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.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
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!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
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!!
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!!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, February 15, 2010
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!
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!
Friday, February 12, 2010
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.
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
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
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!
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!
Monday, February 8, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
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!
Monday, February 1, 2010
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.
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