Oldschool Homeschool S/O of another thread

[regentrude]

Regentrude, I am assuming either the co-op you have been a part of has been blessed by teachers like yourself (which is completely not the norm amg co-ops) or that you have never been in a co-op before..

 

 

I actually have been part of a coop; we just stopped participating because it was right in the middle of my busiest workday and did not meet my children's academic needs enough to make it worth dealing with the scheduling hassle.

Our coop is very small. Moms teach subjects they enjoy and are interested in; nobody uses prefabricated curriculum, they all design their own courses. All parents are required to participate, you can't just drop off. It is a great opportunity for the group, even though it does not work for my children.

 

However, the co-ops we have been a part of or have investigated are typically just moms being assigned a subject to teach (and then they use a text like Apologia and teach directly from the text w/ the TM.)

 

OK, I see where you are coming from... this sounds awful, and I do not get the point of it... unless you'd have, say, a biologist mom who has materials and expertise to do labs or something like this. But using a textbook is something I can do better at home.

 

However, within a short -time her school was over-run by drop-offs w/no interest in actually doing high academics and the standards/quality plummeted.

I can see the problems with a coop that should satisfy academic needs... ours is strictly for enrichment and supplemental courses, because the academic expectations among the parents differ so widely that we won't even attempt to do for-credit core courses.

Thanks for your explanations; in this light, the sentiment does make sense to me. I had not realized my experience was so atypical.

Edited August 27, 2012 by regentrude

[8filltheheart]

 

Now, I am not saying that the old ways are better or worse....just that they were different. I happen to like educational choice...and sometimes wish I had some more choice in these parts....and I happen to LOVE the newer technologies and educational tools that have made my homeschooling life easier.

.....

 

:iagree: I am so incredibly thankful for opencourseware, for being able to socialize on this forum, online classes like ChemAdvanatge's AP chem and AoPS, etc.. I found the best math teacher/coach in the world on the internet..

 

It is a lot less lonely. :001_smile:

[regentrude]

:iagree: I am so incredibly thankful for opencourseware, for being able to socialize on this forum, online classes like ChemAdvanatge's AP chem and AoPS, etc.. I found the best math teacher/coach in the world on the internet..

 

It is a lot less lonely. :001_smile:

 

:iagree:

I do not think I could have made the decision to homeschool high school without this forum and the resources available online. But this forum has been, hands down, the most important tool for me.

[Connections]

What a blessing to find this thread.

 

I do not have a lot of time to read the forum. Funny thing is that I fell into the Circe thread when it was starting and then, today, happened upon this one.

 

I have beaten myself up over the curriculum I have purchased and never used and I have scoured other people's blogs only to end up feeling like I was failing miserably. What I was falling prey to was the homeschool machine. I did not even see that I was in a pattern of consumption (of curriculum and ideas) and was always looking for some magic bullet.

 

Lately, I have sold off and given away much of the curriculum and only am keeping what we actually use. I am focusing on teaching and learning alongside my children- the same things that came so naturally when I started to homeschool my preschoolers. I lost my way. I bought and I arranged and I organized. I replaced learning with consumption and I bought into the idea that we HAD to do x, y, and/or z and that I only needed a, b and/or c curriculum or materials or manipulatives to make it happen.

 

The only thing that "makes education happen" is Momma. And Momma needs time, clarity, attention and a mother's heart to guide her. No one can sell me the things that I need most. Those things are gifts to me and I need only decide to use them.

 

This thread is helping with the guilt I have felt. I can see how things have changed and I can see where I went wrong.

 

Thank you all.

[Angie in VA]

Beautifully said, Connections!

[melmichigan]

:iagree:

I do not think I could have made the decision to homeschool high school without this forum and the resources available online. But this forum has been, hands down, the most important tool for me.

 

:iagree: I would have had a really hard time without all the helpful advice on this forum and so many online educational tools. WTM changed me as a teacher in ways I could not have imagined.

[kb44]

There are some really wonderful thoughts, memories, and advice on this thread. Thanks to the OP for starting it. It has really helped with some of the thoughts I have had on the topic recently. :001_smile:

[HappyCrazyMama]

You may be onto something here. The past few years have been harder on me because I feel more pressure than I used to. Even though I graduated one child already and another is almost done, I feel more insecure than I used to. When I started this 11 years ago I KNEW what I was doing. I never for one second had a doubt.

Now? I struggle weekly, at least. Maybe it's because I'm older. Maybe it's because my oldest child rebelled against everything we"ve ever taught her and doesn't even speak to us. But maybe it's because I have average and/or below average kids and someone decided that I'm supposed to be raising geniuses.

I even feel pressure from most of the people we go to church with because we managed to find a small church with FIVE ps teachers and to hear them their schools are the greatest, the 5 year olds write paragraphs and know how to walk down the hall quietly while my 5 yo still can't tie her shoes.

 

:iagree: A lot of this resonates with me. I have graduated two and then we have a 9 year gap. I seem to have a lot less confidence now. With my oldest two I had math and LA texts, and we read.a.lot. We didn't have a system to follow or checklist. We did our *table time* (three r's), then we read and pursued our interests. Enter high school approaching :willy_nilly::eek: ,begin to use curriculum to be sure all bases are covered (I think this was good and right for us to do). Now though, now I feel like I have to do *it* right with my youngsters.:confused: I have asked myself several times why we can't just read and do table time and have time for housework, gardening, livestock, hobbies, projects; those are important too, right? I used to HOMEschool, then I homeSCHOOLED and I want to HOMEschool again but I'm finding it hard to find my way back.:(

[NASDAQ]

My experience is really, really different from this thread.

 

My mum home-schooled in the late eighties and early to mid-nineties. We did Kumon. We had PCs and the internet, but we didn't have many options for books. My mother took whatever she could get that would sell a single copy; Lots of academic publishers sold only to schools.

 

My mum was much less secure than I am. NO ONE did what she was doing. It was a ridiculous idea. It was only for total unschooling hippies.

 

For her it was always primarily about academics. I am more interested than she was in avoiding school and having my kids around.

 

We never went to home school groups because we weren't unschooling hippies. And I don't go to any homeschooling groups now.

[CatholicMom]

for what it's worth I was homeschooled when homeschooling wasn't "hip". My mother is very "oldschool" teaching me to the best of her ability and using what she had to do it. There wasn't comparisons and "curriculum fairs" we literally had Abeka for some things, BJU for others and BOOKS. Real LIVE books, we used encyclopedias and we READ. I entered 7th grade and was ABOVE "average". She did something right. :) I admire her greatly and there were 7 of us and she graduated my oldest brother.

 

I was thrilled to become apart of the homeschooling community and then when I did I was a little overwhelmed and surprised. I was used to a certain way that I grew up watching my mother and then to see a total transformation. It seems there are too many choices and I have to think that if Abraham Lincoln was president, Albert Einstein was a genius and they lived without all of these "frills" can't we?

 

I got caught up in the curriculum so much so that I labeled myself a curriculum junkie. It was bad. Then in talking with my mother and my DH, a light bulb went off. I don't need gimmicks. I need to have a teachable heart to teach and train my children, that's all it takes. The willingness and desire to see LEARNING and EDUCATION occur. It's not rocket science and I was making it so much more complicated than it needed to be.

 

I scratched some things, prayed, and stopped looking at blogs and curriculum. Sold a lot, gave away some and decided to watch my children and learn with them and READ, READ, READ, and we shall learn together. I have only been at this not even a full year and I have learned so much. I have learned that the tried and true books/"methods" are that because they are effective. Vintage books are a thrill for me.

 

Life is short, I think I lost sight of the over arching goal for us as homeschoolers and everyone has different goals.

 

I told my husband that parents wear their "curriculum" as badges of honor. Homeschooling isn't curriculum, it's a lifestyle, I think. It's really a way of life. It's not in one room, it's not in one semester, it's our life. We live our lives with our children and walk this road together learning all the way.

 

I am a total newbie but these are just a few of my observations thus far. I hope to be an "oldschooler" one day because this ROCKS. Don't get me wrong there are days and sometimes a few weeks where I am thinking, "WHAT WAS I THINKING" and then I look in my photos at my albums entitled "Why I homeschool" and I remember. I remember that even on the "bad" days, this is EXACTLY where I want to be and where I want my kids to be.

 

:)

 

Also, thank you for starting this thread for those of us who are new to homeschooling, it is such an encouragement.

 

Thank you.

 

Maybe I'm a little emotional because I'm a little tired and it's a little late, but... :crying: I can relate.

 

I have noticed that I think I spend more time on forums and websites reading *about* my kids, or curriculum, or how to teach my kids than actually paying honest-to-goodness attention to them and *teaching* them. Sometimes I'm so busy figuring out how to homeschool, what to use, and how I'm going to keep up that I don't have any time left (after chores) to get much school done!

 

I'm a newb compared to these mamas, too (my oldest is in 4th), but I can attest to what homeschooling is like "now" and I definitely felt a ton of pressure when I started homeschooling... and to get it done *early.* "Studies show that kids who learn to read at 4 yrs old have a higher academic performance later on" blah blah. (My poor oldest son. :closedeyes:) I was so worried about keeping up with the "homeschoolers are ahead" bit and proving something because I really, truly, felt "watched" and pressured and like there is an unspoken competition... people will be talking about me behind my back for better or worse. It is really not a good feeling. I still feel that way sometimes and it still irritates me (sometimes I want to just make it known that I'm not participating in the race!) but I feel that I'm gravitating more towards simplicitly and WISH I could do some serious Oldschooling (love that term!). But I feel very hindered by my state. I'm in NY and I just feel that besides the Parent Race, I am not free to educate my kids at my - or their- pace and enjoy relaxed learning. Every day I'm upset that I didn't get done what I had in my plans. I'm stressed about meeting requirements and getting through our texts that I listed in my IHIP. :sad: I don't know a way around that, but I do think I would probably be more successful at homeschooling AND being a mom if I would spend less time analyzing and worrying and buying curriculum and more time *doing.* (And perhaps more time sleeping instead of being on here at 1 am! :glare:)

 

Anyway, I definitely feel this tug between Oldschooling and Newschooling and it bothers me often. I think this goes along with why I frequently fantasize about living in the country hills in a log cabin unto ourselves, lol. I even had a dream recently with visions of all kinds of green grassy hills, complete with grazing sheep. :lol: Free from the pressures of the world... ahhh. I need sheep.

Edited August 28, 2012 by TaraJo29

[CatholicMom]

My experience is really, really different from this thread.

 

My mum home-schooled in the late eighties and early to mid-nineties. We did Kumon. We had PCs and the internet, but we didn't have many options for books. My mother took whatever she could get that would sell a single copy; Lots of academic publishers sold only to schools.

 

My mum was much less secure than I am. NO ONE did what she was doing. It was a ridiculous idea. It was only for total unschooling hippies.

 

For her it was always primarily about academics. I am more interested than she was in avoiding school and having my kids around.

 

We never went to home school groups because we weren't unschooling hippies. And I don't go to any homeschooling groups now.

 

I can see this. But maybe back then it was a different type of insecurity (fear of being turned in, seen as abusive and total whackos, etc?) rather than the new insecurity which seems to me to be more of a "not being good enough/doing enough, not using the right curriculum, not having genius children, your kid isn't reading as early as my kid is" type of fear. I could be wrong, but that's the feeling I get. And it makes sense that the more homeschooling grows, the more peer pressure develops among parents because there are so many *more* comparable peers (i.e. other homeschooling moms) than there were 15 yrs ago.

[tuzor]

Wow, what a blessing to find this thread today. I find technology to be a blessing and a curse for me. I love asking questions on forums such as this one but then I can get carried away. I have to be very careful to stay away from certain threads etc.

As a blogger myself, recently I have caught myself feeling like we are all the same. I don't blog in exchange for products nor do I host giveaways to lure traffic and followers to my site. But I hate reading the same product reviews everywhere on the web. If I venture to someones blog and it's clear they are reviewing something many times it feels forced (not genuine). Personally, I don't know how many of the moms do it. You can drive yourself batty considering and comparing all the curriculum and how this one or that one is implementing said curriculum in their home.

[tuzor]

For me personally, you have hit the nail on the head. Although my oldest is only 4th grade age, we have always homeschooled. When he was a baby and a toddler and I started researching homeschooling, the only resources I had were the books my little rural local library offered. I read every single one of them. And then I inter library loaned what those books suggested. Some of them have since moved onto my shelves as the library discarded them---Tamra Orr, Linda Dobson, Alison Kees, Patrick Farenga, Hohn Holt, Mary Griffith, the Moores, Mary Colfax, David Guterson etc etc. I like to call them the "classics" of the homeschooling subculture. "Curriculum" never crossed my mind. Curriculum to me meant Calvert or Abeka. And the only thing I was sure of was I didn't want to buy a "boxed" thing. I didn't have internet back then and could care less what others were doing. I wanted to know "why" I was homeschooling. I wanted to read *about* education."

 

I just requested several of these authors from the library, thanks.

[Hunter]

I just requested several of these authors from the library, thanks.

 

No Regrets by Alexandra Swann is a must read!

 

Few children can handle the accelerated pace this family used, but they provide an example of school in a box that could be easily copied at a slower rate by almost any family, with the boxes they used, or other boxes.

 

I think the homeschooling community is too quick to turn their noses up at school in a box. American School and lots of time spent working was the right thing for my oldest son. It was possible for him to accelerate through the PS modeled curriculum and enter junior college early with the money he had earned working.

 

Also the Teenaged Liberation Handbook still contains some relevant ideas.

[learningmama]

I was just thinking about oldschooling this morning. This is all very interesting. :bigear:

[Hunter]

No Regrets by Alexandra Swann is a must read!

 

 

It looks like the mom has written a book too that is newer.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Backward-Twenty-Five-Homeschooling-Mother/dp/1456505904/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y

[SorrelZG]

It looks like the mom has written a book too that is newer.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Backward-Twenty-Five-Homeschooling-Mother/dp/1456505904/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y

 

I was reading No Regrets and was thinking of it while following this thread. Obviously so many experiences are very different. They basically did correspondence, school-at-home.

 

I am only part way through it though .. somewhere in the mid 70's. I was marvelling at how wonderful their family life sounded growing up but I was reading through another book on Cambodian history at the same time and when it hit me that those warm, cozy stories of the girl's childhood were taking place concurrent to the horrific events Cambodian families were enduring during the Khmer Rouge .. well .. something about that reality affected me such that I am yet to get back to either book.

 

But that is neither here nor there as far as this thread goes.

[learningmama]

You know, I have been thinking a lot about your question this weekend...and I think what it really came down to was 20 years ago ( and for some yesterday:D)homeschooling or to coin the new phrase, old schooling was a life choice and a lifestyle decision....not just an academic choice for a few months until Johnny could go into the next class without the crummy teacher. It was a choice that was not entered into lightly or easily. It was going against the staus quo and it was even considered threatening by the school systems.

 

Those who did it for religious convictions and those who did it as a political statement were really somewhat in the same boat. When I began, parents were being hauled into court left and right because the school superintendents still did not acknowledge the legal right to homeschool, nor their own regs....and courts were slapping parents with decisions of educational neglect, even when they were complying with the law. You HAD to be convinced that what you were doing was the right thing.....and that you were in it because either your God called you to it or your convictions made it so you really had no other choice....kwim?

 

The social climate around homeschooling has changed radically over the past 20 years....and with the advent of K-12 type virtual academies, even the school system itself has moved toward homeschooling. It is just a different thing for some people now than it was for us back then....and even some of us now.

 

Now, I am not saying that the old ways are better or worse....just that they were different. I happen to like educational choice...and sometimes wish I had some more choice in these parts....and I happen to LOVE the newer technologies and educational tools that have made my homeschooling life easier.

 

I love that I am not so isolated from my peers and like-minded ( and even non-like-minded ) people....

 

Hmmmmmm......I am still pondering.....

 

:iagree:

I am so thankful for those that homeschooled in the early days despite much opposition. They were trailblazers and many aided in our current homeschool legal landscape. I love homeschooling and will stand up for it, BUT don't know if I would have done it without legal protection, as in the early days.

[momto2Cs]

The number one difference I see is a lack of confidence. Homeschooling mums today are constantly questioning their methods, their curriculums, their routines, their focuses. Australia doesn't have the same extreme religious culture, so while many homeschoolers were Christians, academics and bullying were generally the two most commonly cited reasons for homeschooling, at least among families I knew. And yet, I couldn't tell you what other families used except for the ACE families. We didn't have access to curriculums like today, for math your choice was Saxon, MUS, or the textbooks from the newsagency that the schools used. For science and history, most families did their own thing simply because they had no choice, except for the lucky few who imported ABeka from America. And they were confident in it. Oh, little johnny wants to know how the body works? Can't find a good curriculum? No biggie, lets just read and see what we can put together. Now I see homeschooling mums not only desperate for the books and guides, but also questioning whether to even study it in x grade because it's 'supposed' to be in y grade according to some chart.

 

I still struggle with all these terms, charlotte mason, classical, wardolf, whatever. I have no idea what I am, I just am.Who cares if I'm a delayed starter, early starter, intensive or relaxed. I am whatever works for my family and our goals and priorities, just like you should be.

 

:iagree: I started backing off from all forums, etc. for a while when I realized I was falling into the constant questioning. I found myself lining up program after program that I knew deep down we would feel pressured to use. To label ourselves as more Classical, or more CM, etc. I guess the only label that really fits is "eclectic"! ;)

 

Then came the Circe conversation, and then a slew of emails with a dear homeschooling friend. And I realize it isn't about what works for other people, or whatever curriculum is the shiniest, newest kid on the block. It about my children, what works for them, and their relationship to me. We started homeschooling back in 2006, when my son turned five. For the first 4 years, we did this through a charter school, in part because I bowed to family pressure ("You can't homeschool them! They'll be weird!") Then, for the past few years, we have been on our own, and I certainly did not choose homeschooling in order to follow the guidelines someone else thinks are important.

 

What a blessing to find this thread.

 

I have beaten myself up over the curriculum I have purchased and never used and I have scoured other people's blogs only to end up feeling like I was failing miserably. What I was falling prey to was the homeschool machine. I did not even see that I was in a pattern of consumption (of curriculum and ideas) and was always looking for some magic bullet.

 

Lately, I have sold off and given away much of the curriculum and only am keeping what we actually use. I am focusing on teaching and learning alongside my children- the same things that came so naturally when I started to homeschool my preschoolers. I lost my way. I bought and I arranged and I organized. I replaced learning with consumption and I bought into the idea that we HAD to do x, y, and/or z and that I only needed a, b and/or c curriculum or materials or manipulatives to make it happen.

 

The only thing that "makes education happen" is Momma. And Momma needs time, clarity, attention and a mother's heart to guide her. No one can sell me the things that I need most. Those things are gifts to me and I need only decide to use them.

 

This thread is helping with the guilt I have felt. I can see how things have changed and I can see where I went wrong.

 

Thank you all.

 

Again, I must say :iagree:. I am completely guilty of buying things that we don't end up using, and then beating myself up over them. I have bought and sold more things than I care to think.

 

Looking back, when my son was 6, and we did our basics (3 R's), and then followed our interests for the rest, with a lot of reading, we had the best time! I didn't follow a detailed curriculum that someone else wrote. I didn't worry about lining up resource after resource, or making sure that everything fit within the confines of this or that subject at such-and-such grade level. We did all our learning together, at the table, curled up on the couch, and it was a joyful time in our homeschooling. I had confidence then that whatever tools we used, whatever approach we took, my children would learn. Somehow I lost sight of this for a while, and got lost in the woods so to speak. It got to where I couldn't see the forest for the trees.

 

I had elaborate plans again for this upcoming year... chronological, moderately intensive history. Intensive science with a singular focus.

 

Then we read, and vastly enjoyed, a Landmark book on the Wright Brothers in preparation for watching the annual airshow that happens at a local airport. I watched my children making scientific connections without the formal curriculum through books, documentaries, and nature explorations. We started again to read stories and books because we wanted to, not because they lined up with anything else. I re-read the Circe thread, continued emails with my friend, read A Picture Perfect Childhood by Cay Gibson (I highly recommend this book) re-read The Relaxed Homeschool (Mary Hood), and decided to toss all of my over-careful planning out the window. I wrote a post a few years back on my blog about What If, and this year I have given myself permission to go with it. Yes, I will continue to suggest things, and strew various resources about. But, I think my children fare better in the long run if I allow them to make the connections, rather than laying out all the connections for them. And we will be reading, and reading, and reading.

 

I am coming to see our approach to homeschooling as more of a mosaic than a linear path. All the pieces come together to form a picture, no matter where you start or what piece you put in next.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I am coming to see our approach to homeschooling as more of a mosaic than a linear path. All the pieces come together to form a picture, no matter where you start or what piece you put in next.

 

What a truly lovely image. I enjoyed your whole post but this was a perfect summation.

[mama27]

*****I had elaborate plans again for this upcoming year... chronological, moderately intensive history. Intensive science with a singular focus.*****

 

Me too and I started this thread and I keep reading it because things keep happening to spoil my plans. Things not in my control like today my mom had a biospy to see if a patch os skin is cancerous. My parents live with me now, since May and they are getting more of their stuff moved in this weekend.

My 10 yos asthma is acting up.

I must be an idiot to think I should plan anything beyond the basics! And real books.

[LinRTX]

Well, I started homeschooling in 1990 and there was more than Saxon, Abeka, and BJU available. Also, you could buy directly from Abeka and BJU at that time.

 

But it is different today. I used library books and encyclopedias more. I did not use the internet. Home school groups were harder to find and there was less opportunity for music like band and choir and organized sports.

 

Linda

[momto2Cs]

*****I had elaborate plans again for this upcoming year... chronological, moderately intensive history. Intensive science with a singular focus.*****

 

Me too and I started this thread and I keep reading it because things keep happening to spoil my plans. Things not in my control like today my mom had a biospy to see if a patch os skin is cancerous. My parents live with me now, since May and they are getting more of their stuff moved in this weekend.

My 10 yos asthma is acting up.

I must be an idiot to think I should plan anything beyond the basics! And real books.

 

Bolded sums up my entire approach!

[Soror]

momto2cs- I loved your post. I'm trying to balance things here as well because I want things laid back here, especially for the grades we are at (k and 2nd). I started out in a similar manner here with my 6 yo, we did lots of reading, lots of rabbit trails and the 3rs thrown in as well.

 

As I posted on another thread we also did lots of walking, some official nature walks looking for this or that but mostly we just walked and found what we found and enjoyed nature and each other's company along the way. It was a great and wonderful year. Then I felt pressure to be more "rigorous" and more scheduled and I've been fighting myself back and forth on these various things since then. I'm getting better at fighting it back but I'm still not sure where I'm aiming. I like having structure for our 3Rs- ie a laid out curriculum and a general plan so I know when we will finish for the year for ds especially, for dd(k) we are just doing things informally as she is ready- very low key.

 

My struggle is I want content to be more 'unschooly' right now but then sometimes we fall in a pattern of it not getting done, so I think I should schedule it so at least we get something done. But we enjoy it much more when it is interest led and I think if there is anytime for just following interests it should be at the age my kids are at when they are insatiably curious. I want to build a love right now. That is one of the things I always envisioned for hs is being able to delve deeply into whatever topics interested me at the moment. I'm not sure how I forgot that goal though.

[NASDAQ]

Well, I started homeschooling in 1990 and there was more than Saxon, Abeka, and BJU available. Also, you could buy directly from Abeka and BJU at that time.

 

But it is different today. I used library books and encyclopedias more. I did not use the internet. Home school groups were harder to find and there was less opportunity for music like band and choir and organized sports.

 

Linda

 

I should clarify that we are not Christian and we are Canadian, so that probably contributed to my mother's difficulty finding things.

 

We used the internet, but it was very different then.

[Sahamamama]

Regnetrude, you know what a mess I am, and how little I have to offer compared to some parents here.

 

Hunter, I have followed what you shared about your struggles and I admire your tenacity and motivation - you definitely have something to offer!

 

:iagree:You are an inspiration, Hunter. You have much to offer, and your thoughts are expressed in a way that makes more sense than you seem to think. At least, I feel I can understand you.

[Sahamamama]

This forum has been, hands down, the most important tool for me.

 

:iagree:

[delaney]

*****I had elaborate plans again for this upcoming year... chronological, moderately intensive history. Intensive science with a singular focus.*****

 

Me too and I started this thread and I keep reading it because things keep happening to spoil my plans. Things not in my control like today my mom had a biospy to see if a patch os skin is cancerous. My parents live with me now, since May and they are getting more of their stuff moved in this weekend.

My 10 yos asthma is acting up.

I must be an idiot to think I should plan anything beyond the basics! And real books.

 

This is how I am approaching the year. Reading and math are a must and I farmed our IEW to classes this year since I hate writing. I am leaving history to books and VP self-paced even though it isn't secular. I really do not like science and never have. I am pushing the younger toward living books and then letting them go with what interests them above what OM gives. I added a 1st grader to the mix this year and it has been hard nailing down his reading since he is not a visual learner.

[Hunter]

:iagree:You are an inspiration, Hunter. You have much to offer, and your thoughts are expressed in a way that makes more sense than you seem to think. At least, I feel I can understand you.

 

Thank you all for being so accepting of me. I really appreciate it. I know I'm a bit odd :biggrinjester: Some days more than others, and about some things more than than other.

 

I seem to be good at stirring up conversations though, no matter whether people like and accept me or not :smilielol5:

 

I've been reading TWTM 1st edition (1999) the past couple days. Does anyone here prefer the 1st edition?

[Sahamamama]

I'm trying to balance things here as well because I want things laid back here, especially for the grades we are at (k and 2nd). I started out in a similar manner here with my 6 yo, we did lots of reading, lots of rabbit trails and the 3rs thrown in as well.

 

[snip]

 

My struggle is I want content to be more 'unschooly' right now but then sometimes we fall in a pattern of it not getting done, so I think I should schedule it so at least we get something done. But we enjoy it much more when it is interest led and I think if there is anytime for just following interests it should be at the age my kids are at when they are insatiably curious. I want to build a love right now. That is one of the things I always envisioned for hs is being able to delve deeply into whatever topics interested me at the moment. I'm not sure how I forgot that goal though.

 

 

Soror, your children are the same grades/ages as my own, though I have twin K'ers here. Howdy! :seeya: Fun ages, aren't they?

 

My new way of seeing it is, "Homeschooling works for us. We do not work for homeschooling." That means we can weave in the threads that create our own unique family tapestry. The other morning I said to the girls, "Drop your pencils! Go put on your sneakers!" :001_huh: We went out for a few hours, just to run and play and enjoy the beautiful day. We came back, had baths, lunch, did our math, a snuggly read aloud, had a nap, and finished up in the evening with... whatever, I don't remember. It was a good, satisfying, meaningful, memorable day (at least the part that counts was memorable).

 

I have a goal in the back of my mind. I actually posted about it, but I don't think I explained it well enough in the initial post, because it seemed to be somewhat misunderstood. And my goal is this: To lay a foundation this year and next -- and maybe a year or two after that -- in the basics, but then to have some time in there (middle school years? 4th? 5th? 6th?) when we just back off from academics and structure for a while.

 

In response to that original post, most people said, "Do all those things you want to do now, instead of waiting." While I understand that this is (sort of) an option, I felt that missed the point of desiring and aiming for a season of life that could be fully SET ASIDE for non-academic learning, so that "schooling" isn't still a pot to be watched on the stove.

 

If you could take "school" OFF the stove for a season, what would life then be like? What would you have devoted, set-aside time to do, that you could never "get to" if you were committed to the daily math/grammar/Latin/writing mandate? What would you, your family, and YOUR CHILDREN finally have time to become? What would you choose to pursue with ALL your resources, not just what's left over after Reading, Writing, Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar, Math, Science, History, Geography, Latin, French, Art, Music, and Tae Kwon Do?

 

:svengo:

 

I like homeSCHOOLING. I really, really, really like the schooling. I turn around from planning and preparing and there is a child. Oh, hey, I have a child! Oh, hey, I have three of them! Who knew? :001_huh:

 

Hunter is right about that part of the current trend -- so much focus on SCHOOLING, man. :D Maybe too much? Before I go to bed, I check on these children, peacefully asleep. They are so amazing. They are so amazing! It has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with one bit of any curriculum. There is not one Singapore Math problem or one exercise in First Language Lessons or one History read aloud that has any bearing on how amazing they really are. They are not tied to it, they are wonderfully apart from it. I am free and at peace when I meditate on this.

 

I look ahead and think, "Hmmm... K & 2nd this year, I'm ready for that! Next year -- 1st & 3rd, okay, another year to lay down the academic rails, it's all on track. The year after that is 2nd & 4th, the train is slowing down now..." ;)

 

When will we get off the curriculum train and do something deeper? Because, in a way, curriculum by itself (no matter what it is) really isn't all that deep. We -- their teachers -- are deep (or not). Most of my teachers were not. I look back at a long chain of shallow, bored, boring, uninspired, uninspiring teachers that came and went through my life.... They taught because it was their job. Teaching my children is not my passion, though. Loving them might be. My children are precious, but they are not fully my passion, either. Life is.

 

How do you share your hard-won wisdom and your passion for life, if all you do is more-of-the-same? I want to speak into their spirits before they are young women, when they are in that tender time of 9-ness and 10-ness and 11-ness. I want to just walk out the door and go somewhere meaningful (or stay home and make it meaningful), not be forever tied down to the daily table time, as though that is the only place where "real learning" can take place.

 

Again, I wouldn't opt for this for all the years ahead, because academic skills and knowledge do matter. :D But perhaps our children will witness our passion for life -- and find their own -- if we can set aside a season for letting them find it.

[MeganW]

I find way too many homeschoolers to be child-centered. It appears their life is consumed by homeschooling and their children so much that their personalities seem to be lost in the mix.

 

So much of your post hit home, but this particular quote was especially convicting, and gives me a lot to think about.

[tuzor]

Thank you all for being so accepting of me. I really appreciate it. I know I'm a bit odd :biggrinjester: Some days more than others, and about some things more than than other.

 

I seem to be good at stirring up conversations though, no matter whether people like and accept me or not :smilielol5:

 

I've been reading TWTM 1st edition (1999) the past couple days. Does anyone here prefer the 1st edition?

 

Yes I read through it every year. I like the first edition with other product recommendations.

[Sahamamama]

I've been reading TWTM 1st edition (1999) the past couple days. Does anyone here prefer the 1st edition?

 

Yes, I prefer the 1st edition.

[Soror]

Soror, your children are the same grades/ages as my own, though I have twin K'ers here. Howdy! :seeya: Fun ages, aren't they?

 

My new way of seeing it is, "Homeschooling works for us. We do not work for homeschooling." That means we can weave in the threads that create our own unique family tapestry. The other morning I said to the girls, "Drop your pencils! Go put on your sneakers!" :001_huh: We went out for a few hours, just to run and play and enjoy the beautiful day. We came back, had baths, lunch, did our math, a snuggly read aloud, had a nap, and finished up in the evening with... whatever, I don't remember. It was a good, satisfying, meaningful, memorable day (at least the part that counts was memorable).

 

We're working on those kind of days here. I find I like the routine of the basics in the day but they can be at anytime or any order, with any amount of breaks. I've thought for the last 2 yrs that I should actually have a schedule but it doesn't work for me to have everything color coded in a neat little time box. We need to eat and sleep at regular times but most everything else is up for grabs and that in itself has put more of a peace in our days.

I have a goal in the back of my mind. I actually posted about it, but I don't think I explained it well enough in the initial post, because it seemed to be somewhat misunderstood. And my goal is this: To lay a foundation this year and next -- and maybe a year or two after that -- in the basics, but then to have some time in there (middle school years? 4th? 5th? 6th?) when we just back off from academics and structure for a while.

 

In response to that original post, most people said, "Do all those things you want to do now, instead of waiting." While I understand that this is (sort of) an option, I felt that missed the point of desiring and aiming for a season of life that could be fully SET ASIDE for non-academic learning, so that "schooling" isn't still a pot to be watched on the stove.

 

If you could take "school" OFF the stove for a season, what would life then be like? What would you have devoted, set-aside time to do, that you could never "get to" if you were committed to the daily math/grammar/Latin/writing mandate? What would you, your family, and YOUR CHILDREN finally have time to become? What would you choose to pursue with ALL your resources, not just what's left over after Reading, Writing, Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar, Math, Science, History, Geography, Latin, French, Art, Music, and Tae Kwon Do?

 

:svengo:

 

I like homeSCHOOLING. I really, really, really like the schooling. I turn around from planning and preparing and there is a child. Oh, hey, I have a child! Oh, hey, I have three of them! Who knew? :001_huh:

 

Hunter is right about that part of the current trend -- so much focus on SCHOOLING, man. :D Maybe too much? Before I go to bed, I check on these children, peacefully asleep. They are so amazing. They are so amazing! It has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with one bit of any curriculum. There is not one Singapore Math problem or one exercise in First Language Lessons or one History read aloud that has any bearing on how amazing they really are. They are not tied to it, they are wonderfully apart from it. I am free and at peace when I meditate on this.

 

I look ahead and think, "Hmmm... K & 2nd this year, I'm ready for that! Next year -- 1st & 3rd, okay, another year to lay down the academic rails, it's all on track. The year after that is 2nd & 4th, the train is slowing down now..." ;)

 

When will we get off the curriculum train and do something deeper? Because, in a way, curriculum by itself (no matter what it is) really isn't all that deep. We -- their teachers -- are deep (or not). Most of my teachers were not. I look back at a long chain of shallow, bored, boring, uninspired, uninspiring teachers that came and went through my life.... They taught because it was their job. Teaching my children is not my passion, though. Loving them might be. My children are precious, but they are not fully my passion, either. Life is.

 

How do you share your hard-won wisdom and your passion for life, if all you do is more-of-the-same? I want to speak into their spirits before they are young women, when they are in that tender time of 9-ness and 10-ness and 11-ness. I want to just walk out the door and go somewhere meaningful (or stay home and make it meaningful), not be forever tied down to the daily table time, as though that is the only place where "real learning" can take place.

 

Again, I wouldn't opt for this for all the years ahead, because academic skills and knowledge do matter. :D But perhaps our children will witness our passion for life -- and find their own -- if we can set aside a season for letting them find it.

I love the bolded. That is our goal here as well, the challenge is balancing it all. Setting the foundation and guiding them towards developing their own passions while making sure they develop the skills they need as well. Of course that, I think, leads to a bit of a re-classification in some areas as to what are needed skills. Beyond the basics I think there can be a bit of a range as to what is needed for a child, depending on where they are headed.

 

So, how do we balance that over the day, the year, or the lifetime of school? It seemed much easier in my head before I got to the business of doing. Who knew they would all be individuals who didn't all learn exactly like me :)

[sarahv]

I've been reading TWTM 1st edition (1999) the past couple days. Does anyone here prefer the 1st edition?

 

:iagree: I haven't even read the other editions.

[sagira]

Lovely post, Sahamamama. I really like the quote by another PP about mosaic too. That is true.

 

About moms being so invested in their children, that had hit home. It's not until the past six months or so I have realized that indeed my life centered around my children. The thing is, even before them, I didn't have too much else. I was called boring by my roommate, never decorated my college dorm. Later on I worked, I read books, went to concerts and bookstores with my hubby.

 

When my son was born, he gave me meaning, a purpose. It's as if it as this I as created to do - be his mom. My life centered around him because that's all I had. I was just existing - eating, sleeping, traveling, taking pictures.

 

Self-education is my passion - and homeschooling enables me to do it in a way I have never dreamed possible. I can review and expand on my knowledge, teach, aaah.

 

I am working on cultivating the interests I used to have when I was a teenager - listening to music, writing, singing, biking, dancing, reading continues to be there. I joined a choir, I'm reading up on writing again and starting to write more again, take photographs, dream and scheme to travel. However, all that, as interesting as they are, pale in comparison to parenting and teaching these three wonderful children of mine. This is the best job- I love love love homeschooling them. I'm not excited about them leaving home. I know they will have to, and it's healthy, but I hope I will have them as cherished adult companions in the future. I'm not looking forward to being alone so much with my dh, though. He's a great guy, but.. I think then I will throw myself into my writing much more. Just musing.

Edited September 2, 2012 by sagira

[Momof2littles]

I think Hunter is on to something. Her post expresses something that I understand intuitively, but I am with her in that attempting to cogently express it is elusive.:tongue_smilie:

Most homeschoolers were teaching their children at home b/c of philosophical rejections toward government education. Emulating them or worrying about their standards was not a goal. Mom being the primary teacher in order to tailor education to meet the needs of the individual child b/c mom knew the needs was a basic premise.

 

Homeschoolers rejected the notion that it wasn't possible to teach subject x,y,z b/c she wasn't an expert or that knowledgeable herself. She searched for resources and worked alongside her kids.

 

But, I think the biggest difference is the concept of the home in homeschooling. Family goals and priorities were the foundational reasons for homeschooling. Kids were at home b/c we were convinced that we had to offer was far superior for our children than anything else out there (regardless of what the "it" was.)

I had never heard of homeschooling prior to actually doing it, so we stumbled into homeschooling accidentally. However, once we started, we immediately realized that having our kids at home was about family, academics from our personal goals/view, faith-formation, and protecting childhood as childhood. Not one of those goals has altered.

 

I don't know that anyone who has not experienced the difference can actually appreciate it. But......I am glad that our homeschool was founded "oldschool" and not the pressure to compare modern version.

 

This is pretty much why I homeschool. I'm a former ps teacher and wasn't about to sent my precious babies to school all day to be raised by someone else!

ETA and although I struggle with homeSCHOOL bc I was indoctrinated from teaching PS, I don't want my homeschool to look and feel like SCHOOL!

Edited September 2, 2012 by Momof2littles

[stm4him]

Ok, I want to resurrect this old thread.  This was a joy to read today!  

 

I have several thoughts but I am not sure I can clarify them.  I agree with the people who say that part of why we use so much technology and have more competition is because we are more globally connected and aware of the shortcomings of American education.  I also think that some of us that are younger moms grew up in an education system where we had access to everything and so we want to give access to everything for our kids.  If we can't do every subject and offer every possible elective we can feel we are short-changing them.  There are so many books out there about educational theory and so many different booths trying to sell you the "best" at homeschool conventions that it is incredibly hard to not feel that EVERYTHING is important and necessary and all bases must be covered.  And then you end up reading things that say you are shortchanging your kids if you are giving them everything because they don't have time to just be kids and play.  It can all be very confusing.  You not only have the oldschool moms speaking into things but also all the curriculum provider companies and it can be incredibly hard to discern what is right for your own family and your own teaching style and kids out of the gazillion choices out there.  We also have access to the educational ideas and words of people from as far back as ancient times and the founding of our country which make our current education look pathetic.  So then we want to somehow duplicate that.  But then they won't be caught up to the technology age and how will they ever get into college if they decide to go, etc......Can you see how challenging it is for the moms who have too many choices and too many opinions around them?  In some ways I think it would have been easier if I just had a library card and a math workbook.  The natural teacher in me would come out and the pressure would be gone.  Whatever we didn't have access to would just be off the table.  Period.  Now nothing is off the table except that which is limited by finances.  And even then there is often a way to get it eventually or it still stays in the mental plan which blocks me from trying to creatively access it now.

 

It took me years to figure out that I don't like to have possible projects listed in my curriculum because I then feel pressure to do it.  I like my kids to make up their own projects creatively.  I like to go to the Dollar Store and let them pick things to do and also let them create whatever out of random supplies we have and nature, etc.  It took me years to figure out that although I love booklists I just want to buy a bunch of stuff off of them as I find them or can afford them and not try to schedule them.  I have spent countless hours making book schedules and lists we barely ever used.  I already knew I wouldn't like computer schooling but I felt so desparate I did it anyway.  I also spent years planning and planning and finally realized I don't even like detailed lesson plans.  I do need a long-term overview plan, though.  I tried a full day of workbooks and although the curriculum was solid and I enjoyed some of it I couldn't keep up with the correcting and I don't want my whole day to be correcting workbooks.  That would steal my joy of homeschooling too.  But I had to try it to know that.  These are expensive lessons.

 

What do I really want to do?  I really feel drawn to a strong consistent math and language arts program in the upper elementary and middle school years with a bite-sized amount of Latin and Greek and before that I really feel drawn to them learning to read, spell, and write basic sentences and paragraphs in cursive and PLAY.  I want to have the freedom to say, "Let's go to the dollar store and get some stuff to create with." at random or say, "Let's go to the library." at random (which is weird because I don't even like the library because I always rack up ridiculous fines and dislike much of their choices there).  But I have this nostalgic love of the library from my childhood days.  

 

Sometimes I think sets of flashcards from Walmart or wherever are missing because I really learned to read from a set of phonics flashcards my mom did with me when we were little.  She also did colors and shapes and number flashcards and even though I am sure I learned from preschool and the early grades at school I remember fondly sitting with her and doing those.  

 

And I want to spend our leftover daylight hours outside when the weather is nice or at the beach.  

 

I want to do Table Time (Circle Time, Morning Meeting, whatever you call it) sometimes except when they are goofing and aren't behaving.  I want to sit around and read books with them except when they are bored too soon or would rather be doing something else. (My six and eight year olds are total outdoorsy kids and my ten year old is an introvert.)  So I still don't feel like I have this homeschooling thing right.  I have desires and I have reality and I have fears about finishing curriculum or not being consistent enough or whatever or being judged by nosy neighbors.  And I want a clean, uncluttered house despite the fact that there are 7 (almost 8) kiddos here all day, as well as my husband, and we have a ton of health issues.  I hope I am getting somewhere....away from pressures and towards authenticity.  Threads like these certainly help me to that end.....

 

 

[mmpmelmack]

I have seriously fond memories of this thread!  which is a bit amazing as it was started just a few days after I had my daughter.  so so much good stuff here.   I think I have finally reached the place this thread talks about.  I have goals, planning next year was easy, I know where we are going, I know what type of books he likes, I know how much he can read in a day.  He is learning so much more then he did when I was doing it all.  I have confidence in our schooling.  I know we are meeting the long term goals we have.  THis thread  ( and a few others)  really really helped me.  Thank you all so much for taking the time to post so many wonderful thoughts, and all your years of experience.  it means the world to me!

[stm4him]

I am surprised no one wants to discuss this thread again....

[simplemom]

I am surprised no one wants to discuss this thread again....

Maybe because it's "old school" ;)

 

I have enjoyed reading it, as I myself lean towards old school homeschool with the exception of youtube, Wikipedia, and advice forums being my educational lifelines.

[Hunter]

stm4him. when you really want to talk about a topic:

 

Start a new thread

 

Post something short that is designed to encourage others to post. Save your own longer post for further down the thread. Don't lead with it.

 

If there is an old thread on the topic, don't link to it right away, until the new thread is established. Someone else will probably beat you to it. Having to wade through 50 posts before feeling like they can post is intimidating to some people. By the time they get to end, if they get to the end, they feel like it all has already been said. And some people are embarrased by their old comments and feel like they have grown past that stage.

 

Let this lie for a bit. Start a new thread in a week or two. If you are anxious to start one today, try to give the new thread a new twist. Ask a queston that was not really explored in this thread. No people are not anxious to discuss this THREAD, but they might be interested in discussing the same TOPIC or a similar one.

[Guest]

I am interested in discussing this if you're patient--I don't have much time for forums right now.

 

My oldest homeschooler was kindergarten age in 1994 and am definitely guilty of sliding into the curriculum consuming trap. I was young, insecure, and wanted somebody to tell me what to do.

 

I've been able to read the GWS archives at long last and am doing a bit of soul searching. I don't want my "caboose baby" to spend his childhood parked in front of TV and video games while I buy products and plan lessons, nor do I want to turn my home into a miniature public school.

 

It kind of hit home when I read a pioneer and former school reformer mention in GWS #2 that he had reached a point where he would rather just let the world fix itself and live his own life. I think I'm reaching that point with homeschooling as a social movement. I am not always happy with the direction I see it going (K12 corporation, Mimi Rothschild, Sandra Dodd vs Dayna Martin, etc.) but it has not gone so far yet as to prevent me from living my own life and minding my own business.

 

I question the value of all the time I have spent online. On a tech forum, I recently put a lot of time into answering a question and sympathizing with the person's frustration, only to have my advice to look at a database and spend $10 on eBay to replace a proprietary wireless card go completely ignored.

 

Kilts and cupcakes are all very fine and nice and there is a time and a place for giggling about them, but I'm tired of deluding myself into thinking that I am changing the world when my time is better spent with my child using the perfectly good curriculum I already have.

[ElizaG]

Bumping again... this thread was just what I needed today.  :001_smile:    (I'd be up for a bit more discussion as well, if anyone is interested.)

[Farrar]

I was thinking about Hunter's old school concept the other day too. With several newbies asking me about box curricula and with several multiple day co-ops now open all around me, I have been feeling this shift in homeschooling very acutely. I'm still a newbie compared to the real old schoolers, but I have been yearning for the people who want to move to the beat of their own drummers a little more.

[SeaConquest]

A very interesting discussion. Thank you for bumping it. As a reluctant homeschooler, I can definitely say that we have a homeSCHOOL. It's not that our days resemble the public school so much as my primary motivation for this undertaking is overwhelmingly academic in nature. And it's only because of time spent on this board that I've even begun to think about philosophical issues relating to homeschooling, or about homeschooling as a lifestyle for our family. I am truly grateful to the oldschoolers for that.

 

In my neck of the woods, most homeschoolers are enrolled in public charters, where you are much less likely to find people homeschooling for strongly religious and/or philosophical reasons. There are still the old school and the independents around, but the technological advancements, the camaraderie of so many homeschooling activities, and the financial incentives offered by charter schools, have made homeschooling a much more acceptable (and easy) choice. I've yet to actually encounter any negativity about our decision to homeschool because it has become so mainstream. I realize that my experience is very regional.

 

I would never have considered homeschooling through high school, but this board has opened my eyes to the possibility -- to so many possibilities for our homeschool, actually. You all are a wonderful wealth of information and encouragement.  

[Guest]

I'm still around. I haven't gotten banned yet (thanks, SWB) and I still post when it amuses me to do so, but I accept the fact that Monique is in the majority here and my time is better spent with my child.

 

A local empty nester offered to help people who do not wish to join our local public school's home based charter programs with their legal paperwork this year. A woman I remember as a bright-eyed new homeschooler with a kindergartener who I mentored when I had teens is organizing Park Days. Her former kindergartener is now a year older than my younger teen was when I met her.

 

I started to hit the "reply" button reflexively, then stopped myself, walked away from the computer, and read my "DIY grandchild" a story instead.

 

If anyone who is reading this remembers who Helen Hegener is, she doesn't know what happened to the magazine, but she has fond memories of "those happy golden years" when she was editing it and is far to busy loving on her grandchildren to worry about it now.

 

She is still an inspiration to me.

[Soror]

It was funny reading my own posts on this thread from 3 yrs ago. I finally feel like we have find our own way, learning is our life but schooling isn't. I've made peace with my own expectations and goals, which may or may not fit this community, local schools or anyone else but they are our own and well-considered.

 

 

I was thinking about Hunter's old school concept the other day too. With several newbies asking me about box curricula and with several multiple day co-ops now open all around me, I have been feeling this shift in homeschooling very acutely. I'm still a newbie compared to the real old schoolers, but I have been yearning for the people who want to move to the beat of their own drummers a little more.

We've had a HUGE influx of new hs'ers since the implementation of CC, the vast majority it seems looking for some kind of on-line school, box school or various forms of outsourcing. Now, I love all the choices out there and I hope everyone finds what they are looking for but I find that too often people are jumping into hs'ing without even having an idea of what that means and what it entails, it is often quite hard for me to explain the responsibility is fully on the parent when you hs, I know that sounds obvious but people are looking for outside validation, accreditation and guidance. In our state we have no government entity checking in on us, no one tracks our progress, there is no state curriculum or any other such thing.  People look at you like you have 3 heads when you ask them what are your goals for this year, when they want to know what curriculum to use. They think there is some set thing you are to do, just like in PS. The idea that it is your choice to pick what to do, when to do it and how to do it is just unfathomable. I try to give out basic information but I'm not working within the same framework so I find it harder and harder. 

 

I do hope that the larger numbers leads to greater acceptance and more opportunities for hs'ers but I don't know that its bodes well for those of us looking to do things outside the box to find our own community, thank goodness for the Hive that we can pass ideas around and encourage each other but it would sure be nice to have that IRL.

[SeaConquest]

I'm still around. I haven't gotten banned yet (thanks, SWB) and I still post when it amuses me to do so, but I accept the fact that Monique is in the majority here and my time is better spent with my child.

 

I hope I didn't make you feel as though I don't appreciate the wisdom of the oldschoolers. I was just agreeing with Hunter's observation that there are many people like me out there who initially made this decision purely for academic reasons. I cannot emphasize enough how much our fledgling homeschool has been enriched by the collective perspective of the more experienced home educators here, and I hope that you (and others) will continue to carve out time for us.

[Hunter]

I'm reading on a cell phone and have eyestrain this week, so didn't reread all of this 3 year old thread.

 

This roach thing has lost me all my books. I'm figuring out by trial and error what I need now in the interim that will have to be thrown away, and what I will maybe want in the future, when this is over.

 

Nasty bug situation is NOT going away, because of what is going on in the rest of the building. I may have to move. But back to books.

 

I did well the past month with very very little. I started off with more ebooks, but as the month went on I got more and more oldschool.

 

People just didn't have things back then or they waited. No one waits anymore. Everything is instant.

 

A couple days ago I decided to splurge on a set of Strayer-Upton, even though I'm probably going to throw the books out soon. I buy and throw away toilet paper too. Many people here buy and throw away a LOT of diapers. I didn't throw away my S-U; I had given them away to a homeless family that needed them more than me, and at the time I had other stuff. If all I'm going to have is something small and cheap, S-U is what I want right now. And it was what I wanted that mom to have.

 

Oldschool on $100.00 a year always was buy your math first.

 

Then something for language arts if you had anything leftover. I don't have any dyslexic students working diligently at phonics, so I'm just not using anything more than Beechick's The Three R's and a NIrV Bible right now. And any old grammar handbook, and a Merriam-Webster large print dictionary.

 

I started off in August deciding to stick to TWTM year 3 for the year, and I'm not switching to any other method/curriculum, but I worrying less and less about any plan for content.

 

Math, Bible, and a library card. I have come full circle here. The library is mostly ebooks, as I'm trying not to contaminate library books with roach eggs, but I'm not totally denying myself, because I KNOW for a fact others that use the library have them too.

 

I'm just so at peace with so little right now. Not just books, but everything. Having more doesn't always accomplish more. I'm so glad I got having more out of my system. I got to see and try anything I really wanted to try. It was nice to get my way and not be denied.

 

I didn't teach better. No matter what, I'm going to do an adequate job and that is it.

 

I'm no longer trying to teach what is taught in the GED, remedial college, and English language test prep courses. I'm focusing on preparing students for those classes. If students are not mentally healthy enough to attend those classes, they need something different than a replica of those classes, that focuses on home and health.

 

So, I just feel like I need some basic math, some phonics, an English handbook, a Bible, a dictionary, and a library card. Full circle.