How do you finish school when you are ready to be done but not quite close enough?

[mom31257]

We are 3-4 weeks away from being done with school, but I am so ready to be finished. Ds is bouncing off the walls and difficult to keep focused. Dd is behind on some stuff and may end up going longer at this rate. I'm working part-time and stressed with our situation (dh laid off, in school). I'm hormonal, hot-flashing, etc.

 

Any suggestions to make this end of year go smoother?

[Lori in MS]

No advice, but I would like some answers. I am in this situation myself. I need a break, but my children are behind and really need to go all summer. With 6 children (one of them 2 years old) I can't seem to get everything done in 9-10 months.

[Ellie]

Is that three weeks *really* going to make a difference?

 

Take a break. Pick things back up in a few weeks. :-)

[mom31257]

Is that three weeks *really* going to make a difference?

 

Take a break. Pick things back up in a few weeks. :-)

 

 

I feel like I could do it with ds much easier than dd because she is finishing high school credits. Ds' testing materials haven't come in yet, but he's got to do that when it arrives.

[JanetC]

I just did this exercise....

1. Make a list of what is left, grouped by subject.
   
2. Shorten it by deleting everything that won't make a difference when you pick up in the fall.
   
3. Work the subject with the shortest list first, just to finish something. It feels good.
   
4. Make a plan to do the rest. Use the hours from finished subjects to do more on the longer lists.
   

 

[MeghanL]

There was a shirt I saw once upon a time that said "Just Do It. Every damn day."

 

Sometimes that needs to be our mantra to finish strong. Think back to the beginning of the year. You had things planned out because you thought they would be worthwhile, if you didn't think it was worthwhile you wouldn't have included it to begin with!

[Penelope]

I just did this exercise....

1. Make a list of what is left, grouped by subject.
   
2. Shorten it by deleting everything that won't make a difference when you pick up in the fall.
   
3. Work the subject with the shortest list first, just to finish something. It feels good.
   
4. Make a plan to do the rest. Use the hours from finished subjects to do more on the longer lists.
   

 

Ah, yes, the Dave Ramsey approach to homeschooling! :) I am doing this myself right now.

[MrsH]

I'm right there with you! SOOOO done! We're doing a couple of things for our final 4 weeks:

-we changed our 5 minute prayer/bible time in the morning. I realized I was bored with what we were doing, and had something else we could use.

-dd10 has become very interested in ocean science and so we've dropped the curriculum (still doing our group, which ends next week) in lieu of ocean stuff. We went to the aquarium and are watching videos and reading books. Once our class/group ends, we'll go to the beach a few times.

-she's not loving history. We're finishing up a unit about the Romans. We're just reading through the stuff and watching a few documentaries. We'll finish our timeline all at once during the last week (rather than a week at a time, as we're both tired of pulling it out and finding the right section etc). No more required projects (though if she gets into something I'll suggest some project options, but I'm just not going to stress about making her do one last project this year).

-I still had 4 books planned for lit that we didn't get to yet. I got all 4 from the library and told her she's going to be reading two of them, and let her choose. That's helped reduce the resistance.

-math - she is actually doing great in math and is right on track. Every time that we have an easier day I ask if she wants to do the next day's lesson to finish teh year early, or save it for the end. She likes to have the power to choose.

-spelling and writing - we're just continuing to slog through these two. I think they're important enough to keep practicing for another month, but I'm not stressing about how far we get.

[Brooketopia]

Plan a fun day. This Friday, or next Friday, just plan to leave the house and go do something interesting all day long. It'll be fun, everyone feels like they got a break, and it's just a day. It also gives you something to look forward to sooner than "3-4 weeks from now." Motivation works.

[Danielle1746]

 

 

Ah, yes, the Dave Ramsey approach to homeschooling! :)

 

 

When I read it, I immediately thought it sounded like Dave Ramsey as well!

[kerenlynne]

When our T minus schedule was getting farther and farther out because we were getting behind, I went into crazy mom mode. Starting every class with a lecture, complaining to DH, and really stressing out. DS is a sophomore in HS by grade but by credit more like a Freshman so we are already behind that the idea of quitting early can't happen and the idea of going longer was making me depressed. So DH suggested that we do study hall days right now. Spending one day working on World History, next day Science, etc. The only subject that is required daily is math since DS is so far behind in math and he will be doing it all summer anyway. I have gone back in forth about just working on one class until we finish it but feel like this way we won't lose ground in the other classes. Just changing the schedule has taken some of the pressure off both of us.

[julikins]

I feel the same way...and this week I was really struggling starting on Monday and so were the kids. So I decided to pare down and do just what was necessary to finish the school year (crossing out any projects or extras that would be fun if we weren't so stressed out). Now that I have it down to bare bones, we are going to stick to it, be consistent and just get it done, whether we like it or not.

 

It's funny you mention the "David Ramsey" approach because I told my daughter about a time that we got loaded down with bills and paid off the smallest one first then added that money to the next smallest until we had the whole thing paid off. I told her that's how we were going to attack the rest of her school work. We counted how many days it would take to finish each subject and will work on them all until she finishes the shortest. Add those 15 minutes to the next one until it's done, and so forth. She could see that and it has encouraged her.

 

I keep reminding myself that I'm training future employees who will need to persist, persevere, be diligent, whether they are sick of working, whether it's the week before vacation or not. And I'm needing to lead the example on this diligence, perseverance angle in order to show them the right way to be, help them have a hard-earned sense of accomplishment, and feel good about the reward at the end (a camping trip away for a few days) that we've been looking forward to all year.

 

I have so many projects that I want to attack, but I just need to resist the urge to dump school and let that be part of my reward as well. Now that I've made that decision, and we have a plan of attack, I think we're all at peace about it and feel like we can accomplish it. I keep saying to the kids when the whining starts, "Let's finish strong!" That's going to be my mantra too!!!

[boscopup]

I'm ready to be done too. We did very little this week so far, and watched the entire (very long, extended version) LOTR2 movie yesterday. :lol:

 

Has the 16 year old worked enough hours to get credits? I remember never finishing textbooks even in high school. In AP US History, we were handed a book to study from for the AP test, and the entire last 50 years of history, we had to learn on our own from that book in order to take the test. The teacher wasn't able to get to that section of history in class. I'm not sure what most high school homeschoolers do, as I'm so far away from that stage, but there may be a chapter here or there that you can skip to make sure you hit the important stuff, kwim?

[Soror]

I felt that way at the end of the year this year, we did knock out our hrs which is our only requirement here. We didn't finish all of our books though. This week I'm going back to do end of the year tests to see if there is anything we truly missed or need to work on for summer school. This was especially needed in Math as we did 2 different curriculums, so we did 75% of one and about 60% of another. So, I'm doing the end of the year test in the spiral program to check for wholes. So, for Math we will do targeted practice on any weak areas and then times table practice.

[FriedClams]

I agree with MeghanL - some days this isn't about the joy of learning and sweet moments on the couch - its about just making yourself get it done. You can do it!!

 

I will add that my 'carrots' are better in the summer. "Finish math and writing and we can gO to the pool", is some great incentive. Use the change in season to help and motivate - not sadden! Great carrots - a bonfire (or weenie roast at a park - cheap and simple), lightning bug catching, sleeping in a tent in the back yard, ball games, family kickball night, berry picking... There's so much to do - use it to your advantage!

[Halcyon]

I am in the same boat. We have 4 more weeks to finish up our writing curriculum and science. Everything else is just "keep going" wherever we're at, but I really want to finish these two. But my kids are ready for summer, and so am I. We've been doing school-lite, but I don't know if we will get done what I want to get done.

 

We have eliminated grammar, Spanish, and are slowing down on math for the older (younger is just 15 pages away from finishing MM3B!! arg!) and are trying to focus on writing, Latin and science, but DS older is really enjoying history right now and insists on that every day.....I don't know. I am burned out!

[warneral]

I thought we'd be fine (mistake number 1!). We only have 2 solid weeks worth of lessons but I think we are going to spread it out over 3 and take some fun days in between.

[speedmom4]

I'm right there with you!!!! My daughter graduates on the 26th and none of us have any motivation. My younger daughter is finished with everything but math, my boys will be done with history today, but they will have math over the summer. I'm just ready to do some house organizing and deep cleaning. I'm so over school!!!!

 

Elise in NC

[SailorMom]

Oh - I am so there as well..... done done done..... blech.

[lea1]

We are year-round homeschoolers so we are never really finished but I was really feeling the need for a break and it was getting harder and harder each week to get everything done in a quality way. So I declared this week we are taking the week off and we may take next week as well, depending on how I am feeling at the end of this one. After that, I think I will be motivated to move forward and make it happen.

 

My two guys want to be outside all the time, now that it is really pretty outside. But I know it will soon be hot enough that one of them will not want to play outside for a good part of the day. So I think our one-to-two week mini-vacation may be just what we need for now. Our neighborhood pool will soon be open and then I can start using that as my carrot:).

[mom31257]

I'm ready to be done too. We did very little this week so far, and watched the entire (very long, extended version) LOTR2 movie yesterday. :lol:

 

Has the 16 year old worked enough hours to get credits? I remember never finishing textbooks even in high school. In AP US History, we were handed a book to study from for the AP test, and the entire last 50 years of history, we had to learn on our own from that book in order to take the test. The teacher wasn't able to get to that section of history in class. I'm not sure what most high school homeschoolers do, as I'm so far away from that stage, but there may be a chapter here or there that you can skip to make sure you hit the important stuff, kwim?

 

She is behind on literature and Geometry. I've not been happy with the Geometry book, so I've actually got a review book on hold with the library. I think I'm going to scrap the BJU book and just do the review book until she has finished it. She's got to do Julius Caesar and finish some units in an anthology. She finishes up Spanish next week as well as her World history final and Biology final.

 

When she finishes Julius Caesar, she'll have 4 full works this year, so I wanted her to do the anthology, too.

[Farmgirl70]

Any way she could listen to some of her literature on audio to mix it up and get it done? Watch a play of Julius Ceasar on DVD? Shakespeare was meant to be seen...

 

We're trying to hang in there with some things I really think are important to finish. We've got end of the year checklists...when they are done, they're done! Though I'm already thinking that a couple may need to be revised. I'm just not telling the guys yet. We've got 4 weeks to go...

[Georgiana Daniels]

Glad to see I'm in good company. While I know in my head that there's no harm in taking a small break or slowing down a bit, it doesn't FEEL good to "slack." Sometimes I guess it's about giving ourselves permission to take some sanity time.

[mom31257]

Any way she could listen to some of her literature on audio to mix it up and get it done? Watch a play of Julius Ceasar on DVD? Shakespeare was meant to be seen...

 

We're trying to hang in there with some things I really think are important to finish. We've got end of the year checklists...when they are done, they're done! Though I'm already thinking that a couple may need to be revised. I'm just not telling the guys yet. We've got 4 weeks to go...

 

She could, but I will feel like a slacker. She hasn't ready any full Shakespeare play ever. She'll do American Literature next year, and British the next. I guess I might could put it off until British Literature and replace it with something else this year if it's a difficult read. I did purchase the No-Fear versions for us to go through, and I have a discussion guide/tests.

[Critterfixer]

No advice on exactly how to do it, as we go year round as it is and mine are young yet. But you said she is about to finish up a few subjects, which would open up more time for the subjects she has left to do. She could easily double up on those using the time slots she was using for other subjects.

Think summer semester courses in college. A three day a week course becomes a five day a week course, the one hour class becomes a 1 and 1/2 hour class with lab the same day, keeping the material fresh.

And when it is all done plan to do something great.

[Ruby Rose]

I look at the material that MUST be finished. Set an end date and work, work work to get it done. This also helps motivate my dd. Just x more and we are done. Finish strong.

 

Spoken by a mother who is DONE as of last Friday. We are decompressing this week.

[TechWife]

Just do it. Keep going. Don't look for things to dump. Finish strong. Make sure you guard your schedule from outside intrusions. Make sure you work when it is time to work and play when it is time to play. This is especially important for your high school student.

 

To keep you "honest" next year, decide ahead of time what needs to be done for the course to be complete, write it down, communicate it to your students and keep track of it. You can get as specific or as general as you want to with this, but I encourage specifics.

 

Examples:

 

History: Finish through week 30 of MFW Ancient History, completing all history assignments, including papers. Participate in all weekly meetings. Average grade must be xx% or above.

English: Complete Jensen's Blue Book of Grammar, read 6 Shakespeare works, do in depth literature studies of three of them utilizing xyz study guides. Write two major papers - one research paper and one literary analysis paper. Use IEW teaching materials for the two major papers. Complete The Art of Poetry. Average grade must be XX% or above.

Science: Finish 85% of Spectrum Chemistry, including all related labs, quizzes and tests. Average must be XX% or above.

Algebra 2: Finish 85% of Saxon Algebra 2, 4th Edition with an average grade of xx% or above.

[*Michelle*]

She's got to do Julius Caesar and finish some units in an anthology

 

http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B0036I8TAG&qid=1368708459&sr=1-1

 

This is an audio performance of the play and a lecture all in one. If she reads along while listening, she'll get a ton out of it. There are even discussion questions at the end of each scene. It's a really enjoyable way to study Shakespeare.

[Mommy22alyns]

There was a shirt I saw once upon a time that said "Just Do It. Every damn day."

 

Sometimes that needs to be our mantra to finish strong. Think back to the beginning of the year. You had things planned out because you thought they would be worthwhile, if you didn't think it was worthwhile you wouldn't have included it to begin with!

 

 

This is how I feel, I just feel like, if 32 weeks is long enough, then what's wrong with 30, then what's wrong with 28, etc. etc.