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Michelle My Bell

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Posts posted by Michelle My Bell

  1. My kids are all grown now also... my youngest is just about to turn 18 and my oldest is about to have her 3rd baby! lol.  I am thinking of starting a cottage school in the next year or so. Since 2020, it seems that so many more people are open to alternative methods of schooling for their kids but not everyone is willing or able to homeschool. I had such a passion for homeschooling, I feel like I would absolutely love having my own mini-school.

    I am currently working as an RN which is not my passion. But my wages are high enough that I could fund the opening of this school in 2025. I would be so happy to walk away from nursing and get back to my true passion. 

    • Like 3
  2. 47 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

    Thank you for chiming back in letting me know this isn’t your first rodeo.

    I always worry when people post and say they have no time, no money, and they need their 14 yo to essentially teach themselves high school. 
     

     

    Yes, absolutely. I think that does make a huge difference as well. I think the solution I have come to is to use BJU online. My son's dad is going to help pay for it and I believe it is something I could spend an hour or so a week looking over and making sure he is getting it done. Thank you for your helps, truly. 

     

    • Like 2
  3. 7 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

    So, you have a lot of subjects for a 9th grader. Typically, they would have seven courses only even if they are going for an Honors diploma of 28 credits.

    Also, I am assuming you are planning on homeschooling through all of high school? Typically it is very difficult to reintegrate mid stream as the public school will not accept non-accredited credits.

    Here are my thoughts, having homeschooled one K-12, and now having a second kid in high school.

    1. Don’t count the Bible study as a credit towards a diploma. I mean, you can count it as an elective if you really want to but I think there is danger in making something that should be as joyful as scripture study school.
     

    2. Save the foreign language for when you can dual enroll him into a community college or pay for an online class. It is difficult to do a foreign language well without a fluent tutor. It is even more difficult if you aren’t there to 1:1 with him for practice.

    3. If you think about your standard 6-7 credits, you have:

    math

    science (typically either physics or biology)

    history

    English language arts

    PE

    Health: typically not done the same year as PE

    elective credit

    4. If you are really pinched for time and you aren’t up for all of grades 9-12, consider an online charter. Homeschooling high school well is a significant chunk of time. 
     

    5. As far as ELA goes, I would focus less on vocabulary, and more on writing well with a coherent and strong voice. Grammar is also important in that it supports writing as well as doubles for ACT/SAT prep. With my older kid, we used History of the Ancient World and my son wrote a ton of essays. In addition to that, he read a long list of classics and listened to bunch of Great Courses lectures through audible. I bunched ELA with history his 9th grade year. (I didn’t always do this, but it worked well for 9th.) With my next kid, History Odyssey was a better fit, and we did ELA separately through his charter. That ELA class focused mostly on writing a strong essay with documentation—for the whole year. The students wrote about different things, but it wasn’t nearly as difficult as Writing with Skill volume 1. 🙂 

     

    Thank you for your thoughts. I have 4 older daughters and this was my experience. Daughters 1 & 2 were homeschooled through 12th grade. Both got full-ride scholarships to college. Daughter 1 got so much in scholarships, she got a refund every semester. Daughters 3 & 4 were homeschooled for part of high school and ended up going to brick and mortar high school with credits I issued them. We didn't have any issues with them being accepted and both are graduated now. I just don't have the time to dedicate to my son but staying home is important to him. I don't think and online charter is a good fit though. Thank you for your thoughts. I'll consider them. 🙂 

    • Like 1
  4. On 7/24/2021 at 10:12 PM, Ottakee said:

    Revisiting this older post

    Covid restrictions are way down.  I joined a local outdoor activity group for adults about my age.....and so far the only single guy has special needs (comes with his sister).   I will continue to join them on outings as it is fun but it won't be a source of any dates.

    I am reading (ok re-reading) the book Matched and there are a lot of good ideas in there.  I don't agree with all of her stuff but enough to make the book worthwhile..... especially as I got it as a free Kindle download.

    Keep updating this post as you go. I am 48 and going to be divorcing my narcissist husband soon. I am devastated but I know I want to find a partner in the future. I have the exact same questions as you. I met my soon-to-be ex at my front door. I hired him to work on my house. It led to years of stress, and when we married extreme abuse. So I want to do this right this time. 

    • Like 3
  5. 2 minutes ago, freesia said:

    I have some ideas.  If you have any money, I would recommend doing a couple of Lantern English writing classes. They are only $60 for an 8 week class. 

    Literature: Look at Illuminating Literature--it's easy to use and the books are engaging. Does he need grammar?  Maybe Easy Grammar ? Vocab--Illuminating Lit has vocab

    Science--Since you are looking at Guest Hollow, dd used the Biology and it went really well.  It does have a weekly plan.

    Foreign Language--Require 45 minutes a day.  Have him work on Duolingo, watch some cartoons in the target language, get an Easy Reader (Spanish, French, German) and work through it with him once a week after the first semester.

    Health:Total Health is easy

    PE: Have him design a daily fitness plan and do it each day.

    Bible: Hmmm  the Bible Project has good videos.  Maybe have him watch the video and then read the book of the Bible and journal?  Share some things he learns?

    These are some great ideas! Thank you! I am going to look up these resources. ❤️ 

     

    • Like 1
  6. My son really wants to stay home this year after A LOT of discussion. I am really going through a lot myself with a separation from my husband, starting two new businesses and trying to finish my BSN. I will be home 99% of the time, but I will be working on all that. So I need something that is all laid out or even just something that teaches him. Not all reading. I'd like some videos or other content... OH and I can't really afford online classes that are hundreds of dollars this year. All the bills that used to be shared are now on me. I do have Guest Hollows Geography that I could use... If I can figure out how to preplan it. And I already know we will be using Teaching Textbooks Math as he loves that. My son could really use a good Language Arts program. That is his weak area. 

    Bible: 

    Math: Teaching Textbooks Algebra

    English/Grammar:

    Vocabulary:

    Literature:

    Writing:

    Foreign Language:

    History/Geography:
    (Maybe Guest Hollow or something else?)

    Science: 

    Health:

    PE:

  7. We have never used online charter school, but I really want something that will keep my last child, my son, accountable for his 9th grade year. I will be working full-time, I am separated from my husband and I am really over home educating having done it since 1999. If life wasn't so intense right now, I might consider doing regular home education as in the past. 

    I am still considering sending him to our local public, but as I said in a previous post, he was bullied there in 7th grade and he has zero desire to go back. 

    So I am thinking about Connections or K12. I would love opinions, experiences, and what does the day look like for someone in 9th grade. Also, if you DO NOT recommend online charter and I should just pull something together for him, I'd like to know that as well. 

     

    Thank You!

     

  8. 1 minute ago, mathmarm said:

    This is a small town, will the people who bullied him in Jr. High be at the same Highschool?
    (About) how many kids will be in the 9th grade at this school?

    From the outside looking in, I'm not sure that this has to be an Either-Or situation.

    Can he stay with a relative during the school year and attend a different/better school?

     

    Yes, most like the same kids. He was a lot smaller a year and a half ago. I feel that maybe he didn't make the most of his first experience there and could have a better experience. It is about 100-125 kids per grade at this school. I would not have him live with anyone else. He wouldn't want to either. We are very close. 

  9. So I am trying very hard to make the right decision for my son for 9th grade next year. He is my last kid as all my other's are now graduated from school. We moved two years ago to a small town and the school is a very nice, newer built country high school for the surrounding communities. Because we haven't lived here that long, my son doesn't have a single friend in the community. During the week, he spends a lot of time in his room gaming, talking to his cousins and friends from our old hometown on his headset. He will also go for bike rides, or go visit his sister and brother-in-law who live a few blocks away. 

    My son also has Crohn's disease and is pretty small for his age. He only weighs 100lbs and 5'6" (he has been growing lately). A lot of foods upset his stomach and he needs to use the bathroom for long periods of time a couple times a week. I have to force him to eat and he is pretty picky. 

    When we first moved here, I sent him to the jr. high for 1/2 the year. He barely ate, was always super tired, and his grades suffered. He told me he was bullied so I brought him home. He has been a lot happier here at home for the last year and a half. 

    I am newly single and will be working 2-3 days a week as an RN during the school year next year. I don't really have time or inclination to teach him at this point in life. I am also very concerned that he will miss out on all the fun stuff and friendships he could develop during high school. His sister, who just graduated, is always hanging out with friends, went to prom, played varsity basketball, and had a wonderful senior year. I am worried he will be a hermit and miss out on all these types of things. I also want to make sure he gets a good education and I know that I will not be working with him daily to teach him or interact with him on his schoolwork. He would be mostly independent.

    He does have his cousins (who are all older by a couple years), and his sisters who all hang out as a group with him about twice a week. He will often go stay the night at their house or they will come here. I know it will slow down in the fall, but for now he has a lot of activity with them. The cousins live about 30 min. away so it isn't easy to just go for the day. 

    He has expressed multiple times that he does not wish to go to school. He is happy with his life as it is. I am just concerned about the issues I mentioned above. I know I need to make this decision because he can only see it from his perspective. I even asked him if he wanted to try it and if it didn't work out I could bring him home. He wasn't very keen on that idea. 

    So what would you do? Would you send him or keep him home?

  10. 1 hour ago, kristin0713 said:

    My DD is using Guest Hollow's Geography and Cultures for history for 9th grade.  The spine is an online textbook with embedded videos.  She reads it, but you could use a text-to-speech app for the written part.  The videos help to break up the reading and add a visual element that I think improves comprehension and retention of the material.  This program also has a LOT of book suggestions that go along with it.  Some of these are very visual and are designed as more of a supplement to look through--for example, Material World and Hungry Planet.  I think that most of the novels could be found as an audiobook.  

    Wow! I didn't know this existed!!! What a wonderful program. I am seriously considering it. How much time do you spend per day on it on average? Do you go through weekly and pick and choose what she is going to read/do? What books do you find absolute must have's? Thank you for the recommendation!

  11. I feel like all the curriculum out there has 5-10 pages of reading for every subject. That is a lot of reading when you add in all the subjects for a kid who does not absorb reading well. I am looking for alternative programs for any subject that are not reading intensive. 

    Also, I would love to find an all-in-one program. I really like HOD World Geography but it is very expensive and reading intensive. 

    Thank you!

    • Like 1
  12. 9 minutes ago, OH_Homeschooler said:

    I'd like to add that about 20 years ago I did this. I was breaking up with a boyfriend that I lived with, but it was really my apartment. I moved there and then he moved in with me several months later. I got to keep the apartment and everything, but rather than using the time constructively as you'd expect an adult to do, he sat around playing video games. He didn't look for a permanent place to stay or pack anything of his. I think I was only displaced for a week instead of a month, but I definitely wish I had made him stay with a friend that week and had designated times for him to come pick up his stuff. Some people just don't take it seriously enough if you give them time to get their s*** together. They keep on using you.  

    Thank you for that insight. Yeah, he stopped working as soon as we moved into my house I bought. He hasn't worked since June 2019. He went on unemployment and because of the pandemic, he has been able to sustain it ever since. He is a union carpenter and he has just been ignoring the calls for work ever since. He usually gets up at 12:30 and stares at his phone all day if he isn't being nasty to me. I can finally see the truth. Took me way too long. 

    • Sad 5
  13. Anyone interested in an update 4 1/2 years later? Hindsight is 2020 right? I haven't been here much over the last few years, but I made a couple posts the last few days and ended up in my profile where I found this old message. I would say that I was stupid with my choices, but the truth is, I was scared and didn't have the life experiences, knowledge or support around me to really make the right choices. 

    So a few months after I had posted this message, I finally could not take it anymore and I told him and his son to move out. We did not stop dating however. It helped a lot not having him in my home and I made a lot of excuses why it didn't work living together... "his son became a jerk, nursing school was overwhelming, other stressors..." Then I made the best (worst) decision ever regardless of the fact that the previous 4 years had been a rollercoaster of manipulation, confusion, gaslighting... In 2018 I married him. 

    Fast forward to today. I have just spend the absolute most horrific 2+ years of my life with this man. Emotional, verbal, occasional physical abuse throughout. I didn't know back when I posted this what narcissism was. I do now. We went a counselor in August 2018 and he was called out as a narcissist by the counselor. I looked it up and I couldn't believe what I was reading. It was HIM! Interestingly, as I was re-reading this post I came across this statement I made... 

    "The truth is, I know in my heart I need to break up with him but I can't seem to do it. There are more issues honestly. It is hard to say that. When we have discussions, I often find myself questioning if I am crazy and I really am the one with the problem. I don't know why I can't just walk away from him. I keep trying, and I keep changing my mind. I think I am scared I will regret it deeply. I don't know if I can handle the pain of ending our relationship."

    gas·light
    /ˈɡaslīt/
    verb
    gerund or present participle: gaslighting
    1. manipulate (someone) by psychological means into questioning their own sanity.

      I have been in a state of confusion for years, because I didn't understand what was happening. I regret that it took me this long to understand. I regret that I wasted my life and I regret that my kids had to see it all. Thankfully, my relationship with the kids is still amazing. They are all good. Back then, I still had all 5 at home. Now, the oldest is married (to a wonderful man) and lives a few blocks from me. The second oldest is a Montessori teacher and lives 12 minutes away, the third is a phlebotomist and is working actively to move closer to me. My two youngest are still home and doing well. 

      My husband has serious mental and emotional problems and though I have been trying to get him to move out for months, he is finally leaving April 7th. 

      The reason I didn't leave is because I put myself through 5 years of college, worked for a year saving every penny I could and bought a house on 1/2 acre in a beautiful little town. It is my dream home. I wasn't giving it up after all I worked for. Being married, he could try and fight me for it, so I tried to do all I could to get him out and not lose the house and home I have built for my kids. I believe I will succeed at that. God is my victor and I am not afraid. 

      I post all this because I pray that if anyone sees themselves in my words, that they would look at whats really going on in their life with their partner and see if their partner is a narcissist. If they are, there is no hope of rehabilitation for that person. It took me understanding narcissism to finally let go.

      Hope is a big thing for me as a Christian. It is not that I think God can't do something to radically change my husband, I just don't believe my husband will change because of his narcissism. He will not accept responsibility for anything he has ever done and if you don't acknowledge your sin, you can't change it or get forgiveness for it.

    Anyhow, brighter days ahead and I am thankful to each of you for trying to help. I guess I just didn't really understand back then. ❤️ 

    If anyone needs help understanding narcissism, I recommend Dr. Ramini and Surviving Narcissism on youtube. There are also quite a few excellent books and a narcissism support group on FB. 

    • Like 13
    • Sad 2
  14. Someone mentioned to me about having in homes vs. at churches or other outside locations. I was thinking about that. I only have one kid who is still homeschooled and I have a large home on a dead end with 1/2 acre of land, a river about 2 blocks away, a basketball court and a ball diamond 3 blocks away. Anyhow, I was thinking about keeping it easier and making it a small group of 8th-12th graders only, a drop off program, and paid teachers for the classes. I want to have a sports skills and fitness class, science, writing, pop-culture class and maybe a drama class. My oldest daughter has an English degree and could teach writing and drama. My 4th daughter, who is sporty could facilitate the pop-culture and sports class. I would teach science as I am a nurse. What do you think?

    • Like 1
  15. I have now planned, hosted, and paid for 3 graduation parties in my life. My 4th daughter is graduating this year and the theme that seems to be common is most graduation parties are a lot of work and BORING! 

    If we are going to put in a lot of work... I'd like it to not be boring. We have 1/2 acre and I am planning an outside party for June. What are some of the best ideas you all can recommend to make the party FUN!?

    Have you ever gone to a FUN Graduation party? What made it that way?

    I need ideas that I am not finding in my google searches. Thank you!

  16. 9 hours ago, Lori D. said:

    The best teen homeschooling thing I've seen is a support group, with a student council where the teens plan and execute the 1-2x/month teen activity and the 1x/month teen volunteering option.

    The homeschool support group also has a weekly PE/Park Day for all ages, so teens can shoot hoops or play Ultimate Frisbee or do other organized sport activities while younger siblings are doing sport activities with their age peers, and moms can socialize/support one another.

    The homeschool support group also has a 1-2x/month girls activity and a separate guys activity --

    The homeschool support group also has a lady who coordinates several field trips a month -- some are for all ages, some are for Youngers, some are for teens.

    The homeschool support group also offers several special once-a-year events such as: careers day for the teens (bring in speakers); geography fair for families (all ages); historic ball (all ages -- families come as a family, dressed in historic costumes); etc.

    Some years the homeschool support group has a co-op with a wide range of classes, for the different grade levels -- some are enrichment only like Yearbook or Sewing or other. Some are credit-worthy, such as the science labs for high school students doing a particular Science program, or Art, or Writing, or Computer Programming etc.

    Notice that the repeating thread is that it is all coming out of the homeschool support group, which has a variety of moms spearheading different special events or "programs", and that teens have many different ways of connecting and interacting -- not just through co-op classes. Our homeschool support group has been running for about 30 years.

     

    If just wanting a co-op... good luck! There are so many issues.

    Leadership is going to be the biggest issue. You do not want to run it all by yourself, but you really need several like-minded women who will each oversee an aspect of the co-op so you don't have to do it all by yourself. And if Christian, you WILL run into problems with statement of faith or none; allow everyone or only Christians; open to all or just to specially selected like-minded families...

    Location is a big one -- churches often have the space, but often need to charge too much to make it possible to do it. Most churches require that your group have insurance, so that's another cost to consider. Also: cleaning the facility each week. Who will be responsible for that? And will the facility have enough rooms, tables, chairs, etc. for your needs? And will they allow you to use their whiteboards, AV, and other equipment if you have any classes that need that?

    Classes -- if you want a good number of families to come, then you need to offer classes for all ages at each time slot -- and a choice of 2 classes at each time slot helps even more. The longest-running co-ops that I've seen in our area are ones that have a mix of free parent-led classes (+ the semester fee per family to pay for the facility costs), AND a "track" of classes with someone from the community who charges a fee that parents pay directly to the instructor. Usually this is someone who is a "retired" homeschooler, or someone known to the homeschoolers, or that the co-op leaders approach and who will offer somewhat discounted fees because they are teaching a regular gig to a group.

    Just a few things to get you started researching...

    There are some fantastic ideas here! Thank you! Really makes me think. 

     

  17. So within 30 minutes of my home, there are a few homeschool co-ops that are just outstanding. Because of this, everyone wants to be apart of them. Also because of this... I cannot seem to get involved because the groups are ALWAYS full for years.

    My son is entering 9th grade next year. We moved to a small town and since 2019 he hasn't really hung out with any other kids because he doesn't know anyone and every one is hiding away anyhow. I really feel he needs #1 friends #2 accountability and challenge in his academics. 

    I am considering starting my own AMAZING co-op in a neighboring town. The ones that are currently operating near me don't really give too many details about the secrets to their success. Do they pay their teachers? Do they hire outside teachers? How do they organize their classes? What makes it so appealing to so many?

    I WOULD LOVE if you could share as many details as possible about successful co-ops that you know of. Websites would be even better. If I am going to do this, I want it to be strong from the start. Not loosy-goosey. Not a free-for-all. But a structured and successful co-op. OH and fees... I want to know about that too. 

    Basically ANY and ALL information would be hugely appreciated!

     

    • Like 1
  18. My son just finished The Giver and liked it! This was huge because I truly couldn't get him to read much of anything before. He asked for his next book and has been unimpressed with the selection in our curriculum, which is historical fiction.

    I really want to get him a book that is engaging, thought provoking, and possibly has a movie to watch at the end. We did this with The Giver and he really liked comparing the book to the movie. He already saw The Hunger Games so that is out. A movie isn't a must, just a bonus. 

    I am not trying to stick with dystopian literature. I just need some good book recommendations at about the same reading level as The Giver. Any recommendations? Thank you in advance!

  19. My son is doing 8th grade here at home this year. I am utilizing Writing with Skill Level I and would like something for grammar. I am not looking for anything complicated and I really don't want anything with diagramming. My son hasn't had any formal grammar, just literature and good spoken english in the home. I think it would be good to do some basic grammar this year. I would like it to be easy for him to do on his own as I work full time and will look it over, but I won't be there to teach it. Any recommendations? I am open to anything that is easy to implement and learn. 

  20. 20 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

    Wow. Completely opposite programs. 😧

    Tapestry of Grace is a massive program with a focus on discussion, analysis, writing. It is pretty parent-intensive time-wise, and can be a pretty heavy load student-wise. Since you like the look of Build Your Library, why not go with that, and just add in some titles to it. Use the ToG booklist, and ask here for other ideas that would fit in with your theme.

    JMO! BEST of luck, whatever you go with. Warmly, Lori D.
    PS -- and, nice to "see" you again on these boards. 😉
     

     You aren't wrong. I would use TOG lite because I do like the different topics explored. But I think you are right, it is easier to add than subtract. BYL might just be the ticket. Thanks for the welcome back!

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