Janie Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Dream. Dream BIG! Even though these boards are primarily for home education purposes, I want to hear your ideas on this subject. I want you to dream big, but you must dream with an academic focus. After homeschooling four kids all the way through high school graduation, I began teaching in a local private Christian school. Not classical, but close. We have a great new headmaster as of last year who is inclined classically. We developed a strategic planning committee, of which I'm on. Now, I've been made Scope and Sequence Coordinator while we write a completely new S&S. Because of this, the HM has given me free reign to redesign the entire academic program. This may be as close to opening my own school as I'll ever get. All, of course, is subject to approval. We are in process of redoing everything to get the *best* academic program that we can. We are rethinking actual academic instruction time in light of global successes; we are rethinking course requirements and selections. *IF* you could have anything in a school, what would you want academically? Our goal is to give ordinary people an extraordinary education. I want to be sure to turn over every stone I can. Please help me not to miss something! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Math taught from a Ma Liping kind of perspective (teacher's knowing the why's behind the algorithms), Chronological history sequence with a focus on making mental "hooks" for how history fits together, music and art appreciation that tracks with the history sequence (can also include some actual work in these arts like "Discovering Great Artists: Hands on Art in the style of the great Masters"), 1 drama each year that fits with the history sequence (ie. for a class studying the Ancients, they could do a drama on one of Aesop's fables), language arts that includes phonics, diagramming, poetry, science that is hands-on. . . That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 A Montessori preschool/ kindergarten. If there is a need for after lunch child care, then I would offer a less academic/ structured program: lots of outside time, art, music, movement activities, creative play. Spalding phonics and spelling, timed and responsive readings for fluency, real literature and comprehension activities from about second grade on. One on one instruction and/ or technology assistance for kids that need extra help. For a traditional school, I think I might go with Shurley for grammar, although I would look at Rod and Staff and MCT stuff and consider carefully. Systematic writing and dictation instruction, possibly using Writing with Ease. Asian style math, with a preference for Right Start in the early grades. Supplement with more traditional drill/ practice. Lots of real life word problems. Rigorous science from first grade onwards. Teaching of the scientific method. Learn both the scientific process and content. Studying more than one science in high school. Chronological approach to history, using an approach with a strong narrative component. I'd probably do US history in first, ancients-modern cycle in 2nd-5th, 2 yr US cycle in 6th-7th, and either a 4 year cycle and a yr of US history or a 5 yr cycle in 8th-12th. Lots of geography from preschool on. Modern foreign language beginning in preschool and continuing through high school. Latin from about 3rd grade on. Poetry memorization. Listening to good books read aloud in elementary school. Daily pe all the way through school. At least an hour of recess in elementary school. Quality art instruction, including learning about famous artists and paintings/ sculptures. Developing basic musical competence in all children; young ones learn traditional folk songs and work on developing audiation and good rhythm. I would make learning to sing a priority, and devote time and teachers to that, rather than preparing for various programs/ concerts. I would also start kids on instruments pretty early, too. Logic and rhetoric at the appointed times. I would teach typing/ keyboarding pretty early. I would also acknowledge that there are a few years in the middle school period where kids' brains just don't work as well as we'd like. I would make sure that they were getting a lot of physical exercise. (an hour of pe a day, plus many after school opportunities) I would have community service and job shadowing/ apprenticeship type activities be a part of the curriculum for middle school. I would focus on real world skills for that age, as much as possible. The middle schoolers would have work teams that rotated duties: preparing the meals in the cafeteria, doing cleaning of the school, yard work, working in the library, technological work under a supervisor, office work, etc. I would make sure they had real, meaningful work experiences inside the school. I would have them plan their own field trips. I would have them work in smaller groups, and I'd have middle school be single sex as much as possible. I would offer them classes on practical skills and handwork: knitting, quilting, sewing, woodworking, auto repairs, etc. I would send them out into the community, and out into nature. They would learn to use public transportation. Wilderness activities, work on a farm, running small businesses. I would work on relationship skills with these kids - how to be decent people, how to be good friends, how to be supportive of each other. I think kids are less interested inherently in sex ed than they are in relationship education. I mean, I think a rigorous academic environment is important, but I think that academics need to be taught in a more holistic environment at that age, and that we need to realize that their brains work better when their physical, social, and real world needs are taken into account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 In addition to the wonderful things that have been said: competitions. Spelling bees, geography bees, Science Olympiad, speech & debate, et cetera. Some would be optional, but I think a certain level should be integrated into the classroom. If there are teams, they should be randomly divided (not boys against girls, either), but I think that healthy competition is good. Especially if it happens often, everyone gets a chance to be a winner, and the term would actually MEAN something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Everything Terabith said: True phonics-based reading, WRTR-style; Shurley English (without the writing portion); hands on math; early logic. SOMETHING to give the kids physical exercise. Music and art history. And for goodness sake, NO Accelerated Reader program, a big pet peeve of mine. There's nothing better to kill any love or joy of reading. Janie, your post makes it sounds like your school "happens" to be ("close" to) classical, but many of us know it wasn't that way at all before you began all of your hard work. :) I am taking this time right now to pray for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 Thanks, Kristine. Please continue to pray. The next few years (i.e., the years until I retire!) will be packed. I covet your prayers. And yes, the HM and I are calling this QC. Quiet classical. No need around here to proclaim the term "classical." That would probably do more harm than good. But, hopefully, the proof will be in the pudding...if we can grow high quality thinkers and achievers, then our task is successful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 Good points! Well-taken! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 I like what I have seen of the International Baccalaureate program and if I could have done it as a homeschooler, I would have. http://www.ibo.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Foreign Language instruction at least 3 times a week. I would want modern language 3 times a week and Latin 2 times a week. Great science labs and technology. I know that may not be Classical, but it is important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 Great idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 A music program - orchestra, band, choir - that starts in elementary school. High quality art instruction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Arrange the language arts and math classes so that advanced students can work on their level in those subjects (a first-grader could go to second-grade math, for example). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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