6 Week Schedule

This summer, I kept flip-flopping between homeschool and regular school. I realized I hadn't really researched all the schools in the area (we have open enrollment and charter schools) so I looked into a Waldorf-inspired charter school and a Montessori-inspired charter school. My biggest hang-up still is this...I will be responsible for my kids' education, until they take it on themselves and go to college (hopefully, they'll take full responsibility before that). But I also was just plain scared to start...for real (my oldest will be 6 this month).

And then I went to a leadership seminar. And the speaker talked about how kids/youth are so well trained in mediocrity and following others. And then I remembered one of my number one reasons for homeschooling: leadership education.

For some of you, you will recognize that it sounds like the Thomas Jefferson Leadership Education. And it does. I've read their 3 books on how to make a leadership education happen in your home. And I want that end result for my kids, too. But I have put them on the shelf for the last few months because I know that I need to teach my children my way.

I respect the leadership education model, especially "teaching" by example, independent learning on the child's part, teaching through classics, holding off on rigorous education until the child's brain is ready for it. But truthfully, I'm not passionate about becoming a Constitutionalist, a Freedom Fighter, or anything else political. And so many of the TJed webinars and classes point somewhere in that direction because they firmly believe (as I take it) that this educational model will produce the next generation of Jeffersons, Adams, and Washingtons to save our country. Not that it's a bad thing. It just isn't my thing (or mission, as a TJed-er would say). So, I'm being my own leader and doing it in my own way.

When I came across the 6 week homeschool schedule, I thought, yeah...this really could work for me (TJed recommends a 3 month schedule, with larger breaks every 6 months to purge your home and reorganize)! 6 weeks on, one week off. I can do this! I can follow a schedule for 6 weeks! I can have a week off to breath, plan, then get back to work again!

I asked my kids what they want to learn about, and both said "Outer Space!" So, it looks like our first 6 weeks will focus on Outer Space. And it looks like I'm headed towards unit studies...

But, that's what homeschool is all about...coming up with ways and revamping them constantly to give our children the education they deserve! (I still think my blog title is relevant...hsing is always an experiment!)

Figuring Out What's Mine

Today I have found myself reflecting. I have observed other children just naturally do and do well. Yesterday at the park, I was observing a 10 year old boy playing with the agility of a seasoned athlete and a 4 year old boy playing catch with his grandpa (or dad?) with much better skill than my 5 year old (I know, I'm comparing and I shouldn't). The other day, I was reading friends' blogs. I enjoyed reading about the things they do with their children...outings, art projects, soccer games, silliness, healthy eating habits, etc. My kids also watched a video on Yahoo! made by a dad and narrated by his pre-schooler that was really cute.

I couldn't help thinking (because I'm always thinking about homeschool...now that it's a part of our life)...am I really giving my kids what they need with homeschool? Are they going to be well rounded?

And when I honestly answer myself, I have to say probably not. And that is something I'll have to continually address. But I can give them ample opportunities to learn what interests them and to participate in activities that interest them. And I can teach them what is Mine. But I have to think about what is Mine because it's hard to obviously see...it's what is a part of me and my learning and my individual intelligence. But it's there...and it's what I naturally gravitate in teaching my children. And my kids are already learning that stuff.

Here is an example of teaching something that is Mine. As my 5yo was climbing into bed (literally, since he sleeps on the top bunk), he started talking about the 3 times the devil tempted Jesus as recorded in Matthew 4. I couldn't remember talking with him about this and I quickly looked at his Primary handout...and it doesn't look like they talked about that today, either, but I decided to roll with it. I wanted to get it right so I pulled out the Bible and paraphrased the story with them...interspersing real scripture phrases with the story. The boys were enthralled!

When I finished, my 4yo asked me to tell the story again! So I retold it in a watered-down version. Then we had a discussion about the devil and how he tries to get us to make wrong choices. We talked about him having no body and never being able to have a body because of his wrong choice...and that he is jealous of our bodies. My 5yo kept asking deep questions like where the devil lives. And my 4yo said how important it is for us to obey Jesus and not Satan (and I heard him telling that to his little sister earlier today, too).

I think that the kids are ready for the whole Plan of Salvation lesson for Family Home Evening tomorrow.

This list is more for me than anything. Things that are mine:
Scripture and religion
Music...playing the piano, flute, guitar, harmonica, recorder, tapping beats
Appreciation of nature through hiking, outdoor exercise, camping, bird watching, observing plants, wading in creeks, playing in the sand...they take it a step further with their fascination in bugs
Geography (we have a world map hanging above our living room couch...it creates a lot of spontaneous teaching moments)
Astronomy (very amateur)
Geology (also very amateur)
Travel (right now we take advantage of close trips...someday, we will hopefully be able to go abroad)
People and cultures, especially Chilean (where I served my mission), Middle Eastern (especially Egypt thanks to The Prince of Egypt and my experience to do a Study Abroad in Jerusalem), and Korean (where my husband served his mission)
Spanish
Literature...right now we're still just reading great children's books
Human anatomy (it's easy when the children are on my level!)
Agency
Responsibility
Baking
Cooking
Reading
Swimming
Soccer/back-yard games (like tag, croquet)
Singing

Hey, that list isn't that bad! It's more well-rounded than I thought! It's just lacking in the things I knew it would...art and math. At least the kids are self-motivated to do art and math doesn't scare me. I just have to make a point of doing those things.

Why Homeschool?

I know...why should I homeschool my kids?
Aren't I already busy enough?
Wouldn't it be great to have a break from the kids every day?
Wouldn't it be nice to leave my children's education up to someone else...so I have one less thing to be responsible about?
Isn't it great to have my children be able to learn from another adult and respect them, too?
Don't I want my kids to have a well-rounded education with emphasis in the arts, music, and physical education in addition to the essentials of literature, writing, science, history, and math?
Don't I want my kids to grow up to be free thinkers--to think for themselves and not just what the parent/teacher says?
Don't I want my kids to live outside of a bubble and learn how to stand up for themselves?

Well, yes. To all of the questions.

I respect public/private school on many levels. They can educate well, when the circumstances are right and the teachers are not just good but great.

I also know that many parents don't leave their childrens' education up to the schools...they go to Kindergarten to help the children read, they are Room Moms, they join PTAs and PTOs, they are the members of the School Boards, they help their kids with homework at home. They work a lot to provide their children a great education. So, to you who send your kids to school, I don't want you thinking that this blog is not to discredit parents who send their kids to school.

And that's what I'm doing...researching my options for the best option for me and my family. And in doing so, I have read several books about educating children--and, here is the pitfall--many of these authors don't believe in the public school system. For different reasons, hence so many books, they believe that children are best educated at home where they can receive more one-on-one instruction and instruction geared toward their personal learning style. (I'll give book reviews later.)

I fell for it. The philosophy of homeschool. And now I'm in a trap. I like public school for many reasons, yet I don't believe in it anymore.

So, here I am homeschooling. And I'll continue to let you in on this adventure of mine.

Beginning the Journey

Recently, I decided to wait to put my oldest into Kindergarten, Male with a birthday in August, until next year. This has proved to be a great decision. With that, I chose not to enroll my second, 3yo male, in a local Joy School. Instead, after lengthy discussions with my husband, we decided to give home schooling a real, legitimate try. This blog is *hopefully* going to be a journal to record my journey. It will hopefully give some direction to others who want to try homeschooling...as they follow my successes and failures.

Homeschooling is a journey---and I'm realizing a long one---and the main reason why I've resisted jumping in. Before, I just felt trapped when I thought that I would be responsible for their education...until college. I fear that all my attention will go to the progress of the older children and that the younger ones and middle ones will be left behind. I fear a lot of things. But now that I have taken the plunge, I'm a lot less scared than I thought I would be!!

So, welcome to my journey...hopefully I'll have the time to share what I learn!