Ocean

This is a short blog post because I am, well, at the ocean. We try to get to one beach or another yearly. I am hoping to catch some of you there or ready to take your vacations in the last few weeks before school begins. I know many homeschoolers will be visiting the beach once school does begin. A homeschooler friend’s first day of school pics were always kids playing at the beach.

While playing and relaxing you can still sneak in learning without your children even realizing. Games of eye spy an encourage children to pay attention to the world around them. Slip a sketch book into your suitcase and save it for a rainy day, or when the kids need some time out of the sun. They can draw pictures of the sea shells they have found or of the scenery around them. This is a wonderful way for children to practice fine motor and drawing skills while paying attention to detail and understanding more about the world around them. This activity could be fun for all ages.

If you plan ahead, you can print out the following free resources from TPT and and have them ready incase you have a rainy day at the ocean while still keeping with a beach theme. These are ideal for younger learners preschool through kindergarten.

puzzles

counting

Overall, relax and have fun. Take advantage of the natural calming effect of the ocean. Relax and enjoy your family before the hustle and bustle of the school year begins.

Growing, Changing, Still Learning

It’s been while…but I’d like to bring this back! Please join me!

The children who originally inspired this blog have grown quickly, too quickly. One is off to college next month and the other is a very independent teen entering her high school years. I have returned to teaching in the public school setting. I started as a virtual teacher for an elementary cross-category special education class. Then things significantly changed last year when I returned to brick-and-mortar as a learning support teacher for students in kindergarten-3rd grades. Up next, I requested a transfer to be an early childhood special education teacher when we return to school in August. Fortunately, my husband is working from home which helps us to continue homeschooling.

A homeschooler who teaches in a public school? A public school teacher who homeschools her children? Yes, that’s right. I am so glad we live in a country where we can make educational decisions for our own families! Aren’t you?

I continue to learn as I take on these new roles and have some ideas you may find helpful. Whether you are involved parents helping with homework or supplementing what your children are learning, maybe you are the main teacher, homeschooling your own children or teaching in a classroom. I hope our varying experiences can help and encourage each other as we continue to grow, change, and learn.

(Image from brgfx on freepik)

Learning to Stay Home

Well, we’ve been told to “Stay at Home” for over a month now due to COVID-19.  I have a daughter with asthma, so my family chose to gradually start this without the governor’s or president’s directions.  The first official week was hard, but it seemed to make it a bit easier on my children when they realized their friends were now staying at home, too.

Overall, I think we’ve been doing okay with it all.  We have mostly good days. I’ve had a couple of rough days, not bad days, but not-so-good days.  One was, I think, a drowsy effect from allergy medicine and just earlier this week I had trouble feeling motivated in the morning.  I really felt like I was in the Ground Hog Day movie as I was pushing myself  out of bed. Now academic co ops will be online for the remainder of the school year, most stores are still closed, and our lives are simply different and we don’t know for how long.  There are days that I just don’t want to do another household chore.  I want to go in a store to sniff candles or perfumes.  I want to walk around downtown while my daughters are in ballet and stop in a coffee shop.  I want to make an appointment to get my hair trimmed, maybe in face framing layers.  I want to get my new contacts and glasses from my optometry appointment on March 1st.

It’s when I’m having a gloomier day that I have decided to remind myself to focus on the good things and count my blessings.  My family has been healthy and my husband is still working.  In addition to almost appreciating the break from being a taxi driver for my active children, I have found several other positive things about spending more time at home.

1.  Better rest.  I seem to sleep better when I’m not worried about getting up to my alarm to get my daughter to her co op classes on time.  I still wake up at the same time, but I have better rest through the night.
2. Tidy book shelves.  We have a book shelf that was in disarray for a long time.  It was  still the home to games and books the children have not used in three to five years.  I finally took an afternoon and discarded the old items, had one daughter put yarn yarn in bins, and I re-organized the shelves for school books.  Now that we aren’t rushing to put books away to leave the house for the next activity, they are taking their time to put their books away neatly.
3. Organized plastic ware cupboard.  It has been a disaster for YEARS!  I’m honestly not sure if much has been done with it since we moved in over ten years ago.  One day after lunch, I sat on the kitchen floor, opened the cupboard door and got busy.  We have decided to discard most plastic food storage items due the the toxicity, so it was just a matter of gathering the old things and making a couple of trips out to our recycling bin.  I kept a few in case they are needed for packed lunches or to send leftovers with guests.  I shelved our new glass storage ware in an organized manner which will be easy for my children to maintain when they are putting dishes away.  This project which was several years overdue only took FIFTEEN MINUTES!
4. Time to sew.  My youngest has been asking me to teach her to sew for several months now and my excuse had always been that we need a good chunk of time.  The first weekend of all this she reminded me that we have a good chunk of time as she cleaned off her desk to make a nice sewing area.  I brought my sewing machine out of the closet, threaded it, and it jammed when I tried a few practice stitches before my attempt to teach her.  We have more time to sew when I find the motivation to figure it out again.  I must do that soon.
5. Time to paint.  The first weekend I placed an online order from Hobby Lobby for canvases, acrylic paints, and brushes.  A week later when they arrived my kitchen table was occupied for three days as my daughters revisited their inner artists.  I thoroughly enjoy the finished products.
6. Daily talks with Mom.  I have always talked to my mom two or three times a week, but with this new lifestyle we have I look forward to calling my mom everyday. I’m extremely grateful for my brothers and their wives who live near her and are making sure she has groceries and is well.  I know she is grateful, too.
7. Walks with my husband.  My husband is fortunate to still be working and two days he gets to work from home.  We go for two mile walks a few days a week.  This is something we haven’t done in years.  I really savor this time with him as we walk, talk, and reconnect.  I hope this becomes a new normal for us. 

I don’t know when things will get back to normal, or the “new normal” as it may be, but I assume it will be a gradual return.  In the meantime, I will try not to focus on the things I miss, rather I will savor this time and what I like about being at home.

 

 

Suddenly Schooling at Home

At this point on Saturday March 14, 2020 many, if not most, of you find yourselves with your children home from school for at least 2 weeks.  For some, this may be part of a scheduled spring break, but for others this is just time (necessary and somewhat unexpected time) away from their classrooms.  As a former teacher and current homeschool mom I have just a few ideas for how to keep your children academically engaged until they get back to school.

General Routine

Give the kids a day or two to enjoy the break and adjust to the changes happening in our country, while letting them know this is a short break and they will have some expectations as of Tuesday or day of your choice. This also gives you time to gather your thoughts, ideas, and activities.

-Follow a certain wake-up time range daily

-Kids may enjoy the perk of doing academics in their jammies so maybe let them for an hour or so, but have a “must be dressed by time” because too much time in jammies for too many days in a row may lead to the blahs for your child.

-Don’t follow a typical bell schedule, but do follow a routine.  I’ve tried the school classroom schedule at home approach and it was not fun for any of us.

-Specify a certain time for recreational phone/pad/computer use.

Learning Activities at Home

First, if your child’s teacher has sent any assignments or has a website check that first and complete any assigned work.  One student sitting at the kitchen table or family room completes work much faster than 30 students sitting in the same classroom, not to mention the time you have when they would have been at after school activities, so you will have plenty of time left in your day to provide some structure.  You can use the ideas below to give your child assignments, have them read the list and pick assignments, or cut each one out, fold it, place it in a jar and each day have your child pick a new activity.  You know your child best and you know how they will most positively respond to your approach to introducing the activities.

• Science:  Let your child pick a topic they have studied this year in school and dive deeper into it by using books and internet research.  Prepare a poster, paper, or powerpoint presentation about the topic.
• Science:  Have them do an internet search for “kitchen science” and have some fun experimenting at home. (Be sure you have baking soda!)
• History: Let your child pick a favorite historical person and research more about their life.  They can write a research paper, a play , or monologue.  Help them find clothing around the house and dress up as the character to share their research with family and/or make a video to send to friends.
• History: Pick a time period and location to research about.  Have them make a MineCraft community based on the research.  Or, if you have plenty of Legos, have them build the community with those.  If they stay interested, try both!
• Writing:  Have children write a daily journal.  They can write about their choice of topic, or you will find daily journal topics by searching their specific grade range and journal topic ideas, pick a PDF to print out and glue in a notebook.
• Writing: Grow a story.  Find a story starter or make up your own and have each child and family member add a sentence to the story.  (It may get silly and that’s fine and fun!)  Or, if it’s an only child they can add a sentence to their story each day.
• Math:  Do you have a driveway or sidewalk? Grab some sidewalk chalk when you make your next run to the grocery store for necessities.  Use previous work sheets from school or their math textbook if it is home and write out some review problems to complete outside.
• Math:  Hide a couple of measuring cups or measuring spoons and have your kids bake cookies.  They’ll need to use fraction and equivalent skills to measure out correct amount of ingredients.
• Seasonal:  On Tuesday March 17th learn more about St. Patrick and Ireland.  Make a travel brochure.  Bake some soda bread.  Plan a green lunch.  Listen to traditional Irish music by The Chieftains or The Clancy Brothers  (maybe mix in The Cranberries or U2).  YouTube Irish Dancing and maybe try a few steps at home.
• Life Skills:  In addition to baking fun, have students plan and prepare a well-balanced lunch for the family.  The next week they can be challenged by planning and preparing a well-balanced dinner.  (Depending on age, maybe they just prepare a side dish toward the dinner.  If you have more than one child have each child select and prepare a side dish.)
• Read a few books.

Take advantage of modern technology to keep some sort of community learning experience.  Children can FaceTime with friends as they are doing some activities, though that may get distracting.  As mentioned above, children can prepare final presentations and exchange videos with friends and family.   (A caution to parents to monitor the video exchanges.)

Most of the ideas can be used for any grade level, but please comment with a question if you need suggestions for adapting anything to fit your needs.

Overall…. stay home, stay well, and have fun learning together!

 

 

 

 

 

Homeschool Changes

Are you ready for the new school year?  New school years often come with changes, even for homeschoolers.  Perhaps you’re changing curriculum, trying a new activity, or maybe changing co-ops. Maybe your kids are venturing out to public school.  Whatever changes you’re making, I’m sure they were decided with the best intentions for your children in mind.  Others may judge your decisions, but be sure to prayerfully do what is best for you and your family no matter what others say.  Even still, changes can be difficult.

Last year we changed from a group we had been with for eight years.  I had considered the change in other years, but last year I just knew it was best academically for my children.  We don’t have any regrets, but we do have some lessons learned that I’d like to share:

1.  You’ll likely lose some friends.  It was hard for both my daughters and me to miss the people we had been growing with for the past several years.  Just because we weren’t at their weekly meeting days doesn’t mean we didn’t care about them. My girls aren’t on Facebook, so they lost complete touch with many families.  I tried a get-together or two in the form of a small math games group, but it didn’t stick.  I have two or three moms from the other group with whom I have stayed in touch.  We all have active kids and it’s hard to make time, yet a simple text let’s someone know you are important to them until you are able to see them again.
2. It may take effort at your new group to get to know people.  Arrive early and give yourself time to stay a little late.  As the mom, get involved and volunteer with the new group. My daughters have told me that they feel more connected if I am more involved.
3. Give it time.  You’ll definitely need a full semester to decide if it’s a good fit.  A child may feel they don’t like something just because their best friend isn’t there.  Yes, friends are important, but remind them they can focus on what they are learning and make an effort to make new friends.  Be sure to help them stay in touch with the friends they are missing.
4. Keep some constants.  While we changed co-ops, my daughters still had the same dance schools.  They really enjoy their time with their dance teachers and dance friends.  I would suggest that you don’t make too many changes at once.  (Well, unless your family is relocating of course.)
5. Focus on the positives.  “Instead of staying in one room, we get to change classrooms.”  “We get new books to use.”  “We get to learn how to follow a syllabus.”  etc.  Let your kids honestly mention any negatives they are experiencing, but don’t dwell on them.  Help them look for the positive aspects of their new environment.

Yes, change is inevitable.  Even after last year’s change we made an academic change for my oldest again this year.  They both have made a change by stopping an activity they once loved and participated in for nine years. I have a friend, who has been fighting cancer, and is in the middle of the change to send her girls to public school so she can focus on her health.  Whatever changes you are making, for whatever reasons you are making them, I’m confident that you have given it prayerful thought and consideration.  Bravely face your changes and have a wonderful school year!

Learn Something New

Well, we’re almost half way through January.  Did you make a new year resolution?  How’s it going?  Have you kept your new year resolution?  I have no intentions to cause feelings of guilt or shame as I didn’t even make a resolution! I tried to do the word thing.  You know, come up with one word to live by for the year.  I didn’t get far with that because I couldn’t think of a word.  A few days into January, however, I did come up with a phrase. Inspired by my mother, who is 80 years old and has just started taking swimming lessons in the past year, I’ve decided on a phrase for 2019 which is “Learn Something New”.

Each month I will learn something new which I have not done before.  I actually decided this would be a monthly endeavor as my daughter was teaching me how to knit.  While my girls were using their Hobby Lobby gift cards, I picked out this pretty, soft, ballet pink yarn to make myself a scarf.  As you will see in the photos, I’m trying something new, not trying to PERFECT something new.  I’ve been enjoying knitting this month and even bought another color of yarn as I anticipate some snow days and extra time for knitting.

I’m making myself a list of the months and ideas of what I will try each month. I’m blogging about it because I think it’s a wonderful idea to share, and maybe I’m searching for some suggestions and accountability. (Also, I haven’t blogged in a very long time and this is very fitting with the title of my blog.)

January- knitting

February-  lettering or calligraphy

March- learn a beginner Reel or Jig

April- geocaching

May-

June-

July- paddle boarding

August-

September-

October-quilt sampler

November-

December- Make Ukranian Origami Stars

Feel free to make suggestions of new things for me to learn in 2019, or join me in this modified resolution to learn something new!

An Elementary Intro to Shakespeare

Provide an early introduction to Shakespeare when your children are young and they are likely to learn more deeply and efficiently when they meet him again in high school literature. Teaching Shakespeare early may seem daunting, but don’t worry. As classical educators we merely begin a brain file now and then as the children mature more information is learned and stored in that file. Some ways to include Shakespeare in an elementary curriculum include memorization, literature and real life theater experiences.

Memorization

How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig is a book for parents to use as they teach even the youngest children passages from famous Shakespeare plays. You can provide your children with rich language experiences, exposure to quality literature and the joy of success as they recite lines of the Renaissance Period. Consider this book to grow with your child, or to be family friendly for students at of various ages, as it advances from memorization to further explanations and helps students to understand the writing of Shakespeare.

Literature

Young Readers can enjoy the plots of Shakespeare’s written works in modified versions appropriate for their age. Illustrated Stories from Shakespeare by Usborne is a good choice. I have dancers, so Ella Bella Ballerina and A Mid Summer Night’s Dream is a favorite. Also, introduce different genres to your new readers with the Who Was William Shakespeare? biography from the Who Was series of young chapter books. DK’s Eyewitness Shakespeare is a biography enriched with visuals and detailed pictures.

 

Theater

While it may not always coordinate with the schedule of your studies, look for local schools performing plays or ballets. You may want to inquire if they have a children’s day. They are often a lower price if your group is big enough and they may provide additional educational discussions before or after the production. You could do this after your reading and memorization to provide more meaning to their work, or it could be the kick 0ff as a motivation for new studies.

You can use these resources and suggestions within your History and Language Arts programming, or make it a summer unit. Whichever you choose, relax and enjoy getting acquainted with William Shakespeare.

Staying Balanced

We are well into January 2017 and I’m happy to say I’ve been creating a more balanced schedule for my little family.  Not only do I verbalize that our priorities are God and family,  we are walking in it day to day so far this year.

It tends to happen every fall that we become consumed with our outside activities as the girls prepare for The Nutcracker and Southern Region Oireachtas (a regional Irish Dance competition).  One of the dance schools is an hour and a half commute so in addition to practice time, add three hours to every time we go, which had been 3-4 times per week, 15-20 hours per week including several Sundays.  The time spent being an Irish dance mom is equivalent to a part time job! The fall spins and spins until we have 3 weekends in a row of big events in December:  Oireachtas, then The Nutcracker and then a piano recital.  Becoming concerned that by supporting their involvement in these activities I was warping their Christmas memories, I suggested to the girls that next year we not participate, instead just relax all of December and see if we like it.  They rebounded with a unison,  “No!  These are part of our Christmas traditions!”   The week of Christmas and New Year we do slow down to reflect on our Savior’s birth with other traditions and enjoy times with family.   To be honest I can’t imagine going a year without The Nutcracker or hearing them prepare for the Christmas piano recital, and, my daughter has worked so hard over the years in Irish dance and is on the verge of making a goal that I can’t take it away from her now.

However, Christmas break and quality time at home helped me to recognize how far I had let us stray from keeping our family priorities.   As I started making our January activity schedule, I focused with two things in mind – God and family.

I know there is more to being a Christian than attending church and I can understand missing occasionally, but missing was becoming the norm rather than the exception for us this past fall. We will not be missing church or relying on their online video service,  when we only live 20 minutes away, to make sure a daughter can attend a required practice.

Having lost my father at an early age, I can’t purposely keep my girls from spending quality time with their dad as they grow.  Research has shown benefits to eating nightly family dinners.  While due to his work schedule we can’t do it every night, we will eat together more often than not.  We will not be out at activities while my loving husband, their devoted father, is home alone eating dinner.

Will this negatively impact their achievement level in activities?  I don’t know.  Time will tell.  (There are benefits and life lessons to be gained their chosen arts, but that’s a topic for another time.)  I do know that years from now if I have a Sugar Plum Fairy or a Championship dancer, it means nothing if they have not grown closer to God or if they have missed out on sharing their daily lives and routines with their Dad.

Please wish me well as the year continues.  I know next fall will come and I may have to say no to extra team activities due to scheduling concerns.  I know there will be times I’ll need to be a little more flexible,  but overall, I’ll need to keep the big picture in mind and stay balanced.

 

Do Something Great

It was mid-Christmas day, my husband and I were sitting together on the love seat in the tree room while he was setting up my new MacBook and he whispered to me, “Do something great.”  Simultaneously, our youngest skipped into the room unknowingly interrupting and started telling us how she was going to program her new robot to dance.  We both joined her conversation, watched the robot dance, and nothing was ever again mentioned about me doing something great with my new laptop.

Yet, I’ve been thinking about it ever since.  He met me when I was doing my part to make the world better place by teaching in schools for children who had severe behavior challenges and taking classes towards my master’s degree.  The year we met I was awarded Teacher of the Year at our school and a couple of years later completed my master’s degree.  Several years after that, early in our marriage, I became a special education coordinator and helped to open a new school in the county.   During that season in my life I felt that I was doing great things.

Currently, as a stay at home-homeschooling mom my efforts are focused on our daughters’ academics and activities, preparing healthy meals, doing laundry, and then keeping a neat house. They were listed in order of importance (to me).  I’m often driving my girls to activities so you can imagine everything doesn’t get done.   And, I admit I tend to dwindle the little time I do have for myself on social media.  I’m doing things, but not sure how great they are.  The girls are doing and learning great things.

My husband is fully supportive of homeschooling.  In fact, it was his idea.  I know he is pleased with what the children are learning.  I know he recognizes the importance of their activities outside of the home.  I think he also recognizes that I have more to share as an individual.  His whisper was motivation to discover and develop my personal strengths again.    While he knows that my time and energy are poured into our girls (not so much the house, but he is usually patient about that); I think he sees that I have put my own learning, activities and striving for personal success on the back burner.

I’m  not sharing this to make a declaration of a new me, but to encourage myself and some of you who may be in a similar position of focusing so much on our children that we are losing ourselves. Who will join me?  We can still prioritize efforts on our children and their education, but let’s be sure to make time for our own interests and learning.   What better time than the ending of one year and entering a new one to do some personal goal setting?  Isn’t a new year a great time to take some steps to learn something new or return to a previous passion?   Wouldn’t it set a wonderful example of lifelong learning for our children?  I have no idea yet what it will be, but I’m going to carve out some time, weekly or daily, for myself this year and do something great.

Children First

I started learning about person first language as a freshman in college.  As a special education major we were immediately trained to look at the child as an individual, not as a label or disability.  Instead of using the words “the autistic boy”, it is respectful to say, “the boy with autism.”   Or, instead of saying the “emotionally disturbed girl”, one should say “the girl needs emotional support”.   I embraced the concept immediately and used person first language throughout my career.

Yet, as a parent I realize I haven’t been giving my own children the same respect.  If I look back at Facebook posts I see I have referred to my daughters as my Irish Dancer, my ballerina, my quiet girl, my artist, my little scientist, my musicians, etc.  Are they positive?  Yes.  Are they hurtful?  No.  Is it necessary?  No.  Is it detrimental?  Maybe.   I have labeled my young children based on their gifts and interests.  At times, it seems I forget that they are not the product of their activities and accomplishments, but they are my children.  They are individual people first, who happen to enjoy dance, piano, ballet, art, science, and so much more.  They also enjoy playing and occasionally bickering with each other.  They are children first.

What if they begin to identify themselves as one of the labels I have used?  What if they experience a setback or a failure?  What if their interests change,  or something happens and they are not feeling they are living the label?  Maybe they will feel unsuccessful.  Maybe they will feel that they have not lived up to expectations.  Maybe they will struggle to know what their true qualities are if they do not fit the label I have used for them. I would like to think that they are strong  and resilient enough that these concerns are irrelevant and the words would not negatively impact them.  But, if person first language was deemed important enough to learn as an education major in college, I think it is important enough to at least consider as a parent.  I will continue to cheer, support, encourage (and chauffeur) my daughters in their various interests, however, I must try to remember that they are children first!