Having been a former elementary school teacher, it was stressed to us to present the material to our students in the ways that worked best for them. This may seem to be a "no-brainer" on an individual basis; however, in a classroom this was no easy task. Everyone has a different learning style and I found it so interesting as well as useful when, after teaching a lesson, a student may approach me privately and tell me they didn't understand it. Based on the way they learn best, according to their learning style, I was able to help the student in an individualized and personal manner, in their own learning style.
Totally confused? Don't be. http://www.metamath.com/lsweb/dvclearn.htm is the website I have used to best explain the concept.
Your learning style is the way you prefer to learn. It doesn't have anything to do with how intelligent you are or what skills you have learned. It has to do with how your brain works most efficiently to learn new information. Your learning style has been with you since you were born.
There's no such thing as a "good" learning style or a "bad" learning style. Success comes with many different learning styles. There is no "right" approach to learning. We all have our own particular way of learning new information. The important thing is to be aware of the nature of your learning style. If you are aware of how your brain best learns, you have a better chance of studying in a way that will pay off when it's time to take that dreaded exam.
Visual, Auditory, or Tactile/ Kinesthetic Learner.
To get you started thinking about your learning style, think about the way in which you remember a phone number. Do you see, in your mind's eye, how the numbers look on the phone? Or can you "see" the number on that piece of paper, picturing it exactly as you wrote it down? You might be a Visual Learner. Or, perhaps you can "hear" the number in the way that someone recited it to you. In this case, you might be an Auditory Learner. If you "let your fingers do the walking" on the phone, i.e. your fingers dial the number without looking at the phone, you may be a Tactile/ Kinesthetic Learner.
This way of looking at learning style uses the different channels of perception (seeing, hearing, touching/moving) as its model. This is a somewhat simplistic view of a very complicated subject (the human brain). However, looking at learning style from a perceptual point of view is a useful place to begin.
Match Your Learning Style and Strategies
While there is no "good" or "bad" learning style, there can be a good or bad match between the way you best learn and the way a particular course is taught. Suppose you are a Visual Learner enrolled in a traditional lecture course. You feel that the instructor drones on for hours and you can't pay attention or stay interested in the class. There's a mismatch here between your learning style and the instructional environment of the class. As soon as you understand this mismatch, you can find ways to adapt your style to ensure your success in the class. You might start tape recording the lectures so that you don't have to worry about missing important information. You might decide to draw diagrams that illustrate the ideas being presented in lecture. You might go to the Media Center and check out a video to help provide some additional information on course material you're not sure about. What you're doing is developing learning strategies that work for you because they are based on your knowledge of your own learning style.
Parents: Learning styles can best be applied in so many ways. Our children have a way that they best learn, and no matter what idea we are trying to get across to them, if we get that blank stare that kids can often give ;) before frustration hits all of us, think if we are communicating according to the way that they will best understand. It is so difficult to be in a situation, whether child or adult, where you are so lost that you don't even know what questions to ask! (been there!) Sometimes it's simple enough to fix just by changing the way you may present it. As teachers, we had to make sure, also, that we did not present things only in OUR learning style. The student is first, and it's easy to slip back into our own comfort zone. The same with our children.
Homeschooling and teachers: Teens, kids, adults all have a learning style. Do you find that you need to take copious notes? Do you learn best by listening? Combination of both? Do you need an experiment to make your science lesson come to life? Do you need an experiment to be done before you feel comfortable teaching? ALL different styles of learning and presenting.
I recommend all of us take the learning survey. If you are homeschooling, find out your child's learning style, as well as your own! Use them together so that your child can better understand your style as well. After all, we know he/she will not encounter people that only have their learning style. But to recognize it and be aware is enlightening for all. So on your leisure time (what?? ;) go to the website and enjoy finding out the ways your child best expresses herself. From early homeschool through teens, it can all be applied. Find your style also. Enjoy, and learn while knowing the style of those you live with, work with, and/or present to.
By the way: Before 50, that glazed look of one of my children might have driven me up one side of the wall and down the other (hah!) and now I can work with situations more effectively in dealing with them in the way that would better work for them. It doesn't come over night, but it works!
Denise
Showing posts with label homeschooling teens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeschooling teens. Show all posts
Another After 50 Lesson
Before 50, I seemed to be needing to just be on the move constantly. This could be literally or even in my head. Everything was racing. Now, things are calmer, even when I have the weight of the world on my shoulders with 1000 things to accomplish all at the same time. The world still goes on, and the sun still rises and sets. This simple concept has helped me listen better as well; yet, occasionally I miss something. When I do, it hits me and I can take time and think about what happened and go on. As Winston Churchill said "he who does not learn from the past is doomed to repeat it." I don't want to be in that category and probably won't because I tend to go to extremes in trying to figure out what happened.
In attempting to learn from the past with homeschooling, I asked both of my children what changes they would like to see in school as well as anything my husband or I may be able to change. They're teenagers, so I know upon asking this I am tempted to shrink in a corner ;) but I must stand tall. To my surprise, my oldest shocked me. (actually that, in itself should not be a surprise.) She usually would push me away when I went to see if she was on task with an assignment, etc. So when asked what she would like to be different this year, she immediately said "I want you to be more involved in what I'm doing." My initial reaction was to try to figure out who had abducted my daughter and given me a replacement that looks just like her on the outside. :)) That was ths absolute LAST response I would have expected, but I had a moment of pleasure as a mom, also. While I am working on granting her request, the all encompassing overwhelming feeling of being a mother of teens, working at home and homeschooling envelopes me. But it's a good thing, all of it. I want to look back and hope that God is speaking through my conscience and saying "well done."
However, I must look back and can't help but question....what did I miss? She seemed to push me away. Am I that out of it?? How can I avoid that from happening again?? Or, I may choose to attribute it to raging hormones (both hers and mine) and smile. I am after 50 now and respond to it differently. All of it.
How are you different now from your earlier youth, wherever you are at, in the way you respond and think of your circumstances?
Wishing you the best today-
Denise
In attempting to learn from the past with homeschooling, I asked both of my children what changes they would like to see in school as well as anything my husband or I may be able to change. They're teenagers, so I know upon asking this I am tempted to shrink in a corner ;) but I must stand tall. To my surprise, my oldest shocked me. (actually that, in itself should not be a surprise.) She usually would push me away when I went to see if she was on task with an assignment, etc. So when asked what she would like to be different this year, she immediately said "I want you to be more involved in what I'm doing." My initial reaction was to try to figure out who had abducted my daughter and given me a replacement that looks just like her on the outside. :)) That was ths absolute LAST response I would have expected, but I had a moment of pleasure as a mom, also. While I am working on granting her request, the all encompassing overwhelming feeling of being a mother of teens, working at home and homeschooling envelopes me. But it's a good thing, all of it. I want to look back and hope that God is speaking through my conscience and saying "well done."
However, I must look back and can't help but question....what did I miss? She seemed to push me away. Am I that out of it?? How can I avoid that from happening again?? Or, I may choose to attribute it to raging hormones (both hers and mine) and smile. I am after 50 now and respond to it differently. All of it.
How are you different now from your earlier youth, wherever you are at, in the way you respond and think of your circumstances?
Wishing you the best today-
Denise
New Beginnings
I must start out saying I have been MIA for a bit. Sometimes we just have to take a little time and get off the "roller coaster" and experience things in a different way. Refreshed now, I am ready for new beginnings for all of us.
The first days of school seem so filled with hope and excitement. A feeling that cannot be explained but just must be lived. For me, it's quite similar to the feeling I get after New Years and even Easter. I can mess up, but I am a part of something great out there, and have times I can start again. After Easter, the hope is compounded with the fact that there is a God who loves me enough to send give his son, but that's a whole different post. :) Plans are made for school, schedules done, with the knowledge in her heads that we will have times where all organization will fall by the wayside for a day or so, and that is where God often works in magnificent ways. We have hopefully figured out what worked last year and what didn't, and made all of our necessary tweaks. For homeschooling parents, we have planned, adjusted curriculum choices, all new beginnings. For those of us who work at home, the routine changes when the children are in school or homeschooled. MORE new beginnings. Excitement. Possibilities.
Guide your children and encourage their areas of strength. Challenge yourselves as I'm challenging myself this year (another new thing!). Take their area that may seem like a weakness to you and help your child use it as a strength. For example, the child who may seem to take a long time with work and be very detail oriented may exasperate a parent in this rush-rush society; yet, there are many professions where a detail oriented person is considered to be of extreme importance. We must help our children see these things as we prepare them on the path they will ultimately choose.
This day, or whenever you are starting, take time to be thankful for your child, no matter how little or even a teen. You gave birth to an awesome person there and now they are relating to you. They have opinions on things from fashion to politics and everything in between. Think of your favorite qualities about your child. Even share them. One of my daughters is able to see the humor in anything and will often bring a smile to our face in the midst of what we might think is a mess. The other one is a deep thinker and often challenges us. Something good for a parent, also! I'm thankful for them and can laugh with my husband that we gave birth to awesome kids!! God is good.
So, send your kids off and in school knowing they are loved for who they are, and they have qualities that we really find endearing. Enjoy this time of new beginnings and possibilities.
Enjoy your new beginnings in work, life, and allow God to work through you-
Denise
The first days of school seem so filled with hope and excitement. A feeling that cannot be explained but just must be lived. For me, it's quite similar to the feeling I get after New Years and even Easter. I can mess up, but I am a part of something great out there, and have times I can start again. After Easter, the hope is compounded with the fact that there is a God who loves me enough to send give his son, but that's a whole different post. :) Plans are made for school, schedules done, with the knowledge in her heads that we will have times where all organization will fall by the wayside for a day or so, and that is where God often works in magnificent ways. We have hopefully figured out what worked last year and what didn't, and made all of our necessary tweaks. For homeschooling parents, we have planned, adjusted curriculum choices, all new beginnings. For those of us who work at home, the routine changes when the children are in school or homeschooled. MORE new beginnings. Excitement. Possibilities.
Guide your children and encourage their areas of strength. Challenge yourselves as I'm challenging myself this year (another new thing!). Take their area that may seem like a weakness to you and help your child use it as a strength. For example, the child who may seem to take a long time with work and be very detail oriented may exasperate a parent in this rush-rush society; yet, there are many professions where a detail oriented person is considered to be of extreme importance. We must help our children see these things as we prepare them on the path they will ultimately choose.
This day, or whenever you are starting, take time to be thankful for your child, no matter how little or even a teen. You gave birth to an awesome person there and now they are relating to you. They have opinions on things from fashion to politics and everything in between. Think of your favorite qualities about your child. Even share them. One of my daughters is able to see the humor in anything and will often bring a smile to our face in the midst of what we might think is a mess. The other one is a deep thinker and often challenges us. Something good for a parent, also! I'm thankful for them and can laugh with my husband that we gave birth to awesome kids!! God is good.
So, send your kids off and in school knowing they are loved for who they are, and they have qualities that we really find endearing. Enjoy this time of new beginnings and possibilities.
Enjoy your new beginnings in work, life, and allow God to work through you-
Denise
Teens Growing Up
I remember, both before and after 50, being a teen. The frustration was there where you're too young for so much and too old to act a certain way. The expectations almost seem to vary according to the situation. I didn't like it, and my daughters are no different. Our word for today, however is growth, as I saw it first hand in my oldest. We teach our kids so much, and only hope it's getting through. I had the joy of watching her and sitting back, knowing it got through. We had a tough year in homeschooling this year, but tough that really made all of us stronger as we were blessed to learn from each others' trials. I saw her try and persevere in a course that was really difficult for her. She never gave up and worked with such a tenacity that it inspired me to work harder. And this was my daughter. I was pleased. We came to a point that the hard work was not bringing about the desired results. Time for mom to step in. She worked more. I always told them to do their best and not give up. To her, this was giving up. New lessons. She took it well, and we are re-doing some areas and retaking this course. But lessons learned and character qualities developed? Priceless. Watching your 15 year old inspire you? Also priceless.
Continuing to grow as always-
Denise
Continuing to grow as always-
Denise
Word-ful Wednesday
Memories--Yes, remember through all of our experiences we are making memories. We had a tough homeschooling year last year; however, we made memories and we all came away learning things that we could not get anyplace else. That is priceless. :) The memories of a great summer, the memories of celebrations along the way, and making learning worthy of special memories. That is one of the joys of homeschooling. Through it, we also make memories that bond us as a family, while something as important as education is being accomplished.
Don't be afraid to change, especially with teens. Keeps them on their toes! They enjoy it also. Enjoy teaching them. They know it and you have made a lasting impression of joy and passion for learning that they can even pass down to their children! So go this day, every day, and make memories no matter what you do.
Denise
Don't be afraid to change, especially with teens. Keeps them on their toes! They enjoy it also. Enjoy teaching them. They know it and you have made a lasting impression of joy and passion for learning that they can even pass down to their children! So go this day, every day, and make memories no matter what you do.
Denise
Your Saturday Humor
Sometimes we just have to realize that we can't be so caught up in getting it right, for me, getting the most lines in when I transcribe, making the money, getting the kids through all of their subjects in a day, that we then miss those moments of cuteness, and for whatever reason, the moments that demand our attention.
In transcribing today, a sentence was dictated to me by a doctor, "the patient fell back striking her head on the back of the door before it landed on the floor." What landed on the floor, I asked myself? The head?? Hopefully the rest of the body was following and hopefully as well, the patient was not being referred to as "it." Did the door then land on the floor? Time for a handyman as well as an ER trip as the house needs work. Many meanings can be extrapolated from this sentence! My response after a smile and fixing the sentence was "time for more language arts work in writing with my daughters!"
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
In transcribing today, a sentence was dictated to me by a doctor, "the patient fell back striking her head on the back of the door before it landed on the floor." What landed on the floor, I asked myself? The head?? Hopefully the rest of the body was following and hopefully as well, the patient was not being referred to as "it." Did the door then land on the floor? Time for a handyman as well as an ER trip as the house needs work. Many meanings can be extrapolated from this sentence! My response after a smile and fixing the sentence was "time for more language arts work in writing with my daughters!"
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Options For Homeschooling Teens
Throughout the years of homeschooling my daughters, many were quick to give me their concerns of not enough social contact, awkward, academic qualifications of my teaching, etc. For me, homeschooling has worked well. First, there is the support of my husband (a number one consideration), and my children made friends easily from their days of going to parks and play grounds. From the times they could barely speak, they could often be heard asking children, "do you want to be my friend?" So we had that conquered. Academic qualifications? I follow our state requirements and I am a former elementary school teacher. (check to that one). But beyond that, it is what I knew was right in my heart and worked well, especially when I was able to start working from home so the financial area is possible as well.
The years calm down and then there is the "you're going to homeschool through high school?" Yes, I am the type of person who wants to see something all the way through and not give up without a fight. This has been a wonderful decision; however, I have noticed that many homeschoolers are "phobic" of the highschool teen years. My children are active in music lessons, church youth group, etc. We live in a very expensive area, so I work a lot of hours and this caused me to look into some options as well. Time, actually more than finances, was becoming an issue as the workload increased for my daughters, as it should. I know the importance of their education and did not want that to suffer due to my increased need to transcribe. Therefore, we enrolled them in a Christian online school this year. I do not look at this as a cop-out at all. It worked out as what I needed to do to be more effective. It is still homeschooling. I am right here with them and the parents are considered the main teacher/supervisor. However, tests and lesson plans are done by the teachers. The school is accredited and my girls will graduate and not need a GED to get into college as homeschooled children! (a big praise for them!). There is a guidance counselor, and I am there to assist, help teach life lessons of planning, good time management, etc. But the grading and the paperwork is done, allowing me to be here, but work with them when necessary to guide them and continue a foundation for them that will be laid for college and lessons learned to be used beyond college.
Through this, we feel that we are blessed in many ways. We homeschool, we are here seeing what they do in each subject. We can still do field trips, etc. We receive all correspondence from their teachers and know the curriculum. They have met many very nice online friends, and have worked on a school yearbook, chat with their friends, and one is actually coming near our area with her parents and we look forward to meeting.
Options? Yes. Fear not. Do what works for you and is the best for your loved ones. We varied it and it worked perfectly. (and there is help for the math I may have forgotten when necessary ;)
Explore all options, pray, and fear not!
Denise
The years calm down and then there is the "you're going to homeschool through high school?" Yes, I am the type of person who wants to see something all the way through and not give up without a fight. This has been a wonderful decision; however, I have noticed that many homeschoolers are "phobic" of the highschool teen years. My children are active in music lessons, church youth group, etc. We live in a very expensive area, so I work a lot of hours and this caused me to look into some options as well. Time, actually more than finances, was becoming an issue as the workload increased for my daughters, as it should. I know the importance of their education and did not want that to suffer due to my increased need to transcribe. Therefore, we enrolled them in a Christian online school this year. I do not look at this as a cop-out at all. It worked out as what I needed to do to be more effective. It is still homeschooling. I am right here with them and the parents are considered the main teacher/supervisor. However, tests and lesson plans are done by the teachers. The school is accredited and my girls will graduate and not need a GED to get into college as homeschooled children! (a big praise for them!). There is a guidance counselor, and I am there to assist, help teach life lessons of planning, good time management, etc. But the grading and the paperwork is done, allowing me to be here, but work with them when necessary to guide them and continue a foundation for them that will be laid for college and lessons learned to be used beyond college.
Through this, we feel that we are blessed in many ways. We homeschool, we are here seeing what they do in each subject. We can still do field trips, etc. We receive all correspondence from their teachers and know the curriculum. They have met many very nice online friends, and have worked on a school yearbook, chat with their friends, and one is actually coming near our area with her parents and we look forward to meeting.
Options? Yes. Fear not. Do what works for you and is the best for your loved ones. We varied it and it worked perfectly. (and there is help for the math I may have forgotten when necessary ;)
Explore all options, pray, and fear not!
Denise
Options in Planning and Homeschooling
Before continuing on in my discussion of planning with my teens and preparing for homeschooling a new year, I will take a moment to share about the necessity of input from our kids. From about age 8 on up, we told our children that we had 180 days of instruction to do, and we worked with them on starting, finishing, and discussing where any breaks would be. This has been good for them (as well as a good math lesson) as we went from the general of starting and finishing the year, to each specific break and how long.
As one is in high school and the other one will begin it this year, we now work on planning our day from the general (of when to get up and when to end school) to the specific of how long we will allow for each subject. Count it a privilege if you are homeschooling your children at any age to work with them and teach them the life skills that we as adults often do not grasp for a very long time. Teach them work before pleasure in their time management skills. Guide them, so that they will come to these conclusions with our help and not be mini-adults. Let them learn and fail but within the safe environment of their home. Time management and being able to do a plan for the week has proven to be one of the most valuable skills my daughters were mastering this past year. They fought it initially, I watched, (not happily, but I pulled it off :) and they are actually looking forward to doing working according to their weekly plan this year. It worked well for them.
These skills can be taught to students in public/private schools as well. As best you can, work with your children. Integrate life management skills with their academic skills. It's a joy to see it work, and we all learn when it doesn't.
As one is in high school and the other one will begin it this year, we now work on planning our day from the general (of when to get up and when to end school) to the specific of how long we will allow for each subject. Count it a privilege if you are homeschooling your children at any age to work with them and teach them the life skills that we as adults often do not grasp for a very long time. Teach them work before pleasure in their time management skills. Guide them, so that they will come to these conclusions with our help and not be mini-adults. Let them learn and fail but within the safe environment of their home. Time management and being able to do a plan for the week has proven to be one of the most valuable skills my daughters were mastering this past year. They fought it initially, I watched, (not happily, but I pulled it off :) and they are actually looking forward to doing working according to their weekly plan this year. It worked well for them.
These skills can be taught to students in public/private schools as well. As best you can, work with your children. Integrate life management skills with their academic skills. It's a joy to see it work, and we all learn when it doesn't.
Teens Plan and Mom Plans- Part 1
What a stretch of the imagine it would have been from my college days and the "all-nighters" as well as even teaching and often finding myself the last teacher to turn in any lesson plans that the principal might want to see. Now, here I am planning my own life and helping my teens plan their year for school as August rolls around. Our lives certainly do change after the arrival of children.;)
I can't help but emphasize how important communication is for us all throughout the year, and for the month of August as we "think out loud" and get ready for a new year, full of hope and promises of things we will learn, both inside the curriculum and especially outside of the curriculum! We find that we are far enough removed from the last school year and any emotional issues, and looking forward to the new and possibly getting some things in a new way, so that we have some productive "family meetings."
However you need to do it, whatever works in your situation, home school or not, I can't emphasize enough to communicate and be involved. For us, my income is vital to what we're doing so I need to work a lot of hours, but even higher priority now is school and life lessons that go with it. No matter how insignificant the change may seem, it may mean a lot to a family member. Talk with them, share, and tweak your schedule wherever you may need to. Before discussing how to improve the past year, praise them for work done and the spirit is much more ready to hear ways to improve.
Enjoy these teen years. If we think of them as the "dreaded teen years" then something is going to spill over into our teens' heads and they will see this. They are smart, and their spirits will be crushed instead of built up. Encourage and communicate for the things that can be accomplished. Work together. We are all a team within our families and even within the blogging community. Again, if we home school or not, we ARE guiding them through our example and now teaching them valuable lessons. How great to impact the life of a child. Especially our own. These thoughts have to be clear before we actually plan our tasks.
Enjoy building them up-
Denise
I can't help but emphasize how important communication is for us all throughout the year, and for the month of August as we "think out loud" and get ready for a new year, full of hope and promises of things we will learn, both inside the curriculum and especially outside of the curriculum! We find that we are far enough removed from the last school year and any emotional issues, and looking forward to the new and possibly getting some things in a new way, so that we have some productive "family meetings."
However you need to do it, whatever works in your situation, home school or not, I can't emphasize enough to communicate and be involved. For us, my income is vital to what we're doing so I need to work a lot of hours, but even higher priority now is school and life lessons that go with it. No matter how insignificant the change may seem, it may mean a lot to a family member. Talk with them, share, and tweak your schedule wherever you may need to. Before discussing how to improve the past year, praise them for work done and the spirit is much more ready to hear ways to improve.
Enjoy these teen years. If we think of them as the "dreaded teen years" then something is going to spill over into our teens' heads and they will see this. They are smart, and their spirits will be crushed instead of built up. Encourage and communicate for the things that can be accomplished. Work together. We are all a team within our families and even within the blogging community. Again, if we home school or not, we ARE guiding them through our example and now teaching them valuable lessons. How great to impact the life of a child. Especially our own. These thoughts have to be clear before we actually plan our tasks.
Enjoy building them up-
Denise
The Word for the Day
Every so often, we all need a word. A word of encouragement is always necessary from God, and then we often need just a word to help us get on our way. When we have teens and work at home, AND need to homeschool, we must delegate. The simplest task can become overwhelming when you are in the middle of transcribing a report, have a question from a daughter that may not be easy to tackle in the high school years, and need to cook, clean, or anything else that may otherwise be simple. Our teens and our husband need to know that they are doing their part to support us in our efforts to help with income, serve others and share wisdom that we have gained. The act of service is important for all.
Delegate to your teen--even if she needs to check the slow cooker that you are hopefully using, wash a dish, as well as maintaining her own part. My husband works 3pm-11pm, so he is home during our school time. Yes, I'm spoiled. He is a wonderful help. I'm not saying it's easy. That's why even washing a dish or making a bed can be overwhelming with countless other things to do. Therefore, cry out to God daily, do not hesitate to cry out to your teens or husband for help, and delegate whenever you can, and praise those who help you!
Delegate to your teen--even if she needs to check the slow cooker that you are hopefully using, wash a dish, as well as maintaining her own part. My husband works 3pm-11pm, so he is home during our school time. Yes, I'm spoiled. He is a wonderful help. I'm not saying it's easy. That's why even washing a dish or making a bed can be overwhelming with countless other things to do. Therefore, cry out to God daily, do not hesitate to cry out to your teens or husband for help, and delegate whenever you can, and praise those who help you!
Homeschooling Your Teen and Working
Homeschooling is yet another way to watch our children grow. It's the best when we see them meet their milestones physically. We rejoice when they roll over, crawl, walk, and many other things in between. The homeschooling process allows us to rejoice with them when they meet certain milestones such as reading, math facts, and many other universal things that we all must know. What a blessing to have a part in this as parents, knowing that we taught them, worked with them, and help them find their strengths and guide them toward future career and life choices.
Many people who homeschool fear the high school years. Fear not. There are options. If you have a husband who is helping, have him teach the subjects that are his strongpoints. My husband is our expert at science and history, and an excellent artist. I'm a musician and did well in language arts and math. We do what works for us. Your high schooler works well independently, and for that fact I work an unscheduled job where I can make my own hours during the day, and schedule my "heavy-duty" transcription for evening hours. Online schools are also an option. There are many Christian schools that are accredited, thereby making the choices for college easier. You then have help with teachers in each subject and you are still involved but in a supervisor capacity, yet still homeschooling your child. Plan well, choose what works for you in your situation, and by the time they are teens you will know their learning style and what works for them. Continue on with confidence.
Many people who homeschool fear the high school years. Fear not. There are options. If you have a husband who is helping, have him teach the subjects that are his strongpoints. My husband is our expert at science and history, and an excellent artist. I'm a musician and did well in language arts and math. We do what works for us. Your high schooler works well independently, and for that fact I work an unscheduled job where I can make my own hours during the day, and schedule my "heavy-duty" transcription for evening hours. Online schools are also an option. There are many Christian schools that are accredited, thereby making the choices for college easier. You then have help with teachers in each subject and you are still involved but in a supervisor capacity, yet still homeschooling your child. Plan well, choose what works for you in your situation, and by the time they are teens you will know their learning style and what works for them. Continue on with confidence.
Family, Homeschooling, Transcription, and Me
Yes, there we have it. The ultimate juggling act as I see it in the life of a homeschooling, work-at-home mom. I have two teenagers who have days that they are very helpful, and days that we work at it a little more as they will need a little reminding. Remember, as I must, they are teens and a work in progress also. To make the act work and not to drop anything while juggling is key; yet, something that does not always happen. When the proverbial ball is dropped, however, we all assess and move on. No regrets, but we work as a team.
1. Key to organizing myself is first clearing my head a bit. My heart starts to move towards organizing and planning usually in late July. I am a former school teacher, and the calendar is engrained in me, not to leave. We use it for the good, and my first task towards planning the year is actually to start, but only when my head is clear. I may have many hospitals to transcribe for that day, cooking to be done, but during those times I must simply leave, even for 10 minutes, and clear my head. Depending on the day I've had, this is not always a difficult process. ;)
2. All through school, college, in doing a plan we know we must always go from the general to the specific. In planning I cannot work the homeschool plan until I have a general overall plan. My work is often scheduled, at least in part. I have 2 teens, so I am also able to delegate some chores. As we will see and I will share with you, the slow cooker is our friend. How great it is to be transcribing and/or teaching our children and smile from the inside knowing that "I'm teaching and cooking all at the same time."
To sum it up, the key to organizing starts early and just may be in the back of your head. It doesn't have to be written immediately. Clear our head and have a general plan of how it will work. And know in your heart that it will work!
It's already getting to be late July, and it seems as if it was just Christmas. What happened? Hope you had a great year. Let us know one thing you will be doing different as you assess and evaluate a new school year, work, or just finding time for you.
Sincerely,
Denise
http://www.Beforeandafter50.blogspot.com
1. Key to organizing myself is first clearing my head a bit. My heart starts to move towards organizing and planning usually in late July. I am a former school teacher, and the calendar is engrained in me, not to leave. We use it for the good, and my first task towards planning the year is actually to start, but only when my head is clear. I may have many hospitals to transcribe for that day, cooking to be done, but during those times I must simply leave, even for 10 minutes, and clear my head. Depending on the day I've had, this is not always a difficult process. ;)
2. All through school, college, in doing a plan we know we must always go from the general to the specific. In planning I cannot work the homeschool plan until I have a general overall plan. My work is often scheduled, at least in part. I have 2 teens, so I am also able to delegate some chores. As we will see and I will share with you, the slow cooker is our friend. How great it is to be transcribing and/or teaching our children and smile from the inside knowing that "I'm teaching and cooking all at the same time."
To sum it up, the key to organizing starts early and just may be in the back of your head. It doesn't have to be written immediately. Clear our head and have a general plan of how it will work. And know in your heart that it will work!
It's already getting to be late July, and it seems as if it was just Christmas. What happened? Hope you had a great year. Let us know one thing you will be doing different as you assess and evaluate a new school year, work, or just finding time for you.
Sincerely,
Denise
http://www.Beforeandafter50.blogspot.com
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