marbel Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) ETA: Added my first poll! I'm sure I've missed an important option. So, I'm reading about all these terrible days. Here and elsewhere. Now I'm curious about people's expectations for the first day of school. Though I hate to use this word, we are fairly relaxed about school time; if I had my way we'd school year 'round, but it hasn't worked out that way as my kids have gotten older and they have camps and volunteer opportunities during the summer. And, my son always comes home from Scout camp with bronchitis, but that's another story. Anyway, we have always had pretty easy-going first days after a break - they get up earlier than when on vacation, but not too much earlier. We go over our plans for the year - what we need to finish from last year, new stuff we're going to do. None of it is a surprise as we talk about our plans a lot anyway, and as materials arrive we oooh and aahh over them. We put together new binders and such, if needed. We do a little math and some other work, I send them off with some reading, and that's about it. That's about what I remember from my public school days. First day was not intense at all. We didn't learn anything. We didn't get much (if any?) homework. It was all about meeting and getting set up for the year. Tomorrow we'll set the alarms a little earlier and do a little more. By the end of two weeks we should be in a groove, I hope and expect. What about you? What are your expectations? If you had a terrible day today, are those expectations just too high? Edited August 20, 2012 by marbel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 We actually seem to do better when we dive right in and do a full day's work starting at the official time. Now, I have to say-a full days work here is about 2-3 hours before lunch, and a couple of hours of reading later in the day, so it's not an 8:00-3:00 day or anything like that, but it worked quite well today. DD needs the stable schedule, and I think one reason things were tough for about a month was that there was so much "special" and too little "normal"-so getting back to "normal" is a sigh of relief at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 We start day one with a full day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 We start with a full day, but my pre school expectations are lower. I expect him to whine before school. I expect him to ask to get done early. I expect to be tired. We just finished our 3rd Monday and boy, wow, it went really good for one subject, drug out for another. I always plan a quick dinner for Mondays. We spend about two weeks before school starts transitioning bedtime and setting academic expectations. I have an orientation about two weeks before to outline my goals, my expectations, and kind of get him oriented in the right direction. Dh sits in for part of it just to set the fatherly expectation high as well. We're not perfect by any means, but I don't let the little annoyances get to me either. He starts school with an understanding of what we're doing, why we're doing it (subject wise), and knows a basic gist of what we're doing schedule wise. All of the whining of "why do I have to do math and English" was done over the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Take this with a grain of salt and do what works for you; we've had year after year to find our groove. I have two very different high-school students. DD is the kind of student to jump right in 100% day one and get it done. Ds needs more of slow start to settle and build into a routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinaPagnato Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 OP, I love the way you ease into it. It sounds so nice! I usually just jump right into everything, but that's after having talked for weeks about what they're going to be learning, and what my expectations are of them. I did decide to make a special breakfast for them, just b/c one of my dc (who tends to be the most complain-y) loves that sort of thing. Really sets a nice tone for the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Our first day went pretty well this year, but I think a large part of it was that we eased into things. We only did a few subjects for the first few weeks, and we've added another subject every week or so. This is our seventh week (though we did take a week, plus a few days, off, because of company), and we're just this week at all subjects. Much better than jumping right in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 We dive in with a full load, but we start with a short week. After a couple days of a full load, we need the weekend (probably me more than the kids!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 We do best when we ease into it. We start with a couple of subjects and add every day or two depending on the subject. The year we started full on I nearly put my oldest on the bus after day 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 We've always started everything, first day. Of course, some subjects are continuations from the previous year. We only take a 2-3 week break between school years. Today we started everything except ds12's math. Our tutor is out of town until next week. He'll start then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsrevmeg Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 We dove right in, full steam ahead. And eat cupcakes. Brain themed cupcakes, to be exact. We call it brain food. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 You missed: Other! We continually school reading, writing, and mathematics so the first official day was jumping in with the extras. I have found minimizing breaks from the three R's helps attitudes when we start up full time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Take this with a grain of salt and do what works for you; we've had year after year to find our groove. I have two very different high-school students. DD is the kind of student to jump right in 100% day one and get it done. Ds needs more of slow start to settle and build into a routine. :iagree: this is the first year i've actually started at almost-full strength. it works best for dd who is in grade 9 this year. she has science and history online classes that don't start until the first week of september, but other than that, we are full strength now, and its going well. we just won't talk so much about the first three days, but after that, each day has been better. :001_smile: the next dd, in grade 7, does better with a staggered start. so we have started music, language arts, math, and science for her. as the end of august approaches, i actually believe we might be able to do this for one more year. ;) looking forward to the first field trip of the year - backpacking in the Hoover wilderness coming up soooooon! ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 We take several weeks to ramp up to a full schedule. We have to start a few subjects now in order to get them done by end of May (when Mom gets serious spring fever and needs a break)--math, history, and Latin. We'll add a few subjects each week. We can't do a full schedule until my disabled dd is in her public school full time, and that's not until the Wednesday after Labor Day. Actually is takes a day or two to transition her and get her caregivers up to speed, so we don't start a full schedule until Monday after Labor Day. We've done this for years and it works out well for us. I can't imagine jumping into a full schedule right away. We're so out of practice that here it is our first day of school, 3:00, and one dd is done with math and Latin, one is still doing math (my fault--very long lesson and assignment with a new program) and needs to do Latin, and I think history can wait until tomorrow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Ramping up worked really well when DS was little... Actually schooling year round worked really well then too. As he has gotten older (and especially with high school work!), we both need the summer break, but we're also both better and jumping back in smoothly with a full load or nearly-full load. The one thing I've noticed, though, especially with online classes, is that it's kind of nice to take one day to get oriented. Like that first PS class of the year when all you do is go over the syllabus... DS makes sure he has his books where he can find them, organizes his computer files, gets all his logins for online things, finds the calculator, sharpens pencils.... that's a nice start to the year. With his current schedule DS has a dozen logins to keep track of plus shortcuts to the various websites he needs, a gazillion programs and files he'll need at hand, videos online or downloaded, little plug-ins and apps for macrons and accents and math notation.... Just getting it all downloaded, installed, updated, and tested is a pretty full day! That was today. Tomorrow he has actual assignments. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Ease into it somewhat slowly. And try to make it fun. Plus eat cupcakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I plan to ease into it, then when the kids are excited and want to do more, our day is great as opposed to not getting through everuthing I had planned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 We always dive in head first, right into the deep end. Of course we're really relaxed in that I've never had an official start time for school we've always just woke up whenever and as the kids start rolling in for the morning I grab whoever is available and get them started and continue until they are all up and working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleeplessnights Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 We try to hit all the subjects, but I try to keep the workload light the first week. This way we can get into the routine while getting the little brains up and running... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Our first day was last week and it was good. We jump right in. My kids are motivated and eager for new stuff right away. I think it would be a terrible waste if I didn't take advantage of their enthusiasm. By Christmas we are eager for a long break. By May we want the days to be short and to be finished! This is the time of year we can accomplish the most! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alenee Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I really needed this year to be different that last year...this is my 9th year of homeschooling and I've found that it just gets harder when you have kids at totally different grade levels and each with their own challenges. Attitudes were terrible last year (and we have a special needs issue) which made for a less than stellar year. Today I began with prayers and bible. Then I opened up a discussion about our feelings beginning a new school year. I was totally honest with my girls and even cried a little. I needed them to know that last year hurt. Each child told their thoughts, we talked them through, and then moved to memory work. After that, we did math and I did a spelling diagnostic with the youngest. We began at 9am and were finished by 11:30am. This was the *perfect* way to begin, for us. We'll continue in this way, adding about two subjects a week or until the second week of September, when we'll be at a full load. ***One reason I needed to do this was so that I can try out a new way of scheduling the day. Last year, I would be working on a subject with one child, then be interrupted by another child who needed help. I would either stop and help, losing the other child, or make the help-needed child wait, wasting time and causing frustration. So part of the ease-into-it mentality this go 'round is to figure out how to stack the subjects throughout the day so we don't end up angry. Thankfully, one dd said to do a chore or read one of their book selections when I can't stop to help. I'm in love with that idea! I'm in homeschooling heaven today...we'll see how tomorrow goes! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly1730 Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 We've been doing math all summer and that is the boys most "disliked" subject so adding in all the others shouldn't be too hard. We are starting with a full schedule minus Latin. We'll start that mid-September when we come back from a four day vacation at the beach. I have some serious work to do this week in order to get ready by our next Monday's start date, but I am actually looking forward to it:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 For our first day...we set up our notebooks, look at our new books and schedules, set up our timeline....then.... We go get ice cream cones and play at the playground with cousins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 We start the first day of every school week on our "light" day, so that is what we will do the first day of the first week. :-) We do math, reading, history, and work on some peripheral work that is adaptable to one day a week. The other four days are always full steam. I've done this since I started schooling 19 years ago. It is psychological plus here, for mom and kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 We started yesterday, with a "light" day, but today is a full day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniBlondes Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 This will be our first year homeschooling but our first day will be a fun one. Second day though, we're jumping right in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I voted that we jump in all at once, but that's not exactly right. On our first day, we focus on getting into our routine and getting familiar with the year's curricula. My son and I have our first-day "meeting," when we sit down together and go through all of the books and materials for the year. I show him my lesson plans for the week, and we discuss how he will approach getting his work done. I talk about my academic expectations for him for the year, warning him of anything that will be siginficantly different or tougher. After that, he tears into the new school supplies and figures out how he wants to set up his desk for the year. In the last few years, we've experimented with going to lunch after the meeting. It's an idea I like, but it's never quite fallen into place. Then, he gets to work. This year, he's asked to take over doing his daily planning (figuring out what assignments he will do each day). So, I assume that will be his first task after we finish chatting. So, it's not a full, regular day right off the bat, because we spend part of the time talking. But we don't ease into things, either. As of day 2, we're off and running at full pace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 We ease in. DD started in on her enrichment program (and the required reading time and band practice involved) a couple of weeks ago, then yesterday was our first full day of home lessons...less Latin, for which I still need to order curriculum. Yesterday went well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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