Finding the Key to Fit the Lock

It has been a bit quiet around here lately as I have been busy preparing to enter deschool mode for the second time, but this time it is with DN, as last week was his last attending public school. He is 15 and in the 10th grade so this situation will be quite different from KM's as he is older and not here full time, but we are hopeful that this will be the direction that leads him to where he needs to be.

When I received the call a few weeks ago requesting that I help file the paperwork for his ed plan, I jumped on it and had it written and ready to be delivered within an hour - I was not letting anyone change their mind! Since then we have been discussing what he wants to learn and where he would like to see himself in the future. We have devised a plan and are finding ways to implement it that will work for him and our unique situation.

When I was deschooling with KM I realized that her retention of facts and information from school was similar to Swiss cheese, with lots and lots of holes, however DN's seems to be just the opposite random bits with little connection between them, so my hope is to string those bits together with meaningful connections. I am looking at like there are all these keys and I just need to find the one that will unlock his mind and engage him. I know I may have to try every last one before I find the one that works, but there has to be one!

As they are only a year apart I had hoped to combine some of KM's and DN's subjects - at the very least science and history, however he has a hard time retaining nearly anything - even simple story lines from his favorite book series - so I am going to have to go down an alternative route for subjects like History, which he claims to detest and with very little knowledge base there is no way that he can keep up with KM in science, but they can do their labs together which was one of our beginning areas this week. They will also be doing Logic & Geography together and will be following similar time lines in history in order to watch movies together.

I helped him set up an account for Khan Academy and he has been blowing through that the past few days, I hope that his enthusiasm holds once he gets to the more challenging areas. He was taking Spanish last year in school and really liked it so he is going to try the Spanish Conversation Demystified  that I had gotten for KM before she decided on French and will supplement using the Mango online through our library network.  So far that is our plan - go with what he is interested in and work from there! I really hope that he is able to embrace this lifestyle and truly learn.

So as I take this journey on again, I realize that I am in a COMPLETELY different place than I was when I did this the first time through with KM. I am going to use all the wisdom and experience that I have accrued over these last four years to help this young man discover how incredible learning really can be! I apologize if it seems as though I am neglecting my blog, but I must focus on other areas at the moment, but will be sure to check back in often with updates on how things are going. WISH US LUCK!!!!

What I am Reading - November - GCKMom

Be sure to check out - The Core – The Perfect Name For This Incredible Book – Official Review

A new MUST read for EVERYONE!!!

You Tube Monday - Conversations I've Had As An Unschooler, pt. 1.

Over the past few weeks You Tube Mondays have been dedicated to comical conversations homeschoolers have had. This will be last in this series, but is one of the best I found!

What I am Reading - August - GCKMom

I have been laughing HYSTERICALLY through the funniest home ed books I have ever read!

"Okay Kids, Time for Bedlam!" is a labor of love. It is the lighter side of life, told byDebbie Harbeson, an average mom who rather unknowingly lobbed herself into the often loopy world of homeschooling.This is what happens to you, when you purposely allow your children to skip school to learn at home... and it's a riot! The whole endeavor, needless to say, has been a learning experience for everyone. And hopefully, a story you all can enjoy from the safety of your own home.

Some of my favorite quotes include :

• "We all watched as a couple of eyeballs rolled past her feet and settled under the porch bench."
• "Yesterday four textbooks made a perfect support for our bike ramps."
• "Melissa sat the cheetah on the cabinet, he dialed the number and the cheetah's belly began to ring."
• The ENTIRE content of Chapter Fifteen - Mother Nature!!!

These are all the things home ed mom's don't want you to find out really go on! Best part Debbie Harbeson has made the entire content of the book downloadable and FREE!!! Take a peek you won't regret it! 

You Tube Monday - Tim Hawkins - Homeschool Comedy & Homeschool Blues Song

Over the past few weeks I have been sharing some of my favorite xtra normal and you tube videos on "homeschooling". This guy is really funny! One more to go next week!

You Tube - Homeschool conversations I really have had part 1

Over the past few weeks I have been sharing some of my favorite xtra normal videos on "homeschooling".

Some of these are freakishly close to conversations that I have had and are always good for a chuckle!

Step away from the curriculum – an alternative view to what curriculum choices can mean

Step away from the curriculum – an alternative view to what curriculum choices can mean

You Tube Monday - PUBLIC SCHOOL PRINCIPAL MEETS SHELLY THE HOME SCHOOL MOM

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing some of my favorite xtra normal videos on "homeschooling".

Some of these are freakishly close to conversations that I have had and are always good for a chuckle!

You Tube Monday - Homeschool Conversation with public school teacher's kid Xtranormal

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing some of my favorite xtra normal videos on "homeschooling".

Some of these are freakishly close to conversations that I have had and are always good for a chuckle!

You Tube Monday - Home Schooling Concerns #1 & #2

2 for 1 this week!

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing some of my favorite xtra normal videos on "homeschooling".

Some of these are freakishly close to conversations that I have had and are always good for a chuckle!

You Tube Monday - we've decided to homeschool

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing some of my favorite xtra normal videos on "homeschooling".
Some of these are freakishly close to conversations that I have had and are always good for a chuckle!

Home Education: Between the Extremes

This video is FABULOUS!
I can't tell you how many conversations I have had to walk away from - IRL and online - when the topics of labels gets brought up. Whether it is educational labels, spiritual labels, nutritional labels - WHATEVER. Why do people have to get so angry when someone makes a choose that is varied from theirs? Why do some people feel compelled to impress their beliefs on others as the one and only path? Why do LABELS have the power to tear apart friendships?

What outcome are you looking for?

I have been speaking to a lot of people recently about the direction that their children's educational paths have been taking. To me, this is an incredibly individualized endeavor that needs to be worked and tweaked to fit each family child. It should be something that is allowed to flow like a river and the child should have the freedom to meander through the twists and turns of life.

One thing that is often forgotten about when one begins down this uncharted path is to really think about what outcome they desire at the end of the journey. This might be something that is really overwhelming for a parent of a four year old to think about - where do I want my child to be in 14 years? - but it really is necessary. I don't mean that you need to pick your child's career or the type of haircut they are going to have. I mean think about the type of person you would like them to be and what attributes you feel are really important for them to be "successful" adults.

I, for one, wish more than anything that I had made the decision to homeschool my daughter when she was younger, however I was at least lucky enough to come to this conclusion before irrevocable damage was done. At 10 my daughter was taken out of 5th grade mid-year and we began our journey. I still had a good amount of time to fix many of the problems that the public school had caused. It has been very interesting since then, we have been on this journey and have taken paths that we never imagined were there.

We started out very much in a "school at home" state, but have evolved over the last 3 years and have moved farther and farther away from the institutionalized mind set. We have moved more towards a system of learning that fits our family. We are fairly happy people around here, but lately we have been evolving again and taking a look at what else we need to change in order to let in more light, love and happiness into our days.

We are taking a few weeks off -from EVERYTHING- in order to really work on ourselves. We will be doing some self-reflection, meditation, yoga and reconnecting with each other. Our lives have gotten so busy and hectic over the last few months and I really feel like we may have wandered a bit farther off our path than I am comfortable with. We are going to focus on what values are truly important to us and what things CJ and I feel are extremely important to convey to our children.

As we take this time to figure out what we want for our future, let us know what types of hopes, wishes and dreams you have for your families!

Some things we have been thinking about lately...

So you might remember the post from just a week or so ago about KM wanting to be more independent and schedule her own week, well she has decided that she doesn't want that responsibility any longer. Personally, I thought she was doing a decent job, but she was feeling a bit overwhelmed by it and really didn't like that she was doing lessons 6 days a week instead of 4. She has asked if we can go back to the previous setup ~ me giving her the weekly list, which is broken up into four days for her ~ but instead of her doing things right off the bat in the morning, she can do them whenever she wants throughout the day. This is TOTALLY fine with me. However she wants to get her lessons done is up to her. She is starting to really understand that she is in charge of her learning.

A few days ago I was asked by a friend what I would do if KM didn't want to do "lessons" anymore and I was a bit taken aback by this one, as I had no idea what I would do and honestly had never thought of it. There have been programs that she has decided that she doesn't want to complete for whatever reason and that is totally fine. However I don't know, for sure, what I would do if she just flat out didn't want to do any of it.

I think that if she really and truly didn't want to do any lesson work, then I would talk to her and see why she felt that way and/or what her plan would be moving forward. As I also mentioned in previous posts, I truly don't feel like you can force anyone to "learn" anything. You might be able to get them to memorize something or test through something, but in order for them to truly absorb, understand and retain it, they have to be invested and interested. I don't think that my feelings on this will ever change.

Having gone to school and having always done work with me over summers and during vacations, it has just always been the norm for her to do academic studies. She really enjoys the programs that we use. She has a huge hand in the decision making process and makes the final picks on what she will be using, as she is the one that has to do it and why would I want to waste money on something that I would have to fight with her to get done. She is even liking the writing workbook that she has been doing - Spectrum Writing, Grade 8 - which is a huge find! She has goals that she has set for herself and now it is my job to help her get to reach those goals. If for some reason she has a change of heart, I will keep an open-mind and work with her in whatever manner she needs me to. 

QOTW: Your Decision to Homeschool

On one of my many yahoo group list subscriptions, a homeschooling mom posts a Question of the Week. Sometimes I respond and sometimes I just giggle at the incoming rhetoric that follows. This week however I couldn't keep my fingers from typing and instead of posting a HUGE response to the list, I sent a shortened version and pasted the rest here!


The QOTW was: What did people first think when you told them your decision to home school?


Here is my response -

I was EXTREMELY fortunate to have a super supportive family, right from the get go! Quite a few of them actually said things like, "What took you so long?" and "I had a feeling this was coming."

Now you might think that is because we have other homeschoolers in our family, but we don't. I didn't even know any homeschoolers and had a hard time at first finding local homeschoolers when I pulled my daughter out of PS - mid 5th grade year. I knew it was the right decision though and my family respects and trusts me enough to know that I know best for my daughter. Since then they have seen that my daughter has changed in incredible ways and hear from her all the wonderful things that she gets do because she is homeschooled.

I did have one sister that said "Are you sure this is the best thing to do?" and still continues to ask me things like "So is she going back to school next year?" but truly 1 out of 7 siblings really isn't that bad.

As far as my friends - especially those that I had made through working and volunteering in the school system - had mixed reactions. Most of them were quietly supportive, NO ONE said that I shouldn't do it. Even her teacher at the time said that she thought it would be a great fit for my daughter.

Some of them, you could tell, were hesitant to say much because I was flat out going against what they were doing, but I tried to stand my ground as PS not being a good fit for MY daughter. I tried to not BASH the system in front of her friends and mine. Once in a while something would slip out, generally the parents would agree with what I was saying and then I would get the onslaught of "I could never be with my child that much," " I don't know how you do it," "I don't have the patience," etc, etc, etc...I am sure you have heard the mantras of the masses.

But as with any other change in lifestyle ~ moving, a new job, having kids, getting a new hobby, ~ your friends change and those that stick by are the ones that you know are the true friends, not just passing acquaintances.

I have also come to find, through this crazy journey, that I have found MORE true friends, that have the same principle values as I do. They cherish their families above all else, enjoy their children, love learning, respect their children, think of how things effect others, and appreciate the little things. Not to say that all homeschoolers are saints, by ANY MEANS, but I don't find myself hesitating to express my opinion as much because I know that it will be respected and not crushed if it is different from others.

For those that get the "You're crazy," "That is the wrong thing to do," "How are you going to homeschool?" responses from people, STAND YOUR GROUND! Only you truly know what is best for your child(ren). Hopefully time will prove them wrong and they will get to see how right you were!

Homeschooling is not for everyone, but for those that take this path it is truly an adventure like no other! Here are some great articles that might help you with responses to some of those kooky questions we all get -

• The Bitter Homeschoolers' Wish List
  
• Extremely Annoying Homeschool Questions
• Annoying Questions People Ask Homeschoolers
• And what about the prom?
• The Most Obnoxious Homeschool Questions
  

Corn Maze Day

We had a fantastic Homeschooling Day at a local Corn Maze yesterday!

First we did the maze!

Then there was a Cow Train - which went a LOT faster than some of the kids were expecting!



Then they had their faces painted! I was amazed that SC sat and let the woman paint on her cheek! SC got a dolphin and KM got cherries!



Next they visited some goats...



and played in a corn box!



We finished off the visit with a Hayride!


Despite it being FREEZING out we had a great time!

Catching up!

So my Internet and phone are FINALLY back online after much aggravation!

Last week was very busy, which is how it always seems to work around here when I want to slow things down a bit!

Here are some of our favorite pics from last week:

We went on a quest that took us through the New England Wildlife Center -

KM felt it had been far too long since a pic of me was taken so here I am -

THE CRAZY LADY HIKING WITH AN INFANT AND A TODDLER! - I must say though Miss SC is quite the trooper and if you put GC in the sling she is happy no matter where we are!

SC started a new dance craze:

KM did some fashion designing this week:

some of the rhinestones didn't iron on quite so well so she improvised with puffy paint!

She had better luck with t-shirt iron-ons though!

There was a dress-up fashion show:

which brought out some interesting characters!

We had a very wet and shorter than expected time camping, but it was SUPER fun!

Take a peek to see what kept us up all night!

We are now in our second week of "vacation" from lessons before we start our fall session and things are just as CRAZY this week!

Please keep your fingers crossed for me that next week TRULY will be a slow week!

Don't know how much I will post, but I will be sure to be back for good after the 28th when we start our Fall Session!

A sense of calm! 1-11-08

So it is a rather dreary morning here, as it is raining and twenty degrees colder than it was yesterday (that's New England for ya!!!) Normally I would already have had two fights with my daughter over what she wears based on the temperature change, one on her taking her medicine and one on the fact that we were running FIVE WHOLE MINUTES LATE!
~~~~However the scene right now at my house is this...I am sitting in my pajamas with a cup of coffee at the computer (obviously) and sitting across from me is my wonderful daughter, in her big fluffy polka dot bathrobe, eating her cereal and working on a puzzle magazine. ~~~~
I really think that the biggest changes I am seeing in our family is that we are running on our own clocks (for the most part) and with our bodies own rythmes. My daughter's whole attitude has changed over the last few weeks. Normally if I were to say that it would be in a negative way, but not this time. There hasn't been very much pouting, no whining, way less argumentativeness (if that is a word?), way more willingness to do chores around the house (sometimes on her own accord even!) and a general sense of happiness and calmness.
Now I am seriously hoping that I have not jinxed myself by actually sending out into the universe our new found sense of calmness, but I just wanted to share because I am really suprised at how quickly things have changed.
Hope everyone has at least a little sense of calm today in their own lives as well!

WHY ARE YOU HOMESCHOOLING? 1/9/08

So I am new to homeschooling as my husband and I recently decided to take our 10 year old daughter out of public school at winter break and begin teaching her at home. This was not something that I decided overnight and yet people are stunned when I tell them the news. The biggest question that I get asked is "WHY ARE YOU HOMESCHOOLING?" Over the last few years I have looked at every sort of schooling out there...public, private, charter, Montesorri, Waldorf, Core Knowledge, you name it I investigated it...and none of them seemed to make sense for our family. Here are just a few of the questions that have floated through our household and helped us make the decision to homeschool our little faerie...What is the point of being able to do 100 multiplication problems in 2 minutes? REALLY what is the point. Statistically speaking if you get the first 20 right you will get the last 80 right. While I am not saying that it is not important to learn multiplication, decimals, fractions and so on, but really in this day and age who does not use a calculator or have a program to figure out the numbers for them.Why is it okay to withhold children's basic rights in order to educate them? Is it really okay for my daughter to be told she can't go to the bathroom until snack time? You must be hungry and thirsty only when it is scheduled in as well, gee how is that healthy. I can see the lawsuits that would be filed if a company tried to tell it's employees they could only go to the bathroom from 10 to 10:15 or 1 to 1:15.If a child gets up and is rushed out the door to be at on the bus for 1 hr., at school for 6 hrs, on the bus again for 1 hr., and doing homework for 3 hrs, and are suppose to sleep for at least 8 - 10 hrs., when exactly do they get to be a kid? If they have to do 3 or more hours of homework afterschool, what are they doing all day. My child IS NOT broken...simple as that. Not all children learn the same way, in fact most people learn different subjects in different ways, as different parts of your brain control information and actions related to different subjects. Until the system that is set up to teach the masses figures out a way to handle and teach the individuals it will continue to be a system that is lacking.When I am asked WHY? it is difficult for me to answer without sounding cocky, rude or totally against the public school system. I assure you I am aware that public school has worked for many children and I want to make sure that people understand that I am not against it. It just is not the right fit for MY daughter.