Second Semester Perks

As Christmas break is coming to an end we are ready to get our second half of the school year started. The main focus is going to continue to be math and reading, but we plan on fitting in as many field trips as sensible to enjoy spring when it comes. We are also going to focus on some engineering and art projects as the cold winter months keep us indoors. 

Back Again

This blog started in May of 2011. I just pulled my three kids out of public school and we were so eager to become a homeschool family. We had ups and downs, we went on awesome field trips and grew together as a family. Then something changed. I got an illness, a very contagious sickness, called the second guesses. I let other people's doubts become my own and when my Mom would tell me how happy her other Grandkids were in public school I would wonder if my kids were happy at home. Despite camping trips, and deep discussions, despite loving the time we had together and growing closer, I wondered if I was making the right choice. After al,l I was struggling with one child in particular with math and spelling. And everyone needed me force them to work daily, in my opinion after a year of homeschooling we should be perfect. So after a year of homeschooling I put my babies back in public school. At first it was great, everyone was excited. We loved the newness of it. Now in May I find myself in the same situation I was in in 2011. I pulled the kids out about a month ago. I have seen my two oldest go from active learners, (yeah I needed to motivate them, but they did enjoy it) to kids who hate to go to school every day because of teachers who don't enjoy their jobs. And the child who struggled with math and spelling fell between the cracks in the classroom because he needed the extra attention that a teacher with thirty other kids just could not give. I am not going to go off on some tirade over the teachers who get paid to yell at children, who come to an elementary school with a chip on their shoulder each day. (although I could go on and on and on) I will simply say that our year back in school makes me resolve to never second guess myself again. I am good at thinking that if two families make different choices one of them is wrong, and I am good at letting people talk me into believing in my own failures simply because they believe the same thing, that if I am homeschooling and they are not then one of us is hurting our children. The truth is my nephews are happy in public school, and my kids are happy being taught by their Mama. There are all types of people and there is not a mold we fit in. So here we go again.  I plan to use the blog as a record keeping devise, as well as a journal because if there is one thing I have learned in homeschooling it is that it can get lonely when there are not a lot of people around you who make the same choice. An online community where I can read other families trials and adventures has saved my spirit many days. That is why I will keep my records public, so maybe I can help a new homeschooling mama, and so people who like to question me can come here and know exactly what my kids are learning. I will go back tonight and type up all the paper records I have kept, then I will try to keep the curriculums I use and things we do as a school posted weekly.

True!

BUSY

Wow  the last few months have been busy. The kids are all officially home schooled. The virtual school thing did not work for us. I want my kids to have a natural education. I feel they will learn more if they can skip a subject on a particular day in order to focus on another subject that fascinates them. For example today Gabe did nearly three hours of Math, and only about twenty minutes of spelling, and thirty minutes of reading, and an hour of history. However last week he spent an entire day cozied up with a book, then wrote a report on it, and practiced expository writing all in one day with only thirty minutes on his math. This, to me, is how real learning happens. Organically, naturally, according to what they are focused on at the time. I am not saying that I would allow them to just skip a subject, but if for a day or two they are into a book, or into a scientific idea, or working through a math chapter, then allowing them to pursue that instead of pushing it to the side in order to do what is expected, seems like the right thing. I am proud of my kids, and although I question my self daily, I think that they are happing, and well educated at home.

Tomorrow I will post a record of what we have been up to these last few months, I have most of it recorded but I need to get it on here. 

Some thoughts...

So far I am not LOVING the virtual school. My reasons include the fact that the boys both no longer look forward to their lessons. My goals are 1) Teach them to THIRST for knowledge. I want them to become life long learners because they love it. and 2) Teach them the skills they will need to do well in college.

So far in the online school their work has become a list of things to do, and they don't have time to delve deeply into things even if they are interested in the lesson, there are so many menial tasks to do each day that it does not seem productive to creative thinking. And despite the menial work I don't see how it will be retained or helpful in college because I am still in college and my classes are nothing like that.

So I am back to square one, will likely be taking the oldest two out soon and return to our original plan of homeschooling. Katie, in kindergarten, loves, LOVES, Loves, the virtual program, she gets to dance to music and play with puppets, I  read to her from the many books they sent, she colors, paints, and has a ball. They nailed kindergarten and it is working out well so I will keep her enrolled not matter what happens with the boys. 

Florida Virtual School.

About a month ago we decided to enroll the kids in Florida Virtual School. The decision was based on the fact that I was afraid of not providing enough curriculum, and of doing it wrong and a million other insecurities that come with the big decision of taking control of my child's education. We may do Florida Virtual for a year or for the remainder of their education depending on how this year goes. Even if we just use is as a bridge between going to a  public school to a home school. Florida Virtual is not considered homeschooling, it is technically considered public school at home. Whatever it is called for me, for now it is the best of both worlds, I have the help of a teacher for each of my kids, all curriculum provided, yet I spend the day with them, teaching and guiding them under the supervision of actual teachers. The schedule is similar to public school, the first day of school is the same and they are required attend 180 days with attendance sheets, hours, and work to show for it. They will also FCAT which is the biggest downside for me, but like I said after this year I may be brave enough to home school without the back up of a public school, or it may be awesome. :)