I've been searching the internet for that perfect curriculum. The perfect curriculum that will: teach my children, clean my house, run a home based business, care for my ill child, be a perfect help-meet, all while I vacation in Switzerland.
So far I can't find it. I'm not sure why. I've googled every key word possible.
I get this way. Maybe I'm the only one. Maybe not. I do know that perhaps this time I do need to make some changes in my curriculum. But a curriculum does not make the home school. Mom's attitude makes the home school.
If I stay focused on God and his leading I'll find the way.
God, not google.
Tuesday
Wednesday
Schedules... Again
We are on Holiday break. It came at a perfect time- the kids have been passing a virus around. What's more fun than being sick when on vacation, even if it is just a vacation at home?
This Fall was not a stellar semester of school. In fact I would give myself low scores as a mom in general, much less as a home school mom. I spent too much time feeling overwhelmed and under motivated.
The culprit? I allowed too many activities to overwhelm our routine. So what if everything we do is worth-while? If it is too much to do, then none of it ends up being done in a worth-while manner. Not to mention that when life gets too hectic, toddler-training takes the back seat to expediency.
I'm back in the saddle again and thinking about next semester. I've already cut out some time (and money) sucking commitments.
This Fall was not a stellar semester of school. In fact I would give myself low scores as a mom in general, much less as a home school mom. I spent too much time feeling overwhelmed and under motivated.
The culprit? I allowed too many activities to overwhelm our routine. So what if everything we do is worth-while? If it is too much to do, then none of it ends up being done in a worth-while manner. Not to mention that when life gets too hectic, toddler-training takes the back seat to expediency.
I'm back in the saddle again and thinking about next semester. I've already cut out some time (and money) sucking commitments.
- We are taking a semester break from band. The kids will continue their music lessons, just not the home school band organization.
- My senior is not taking a dual enrollment class next semester.
- I'm dropping my Thursday night church church group.
- I'm only buying from the whole-foods coop every other month.
These may sound like small things but added together and then subtracted from my life they add up to a bunch more time to be, well, to be an actual mom.
Maybe even a sane, fun mom, one who loves to learn with her children.
Thursday
Dual Enrollment- Lessons Learned
In Tennessee a home schooled junior or senior in high school can take college classes for either college credit or dual credit. Scholarships are available to help cover the cost.
My oldest child is a senior this year and takes his first college final exam on Monday. He's learned a lot of college level math and I've learned a lot about home schooling high school students. Everything he's learned is way above my head but I thought I'd share what I've learned:
1. Colleges usually require an SAT or ACT score to apply to take dual enrollment courses- so plan ahead.
My oldest child is a senior this year and takes his first college final exam on Monday. He's learned a lot of college level math and I've learned a lot about home schooling high school students. Everything he's learned is way above my head but I thought I'd share what I've learned:
1. Colleges usually require an SAT or ACT score to apply to take dual enrollment courses- so plan ahead.
2. A dual enrollment scholarship is a breeze to apply for online, and is a breeze to get.
3. Most community colleges are also a breeze to apply to online.
4. Your umbrella school may require you to fax copies of your grandmother to set up the dual enrollment, so plan ahead to leave time for registering for actual classes.
5. Your umbrella school may rather arbitrarily decide not to allow dual credit for the class your child wants to take, but that does not mean your child cannot get college credit. Once again, plan ahead.
6. When figuring the cost of the class don't forget to figure in expensive college texts and possibly required computer software.
7. When figuring cost of the class don't forget to budget commuting costs. Oops, my bad.
8. When scheduling classes don't forget that parking on most college classes requires a lot of walking- which greatly adds to time spent commuting.
9. Keep in mind that some college scholarships will not be available to students with too many dual enrollment hours. The reasoning behind this escapes me. Our reasearch indicated that you only start running into problems if your child has upward of 9-12 credit hours of dual enrollment.
10. Letting my son figure out how to not study well, helped him to learn a lot about how to study.
4. Your umbrella school may require you to fax copies of your grandmother to set up the dual enrollment, so plan ahead to leave time for registering for actual classes.
5. Your umbrella school may rather arbitrarily decide not to allow dual credit for the class your child wants to take, but that does not mean your child cannot get college credit. Once again, plan ahead.
6. When figuring the cost of the class don't forget to figure in expensive college texts and possibly required computer software.
7. When figuring cost of the class don't forget to budget commuting costs. Oops, my bad.
8. When scheduling classes don't forget that parking on most college classes requires a lot of walking- which greatly adds to time spent commuting.
9. Keep in mind that some college scholarships will not be available to students with too many dual enrollment hours. The reasoning behind this escapes me. Our reasearch indicated that you only start running into problems if your child has upward of 9-12 credit hours of dual enrollment.
10. Letting my son figure out how to not study well, helped him to learn a lot about how to study.
This is part of Thirsty Thursdays at Five J's
Wednesday
Super No Va
Or, Poetry for the Sleep Deprived
Motivation
Mo' vacation please?
Motive shunning, shirking notice of mental relocation.
Motivation.
Where's the sense of my vocation?
Motive shrinking, shrieking gone, chased by mote sleep's ration.
Motivation
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