Vent - Homeschool moderator meeting

[Amber in AUS]

Today we had our very first meeting with our homeschool moderator. She comes out from the State Education Department to make sure that we have a plan to cover the required (8) learning areas and checks back in later to make sure you did what you said and that your kids are progressing.

 

We don't do creative writing but if Flossy chooses I don't have a problem with it. Apparently we should be producing a journal with a picture and story at least twice per week. Trying to work out how to get around that because i don't think forcing a child to write when they don't want to is productive. When Flossy finally decides to write when she is older, she will write amazingly because she has a wonderful imagination which shows in games and verbally.

 

Also reading and narration isn't enough for history we need to be doing activities so that we have something to show her later in the year.

 

And when Flossy chooses to read interesting things from National Geographic i should turn them into full blown research assignments and have her make posters to hang on the wall about it. OMG - talk about taking the fun out of reading for leisure!

 

Yes, Flossy is a smart cookie and yes, she is working ahead but that doesn't mean you push, you provide the appropriate level of challenge and work where the child is at. You certainly don't make their free, fun time a chore!

[Barb_]

Yes, Flossy is a smart cookie and yes, she is working ahead but that doesn't mean you push, you provide the appropriate level of challenge and work where the child is at. You certainly don't make their free, fun time a chore!

 

Hang in there. You're right. She's wrong.

[Amber in AUS]

Thanks Barb :)

[keptwoman]

Arrrrggggh the creative writing one would really annoy me. REALLY annoy me.

For that one, I'd be tempted to play hard ball, what do the regulations actually require of you with regards to following the WA curriculum? Would she be open to hear your philosophy as far as writing is concerned?

 

If you do need to do more writing to keep her happy, one thing you could do that I have found positive in my house is Friday Freewrites a-la Bravewriter. Is that a possibility? I don't consider them creative writing at all and they contain all manner of flows of consciousness, thoughts, ideas, plans etc.

 

For history, also dumb, regardless of projects, kids forget stuff. However, maybe do one per civilisation? There are lots of good website. Actually for us, projects maketh the history, we really love them, but if they are not your thing you should not feel compelled to do them. With SOTW2 we did a scrapbook, it had the mapwork, colouring pages and the typed narrations (he dictated, I typed) would that satisfy her? Actually, ours had photos of our projects too, but even without it would at least give something to look back on.

 

The NG thing is just ridiculous. Arrrrgggghh. Come live in Vic, no silly moderators here!!

[Amber in AUS]

Thanks Sandra.

 

Yeah, the creative writing one really has me. It goes against everything i have read and agree with. I'm going to check into the actual requirements. I do know if she isn't satisfied she can revoke my right to HS, but i don't think she would do that over creative writing when the kids are ahead, but you never know. Bravewriter is a great idea. I haven't read TWJ but i have looked a few times, was thinking for the future but maybe i'll get it now.

 

Yes, i could do more for history and probably will when life settles down a bit. Thanks for your scrapbook idea, sounds good. I have the AG so i'll just have to pull a few things and make sure we take pics and document it. I'll have to start typing up some narrations too instead of just listening.

[alpidarkomama]

Totally agree with you, totally disagree with her. I would be so irked!!!!!!

[Melissa in Australia]

I am so glad I live in Victoria with no moderators!

 

I wish the moderators would moderators some primary schools. When my children were in Primary school I went along to a triennial review as a school council member. The review was meant to check if the school was up to standards. I was shocked to discover that as long as the principle had a reason for failing benchmarks, everything was ok. An example. reason 7 students out of a total of 9 students in grade 5 couldn't read? they didn't know their alphabet until they started prep???? that was 6 years before what happened in between/

[keptwoman]

Amber, I have an ooooold AG, but I recently bought the PDF of the colouring in pages and maps, it makes it so much easier to print them out.

 

The homeschool buyers co-op did have TWJ electronic copy on special, so maybe check and see if it still is. Also, the blog gives enough info to start freewrites, you could also use some of the first exercises that would easily adapt to you scribing without being too burdensome. I would hope that if you can show a plan for writing which means that eventually a child would be able to do creative writing, she would have to back off.

[kolamum]

Mandatory? Did you check that it really is and that your moderator isn't one roo short? ;) I mean that in all respectfulness.

 

We've had it really well with our moderator and she's always loved what we've done, all though I need to check and see if I need to contact them {we have 2 year approval right now} because we revamped EVERYTHING since they were last here.

 

What about notebooking pages? Could that be used? If you read a story or do your history could she do a notebooking page on it? I'm confuddled because it seems an absurd demand. 2x per month maybe, but that often? What about a blog, could that suffice?

 

Have you asked on the Aussie homeschool msg board? Other's in your area might have come up with something if needed. They are on FB too and allow you to post questions there if you don't want to go through the steps to join their msg board. ;)

[Rosie_0801]

:grouphug:

 

Yeah, come to Vic ;)

 

 

Rosie

[Isabella]

Just ignore her, Amber!

 

I am in WA, and while I've now finished HSing, I found the best way with the moderator is to listen politely to her recommendations, and take them as just that - recommendations. Then on your next visit, you can wax lyrical about the wonderful things your dd is accomplishing - blow her out of the water with some technical terms, and she'll soon just agree that you are doing a marvellous job! She'll back down because she sees that you know what you are on about.

 

My Sil made the mistake of initially asking her moderator for ideas, and from then on, the mod. was 'in charge'. I always made sure that I was in charge - after all, they have based your homeschooling registration on the assumption that you are capable of teaching your child, and that you know what is best for your child/ren. It's not their role to tell you how to teach unless your children are not progressing!

 

In fact, the 8 learning areas don't have to be taught each and every year. And each area within the learning area (creative writing for instance) certainly isn't mandatory each year. So you would be well within your rights to say 'I don't feel creative writing serves a very useful purpose in our program for this year'. And when your dd *does* (even if it's in a couple of year's time) do some creative writing stuff, just save it to show the Mod. that it does occur!

 

Just do your own thing - and enjoy homeschooling!!

[pfamilygal]

I wanted more physical evidence for our history section. So I developed a loose notebooking system.

 

The child narrates to me while I type it into the computer. Then I divide the text into like-themed chunks and print it out, three paragraphs to a page with a large blank area after each paragraph. The child then illustrates the page. We are doing Ancient History this year, so my kids now have an narrated, illustrated notebook tracing from Creation to the Romans (over 100 pages long by this point!).

[ktgrok]

For history type up her narrations for her, and use those to turn in. Maybe even make up some blank forms that have "History Summary" or something at the top, a line for her name and the date, etc....make it look "workbooky" but in reality you are still just doing her regular narration.

[elegantlion]

:grouphug: I would be irritated as well. My son did a lot of work orally at that age.

[Amber in AUS]

Just ignore her, Amber!

 

I am in WA, and while I've now finished HSing, I found the best way with the moderator is to listen politely to her recommendations, and take them as just that - recommendations.

Just do your own thing - and enjoy homeschooling!!

 

Thankyou so much for your comments. Exactly what I needed to hear. I've had time to chat to DH about it now too and he basically said the same thing. We will just continue on the path I had set and should she write a story on a whim or something I'll be sure to take a copy for the moderator but I won't be asking her to do it.

[Amber in AUS]

For history type up her narrations for her, and use those to turn in. Maybe even make up some blank forms that have "History Summary" or something at the top, a line for her name and the date, etc....make it look "workbooky" but in reality you are still just doing her regular narration.

 

I'll be typing up some narrations for sure.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Today we had our very first meeting with our homeschool moderator. She comes out from the State Education Department to make sure that we have a plan to cover the required (8) learning areas and checks back in later to make sure you did what you said and that your kids are progressing.

 

We don't do creative writing but if Flossy chooses I don't have a problem with it. Apparently we should be producing a journal with a picture and story at least twice per week. Trying to work out how to get around that because i don't think forcing a child to write when they don't want to is productive. When Flossy finally decides to write when she is older, she will write amazingly because she has a wonderful imagination which shows in games and verbally.

 

Also reading and narration isn't enough for history we need to be doing activities so that we have something to show her later in the year.

 

And when Flossy chooses to read interesting things from National Geographic i should turn them into full blown research assignments and have her make posters to hang on the wall about it. OMG - talk about taking the fun out of reading for leisure!

 

Yes, Flossy is a smart cookie and yes, she is working ahead but that doesn't mean you push, you provide the appropriate level of challenge and work where the child is at. You certainly don't make their free, fun time a chore!

 

If your kids are anything like mine, a lot of history comes out during playtime. My kids will build something they call a temple or arrange Lego minifigures as Romans and Germans. One year they did Halloween as Apollo and Poseidon. We had a few Playmobil figures that we'd altered to represent Greek gods. We wrapped up a doll as a mummy in a sarcophogus with tiny canopic jars. Some of these were a little more directed by me (the mummy) but others came out of their heads.

 

Keep a camera handy for those odd moments when what you're studying expresses itself. Did they make a cave out of the couch and blankets and pretend they were nomads? Snap a picture.

 

The last two years, we did a lot of food culture with history. I snapped photos of that too.

 

(The whole poster as learning demonstration strikes me as odd. Posters are commonly used in upper science levels as a way to summarize a long term research project. But the poster is a way to convey the research and results. As it seems to be used in elementary levels, the poster is the point of the research. Makes me twitchy.)

 

Maybe the SOTW activity guide has stuff you're already doing. History Pockets from Evan-Moor is popular at our house (because it's fun and requires little prep) and I think you can get them as ebooks. Maybe some of the historical paper dolls from Paper Dali.

 

I wouldn't revamp your whole school structure. But I would maybe make more of an effort to record what creative hands on activities do happen through the course of the year.

[Peela]

Just ignore her, Amber!

 

I am in WA, and while I've now finished HSing, I found the best way with the moderator is to listen politely to her recommendations, and take them as just that - recommendations. Then on your next visit, you can wax lyrical about the wonderful things your dd is accomplishing - blow her out of the water with some technical terms, and she'll soon just agree that you are doing a marvellous job! She'll back down because she sees that you know what you are on about.

 

My Sil made the mistake of initially asking her moderator for ideas, and from then on, the mod. was 'in charge'. I always made sure that I was in charge - after all, they have based your homeschooling registration on the assumption that you are capable of teaching your child, and that you know what is best for your child/ren. It's not their role to tell you how to teach unless your children are not progressing!

 

In fact, the 8 learning areas don't have to be taught each and every year. And each area within the learning area (creative writing for instance) certainly isn't mandatory each year. So you would be well within your rights to say 'I don't feel creative writing serves a very useful purpose in our program for this year'. And when your dd *does* (even if it's in a couple of year's time) do some creative writing stuff, just save it to show the Mod. that it does occur!

 

Just do your own thing - and enjoy homeschooling!!

 

:iagree:

Amber, you learn to give the moderator just enough to send them away for another year. Find out what they want and give them that and no more. Mostly they want to see some reading and writing progress at that age, and some numbers skills developing age appropriately. They do not need to see art, LOTE or anything else. They do want to see a "learning environment" but I am sure you have that.

While they may expect some writing at that age- if your dd does any writing at all in the year- you give that to the moderator as a sample of her writing. She doesn't have to know it was her only writing.

 

My first moderator wanted me to make a portfolio for her at the end of each year, of the kids' work. I thought, wow, what a lot of work for me! Then I spoke to other mums who also had this moderator- and they said no, you don't have to do that at all. She might want it- and being a newbie, you don't know any better- but you don't have to do it. You only have to show progress markers in the major areas. Especially at that age. So next meeting, she will want to see some progress in reading, writing and maths. But what is progress? Anything.

 

You really don't have to give them everything they want, just because they want it. You can even request a different moderator. You can set up a meeting in a different place from your home, and you can go without the kids, believe it or not. I know people in Perth who have done that.

 

It took me about 2 years to get the hang of moderators and then it was fine. They were then in and out in an hour, for 2 kids. And it was a pleasant chat and fun to show off to someone, some of the things the kids had done.

 

Do you have anyone in your area you can talk to about your particular moderator? It helps to know their personality and what they expect. Some are way fussier than others- mainly because there is no standard - each moderator makes up their own requirements in WA. Its really strangely unregulated, which makes it great if you get a good moderator, and hard if you don't.

 

But don't let them control how you homeschool- just learn to play the system.

[Amber in AUS]

That's for your words of wisdom Peela. I'll be speaking to some of the Mum's in our area to see how they handle her and i will certainly learn to play the system. I already have some ideas for next time.