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Shadow of Doubt 01/20/2011

Shadow of Doubt

Photo: stock.xchng

When Robin first asked me to write a guest post I was honored. Then as I sat down to write, a new emotion crept in. Not fear, I am used to writing. It was a moment of self doubt. What makes me qualified to write about homeschooling? Well, that question is easy; I have been home educating my girls for 13 years now, therefore I have plenty of stories to tell, antidotes to share, and bits for knowledge I have picked up along the way. Plus I have written dozens of articles on homeschooling in the past.

The doubt came from burn out, and I was embarrassed to admit it. It seems that the homeschool parents I know are alway smiling and actively engaged with their well mannered children. But not me, I was ready to throw in the towel. I was tired of homeschooling, tired of the snow, tired of wanting time for myself, and just plain tired. For the first time in my life I had a brief moment of understanding as to why someone would put their kids in school. But that was it, just a moment, then I remembered all the reasons I homeschool. So we plugged along, and I got more tired and even bit grumpy. To add to it, I am an immigrant in a culture where people don't complain, they suck it up. And my family, well both of the girl's Grandmother's are former public school teachers.

Now don't get me wrong, my girls are delightful. Smart, happy, funny, talented and generally growing up to be the kinds of people I am really proud of. So, why the burn out? I asked a lot of myself. In Dec 1996 I was traveling in central America, single (although dating my husband), had a great job and was active in both sailing a dance clubs. By Dec 1997 I was married with my first child and by 2000, I had two wonderful girls. I was a stay-at-home mom by choice. Homeschool was a natural extension to our lifestyle. My husband is a good guy, but busy too. And we had somewhat traditional roles, so the kids were always with me.

So, how could I sit down and write about how great homeschooling is, when I wasn't feeling it? So, I decided to ask my friends how they do it year after year maintaining a picture perfect family life - turns out they go on holiday. No kidding; One went up north for a week, one to Hawaii and the third to Central America. No husband, no kids - just a complete break. And they all recommend it.

Now I realize we can't all do that, and many of us (myself included) wouldn't want to, but we can take time for ourselves. And that is the number one lesson I have learned from this process. Maybe a walk, a bath, or just to sit and watch a sunset or the waves crashing on the shore, whatever it is, I need some time everyday for me. Lately I spend mine on-line. I use my creativity on Zazzle and write on Squidoo. Most recently I have started a slightly twisted humor blog, Laugh Quotes and Comedy Shirts so I can laugh everyday. And, like everything else there are few surprise bonuses from taking time for me - I am happier, our time together is more productive, I am a more attentive tutor, I have more patience, my kids have become a bit more independent in a good way, and overall, I think I am a better mom. And, the girls are spending more time with their dad and learning about his interests too. My husband says, everyone is happy when mom is happy.

Rhonda Albom, writes under the pen name of Pukeko. She sees beauty in everything and lives on the lighter side of life. She is a comedy writer, graphic artist and travel photographer. Her fun creations are featured on Zazzle, and on her blog, Laugh Quotes and Comedy Shirts. On Squidoo she is a "Giant Squid" "Rocketmom" and "Squidoo Angel." Rhonda is an American expat living in New Zealand. She homeschools her children, races yachts, searches for summer and avoids wearing skis.

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Homeschooling: Can I Really Do This? 01/04/2011

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Homeschooling: Can I Really Do This?

Am I capable? I'm not a certified teacher.

I know this idea flies in the face of conventional wisdom, but You have always been your children's teacher. You are the first and best teacher for your children, because you know their strengths and weaknesses intimately. If you are not strong in particular subject, you will find a way for your kids to learn what they need to. I will touch more on this later, but I have learned a great deal right along with my kids. They like it when mom learns with them.

Will there be "holes" in their education?

Many new homeschoolers get caught up in thinking, "Will there be holes in their education?" The answer is, "Yes and no." The fact is, there is no perfect education. The most effective tools you can give your children are:
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1) How to find information.
2) How to use information to accomplish their goals.
3) How to communicate information to others.
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If you accomplish this, you will have prepared them well for college, and for life. Furthermore, if your children enjoy learning, they will be lifelong learners. What a wonderful gift to give your kids!

But, I don't have money for curriculum.

I am amazed by what is available now for homeschooling families. There is A LOT on the internet, specifically---Much of it free. I have included some recommendations, later in this post, for free, complete curriculum you can find online. Are you near a library? We use the library a lot, not only for personal reading, but also for reference books. I have really appreciated the reference books available to me from the library, because they are expensive! Another resource I have enjoyed from the library is educational videos. I have tried to use as many methods I can think of when feeding my children information---and they enjoy the visual element offered by videos.

Where should I start?

It is not imperative that you have it all worked out before you begin. Following are three sites that are perfect for homeschoolers starting out, because all the prep work is done for you---and they are totally free! A totally complete, totally free curriculum you can look at is Head of the Class. Head of the class provides lesson plans, printable worksheets and activities by grade level. Another one, but it will probably require a little more work on your part (in preparation time) though it is all spelled out for you, is Lesson Pathways. Lesson Pathways uses resources and sites all over the internet, all free. A third site you might look into is Ambleside Online. Ambleside provides a completely free curriculum and complete lesson plans, but it is in the "Charlotte Mason" method, which is wonderful, but a little different from your typical "school" method. The Charlotte Mason method uses a combination of nature study through exploration, classical literature and narration. I have moved more toward this method in my own teaching, because it seems very natural to me. It's yours to decide what will best work for you. When I first started, I didn't know what that was, so if that's how you feel, starting with the simplest is best. You can "tweak" things later, as you discover how your children best learn.

Am I all alone?

Oh heavens, no! There are many homeschoolers out there, now. Some, like you, are just starting out. Some, like me, have been homeschooling for decades. No matter where you are in your homeschooling journey, finding support is really important. Having a support group to turn to when you have questions, or when you have a bad day is essential. These are the folks who will lift you up when you feel like you can't go on, and will rejoice with you when you experience a victory. Remember that subject I mentioned, the one you might not be very strong in? This is also the place to go with those kinds of things. Perhaps math isn't your strongest subject, but you can teach writing without breaking a sweat. There will be someone else out there whose needs compliment yours. We must lean on the homeschooling community, not only to glean the strength and encouragement we need, but to provide that to others as well.

If you live in an area without a support group nearby, I have provided some resources where you can find online support. Simply click the button below. You will be redirected to my post on finding a support groups. There are lots of links there. Below that is my "Comments" button. I would love to hear from you!

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Friday Favorites 10/15/2010

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Stone Soup's Links for the Week

Links posted on the Stone Soup Facebook page during the week.

Letter of the Week Blend Ladders

Printable Blend Ladders, from Confessions of a Homeschooler. Blending the sounds of a consonant and a vowel is the first step to reading words. What are your favorite sites (or resources) for teaching phonics?

A. Pintura: Art Detective

An online game about art history and art composition. In the game, you play a 1940's noir detective with a degree in art history. A distraught woman asks you to identify the artist who made a painting she found in her grandfather's attic. To do so, you must examine paintings by ...famous artists from Gauguin to Van Gogh. Each example highlights an art concept such as composition, style or subject. The story concludes with an appropriate noirish twist... A. Pintura: Art Detective is worth a look!

Homeschooling the First Year

What goals are appropriate for homeschoolers who are just starting out? In this article from The Homeschool Classroom, author Michelle suggests creating goals that will help define "what homeschooling means" to you. What goals might have been helpful for you during your first year of homeschooling?

Download Learning: Free Interactive Resources

Download Learning.com: Their listing of free COREPlus resources is a collection of free educational software programs that makes it easy to learn all about history, geography, science, fine art, and more. Posted on our page by Leah. Leah said, "Each lesson explains the topic and then provides quick tests to go over the topic." Thanks, Leah!

Art Projects for Kids

In her blog, Art Projects for Kids, art teacher Kathy Barbro posts classroom-tested art projects daily, including the steps to create them. Kathy also offers templates for many of the projects. In addition, she has a site for sewing projects, called Rumpled Quilt Skins.com I feel inspired! What are your favorite sites for "Artistic Inspiration?"

Science Activities for Young Children

Children are naturally curious and have questioning minds. The simple science experiments on the Early Years Experience science pages provide fun activities with Water, Wind, Food and Drink, Sight and Sound, Magnets and Colors. Do you have some favorite activities that have been fun for you and your children?

It's College Fair Time!

Posted by Lee Binz: The Homescholar. "Attending a college fair is a key to finding a college, and I strongly recommend that every homeschooler attends a college fair in Junior Year. I think they are great for freshmen, fabulous for sophomore and seniors, but should be required for Juniors. One of the major tasks of Junior year is to find a college where you want to apply. The first step to finding a college is attending a college fair."

Build Ships in a Bottle!

These nautical activity could be completed with any number of thematic units, Exploration, Ship-Building or Discovering America! To go a long with her Christopher Columbus unit of study, Dana made these Ships in a Bottle, and shared the link for the free printables she created in her blog Noggins and Nonsense. Thanks, Dana!

Skateboarding Printables

For those of you who have skateboarders in your house. These Skateboard Printables from About.com use skateboarding vocabulary to teach skills like alphabetizing and writing a theme paper. Even coloring pages for younger students. Have any of you used off-the-wall subjects to teach "real-life" skills?

Aussie Educator: Home Schooling Page

From the site: Home schooling is a viable, educational alternative which appears popular in other countries, especially the United States, and which seems to be gaining increasing popularity in Australia. Home schooling provides an alternative educational solution for people holding particular beliefs, or having genuine concern about specific circumstances relating to an existing situation. It is most certainly not just a simple and easy solution for any problem that may exist.