during the day.

Homeschooling from a Hotel Room

One of the reasons I appreciate homeschooling is the flexibility. Combined with my job of teaching online classes, we can pick up and go any time. So far this year whenever we've traveled I haven't made the kids do their schoolwork. It has been a day here, a day there, and generally they work so hard the rest of the time and are further ahead than their in-classroom counterparts, that I don't worry too much about it.

For this trip to Soldotna and then Anchorage as we tag along with Doug on a couple of conferences I wanted the kids to work. Yesterday was like pulling teeth getting Denver to read 2 short books on India which he would have skimmed through like nothing at home. And as he said to me, "Truth be known, mom, I was hoping you would forget my math." Now, on day 2, the kids are eagerly reading their "for fun" books, but are avoiding their schoolwork.

To lighten their load (and because they don't have the computer with their Russian and typing programs) I'm not making them do everything they normally do on their daily checklist, and since we have good internet access, I will give them a couple webquests to do together (more India!), which will be a good activity. We'll get the work done, but I think that my kids work best with the routine of home rather than on the road. Of course, if we were on the road all the time they would get a routine down there!

Time to Volunteer

I have wanted to volunteer more with the kids in the past, but when they were in school all day they would be wiped out by time they got home, and then they had sports and other activities on evenings and weekends. Homeschooling provided me the perfect opportunity to volunteer with the kids during the day.

It took us awhile to figure out where we wanted to volunteer. I wanted something we could all do, and my preference was to work with people as opposed to objects. Aurora loves animals so we considered the animal shelter, but Denver's not into animals and nor am I. The local food pantry seemed to have plenty of volunteers already, as did Pic 'n' Pay. Aurora is a great teacher so I wanted to hook her up with a tutoring situation, but nothing came up. I liked the thought of working with seniors at Friendship Terrace, but wasn't sure how we could all do that together. I ran into the administrative assistant of Haven House, a shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence, last spring at a Cub Scout event, and asked her about possibilities. She liked the idea, though wasn't exactly sure how we might fit in.

When we started homeschooling one of the things on the kids' weekly checklist was service/volunteering. They were supposed to put in 2 hours a week. I was so busy I didn't have time to find a place, but finally Denver was getting quite cranky about not being able to check this off his list so I got motivated. I turned in the volunteer application at Haven House and they suggested that we play with whatever kids might be there in the play room. Aurora and Denver were not sure about it, but were willing to give it a try.

Four months later, we are now regulars, playing with whatever kids might be at Haven House each week. We bring in games and activities from home, depending on the level of kids that are there. It has been good for all of us, and I know that each week when I leave I have a smile on my face. The kids that are there look forward to our coming and appreciate being able to play with kids in their "home." A shelter is not normally a place to invite kids over for playdates, so this can mean a lot to these kids to play with other kids on their own turf. And I think Aurora and Denver gain an appreciation of the normalcy of their lives. I have seen Aurora become a leader in this situation, organizing the games and teaching the kids the rules. And we all see each other in a different setting, which allows us to get to know each other better. Overall it is a great experience and one that I am glad we ended up in.

First Year Teacher

My husband and I were discussing homeschooling last night and he made a comment that stuck with me: "Basically, you are a first year elementary school teacher." Yeah, I guess I am! Wow. Every day there is something I get down on myself because I didn't get it done, or didn't do it as well as I wished I had with the kids. There are many days when homeschooling feels messy and I am uncertain about if this is the best option for my kids. Like Douglas said, "Teachers are usually not effective the first five years they are teaching." I have been teaching in various capacities for many years, from coaching cross-country skiing while in college, to teaching college now. Yet for some reason I expected to just be able to jump right in and be a super teacher homeschooling. Well, time definitely plays a role here. I do work, teaching 2-3 college classes, so I am balancing that on top of teaching the kids and other commitments.

I guess what that comment did was put this in perspective for me. I'm not an experienced elementary school teacher. I don't always know the answers to questions my kids ask (thank goodness for Google!). Even if I'd had 4+ years of college teaching me to be a teacher, I would still have plenty of questions, uncertainties and rough spots in my teaching if this were my first year in the classroom. Bottom line: I think I'll give myself a break, chill out a little and give myself a pat on the back for doing what I do.

Time Alone is Precious!!

I've always enjoyed my hobbies and never have enough time for everything I want to do, and spending time by myself isn't a burden. I have to admit, though, that now that I am homeschooling I am very rarely home alone. Sometimes my husband and I will work it out for him to take the kids away--just for a few hours--please!! He would be willing to take them away for the weekend if I really needed or wanted it (or lets me go away for the weekend!), but most of the time, I don't begrudge my time commitment to my kids that has been presented by homeschooling. I like my kids, I respect them, and I enjoy their company. We co-exisit peacefully most of the time, so it is not a big deal to hang out with them all day every day, oftentimes with me doing my work and they doing theirs, with our paths intersecting regularly just as one would in the workplace.

I do find myself considering Time Alone to be a precious gift now, though. Precious enough, even, to capitalize it! I hold time with friends as more special too, since I don't run over to a friend's house as much now. So in a subtle way, homeschooling has changed my attitude about time, and time with my kids. Mainly, I'm more aware of it.

The Challenge of Putting Together Units

This year both the kids are studying ancient civilizations. Our units are 4-6 weeks long and I let the kids have lots of input in how we study them and what sort of activities they do to learn the material. As I begin preparing for our next unit, ancient India, I am faced with the usual problem: too much information! Google is wonderful; put in "ancient India lesson plans" and I get oodles of links! I begin to get a sense, though, that the information is just a hodgepodge. I appreciate textbooks more now because I think they can give focus to information, directing the learning and reducing the amount of work in putting together all the information.

Speaking of work: it is staggering how much effort it can be to sift through dozens or hundreds of links and decide, yes, let's do that one or no, the kids probably wouldn't be interested in that. We have ILP's that tell us what we "should" be learning about: geography, religions, art, government, architecture, etc. Yet it all has to be woven together in a way that is logical, builds on previous information and is interesting and engaging.

Obviously what I've been doing has some merit: both the kids had no interest in history before we started homeschooling and we even had quite a discussion about it this past summer, with Denver trying to convince me that we not study history. Now they both find history fascinating, or at least worthy of their attention. So even though my lessons are not totally polished and at times are downright messy, something's working. They say motivation is a key factor in learning; what has happened here? I wish I knew. If I did, I could package it and sell it for lots of money!

Bottom line, though, is that in a way this time seems wasted planning elaborate lesson plans because they will only be used once, particularly since both my kids are studying the same thing. A classroom teacher knows that even if they put a lot of work into a plan they will be able to use the material over and over again, benefiting many students over the years. The thing is, there are lesson plans out there, already done, but I have to find and revise them. Homeschooling is very time intensive!

A New Semester Begins....

Yesterday was our first day back after 2 weeks off for Christmas break (and my break from blogging about it!). I was curious how the kids would do: would they get up and get to work? would they complain? would their attitudes be bad? I need not have worried. At 9:00 on the button they were in the cabin working away, same as always. One could never have told that they'd taken two weeks off. They knew their routine and there was no whining, cajoling or bad attitudes. In fact, they seemed happy to be back.

The first day back in school (the brick and mortar type) was always exciting but also stressful for me. I would hear what other kids got for Christmas and vacations they went on. I felt like the underdog. I think homeschooled kids spend a lot less time thinking about and comparing themselves to others, and as a result I think they are more at peace. I suspect for many people there is a nostalgia in school traditions that they are loath to give up; they can't imagine their kids not going through the same things they did, good or bad. But I have to admit, I am happily surprised at how comfortable my kids are with the homeschooling setup, and I am one lucky mom that they are so self-motivated!