MI-OR-IDA-CO Minitaters

Nov. 19, 2008

The Learning Never Stops....

So here I am thinking I can wind down and enjoy the holidays then dive right into next semester....OOOPS I haven't developed next semester yet. What was I daydreaming about....

The kids are having trouble with their current curriculum. Not unusual. When you school year round (as most of us know) they get bored easily if you cannot keep their attention. Self study doesn't keep their attention for more than six weeks so now it's time to pull out the old "interactive learning" techniques.

I'm clueless....... Not meaning that I don't know how, I'm just running out of ideas. With six of them you are bound to repeat occasionally but I'm up against a dead end wall here. So I cowered down and ask the kids what they were interested (here's me cringing with one eye open).... "What would you kids like to study"?

Guess what they came up with this time? Ancient Civilizations.....(Rome, Greece, Inca's, Aztec's, Mayan's and the Vikings). Apparently they're tired of American History.

This has been an interesting couple of days, research, lesson planning, printing, pulling my hair out. Yep typical vacation month. Any outsider (meaning non-homeschooler), who's ever said that home school parents need to have a teaching certificate apparently have never had to develop, research, teach and grade their kids homework.

I must say though, I've learned a lot about a couple of my favorite places in South America. I'm learning with them and that can never be a bad thing. I hope they have fun with this Unit Study.

On the flip side I've had a couple of rough days too. Lately I feel that those that I have always considered my close personal friends find fault with everything I do. My best friend criticized my teaching in front of my kids. I have always encouraged those around me to correct me if I'm wrong so that I'm not passing on false information. However in this instance my friend was mistaken about the concept of the topic being discussed. When I tried to explain the difference between the conceptual class and an actual account class she tuned me out. After she left I discussed with the children the differences in points both of us were trying to make, the kids respectfully requested that we not invite any more visitors to class. Had she been there for all of the class discussions there would have been no misunderstanding, but she chose to only come once in a while.

Later that evening she had her husband call me to tell me just how wrong I was about the actual account. I was dumbfounded and it started me to question about whether or not I was doing the right thing with my kids. I realized later that I was taking it all too personally and that as long as I keep the lines of communication open with my kids there won't be any misunderstandings with them. And they are my importance.

On more than one occasion this week during my time of self questioning, God has provided me with the answers. Obviously he didn't speak to me directly, but the chain of events later in the week proved to me that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I'll not question that again.

Well, I need to get back to the Inca's.

Have a good Thanksgiving next week.

~jaimers~

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Sep. 3, 2008

Freebies and Free Time!

Posted in Schooling or Unschooling

Homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com has some great stuff let me tell you. A couple of weeks ago they did a .pdf book called "Grammar Land". The kids love it!

Originally published in 1878 by Henry Holt and Company, it was written by M.L. Nesbitt under the original title of "Grammar in Fun for the Children of Schoolroom-Shire".

Currently I am teaching with A2 (Accelerated Achievement) and we are using the McGuffy reader's. I like them because all four of my elementary school kids like the stories and understand the teaching method. Grammar Land was written in the same style as the McGuffy's so the kids really enjoy it.

Put with that the Sentence Building Cards (nouns, pronouns, etc) and you have your basis for an in depth English Grammar teaching tool.

I liken Grammar Land also to John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress". Reason being is that in the subject of the lessons we are trying to teach become character's in the stories themselves.

Understandably because this was written in a time where they didn't shelter children from harsh realities, I encourage you to read it first as a parent and decide if the story subject is something your child can comprehend.

Let me know if you like it.

~jaimers~

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