we (the boys & i) have just arrived at the end of our first week of homeschooling for their 8th & 10th grade years. our start this year was a gentle one...i had managed, by some major quirk - or hopefully a new habit!- to be ready to roll a month ago & over that time the boys & i discussed how we hoped the school year would be.
2 opinions instead of 3 or 4.
it is so very odd...in just 2 short years we have lost half of our school! i am tempted to feel very sad about this - i miss my girls very much! sometimes i give in to that sadness (you must lean into grief or it will overwhelm you eventually). & then i shift into new focus & gratitude...
i am so grateful that the girls have moved successfully into college & transitional jobs.
i am so grateful that i had the time with them through all those years (we started homeschooling after a move out of state when they were in 1st & 3rd grade).
i am so grateful when i hear the girls tell me that something we did has helped them in their new ventures (one of my biggest fears when we began homeschooling was that i would somehow "damage" their academic progress).
& i am so grateful for this new time with just my boys! the are amazing young men (where did the time go?) filled with brilliant ideas & lots of energy & humor. i appreciate the unique views they have of so many things - points of view i would miss without them.
our gentle start to the new school year included...
math - it has always taken the children a week or so, after a summer off, to get the math gears moving efficiently.
literature - i *love* sharing this with my children...there are so many great books that can take us away - it is pure magic (more on this topic next week!). Big Bro started out with the first book of the Aeneid & Little Man is into Tom Sawyer.
Latin - Little Man gets off easy with this one...he begins formal Latin next year...but Big Bro is ready to start his second year of Latin. this week was a much needed review of conjugations, declensions & vocabulary...for both of us!
& finally...weather & experiments - believe it or not, this was not on the agenda...it just happened! while D. & i were away for the weekend, science was happening!! of course, there was serious storm tracking with Hurricane Dean - maps, internet searches, a visit with our neighbor who is retired from the National Weather Service/NOAA. there were experiments using food dye & ice (convection currents), paper cups, cotton swabs & corks (homemade anemometer), & 2 liter bottles with water & dye (tornado in a bottle)!
i can hardly wait to see what adventures await in week 2!
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4 comments:
I give you all the credit in the world for homeschooling. I wouldn't even know where to start.
shan...when they were little, i was very much overwhelmed. i just opened the window to the possibility & a flood of wonderful things can in...here we are now with 2 graduated! i have had *much* help along the way - those who have mentored our homeschooling are priceless to me
Glad to hear things are going well. I'm just starting pre-pre-homeschooling but I hope I'm as successful as you.
callista...that is so exciting!! i like your new homeschooling blog too...you are planning so well that i am sure you will be successful
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