to those who work full time and homeschool

[ccmom]

I have to go back to work full time. My son is entering 9th grade this coming year and I am trying to figure out the new schedule. He works very well independently during the day and we work together in the late afternoons/evenings.

 

I am open to any suggestions from any of you who manage to homeschool and work full time. This is new to me and a big challenge, but I believe we can do it, since my son is driven.

 

He will be doing Saxon Algebra 1 and Henle Latin. We enjoyed The Magic Lens last year and want to do the next level this year, but I want him to do a lot more writing.

 

I am looking for suggestions for science, history and English that he can do on his own during the day with my guidance in the evenings. I thought about using K12 for 9th grade science.

 

I am open to all ideas. But please don't tell me that I can't do it! I have to make this work!

 

Thanks!

[Mommyfaithe]

How about some online....in real time classes...so he doesn't get too lonely.

Memoria Press and Veritas Press both have lecture style classes in real time in a chat type room. My kids liked them and made some lasting friends.

 

Faithe....who works full time too....but from my home office....or my car office....or my poolside office.....:D

[ccmom]

I was looking at Veritas for an English class. My older son is going to take several online classes, one with Veritas. Can you tell me how the Veritas English classes are? I was considering signing my 9th grader for a Veritas English comp. class.

 

What is your experience with Veritas?

 

Thanks!

[G5052]

I work full-time during the school year. I do work as an as-needed employee and independent contractor for multiple customers, so some of it is away during certain hours, some requires certain "on" hours from home, and the rest has deadlines but can be worked around everything else. I pick-and-choose what works for us.

 

I've always used assignment sheets, and my oldest is doing three online classes for subjects that I'm not strong in. That takes some of the load off of me. My younger one takes mostly local classes, which also keeps it easy for me. So I mostly monitor, and then I teach the subjects that I'm strong in.

 

No regrets. We've always needed it financially, and I expect to continue as they go to college.

[ccmom]

Thanks for that!! I have signed up my older for several online classes and that was what I was thinking for my 9th grader. He is reluctant to do online classes, but maybe if he does one or two he'll get the hang of it.

 

That is definitely encouraging. Thanks!

[Mommyfaithe]

My kids did these classes several years ago while they were still in try it out form. I don't have any experience with their English classes. Bruce Etter taught the Omnibus class....and he was wonderful. Someone else taught Geometry......and that was not so good.

 

We did Logic with Memoria Press taught by Martin Cothran. It was dry as dust....but got the job done. 3 of my kids did those courses. Boring! But, they still remember their Logic:D

 

We used Bravewriter for essays etc. and it wasavery valuable experience for them....even though it is pricey.

[Sunshine State Sue]

We used LLfLOTR for 9th grade English. You may read my review here. It was not teacher intensive and had all the hand holding I like. I did have some of his papers professionally graded at the end of the year.

 

We also used Derek Owens for Physics in 9th grade. You may read my review here. Since your ds has not finished Algebra 1, you may want to file that for the future. You may want to consider his physical science class, though.

 

I have always worked and hs'ed. I worked 20hr/wk until ds was 12, then 30hrs/wk since then. The last 10 years, I've been home-based. It is a juggle. Non-teacher intensive materials and, as they get older, outsourced classes helped tremendously. In 10th grade, ds was completely outsourced and will be for the remainder of HS. I am still guidance counselor and academic whip. ;)

 

Good luck!

[OnTheBrink]

I work full time, second shift. We do the subjects dd needs my attention for in the mornings, and the subjects she can do independently are done after I leave for work. I have Wednesdays off, and that's our catch-up day.

 

We're doing more video-based materials this year. VideoText (which we used last year very successfully), Introductory Logic w/ the dvd's, Biology 101 dvd's (with supplementary books), and Discovering Music with the dvd lectures. I'm hoping these will keep her more interested than just using text books like how we did it last year.

[ccmom]

Thank you for all of these replies!! I could not be more encouraged right now!! :):)

[Terri NS]

I too work home based mainly and out of the house 2 days per week... we tried a few small on-line classes last year and have signed up for 3 full-year classes (grade 11), that leaves me teaching 2 classes and DD doing her electives on her own. I'm planning 2-3 hours daily for our 2 classes and checking in on the rest.

[CupOCoffee]

I have always worked FT while home schooling. Dh is home with kids, he is the SAHP in our house, but home schooling is my business. It has worked for all these years without any major hitches. I lay out their work in 3 week blocks, in a "teachers planner" I buy at Staples. They work quite independently with hubs there to keep them on track.

 

We meet to discuss and for me to teach if I need to. We've done these meetings different ways throughout the years: one year I worked 1 to 1 with older on Mon-Wed-Fri, and younger on Tue-Thurs. One year we managed to meet almost every night; one year we kept "Learning Journals" where they wrote notes on ech subject, or narrated to me for each subject. This coming year, we will have long meeting sessions once I week, unless there was a problem with the daily work; then I will meet/teach/go over what ever the problem was.

 

Have you looked at CK12.com materials? Khan Academy?

 

I found a new site that I am trying out with Dd this year: it's called freeworldu.org -- an amazing looking site from what I've played around with so far. They have every subject, every grade, their high school is accredited if you use their pay option (we won't). I won't be using it kit & kaboodle, but will be using a good bit.

 

There are TONS of free online classes out there, it just takes lots of research!

 

You CAN do this; it's hard, very very hard at times; but SO worth it.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

I've worked part time this year (but it was basically the same as being full time, because all the hours were during our homeschool hours, so major time conflict there!)

It was a very rough transition for my son, who was entering 9th grade. he felt lost, desoriented with the workload, and just gave up. However he fooled me most of the time, and I wasn't able to rectify the situation. In short, he's failed grade 9 because of the change from no-work to work for mom).

 

With hindsight, it's not something I recommend to do when your first child is entering 9th grade.