Jump to content

Menu

Mid-year check-in


Recommended Posts

Much of the first part of my school year has been consumed by adapting to teaching a high school student and a senior at that. It is a thrilling, but overwhelming and exhausting experience that has kept me mostly out of touch with the middle school crowd more than I like to be.

 

What is your area of study for history this year? For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off? What are your areas of focus for skill development? Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without? How goes the writing process? If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are studying Ancients this year. MCT went well enough that I have already ordered next years books. Writing is the skill needing most improvement here, debate and negotiation are the skills that get the most practice. 11yo girls make the best teachers for 4yo boys. Deep breaths are not just for yoga, they also work when trying to explain something for the nth time. 11yo girls cannot get up, shower, and do chores before math, it causes all the numbers to wash out of her head.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're supposed to be in mid-year?!:001_huh: Our entire school year has been chaotic due to a move and a pending move and before that an out of town trip to find said house. We have a lot of things to make up for after the first of the year.

 

What is your area of study for history this year?

We're studying Asian history this year. We're still in Ancient China. We've ventured in some great discussions.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

Not a groupie.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

This year we are working on accountability, time management, and organizational skills. He's working from an assignment sheet, I'm being more strict about starting on time, working through some of our challenges (like I'm tired, the dog is bothering me, my brain fell out this morning). He's a delayed reader and this year I'm asking him to do more independent reading in other subjects besides reading. It's stretching him, but I see the benefit.

 

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

Does this board count? I make my own planner every year and it's what I use the most. It's like the center of the spoke of chaos. Without it, I'm lost.

 

How goes the writing process?

This is my personal nemesis. We are doing remedial work, which I believe because his reading was delayed, the writing is lagging behind. We're using WWE 3 and it's working well. *I* get in the way more often by thinking I need to do more, add more, change to something more difficult. I have to remember to teach at his ability. We're also doing WTM outlining and writing with an Usborne guide to Archaeology. It's been a great source. He's excited about reading it and we work on the outline together. I see the formation of clear thought happening in his brain. We just need to get more consistent in our schedule to built momentum.

 

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

I don't know if I've learned anything new, but I miss schooling. We've had 3 weeks off in November and now 3 weeks off in December. Our life has been very chaotic. I miss the structure of our day. I miss my son being goofy during class. I even miss him bouncing up and down on that crazy exercise ball. I think we will come back to school with new patience and appreciation for what we building together, what we are accomplishating. We're in a new house, a new community, we'll have a new school desk, and a new classroom to decorate. I think the fresh start is exactly what we need to finish this year in a strong position.

 

 

Please.:D

 

Can't wait to hear how others are doing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What a great idea for a thread!

 

On Track:

* Writing is going wonderfully well! CW works like a dream if you put some effort into it. DD is writing reports, narrations, etc. and enjoying it. Woo hoo! :hurray:

 

* History ...... we're so enjoying the history curriculum I put together using the Grueber/Christine Miller books as a spine. I've managed to include maps, timelines, biography pages, projects and she's actually done them!

 

 

Needs Improvement:

* ....... keeping up on the marking. There is sooo much as you get into the middle school grades. Does anyone else feel this way?

 

* I need to work more with my dd on her Latin. I've decided to move her from LCII into Henle and I need to be more involved. I enjoy Latin; the only thing impeding me is time ........ perhaps I can ask for more for Christmas! ;)

 

* I need to learn some Greek. It's necessary for me to have a basic knowledge to be able to at least direct my dd and I'm failing miserably. Thankfully I have Elementary Greek on my shelves which moves much faster than Hey Andrew.

 

* German is taking up too much time. How to remedy this, I don't know .........

 

* I would love to find more time for my dd to study French. Whether it will happen or not, is uncertain but it's on my wishlist.

 

* I NEED TO MAKE SCHEDULES!!!!! ...... LOTS OF SCHEDULES!!! I know I'll never follow them but they are like a security blanket and at least they tell me where we should be!

 

 

Off the Rails:

 

* M-A-T-H. This is nothing new. This is nothing unexpected. I am still puzzled. I am still confused. I just wish I could find a program that my dd didn't find torture. So far Horizons is just a smidge better than getting a root canal for her, but it would be nice to find something that is ENJOYABLE. She does fine with Math, she just finds the process laborious and completely uninteresting. I feel like ditching it all for the rest of the year and counting with beans or using an abacus or going to Hawaii. What the last option has to do with math, I'm not sure, but it would be my choice! :D

 

Aaaahh ......... I feel so much better now .............:001_smile: Thanks, Lisa.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're in Ancients this year. We'll be starting the Greeks after Christmas and I am looking forward to that.

 

I DO love MCT! I think Paragraph Town is fantastic. We're also enjoying doing Building Poems all together and dd handles Caesar's English very well on her own. I want to read through it over Christmas so I'll learn everything she is learning.

 

Writing is the biggest skill development area for us this year. Dd is making good progress. But I think I'm still not getting enough writing into her week. I need to actively plan that--there has probably been too much "winging it" on my part.

 

When I put time into planning, everything goes so much better. I've had too many weeks where I'm madly scribbling things into the plan book on Monday morning. Not good. So over break I will try to map out most or all of the 3rd quarter. I want to make sure I'm getting some writing in there on most days of the week. Art, math problems of the week, and literature could also get a bit more attention.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

I'm aiming for a quick gallop through Ancients and Medieval. This is so that DD11 (6th grade) can get two history cycles in before she's done school. I'm planning on listening to the SOTW CD and talking about it together. We do WWE so I'm not too concerned about missing the questions and narrations for SOTW.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

Not a MCT groupie.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

For me personally, I definitely need to be more accountable to our schedule. And better at insisting and checking on what my DDs are doing.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

My schedule, and this forum.

 

How goes the writing process?

 

Good. I'm happy with WWE and my DDs seem to be quite willing to do it too.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

 

That Classical Education can go hand in hand with a little unschooling. That little bit is often quite refreshing.

Edited by Hedgehog
spelling
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for this year?

 

We are in our second year of American History (Sonlight). We have thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

Doesn't apply here. :001_smile:

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

I think we are just moving towards the classical approach more, so almost all of the subjects have become more demanding. History is still done done daily, but is taking a backseat to subjects such as Grammar. I think that Rod & Staff was made especially for me, lol. It has been wonderful polishing Thing 1's writing.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

My year certainly would not have been as rich without this board and my schedule is the backbone of our school. I don't necessarily get everything done every day, but it gets caught up before the semester ends.

 

How goes the writing process?

 

I think I did more with dictation when Thing 1 was younger than I realized. She is ready to do outlining and is learning quite a bit from Rod & Staff. I am pleasantly surprised, although I suspect that writing is one of her strengths.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

 

To forgive myself for my own weaknesses but to not use them as an excuse to let my kids slide both academically and in other areas. We still need to work hard and slog through the difficult things.

 

 

:bigear: I love hearing from other people. Thanks for posting this thread, Lisa!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

We on Middle Ages. This is a lot of fun for us. I am planning on adding more fun to our studies. Ds10 has time for fun and Ds 11 could use some fun.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

We don't use MCT.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

DS 10 is doing wonderfully in all basic skill areas. What I need to focus on with him is discussion, making connections.

DS 11, well, is another story. He is my challange. DS 11 is very smart and was born in the logic stage. He is great to have discussions with! However, he thinks he doesn't need to have ANY basic skills! He is making me crazy:lol: This is the area of focus for him. Trying to work on those skills a little bit at a time without driving each other mad.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

Morning Coffee

 

How goes the writing process?

 

DS 10: great. He makes fact lists and writes short summaries independently. I guess, I could move to more formal outlining with him.

DS 11: Well, he is so all over the place. We are working on spelling, grammar, and writing. Focus is difficult for him. I guess, we are still working on being able to merge all those skills (which he thinks he doesn't need).

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

 

We all need some fun and a break from time to time.

 

Susie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even though we have, somehow managed to keep on track with our schedule, i feel like this year has been one huge flop! Last year was a mess of a year due to my cancer so I had high hopes for this year. What with a month long trip and another cancer scare (the radiologist misread my CT scan so they thought the cancer had spread to my bones. It didnt't. Whew!) I feel like our year has been derailed. In the midst of the chaos, though, we have only done the bare minimum. My goals for this year have not even been touched.

 

We are doing Ancients this year. We do the content subjects in blocks so we have only done Egypt this year so far. This is where I want to focus more on writing-- report and summary writing--but it hasn't happened yet. We do use CW for our writing program but my goal is to write across the subjects.

 

I have been re-reading CMs writings and think I will incorporate more of her philosophy into our school in the new year.

 

I would just like to have a year that wasn't crisis-oriented. The words peace and calm sounds so good right now. :001_smile:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lisa, I started to answer this last night... but I thought it might not be good to write on two glasses of wine. Now this morning, I have not had enough coffee....

 

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

U.S. History. Still loving History at our House.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

I am. My kids not so much. It is still the best program for us, I think they would wither up and die under some other program...but it is getting so much harder and they are really having to think and work, so they are not as happy. The retention and understanding is awesome though.

 

I have realized that Essay Voyage is going to take longer than I scheduled. My older son could probably do it faster, but I am doing it with both kids together, so I have to slow down a bit. That's OK, though.

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

Writing, mechanics. Trying to get a bit more independent work out of them.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

My schedule. I think I finally figured one out that I can manage without getting confused or crabby. A whiteboard and dry erase markers. I couldn't teach the way I do without them. Sorry, nothing too exciting here.

 

How goes the writing process?

ARG! My kids loathe writing. It is really difficult to get any output from them. I am trying to incrementally up their output, but it is a slow go. I think it is mostly MY problem. It is not a curriculum issue. I just cannot make them do the stuff. My younger son's spelling is atrocious, so he doesn't want to work on writing until his spelling is better (I think he will be one of those horrible spellers his whole life. ) and my older son will choose "safe" words so he doesn't need to even bother with it all. He is trying to figure out a profession he can do w/o needing to write. :tongue_smilie: So far, I thwart him at every turn. It is driving me nuts.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.:D

 

Nothing new. Sorry.

 

I did however, come up with a horrible new tactic for my 12 yo. I told him that since he is going to be 7th grade next year, I need to submit his grades to the state, and if they don't think he is doing well enough, they will need to get involved... which might mean going to school. Oh, it is awful, but he is not a kid with any internal drive. I have to get creative, or he will do nothing but play with legos.

 

I also have explained how expensive college is, and that the harder he works now...it will translate into $$ (scholarships).

 

I have also tenatively planned our whole HSing future...This helped me to really see what we are doing and how to get there. Even with their sketchy writing skills, they should be done with all core courses at least 2 years early. I wrote down all my history, science, english and math cycles and subjects according to year. It was very helpful.

 

Doing this made me relax a bit. I have gotten myself recently into a froth about middle school/high school, but I really think it will all be ok.

 

BTW... Math is going great! We are getting through 2 math programs twice as quickly as I thought. I actually bought the next Life of Fred book as a Christmas present. I know that they will love it. :001_huh:

 

__________________

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

We are just meandering through history this yr.....everything from Homer to our current study of Assyria.

 

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

I was never a groupie. I like many of the example essays in Voyages and I like the vocab (especially the sesquipedalian stories) in CE. I have a strong personal distaste for transcendentalism and he seems enamored with those writings, so that is starting to annoy me.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

Everything. We just keep plugging forward in all skills.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

My high school kids' math teacher/math coach/math mentor! W/o her in our lives, I think I would be sinking this yr. ;)

 

How goes the writing process?

She is doing awesomely well.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.:D

Sorry, haven't got one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"What is your area of study for history this year?"

 

We are covering the early modern period, so are heavy on American studies for the year.

 

 

"For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?"

 

I will have to have this in my hand and look at it before I can decide whether I might want to use it or not. As I think you know, I chucked R&S 7 this year. This is the very first time in 12 years I've done such a thing. After speaking to a friend at length about Easy Grammar Plus, and looking at it online, I ordered it and have been using it with my son, instead. It's more remedial in nature and I think that's what he needed - to slow down and focus more on each area we're working on. With Abeka, he was getting lost in the sheer volume of work and even with R&S he was just not paying attention (and Mom hated it, too). He's doing much better with this program in terms of not making so many mistakes when I set him to do work on his own. And I do see it translating into his writing, too.

 

"What are your areas of focus for skill development?"

 

Since he seems to need remediation in langauge arts, I'm really continuing to work on writing skills, both mechanics and style. I've had him doing quite a bit of copywork this year and it's beginning to translate into him writing in cursive all the time, which I'm going to require after the break. I put him into an outside writing class so that he could write for someone other than me and it is helping his writing some, too. It is also having the added benefit of making him not so resistant to writing for me. He's still not where I wish he was, but I see a glimmer of hope....

 

I also am enrolling him in a number of computer training programs through our library this year. I never managed to get that done with my older son. I have to take the classes with him, so the added bonus is that I'm getting some remediation, too, LOL. Thus far, we've taken two Word classes. Next up are some publishing classes.

 

"Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?"

 

I have been pleasantly surprised by a Matter workbook I picked up to use to reinforce chemistry material. I've just been having him do a page or two a day in it. Much of it is reading a passage and responding in different ways to that or past info provided. It only takes 5-10 minutes to do, but seems to really be working in cementing concepts that we've studied this semester. He's going to finish it up right after we get back to school, and I'm casting about to see if the author has something else on topic I might use for next semester's studies.

 

I continue to adore Russian Math as background/drill work for algebra studies. I think it's a perfect follow-up to Singapore 6 if you're not going into NEM.

 

He started study of Greek proper this year and I have been amazed at how quickly he is picking up the completely different alphabet that is still undecipherable to me. He's using Elementary Greek.

 

 

"How goes the writing process?"

 

I discussed that above, since that is the skill area where he needs the most work.

 

 

"If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?"

 

Not really a new thing, but more applicable (and for different reasons) to this child than the other: move them into outside classes in junior high. They need more voices of reason in their life. You need the reinforcement of other voices who agree with you. When they see that you're not the only one who says "xyz", then they are more likely not to resist you. It saves a bunch on arguing, LOL! And they also really begin to need group discussion at this age, too, I think. They've heard to death everything I think; they need to know what other people think, too. I think they come back to me more open to my ideas when they see what the wider world has to offer....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

We are studying the Middle Ages. This year my son wanted lapbooks and history pockets. He doesn't like to color them, but loves to have a folder to flip through to review what he learned. We are also working on building a castle out of plaster of paris bricks. We do 1 to 1-1/2 months on KFH and outlining, then spend 2 weeks doing lapbooks, pockets, and hands on activities. It has been working great.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

Not a groupie.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

We are working on not having to be done by lunch. My ds is in the habit of being done by noon, and gets stressed and feels behind when he isn't. I have been trying to help ease him into longer days as he gets closer to high school. We are also working on asking for help before getting completely stressed out and frustrated. He is continuing to work towards neater handwriting, but has started to type alot more papers now that he is in 6th.

 

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

I make a weekly planner for him with all his assignments. Also having a netbook for the kids so they aren't all trying to use one computer has helped a ton. I also got a rubbermaid scrapbooking dresser for him. It has 7 drawers, and each drawer has a latching lid. Each of his subjects go in a different drawer, and then if we have to go somewhere, he can grab a drawer and off we go. He also puts pencils in each so he always has one. This has been a life-saver for organization and motivation.

 

How goes the writing process?

We are slowly making our way through outlining. It is really hard to outlining other people's work especially when they don't follow the "perfect" model. He knows how to do it, but making a book fit is hard. We are going to switch to different note-taking methods, and just practice outlining with different curriculum. It is a skill I feel he needs for organizing research papers, but not necessarily the best way for him to understand reading passages. He is also doing CW Aesop and Homer for Older Beginners and loving it.

 

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

I am working on my patience. It is sometimes hard for me to remember that they are just seeing this information for the first time while I have had years to know and understand it. I am also having to give more consideration to my son as he is starting to enter the teen years, alot of the posts on this board have helped me understand what he is going through better and how to help him through this time of change. I also try to keep in mind that I am awakening a love of learning and reading that will hopefully follow him all his life, and that he doesn't have to know it all now. We are focusing more on learning skills that will help him on his journey.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am just trying to get through the year, and am busy working on changing everything up for next year. Hindsight is always 20-20... and there were some issues I simply had no way to foresee.

 

We are putting school on "fast-forward." We are checking off our boxes and will be serving notice that we are not re-enrolling in our state VA in 2011, and I couldn't be happier.

 

My kids are getting motivated, and we are getting work done. None of us are thrilled, but all of us are excited about what lies ahead...

 

Our changes for next year:

 

All - Bible: Who Is God? Summit Ministries...

 

Oldest DS (11.5):

 

Literature: Abeka 7, Progeny Press Study Guides 4-6 during 12 month period

Grammar/Comp/Vocab: MCT mixture of Town and Voyage, Write Source/Writer's Inc.

Latin: VP Secondary Latin I online, interactive course

Math: Foerester's Algebra I/Kinetic Textbooks, supplements LoF and AoPS

Science: Abeka Physical Science

History: Transition to Omnibus... using All VP cards/chants/songs, putting together a timeline, SOTW (all 4 volumes on Audio), Kingfisher's, and additional reading, following the schedule (mostly) of the VP on-line transition course

Art: I Can Do All Things... (he's not into Art, I'm not going to start Art History again until we begin the history cycle again in 2012, he has already completed one full rotation through Ancient to Modern Art).

Music: Guitar/Piano

Logic: Mind Benders, Think-a-minutes, and a few other resources

 

9yo DD and 8yo DS

 

Literature: Abeka 5 (DD), Abeka 4 (DS), Progeny Press Study Guides 4-6 during 12 month period, each child will choose their own from list.

Grammar/Comp/Vocab: MCT Island, maybe a little Town

Latin: LFC A

Penmanship: Abeka @ level

Math: LoF Pre-Algebra I-III (DD), maybe Lial's Pre-Algebra; TT7/Pre-Algebra (DS), wherever he tests... we will try Chalkdust Basic Math, because I have it, but at this point I'm going to assume it will bore him to tears).

Science: Apologia Anatomy and Botany

History: Brief Review using SOTW Audio, VP levels 1-3, focusing on about 2nd half of #2, finishing level 3... chants/songs/timeline

Art: I Can Do All Things...

Music: Recorder/Piano

Logic: Mind Benders, Think-a-minutes, and a few other resources

 

DD 5

 

Literature: Abeka Phonics/Letters & Sounds/Abeka Readers... probably lots of audio books.

Grammar: FLL1

Penmanship: Dry-erase booklets for printing/Abeka Cursive program (K)

Latin: Song School Latin

Math: Probably Abeka...but will be looking at Kitchen Table Math

Art: I Can Do All Things...

She will probably participate at whatever level she can, with older siblings for history and science, but I have no formal studies in these areas planned.

Music: lots and lots of fun songs :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

Oh, pick the hardest question first. We were initially going to do Ancients & Early-Mid Medieval as part of a three-year cycle (and spend the last year solely on US History). I realized a little over a month ago that history is not going well in terms of what I wanted to achieve through it. So my project for Christmas break is to rework her history, and we're going to come at history from a 'social science' lens for a year or two. We'll probably start with linguistics & use Ellen McHenry's Excavating English with a lot of extra 'stuff.'

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

I think Voyage is my favorite level yet! I can't wait until the Greenville convention when I can look at the next level. I am considering planning on a year & a half for the next level, mainly because there are some other rabbit trails I'd like to explore, and we need to spend some focused time on her spelling.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

Spelling, outlining, and expanding her writing. I'm also continuing to have her develop two or three separate 'strands' of mathematics at a time.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

my iPhone & dd's planner, lol.

 

How goes the writing process?

I'm really impressed with how Essay Voyage has stretched her writing. She's finished eight of the chapters, so I'm looking forward to reviewing and improving the application of it throughout the rest of the year.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

How about two books? The House of Intellect and The Equation for Excellence.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are studying Ancients this year. MCT went well enough that I have already ordered next years books. Writing is the skill needing most improvement here, debate and negotiation are the skills that get the most practice. 11yo girls make the best teachers for 4yo boys. Deep breaths are not just for yoga, they also work when trying to explain something for the nth time. 11yo girls cannot get up, shower, and do chores before math, it causes all the numbers to wash out of her head.

 

:lol:But Mary, the debate and negotiation cannot be that bad; you still have enough wit left to complete a sentence and write a succinct paragraph.:D The level of debate and negotiation that goes on here leaves me crabby semi-inarticulate.

 

Are you using MCT for writing with your 11yo or your oldest?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

SOTW vol 4. We are up to the Sino-Japanese War (fought in Korea). I've added many readers, geography, and writing to this volume. It is going nicely.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

My Droid phone.

 

How goes the writing process?

Surprisingly well. It seems to be coming together for my youngest very nicely.

 

we've made a few big changes. I've put Saxon 76 aside for TT7 to slow math down a bit and really focus on fractions. I plan to add LOF after the Christmas break. I'm also going to add Abeka science to Apologia Swimming Creatures. With Apologia General looming before us next year, I want to give more background in the physical sciences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

We are finishing up modern history.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

Not part of the group.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

Oldest-getting school done on time, which is going very well. Being accurate in math, which is not going well.

 

5th grader-Independence-doing well, so she can start Lively Latin after Christmas.

 

4th grader-Finishing phonics (later reader), which is going well. Working on wrapping up WWE and outlining so she can start Aesop. This is coming along, but it probably won't happen till summer.

 

2nd grader-Late reader, so the biggest focus is on reading. This is going well, but still slow.

How goes the writing process?

 

Great! I am pleased with where all my kids are at.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.:D

 

Do stress the little errors, just keep pointing them in the right direction. Lean to communicate your frustration in a way where it is not on them, but you take responsibility. In other words if they aren't getting the way you are teaching something, close the book, tell them it is your problem, walk away and get advice on how to approach it in a new way. So many issues will come given time, but once a kid has a complex about something they become twice as hard to teach.

 

Heather

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

Modern Era with History Odyssey, Level 2. It's been a bit piece meal and I've added in some reading & outlining assignments from the SOTW activity guide in place of the outlining assignments in HO. He just needed more hand holding with the outlining.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

Well, we are emphasizing science over history, because science has always been in second place. I figured we should have one solid, complete science year before high school!

 

I am working on sneaking in study skills - ds has resisted this as much as I enjoy teaching them. Making use of the partially complete outlines in SOTW that I mentioned above has made my instruction seem less direct, so that helps. Building flashcards online @ quizlet and then studying them on my iphone has helped as well. He's slowly beginning to see the advantages of having a schedule.

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

The book Then Sings My Soul has been an oasis in the storm this year. We use it every day at the beginning of our school day.

 

I read The Teenage Liberation Handbook and it helped me begin to think outside the box with the upcoming high school years. I think we'll be able to create some elective credits tailored to ds' interests.

 

 

How goes the writing process?

It's hard this year. I feel like I am re-teaching everything. We will start the IEW essay course in January, perhaps by going to see Andrew Pudewa live first. That has inspired ds in the past, so maybe it will light his fire again. The good thing that has happened is that Rocket Boy completed the NaNoWriMo challenge and met his goal of 5,000 words. He wrote a science fiction/detective novel in the style of a Star Trek Captain's Log. He dove into NaNoWriMo with full enthusiasm.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.:D

I've come a tiny bit closer to accepting the fact that my son doesn't learn the way many kids do and that I need to adjust the curriculum, the style of teaching and my expectations accordingly. I am a work in progress.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

Middle Ages

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

N/A

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

Writing, and just continuing to move forward in math.... ideally that he might find things he likes about both, LOL.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

My Harold Taylor Calendar, my weekly Excel spreadsheet w/ all children and all assignments, my Mom :D, and emails with my dh in Afg.

 

How goes the writing process?

 

Well.... it's a marathon, not a sprint, right? A Writing Skills workbook was a very cheap, incremental helpful resource for a month or so... and it also gives examples of different types of paragraphs/essays... and gives ideas for topics which is where I struggle the most.... a do-able assignment that isn't trite and boring. So.... my goal right now is to forget about finding the perfect writing curriculum and just come up with topics he will not mind writing about, and then practice. Wash, rinse, repeat. We're currently working together on an essay about Richard III after reading Daughter of Time together. Fun stuff.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

 

No real advice to pass on.... this year has been full of adjustments for us (adding 4th student, oldest ds changing daily, dh deployed), but I loved reading Daughter of Time aloud to my oldest and realized I should still be reading aloud with just him to give us more opportunity for discussions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

We are in the late middle ages/early modern period.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

arithmetic, English grammar, writing, Latin grammar, logic, analyzing and discussing different types of books, piano, some art skills, and various life skills. For fun, he is currently learning (with his father) to run the sound system at church.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

All my teacher manuals for the above skills, and these forums. :D

 

How goes the writing process?

 

I think it's going pretty well; ds is now learning to rewrite from an outline, and I *think* his rewrites are pretty good. We use those to work on improving grammar/mechanics/sentence variety. But I will be very glad when WWS comes out so I can see what little things I am missing in my teaching.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.:D

 

Think before I speak, modulate my voice so I don't sound impatient, ha ha! Um, sometimes let my ds logically argue his way into something he wants, so he can practice reasoning skills.

 

 

.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

We are covering the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

Not us! We have are still happily using Rod & Staff.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

Writing. She is doing pretty well with it. She is writing essays to summarize each Shakespeare play she reads (some are Lamb's retelling and others she is reading the original). She is summarizing chapters of the Gospels for religion. She is doing HO-style writing and some outlining for history. And she decided to write her own book of Famous Women in History, since the Famous Men books, for the most part, have ignored them. :)

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

WTM and the Mother of Divine Grace book recommendations.

 

How goes the writing process?

Very well.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.:D

Be consistent, and foucs on the basics. This is our third year doing much of the same thing, and it is really paying off for her. Things she struggled with have gotten easier, and she is able to branch out now to things she wouldn't have tried before. For us, newer isn't always better. Sometimes I get impatient with what we are using and need to remember that it takes time for things to work well sometimes and that switching is not usually the right answer for us. Of course, if something is really a disaster, I will reassess. But for the most part, the problem is usually resolved with some time and patience and not a curriculum change.

 

I will just add that even though things are going well this year, I am always looking at what we can improve and trying to figure out where we are lacking. I think our next big push is going to be in literary analysis. She reads a lot, but we haven't been doing enough in analyzing, and I would like to start to challenge her with it.

Edited by Asenik
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I have been loath to answer this - it's not mid-year yet! :tongue_smilie: We go Sept. - Jun as our "official" year, so end of Jan. will be mid-year, but I still feel behind...

 

What is your area of study for history this year?

Ancient History - we've only managed to get up to Ancient India/China - haven't even hit the Greeks yet... :glare:

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

Still love it. My older two did finish CEII, and we're just starting on Magic Lens and WWtW, so don't have much to report there yet. My youngest is has finished Island and is starting Town.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

Study skills. I've been giving tests for the first time (in just two subjects - Spanish and Math). I think they are stunned by the difference between what they think they know and their test results. With math, one's doing okay and the other is getting a reality check on how it really is important to check your work. :glare: It is slowly improving. I'm stressing relevant note-taking from their reading, studying said notes, using mnemonics.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

Maybe this is what I'm missing - I'm feeling like I'm floundering a bit...

 

How goes the writing process?

Eep. Supposedly the older two are doing Essay Voyage and applying it across the curriculum. We've done two or three chapters so far (there are only ten altogether...). But the older two have only completed one paper. :blushing: They are working on a compare/contrast essay for history (assignment from K12HO), but it always seems to get pushed on the back burner for more "urgent" things.

 

Younger has done the beta lessons from Writing with Skill, some Killgallon Story Grammar, some Writing Magic (creative), and for second semester I'm planning to get through Paragraph Town.

 

Honestly, I feel like this year is kicking my butt. My older two seem to be getting less done even though I've extended the school day a half an hour. I think they've got the adolescent brain fog. Another problem is that our fall was horrendously overscheduled with outside activities. We did an economics unit (culiminating in a two-day hands-on thing where the kids ran a "town"). One dd did FLL Robotics and synchronized skating, both of which have competitions. Two are in a play, one was in the Nutcracker. There were Christmas performances with orchestra, community groups, chorus. We're out 7 days a week.

 

The next semester should be at least slightly less harried. :willy_nilly:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About MCT - I asked DS to put away WWW2 for a few weeks so we could get caught up on math and writing. He sneaks the WWW book and is still working on the new lists. I catch him using Quizlet when he should be doing other things.

 

We are doing well with our history program and on task with math. We are a little behind with science but that is due more to rabbit trails than anything else.

 

My biggest challenge is getting him to do the research before he begins writing. I am planning on taking him to a fun hotel for a long weekend and focusing on writing. Getting away from the distractions of home might good for us both.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Writing is the skill needing most improvement here, debate and negotiation are the skills that get the most practice. 11yo girls make the best teachers for 4yo boys. Deep breaths are not just for yoga, they also work when trying to explain something for the nth time. 11yo girls cannot get up, shower, and do chores before math, it causes all the numbers to wash out of her head.
LOVE THIS! :lol:
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lisa, I love and appreciate you. What a wonderful thread. It is bringing a sigh of relief for me to think about all of this before returning to school on Monday.

Much of the first part of my school year has been consumed by adapting to teaching a high school student and a senior at that. It is a thrilling, but overwhelming and exhausting experience that has kept me mostly out of touch with the middle school crowd more than I like to be. I feel the same way. Mine is a freshman and a half freshman/8th grader, but I have been CONSUMED with trying to figure out and implement high school and it can be rather exhausting! I'm constantly adjusting.

 

What is your area of study for history this year? We are in TOG 3, Modern Times. It's honestly the first time we've gotten this far in history (we spent YEARS on ancients :o). We will wrap it up in 2 months and actually be in the 1900s. What an impressive time of industry and deep study on the Civil War. It has been plentiful and my dc have been interested.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off? Not an MCT groupie, but still :drool5: about Schola Publications materials (PR and LR). It's been my greatest relief to take care of a core subject area forever! So, so happy to fill the spot permanently!

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development? For the dc: Completion, Anti-procrastination, and general time management...oh, and Speed for my 9th grader (darn Turtle boy!). For me, it's following behind the Elders to make sure each of these things are coming along. I either feel too far behind them or like a nag. I'm struggling with this one. So much so that I made a revised daily schedule so I can spend more time with the boys. My dd12, 6th grade, is doing everything right (thank God), so it's really just dealing with the boys. Dad has stepped in a bit, too, so that makes a HUGE difference. I will say, the 15yo is improving and they do have a heavy, heavy courseload....he's just so slow! Also, note-taking. I bought their spines this year and am allowing them to write in the book. Seems to help for review, outlining and summarization.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without? Schola Publications gets the work done all around; the high school forum. I've been so encouraged by the hs forum to find balance this year. It is making a HUGE difference in my attitude....paranoia sets in sometimes and I forget I have 4 years to get all of high school in!

 

How goes the writing process? Like a dream. I love, love, love Write Shop. We'll be wrapping up level 1 soon and will head towards Level 2 after Spring Break. Clear, concise, and everything we need. My kids are doing very well and it's getting....dare I say, easy!

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.:D

The most important thing I've learned is that middle school is NOT high school. I was so bent on having them comfy by the time they got to high school that I forgot they can grow into it during 9th and 10th grades. My paranoia had me pushing too hard, too much, too fast and it left us all exhausted. I slowed down a bit, condensed a few subjects so the list of "to do" was shortened. I simply got rid of any and all redundancy in their days. We're feeling more balanced and we like each other a lot more.

 

I'm also realizing middle schoolers are not uberindependent. I read so many posts about "my dc is flying solo" that I expected it out of my children. Honestly, dd can fly solo (:Angel_anim:), but her older brothers need my regular supervision. I struggle with the "young men" vs "still need mom" controversy and have finally chosen a side: still need mom is the reality for them, so I have made myself available. Funny how accepting and acting on that has brought peace back into our school days.

 

I also learned my boys need their dad to step up. They're bigger than I in stature and they "feel" like young men, even if they still act like man-children. Hearing the same ole from Mom isn't working as well, but hearing it from Dad seems to make a difference.

 

Love this thread!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11yo girls make the best teachers for 4yo boys. .
They sure do! 10 and 12yo work, too!

 

He's a delayed reader and this year I'm asking him to do more independent reading in other subjects besides reading. It's stretching him, but I see the benefit.

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

I don't know if I've learned anything new, but I miss schooling. We've had 3 weeks off in November and now 3 weeks off in December. Our life has been very chaotic. I miss the structure of our day. I miss my son being goofy during class. I even miss him bouncing up and down on that crazy exercise ball. I think we will come back to school with new patience and appreciation for what we building together, what we are accomplishating. We're in a new house, a new community, we'll have a new school desk, and a new classroom to decorate. I think the fresh start is exactly what we need to finish this year in a strong position.

:hurray:

 

Needs Improvement:

* ....... keeping up on the marking. There is sooo much as you get into the middle school grades. Does anyone else feel this way?

AMENS, sista!

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

Morning Coffee

It took me a long while, but I've learned this, this year, too. Don't mind that java one bit!

 

I would just like to have a year that wasn't crisis-oriented. The words peace and calm sounds so good right now. :001_smile:
:grouphug: I can only imagine. KUDOS for sticking in the home schooling race despite hard times.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

I was never a groupie. I like many of the example essays in Voyages and I like the vocab (especially the sesquipedalian stories) in CE. I have a strong personal distaste for transcendentalism and he seems enamored with those writings, so that is starting to annoy me.

sesquipedalian and transcendentalism in one post...I wanna be you when I grow up. Perhaps the teen fog has transcended my skull.

 

He's doing much better with this program in terms of not making so many mistakes when I set him to do work on his own. And I do see it translating into his writing, too.

 

I also am enrolling him in a number of computer training programs through our library this year. I never managed to get that done with my older son. I have to take the classes with him, so the added bonus is that I'm getting some remediation, too, LOL. Thus far, we've taken two Word classes. Next up are some publishing classes.

 

Not really a new thing, but more applicable (and for different reasons) to this child than the other: move them into outside classes in junior high. They need more voices of reason in their life. You need the reinforcement of other voices who agree with you. When they see that you're not the only one who says "xyz", then they are more likely not to resist you. It saves a bunch on arguing, LOL! And they also really begin to need group discussion at this age, too, I think. They've heard to death everything I think; they need to know what other people think, too. I think they come back to me more open to my ideas when they see what the wider world has to offer....

:hurray: for the grammar transferring over. We need some computer classes, too. I found it was nice for their FLVS teacher to say the same kinds of things to them that I do...it was refreshing!

 

 

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

my Mom :D, and emails with my dh in Afg.

awwww and :grouphug:

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

Study skills. I've been giving tests for the first time (in just two subjects - Spanish and Math). I think they are stunned by the difference between what they think they know and their test results.

uh huh. I know just what you mean....science study guides and history discussions do that for us, too.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Colleen said,

"If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.:D

 

Think before I speak, modulate my voice so I don't sound impatient, ha ha! Um, sometimes let my ds logically argue his way into something he wants, so he can practice reasoning skills."

Yes and great idea. I may need to loosen up and give the reasoning practice a try.

 

 

Edited by johnandtinagilbert
linking to Colleen's post
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

WE're doing Ancients. I think DS would have liked to do Middle Ages this year as he knows a lot about Ancients. I gave him the choice of doing Ancients w/ his brother (2nd grader - 1st time through) or do separate MIddle Ages. He decided on Ancients. I also told him we'd be focusing more on him writing his own narrations, outlining, and answering questions and it might be easier w/ content that is more familiar. But he loves Greece and Rome and there is definitely new content there so after a month, it'll be more exciting for him as well as the literature to go along w/ history.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

We're still enamored. We are doing Town level this year and it's going well. We're just now getting into the writing portion of Paragraph Town so we'll see how it goes from here on out.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

Skill development - those multiplication tables to automaticity; accountability. I bought him a planner. I try to go over the week on Sunday. I sit and write things down with him, having him choose how many lessons he thinks he can do etc. Then during the day, remind him to check things off as he goes. I'm not sure how well it's working but I think this is something that could take a year to become really effective. Our big push has been writing - grammar, spelling, endurance. I think it has paid off and I hope for him to be quite solid on paragraphs by the end of the year.

 

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

The Logic Stage board! Definitely! Swimmermom, Correlano, 8FilltheHeart, LoriD, Matryoyshka, to name a few. And DH who works long hours which allows me the luxury of staying home w/ the kids and guiding them in their education.

 

How goes the writing process? I think I am OK with where we are with writing. We did some simple paragraphs writing from very simple outlines in Outlining Book 2 and he did well with, combining statements into compound sentences, had a nice opener, and a nice closer. We are beta testing WWS and will dive head on into next week so I'm excited to see how that goes. We are now in WWE4. I want to finish it but I'm more drawn to Bogart lit guides so I will begin to intersperse those w/ WWE4. I've been happy with his curricula writing. CPO Life Science has short answer questions and he doesn't balk at answering those. He has also done well w/ writing assignments in K12HO student pages. We are currently doing one level outlines from K12HO.

 

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

I can't think of one thing but listening to SWB's MP3s (elementary, middle, and high school as well Great Books, History as Literature) really helped to give me a big picture.

 

My focus for this year and last was really skills. I want those to be automatic - writing, spelling, grammar, typing (need more of this), mental math skills, multiplication tables (oldest is like me, don't use it-lose it, requires constant maintenance).

 

The other thing I've learned and it's cliche .... but put the mask on yourself first. I give, give, and give some more. I finally had enough. I wake up everyday and exercise at 7am w/ P90X. I'm on week 8 next week and I've only missed a day. My chronic insomnia which I've dealt with for years is gone! GONe! GONE! I feel so much better. I have so much more patience, I yell less, my chest pain is gone, I'm happier. We start school later which means we go later in the day but that's ok. No being done at 2pm around here anymore. :tongue_smilie:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

We're studying the Ancients this year. The cycle matches nicely with Mac's first grade studies.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

I'm not a groupie.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

We're working on outlining, writing and memorizing multiplication facts. She knows her math facts, but has to think too long for many of them. Outlining is proving to be difficult for her, despite understanding the concept behind it. She can write a decent paragraph, with a topic and supporting sentences, but breaking down a paragraph is giving her trouble.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

The library (I love, love, love the online request system), my morning hour alone, and coffee.

 

How goes the writing process?

 

It's going well. Elle can write a decent paragraph with little trouble. We're working on adding detail and completeness this year. We're using R&S, so she gets a lot of writing practice.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.

 

Planning. The first two years I planned a week at a time and felt frustrated and lost. This year, I plan two or three weeks out in detail and have a rough plan for the rest of the "semester" and an even rougher plan for the year. I know what I want to cover and when, then plan our lessons, field trips, movies, etc around it. It's made a huge difference in how smoothly our day goes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

We are studying the Middle Ages this year. We have stopped and started history so many times this year and tweaked things 100 different ways that I am ready to give the teaching responsibility of history to dad (he is more of a history buff anyway). So, starting in January, that will lighten my load a little.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

I'm not a groupie.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

We are focusing on spelling, basic writing skills, punctuation, and finishing up the last of the basic math skills needed for prealgebra. We will probably also start working on outlining and doing more book reports.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

Whiteboard, planner, and this message board of course.

 

How goes the writing process?

 

It could be better. My dd has great creative ideas and has no problem with the flow of her writing, writing dialogue, or even using a wide variety of vocabulary. She just has a lot of weaknesses in writing in the areas of punctuation, spelling, and writing technical reports. When I ask her to summarize something, she tends to want to write too much. She also is a somewhat sloppy writer, so I am debating between having her do mostly cursive (which surprisingly looks much better) or typing her reports/work.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.

 

Less is more. I tend to want to do too much. I see what everyone else is doing or the new great thing that came out and want to try it for fun at the expense of overloading my dd which causes her to hate homeschooling. This year and next I am trying to slow down and stop buying and adding on so much stuff. I am trying to appreciate what I do have and use everything to its full potential. I also think that my time is better spent actually teaching the subjects and helping my dd learn, rather than planning, researching, etc. for hours on end.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

Modern - using TOG Year 4 (first year of TOG here).

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

Not a groupie :001_smile:

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

8th grade ds: Focus, focus, focus...

 

7th grade dd: Slowing her down so her work is done thoroughly (my two oldest are about as different as they could be!!)

 

5th grade dd: Increasing reading speed/amount (and decreasing the whining/complaining :-)

 

2nd grade ds: Focus, focus, focus...

 

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

My sense of humor? Seriously, the library has been invaluable. We are doing TOG for the first time and I have 2 D students, 1 UG student, and 1 LG student. I would be completely broke without the library. I can place holds online and have access to 25 or so branches, so I can get many of our books quickly and easily and FREE.

 

How goes the writing process?

 

Great! I adore CW - especially the online tutorials!! I currently have a child taking the Chreia class and one taking the Maxim class. My 5th grader is finishing up Aesop B with me and will begin Homer A soon.

 

Is there one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher?

 

To give myself a little slack. I have been chronically anemic for the last two years and have not had the energy to put into planning/schooling that I have had in the past. I am learning that my children will still learn/excel even if we do not do every project/field trip/paper/etc. I am very thankful for this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

My senior-in-high-school dd is doing one-year world history with a textbook, and loving it.

My 6th grade mule, er, I mean ds, is doing two-year world history, this being the first year, and we are behind schedule, but I hope to catch up and be able to finish the book. I got bogged down with adding in a lot of fun stuff from SL and SOTW, and it sapped my energy and I lost interest. Boy, I'm my own worst enemy.

 

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

MCT never appealed to me, and, frankly, I'm thankful it didn't, because one more thing to pine away for would not be good for me, lol.

 

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

Writing and literature for dd, who is finally having a good year with all that, thank you God. Basic skills for ds -- math skills all around, spelling, vocab, thinking skills, just everything, because I discovered he really needs his foundation stronger.

 

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

Netflix for augmenting our science and history studies.

 

 

How goes the writing process?

Still not there with ds and need to ramp that up, but dd has blossomed this year, and she's graduating this spring, yikes. Late bloomer, always has been.

 

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.

Long-range planning so that I don't have gaps. Slow and steady. Just keep on going. Wish I knew that long ago. I spent too much time with my olders wondering if I was doing the right thing, and switching things around too much, and they suffered gaps as a result.

 

 

*******

 

Let me add one other question: "What are you looking forward to?"

I'm looking forward to only having ONE STUDENT NEXT YEAR!!!!!:party:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

This is our 3rd year of American history with Truthquest! 1865-Modern. They are also reviewing SOTW w/ audio. 1 book for quarter! They listen with headphones while the other practices piano. They review their notebooks made in years past with the tests. It has been great to review before we start over with Ancients next year!

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

I'm still a CLE groupie!!

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

I get a little worried that I'm not accelerating my bright children enough. Especially when I read the boards. However, I keep going back to my desire to NAIL DOWN the basics. I'm not even moving very swiftly into the logic stage. I think for us Logic will likely be 7-9th and Rhetoric 10-12th. I know that sounds delayed - and they are very smart. So, it's a wierd balance - but sometimes a mom just has an instinct about what is best for her own kids/students ya know. They are really diligent and I'm pleased with their progress overall.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

CLE math, reading and LA and Truthquest History w/ the library

 

How goes the writing process?

We are still in WWE! My 6th grader is doing 3&4 this year! They can write paragraphs well when they come up in CLE and they write their own narrations for WWE and other subjects. I don't know - I just don't feel the need to accelerate this process. We'll write more essays and research papers in future years. I bought TONS of teaching writing books with Christmas Amazon giftcards for my own reading this summer.:tongue_smilie:

 

Is there one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher?

"It is a marathon, not a sprint." As quoted on the boards frequently!!! I really want to nail down the basics before high school! That includes academic skills, study skills, time management, and independent work when appropriate.

Edited by LNC
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

We are in the 1800's using TOG year 3, dialectic this year

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off? What are your areas of focus for skill development?

I still love it. We are on Town level.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

Trying to get kids to learn to schedule themselves. This is going well with my 11 yo DD but I have made zero progress with 10 yo DS w/Aspergers.

 

Working on outlining, writing summaries, and doing lab sheets for experiments. Basic skills all around.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

I could not live without Captuhura on IM!!!! I also got a new school room this year and having each subject on a bookshelf and having a whiteboard wall is really making things smoother!

 

How goes the writing process?

We haven't gotten to much real writing in Paragraph Town yet. We've done some of the writing assignments from TOG though.

 

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

**If you get behind, don't panic. Just do the next thing.

**Never start the day without coffee.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

History study for the year:

 

We're studying the Renaissance and Reformation. We're following AO Year 8 but definitely modified. We love Renaissance and Reformation Times by Dorothy Mills and using a study guide I made for her with it. We use selections from the Portable Renaissance Reader for primary sources. Our literature and poetry and biographies supplement this time period. It is going very well. The Portable Renaissance Reader has been the perfect way to step the reading level up without overwhelming dd. The essays are full but short enough to deal with as a whole.

 

MCT:

We don't use MCT, but I may get Paragraph Town and Essay Voyage if I cannot get a plan down for writing. Will the agony over writing ever end?:lol:

 

Skill development: writing, writing, math and math. UGH!

 

Resources:

I love this forum! I love Ambleside Online too.

 

Writing Process: making progress, but I need a plan...

 

Valuable lessons: Trust your instincts about where your children are academically and follow it...don't compare to others. They often catch up with a surprising leap and then we wonder why we allowed our own fears to play out onto them. Follow your own ideas about what education looks like to you. I trust myself more now. (Although High School is a new road for me.) Adapt your plans to fit your children's passions. I choose to emphasize literature my dd loves, writing assignments she loves and a focus on the humanities she loves. This helps us get though what she doesn't love.:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

I could not live without Captuhura on IM!!!! I also got a new school room this year and having each subject on a bookshelf and having a whiteboard wall is really making things smoother!

 

.

:001_smile::001_smile::001_smile::001_smile::001_smile::001_smile::001_smile::001_smile:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

Medieval and Renn,

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

Still love it. Can't wait to buy next years.

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

Hmm. Writing and math.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

Besides the computer and coffee? Essay Voyage.

 

How goes the writing process?

 

It's going. DD is a bit cocky about her writing. She'll put out some very good stuff, then slack off on her next paper because she knows it's passable.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.:D

 

:bigear:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are studying Ancients this year. MCT went well enough that I have already ordered next years books. Writing is the skill needing most improvement here, debate and negotiation are the skills that get the most practice. 11yo girls make the best teachers for 4yo boys. Deep breaths are not just for yoga, they also work when trying to explain something for the nth time. 11yo girls cannot get up, shower, and do chores before math, it causes all the numbers to wash out of her head.

 

 

Well said!!! :smilielol5: :lol::rofl::rofl::lol::rofl::smilielol5:Thanks for making my day!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've had some crazy family stuff in the past couple of months, but have kept plowing through most of our subjects.

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

Ancients. We're currently in Ancient Greece.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

We still love it. I love it more than last year. :D

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

We started medication for dd's ADHD, which is making it so much easier for dd to understand and complete her work in a timely fashion. I've learned better how to assign work for her (she hates independent stuff, for the most part) and she's learned better how to accomplish what I ask of her.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

Her ADHD meds? :tongue_smilie: Actually, I've been really glad that I have the complete set of Math Mammoth. Math has been so difficult for my oldest. I'm working with her through the early levels of MM to give her a better foundation. And I think it's working! :)

 

How goes the writing process?

 

She is getting better at 1-level outlines, but she doesn't like them. She's not a fan of expository writing, but loves to write creatively. We are doing a mishmash of MCT and IEW. She vastly prefers reading to writing. She reads for many hours each day (some assigned for school, some for pleasure). During our MCT vocabulary lesson yesterday, we talked about how the words from good books get stored in your head and you can use them when you write.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

 

Slow down and build skills, even if that means you'll be "behind". I also discovered that I learn by memorizing things like spelling rules, but dd10 does not. It explains why some of our school purchases have flopped for her and it will hopefully save me money in the future. :tongue_smilie:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

Ancients for the first time, so we're covering it pretty thoroughly. We're moving from Minoans to Greeks starting Monday. These are the people she's been waiting for, as we did lots of pre-reading last summer to get her primed. She says she wants to (re)read and watch every version of the Iliad and the Odyssey she can get her hands on. I'm happy.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

Didn't partake of that kool-aid. Yet.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

Decision making (following careful contemplation ;) )

Handling social situations. (Ha!) Let me elaborate: My girl is outgoing, doesn't hesitate to speak to anyone, appears confident, and has handled lots of business on her own without batting an eye. But you know all those uncomfortable, unfair, or rude situations that crop up in life? We role-play to build confidence in handling those.

Oh, yes. Note-taking for school, also.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

Tea by the gallon.

Whiteboard for math.

Library card, netflix, internet.

 

How goes the writing process?

 

Seems to be going just fine. For writing, I am just following a gut instinct and trying to expose her to all types of written materials and then having her write different types of things (as opposed to following one program). She'd rather not write at all, but at least spelling and mechanics are not a problem for her, so she can just concentrate on the process of putting words to paper in a cohesive manner. I pull lessons from WriteSource materials or the internet, and I see her using vocab words and trying to experiment a bit with her writing.

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?

 

Nothing new to add, as I am learning from the rest of you. Oh! But I've heard it said here to remember to take time to care for ourselves, and I believe that is so true.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Assuming, based on the subforum this is in, that you only want to know about my 11y/o 6th grader and not the 2nd grader. Answered accordingly below:

 

What is your area of study for history this year?

 

He is studying "Creation to Christ" with HOD this year.

 

For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?

 

Not an MCT groupie. I am a tried and true R&S lover.

 

What are your areas of focus for skill development?

 

For ds11, spelling continues to be our absolute biggest challenge. French is not working so well - not sure what to do there. The program we are using (Memoria Press) goes fast and ds is not "getting it." I am not able to devote the time I really need to devote to teaching him French and I have forgotten so much of it that we really need to re-learn it together. Definitely improvements need to be made there, but we are going to finish out the year with what we have hoping to at least get some basic vocab from the course.

 

Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?

 

Workboxes are a Godsend for my older ds and I. He is so independent thanks to them!

 

How goes the writing process?

 

Like a turtle in the desert needing ice water.

 

If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing? Please.:D

 

Don't sweat the small stuff. I have to remind myself of this every.single.day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

Ă—
Ă—
  • Create New...