S/O: Anything you are *not* excited about for next year?

[Alte Veste Academy]

It's just that I"m realizing that my eyes are bigger than my stomach, as usual, and clearly we won't be able to cover everything I want to next year . . . this is a common problem, however, and not really AofA's fault. :unsure:

You can do what I do and slowly but surely convince the kids that some of your ideas are actually their ideas...thusly leaving them stoked to take some things on as hobbies vs schoolwork.

 

:leaving:

[Tress]

. Where?

In the Netherlands :(

[sagira]

In the Netherlands :(

As someone who has a Dutch passport and grew up with the Dutch system of education, this makes me sad :(

[scrapbabe]

In the Netherlands :(

I'm so sorry Tress

[Clear Creek]

I'm not excited about teaching my bonus student again next year. I don't want to say more than that because I know the student's mom visits the forum.

 

Hint: if your child is failing, it is not a good idea to move on to the next level in the same program the following year. He/she will not learn anything, and will just be even more lost. It does not matter what grade your child is in, use the level that they *need*, not the grade level that they are at.

[Penguin]

Tress, I am sorry.

 

Next year might very well be my last year of HSing as it is likely that my rising 8th grader will not HS high school. We only started when he was in 6th grade, so that means that I would only get to enjoy this magic ride for 3 short years. Sniff.

 

So...I am not looking forward to dwelling on that. Nor am I looking forward to the pressure of placement test preparation. Everything else is good:)

 

Oh, and yay for a thread where I can mope a little w/o feeling like a party pooper :)

[RootAnn]

I really need to get my hands on a copy of Catholic Schools History Project "Light to the Nations" but it's expensive and I don't know if I'll have the budget for it (kicking myself for not buying it earlier).

 

I got the first volume of LttN at Adoremus Books when they had their 20% off (Easter? - check the site in just over a week to see if they are doing it again) sale and didn't get the TM. I did get the TM for LttN2 for next year, but don't know how much I'll use it.

 

Another WTM boardie passed along her plans using LttN. I used the general idea and made my own - adding in books, writing assignments, mapping, timeline, and going to other sources for certain topics to get another perspective. I really liked LttN for history for eldest this year & we're continuing on with LttN2 next year.

[happypamama]

I'm both excited and not excited about Art of Poetry. DD isn't a big poetry fan, and it's not my most comfortable subject, but I feel like it's a good thing to cover, and I like the looks of Art of Poetry, so I am hoping that it will make poetry a more interesting subject because it does a lot of explaining.

 

I'm actually excited about everything else, even Kindergarten again, because K looks different every time because the children have all been different.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Oh, I'll be interested to hear how you like Art of Poetry.  It's been on my short list for awhile, along with Grammar of Poetry and Blackbird's Exploring Poetry.  We are planning to start formal poetry studies - informally - with Koch's Rose, How Did You Get That Red, and we're pretty excited about that.

[Reefgazer]

I'm not jazzed up about AoA either next year, but I sometimes wonder if we've been permanently turned off of anything remotely "logic related" because of our miserable experience with the Critical Thinking books we attempted this past year and had to abandon.  O hope not, and I hope AoA will be a pleasant experience for us. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

Yeah, I bought those books, and immediately went "blech" and resold them.  A of A does look better than that, for sure!

[JoJosMom]

Another perspective on Art of Argument (with the caveat that we have yet to do the program):  I ordered the program for next year.  The day that the book arrived, DD read it cover-to-cover.  Hopefully, that's a good sign!

[MiMi 4under3]

Driving to activities/classes/lessons/field trips.   

 

Why can't we just stay home all week and read? LOL 

[LAmom]

I kind of am dreading the whole year.  I like the fresh start of a school year but then things usually start bombing.  I really don't want to stress about history (TOG vs MFW) and am dreading that.  Math is always dreaded.  I get excited about the school year but then become easily stressed/exhausted because things are hard with little ones.  I read about people dreading K, ha, I don't even attempt to do K!   :glare:   Poor kids.  Anyways, what I downer I am!  Where is the excited about next year thread?! :tongue_smilie:

[Pen]

Oh no...  you mean I have to have this Art of Argument thing...   Or at least go see what I am missing.....   These boards are expensive....

[madteaparty]

The only thing I am not excited about, because it does not come naturally to me, is going through CPO and/or BFSU 2 or whatever we settle on for a science spine and assembling materials, planning experiments, making a schedule, etc. I think I can honestly say I've never done a science experiment in my life, so this ought to be good. I have the summer to plan, I am sure it will be fine.

 

[Mrs Twain]

The only thing I am not excited about, because it does not come naturally to me, is going through CPO and/or BFSU 2 or whatever we settle on for a science spine and assembling materials, planning experiments, making a schedule, etc. I think I can honestly say I've never done a science experiment in my life, so this ought to be good. I have the summer to plan, I am sure it will be fine.

 

You might look at BJU Science (either online or DVD).  We are using 6th grade currently.  Dh and I are both in the science field, and we are quite impressed with it.  I bought all of the supplies for the experiments and put them in a couple of crates.  Mrs. Vick on the video shows my kids how to do the experiments, and then they do them on their own.  Easy peasy.

[Mrs Twain]

There is nothing that I am not looking forward to for next year, though I have some worries about Art of Argument since you guys have mentioned it. 

 

Any advice about how to make it work well?  It will either be my son and I doing it together, or perhaps we could discuss it as a family activity...?

[Kelly1730]

7th grade grammar. Mostly because I just can't decide what to use. Ugh.

[hollyhock]

I WAS excited about Climbing to Good English 7 because it looked like the perfect thing to switch to for my oldest who was getting bogged down in R&S and couldn't remember anything anymore..... I even ordered the 6 book to finish this year and now he tells me that he HATES English. So... not looking forward to him hating English all year next year. 

[Mom in High Heels]

I am not excited about American history.  We will be doing Renaissance and Early Modern, but we have yet to really talk about US history, other than the brief bits in SOTW.  As he's going to be in 7th grade (HOW DID THAT HAPPEN????), I feel we should get a little more in depth.  I do do not look forward to it.  I looked a HitW programs, but it seems a bit young, and there's a lot of busy work, which he hates.  Ig I could farm it out, I would.  Oh, we're doing chemistry next year too, and that is soooo not exciting to me.

[...................]

Hey let's just cut out what we aren't looking forward to! HaHa....I had decided to cut formal textbook Science completely for my son's 7th grade yera, and then came back to this thread and realized it was the thing I had said I dreaded.  

 

 

[Walking-Iris]

I'm not exactly looking forward to cycling my ds through Ancients/Middle Ages again. We *need* to, because he absolutely did not like anything about those time periods, and barely learned it the first time I tried. If he had his way he would study US history, physical geography, civics, and art history..always. I know I can make something of that, but those have been his primary history interests for a long time...and...I just really think he needs to apply himself in learning a bit about the earlier time periods and other countries. 

 

I've resigned myself to the fact that whatever I do, he may not really enjoy it.

[Murrayshire]

Definitely MATH! I guess I am not excited about it b/c we can't seem to find what we will be using. Ugh!

 

Ds.... Staying with MM.... He's my easy one!

 

Dd 6th grade..... Finished TT 6 for 5th. She does not like Saxon nor does she like MM. I don't want to continue with TT even though she does..... Would like to stick with something through high school if possible. I feel she needs some sort of review everyday..... She does like having a DVD lesson with whiteboard! Decisions, decisions!

 

Dd: 'nother algebra year after TT Alg........ She likes Chalkdust, but the cost, ouch! She won't be happy with Saxon.... Didn't like the looks or voice of Forester's CDs.

 

Just venting about my math woes..... I'm hoping that something will fall into place.

[Shannon in TN]

HERS.  She's 11.

 

(It's NOT me.  I'm not peri-menopausaul.  I'm not, not, NOT.)

 

 

Well, maybe it's a little bit me.  Perhaps.  But not likely.    :ph34r:

this could have been my post.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Well, if it makes you guys suffering with prepubescent 11 year olds feel any better . . . it got so much better for my dd as she got further along in the process.  As a 10 year old starting to develop grown-up "parts" and hormones her emotions were very roller-coastering and unpredictable, but as an 11 1/2 year old who has fully arrived in puberty, she's actually much calmer and more mellow!  It helps that the hormone swings are on a little bit more predictable monthly cycle now.  It's always easier to deal with crazy when you know where it's coming from, KWIM?  :001_rolleyes:  ;)

[EndOfOrdinary]

My son is just beginning to be hormonal at close to ten. It is not full blown, just the random crazed mood swing. We have come to the agreement that he gets to have meltdown while we snuggle on the couch and I just listen regardless of what he is losing it about. Then he has to listen as we figure out an answer and I talk about how to most likely handle things best from someone of more experience.

 

It appears to work much better than me grabbing him by the shoulders and screaming, "Get a handle on yourself!" He would no longer be frustrated or angry whining, but it just made him burst into tears.

 

I am not looking forward to writing. The boy appears to be more receptive than previous years, but I don't want to blow it.

[sagira]

Oh, man. We're going through something similar. Yesterday ds10 had a minor meltdown over WWE Placement testing because I messed up and instead of WWE 3 Master Evaluation I gave him assignment one in WWE 4 Complete Writer. The dictation was too complex, even for me! I'm placing him in WWE 3. I'm going to try and incorporate ideas across the curriculum.

 

Yes, I'm starting to see the hormones. On one hand he's arguing everything and being a smart aleck, but also perceptive and showing good big picture thinking, and on the other he's formally attached now to his giant dragon stuffed animal and gets tears in his eyes when he's asked to relocate him so family members can all sit together for dinner. He says it's his Hobbes (he loves reading Calvin & Hobbes).

 

Everything is a bit more challenging when you are being questioned or have smart remarks all around, but I think the book Logic to the Rescue and learning Latin will be good mental exercises for him.

 

What I'm NOT looking forward to is writing. His writing needs a lot of work, and so does his happy-go-lucky, devil-may-care, get-distracted-by-everything attitude. I may have to hide ALL toys out of site but then again everything is fair game for him to play with apparently. Sigh. It's going to be an interesting year.

[PollyOR]

As I read through this thread I couldn't think of ONE specific subject I'm dreading more than the others.  I think the problem is I realize there isn't enough time to do every thing I want to do with 12yo.  I often feel rushed and that saps the magic from our homeschool.   Since she's the only child homeschooling we have had a lot more time this year, but it never seems to be enough.  

 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

As I read through this thread I couldn't think of ONE specific subject I'm dreading more than the others.  I think the problem is I realize there isn't enough time to do every thing I want to do with 12yo.  I often feel rushed and that saps the magic from our homeschool.   Since she's the only child homeschooling we have had a lot more time this year, but it never seems to be enough.  

 

I hear you! I am trying hard to give up control of our whole day, to make room for Shannon to pursue her interests, but I have to admit I'm mourning for some of the things we won't be able to do as a result! I have so much more I'd like to do than we'll have time for.

[Walking-Iris]

As I read through this thread I couldn't think of ONE specific subject I'm dreading more than the others.  I think the problem is I realize there isn't enough time to do every thing I want to do with 12yo.  I often feel rushed and that saps the magic from our homeschool.   Since she's the only child homeschooling we have had a lot more time this year, but it never seems to be enough.  

 

I feel that way. I'll soon have my younger child needing even more of my attention in an academic sense. I feel like there isn't enough me to go around. 

 

I need to make sure I focus on my younger children getting proficient at reading and writing and math, and I need to make sure my oldest is progressing in writing and math.

 

But I do have those times where there's so much extra I want to do, but I just don't have the time. I'm nearly always thinking there's more we could do...always more. 

[Peaceful Isle]

7th grade :( my baby is growing up too fast!

[marisolstice]

The Burgess Animal Book...maybe I should sub Crinkleroot or something.

 

And having 2 children in activities, plus 3 littles. It's a rough life :)

[audreyinboston]

Folding in K! Not looking forward to all the prep for this level. Lots of game time. I have to schedule it in and assign a child to do some of them or else I will go nuts playing games over and over again or making collages of living and nonliving things out of magazines or plants vs animals. Arts, crafts, Phonics---games, crafts etc. Playdough letters, sensory boxes. Handwriting without Tears with chalk! Bugs to Bunnies worksheets, crafts, hands on stuff. 

 

Do it once is fun, doing it twice fun because it was with a girl rather than boy (just something different-not due to a specific sex per se), third time-can;t remember doing it even though we did it, same with 4 and 5th-- a little more fun because it was with twins, 6th-I had to tweak it a lot because she was slow with learning the skills.... but this time it is going to doing K--- 7 times over. WHAT WAS I THINKING of having more kids! 

 

You poor thing!  You have my sympathies.  I swear I never spent so much time CUTTING THINGS OUT as I did when my two were pre-K/K-ish.  And coloring.....and laminating......  and the bins. full. of. stuff.   And checking out the HUGE pile of picture books for reading out loud....again and again and again.....     And don't even get me started on playing the junior level games--I have never been so bored in my life playing those board games for kids!  It was great then, but I am soooooo happy I have passed all that stuff on to someone else.

 

[audreyinboston]

Well, if it makes you guys suffering with prepubescent 11 year olds feel any better . . . it got so much better for my dd as she got further along in the process.  As a 10 year old starting to develop grown-up "parts" and hormones her emotions were very roller-coastering and unpredictable, but as an 11 1/2 year old who has fully arrived in puberty, she's actually much calmer and more mellow!  It helps that the hormone swings are on a little bit more predictable monthly cycle now.  It's always easier to deal with crazy when you know where it's coming from, KWIM?  :001_rolleyes:  ;)

 

We have been on the emotional roller coaster for the few months--gads!  I am so looking forward to coming out the other side where things will be more predictable.  She has always been emotional, but we have had so many meltdowns this year--my parenting patience has worn thin.

 

[Denainms]

Is it horrible to say that I am not excited about homeschooling at all next year? I am entering my 9th year and I just want to be done. Alas, no other viable options, so I will continue to homeschool and hope I find some excitement somewhere.

I could have written this myself! 10 yrs. and I am burned out big time!

[HRAAB]

I feel a dread creeping over me at the thought of continuing on with WWS, and I think my girls feel the same although I haven't actually asked them yet.  I can't even say it hasn't been successful, but it hasn't been a pleasant success.  (Mom, please don't tell me I have to write about octopi!!)  We've only made it to week 26 mainly due to the fact that we've managed to put it aside for several weeks at a time while doing other writing.  Then I'll notice it sitting unused in my box and get all strict about us finishing it.  What do you do with a book that appears to work well but is as appealing as a plate of liver - assuming you hate liver?

 

 

[Critterfixer]

Well, I got CW Homer and CW Poetry for Beginners in today. I'm inspired, but URK! 

So glad I got it this year so that I could work through it first. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I feel a dread creeping over me at the thought of continuing on with WWS, and I think my girls feel the same although I haven't actually asked them yet.  I can't even say it hasn't been successful, but it hasn't been a pleasant success.  (Mom, please don't tell me I have to write about octopi!!)  We've only made it to week 26 mainly due to the fact that we've managed to put it aside for several weeks at a time while doing other writing.  Then I'll notice it sitting unused in my box and get all strict about us finishing it.  What do you do with a book that appears to work well but is as appealing as a plate of liver - assuming you hate liver?

 

I soooooo feel your pain . . .   we ended up ditching it.  :leaving:

[mirabillis]

I'm not excited about teaching preschool - with a 2nd and 6th next year, I don't think much done specifically for DD3 would happen.. But she can learn by osmosis, right?  :leaving:

Mine have. :-)

[mirabillis]

I *completely* understand! ~ another mom of five.

 

Ditto! We're just finishing K here for #4. My goal - math & reading. She has turned out to be a brilliant reader, persisting even when Mom was busy with the older 3 and telling her to go off and play with her younger brothers. I've come to grips that K looks nothing as creative and fun as it did for DS #1 but she's home with me and knows no better!

[Critterfixer]

Cracked open Homer today and have been reading the core text. I'm still intimidated, but now I am really looking forward to teaching it and doing it. I've never had a writing curriculum that made so much sense to me. And it happens to be so perfectly adapted to what I wanted to do with creative writing. So now I'm all excited about doing it. 

Hope when everyone gets a new nemesis in the mail that it turns out to be the most awesome thing ever. Now, let's hope it works out that way...

[Saddlemomma]

You don't need to do AoA. I looked forward to it because we did it in a group and it was *fun*. All by ourselves it would have been torture for both of us.

 

--> I'm not excited about trying to either smoosh it all in or cut out stuff. I have SO MANY things I think we need to be doing - and there just isn't enough time or energy in each day. I'm trying to sit down & make a list of the things I really want them to work on every week (not curriculum - skills) so I don't keep adding in yet-one-more-thing. But, but ... then I look at my "things-they-should-do-in-X-grade" list and I think, "I'm BEHIND!"  :leaving:

 

This is me!  I keep thinking we need to fit in more, but there's no time left.  I keep substituting and play the justify it game. 

 

DD is going into 6th grade.  Both DH and I feel giving her a class in Apologetics is more important than Church History at this time.  This past year we did Acts through the Reformation for Church History, so I think we'll be okay.  Next year TOG Y3 focuses on missionaries.  We can wait on that.  Thankfully, the Apologetics course we're using incorporates quite a bit of logic and how to conduct valid arguments.  We'll also be doing Philosophy Adventures.  Unfortunately, I can't fit in a more formal poetry class...sigh....oh well.  At least TOG lists some poetry we can work in now and then.

 

On top of stressing about what to keep, add, and/or cut - DD is 11 and going through puberty, and I've started Peri-menopause.

 

[Ravin]

Getting DD up and off to school 5 days a week and enforcing homework in the evening when she's exhausted.

[PollyOR]

Getting DD up and off to school 5 days a week and enforcing homework in the evening when she's exhausted.

 

I feel for your dd and you!  My 16yo dd is at the end of her first year in public school.  This spring has been rough.  She's out of gas mentally and physically.