Homeschooling at the Helm Questions 8FilltheHeart

[LMD]

Reading through your replies multiple times and more thoroughly...

 

When I hit this part (sorry can't quote on phone!): " I am having to create my own framework and systematic breakdown of how we are going to approach the topic."

I feel like AppleGreen said above, not sure I'm intelligent enough to pull it off. Am i just succumbing to 'not an expert' fear and it's doable for a lay person, especially for upper elementary/middle school?

What standards do you use to be happy that your course is 'enough'? Were you intimidated when you began homeschooling this way?

 

Ok, so sorry to badger you with questions! Wish i could invite you for coffee and soak up your wisdom!

[8filltheheart]

Reading through your replies multiple times and more thoroughly...

 

When I hit this part (sorry can't quote on phone!): " I am having to create my own framework and systematic breakdown of how we are going to approach the topic."

I feel like AppleGreen said above, not sure I'm intelligent enough to pull it off. Am i just succumbing to 'not an expert' fear and it's doable for a lay person, especially for upper elementary/middle school?

What standards do you use to be happy that your course is 'enough'? Were you intimidated when you began homeschooling this way?

 

Ok, so sorry to badger you with questions! Wish i could invite you for coffee and soak up your wisdom!

 

I started creating my kids' courses pretty much from the beginning.  I ordered pre-fab curriculum a couple of times (back then the options were limited), and I was always dissatisfied with the content.  I knew that I could find better resources that went into more depth and were more interesting than the books I was pulling out of the boxes.  I tried teaching from pre-fab lesson plans, and my kids' abilities NEVER matched the pace or the assignments.  I would have to alter everything in order to meet my kids' needs.  It became obvious that just doing it myself to begin with would actually make things easier bc then I would be fully engaged with goals for the entire year.  It was easier for me to create a course than trying to constantly switch out materials, alter pace, and follow someone else's scope/sequence for a course that was being changed so much that the original scope/sequence wouldn't be the same anyway.

 

FWIW, I rely on the expertise of my sources.  I do not believe I need to be an expert myself.  For example, I do not need to be an expert on WWI to teach WWI.  I need a book written by an expert that covers the topic thoroughly.  I also want the material to be engaging and put the information in context of the bigger historical perspective. I lack expertise in most subjects I teach, but I spend a lot of time researching resources, and I am picky about what I use to teach. The resources are where I get my "confidence."

 

As far as standards to know that the course I have designed is enough, it is enough when my individual student is being stretched and challenged to develop new skills and master the content goals I have set.  It is not a standard based against ps goals and objectives.  I focus on my kids' unique abilities.  For example, my rising 11th grader was reading works like Paradise Lost and The Divine Comedy in 8th grade.  I could not have based my goals for her against the literature objectives for the ps 8th graders.  Likewise, my rising 8th grader cannot be compared to her older sister.  She is in no way ready for Milton or Dante.  But, neither is she on par with the avg ps 8th grader.  My kids read stacks of novels, poetry, entire books on science and history topics, and focus on issues in depth.  Their writing assignments are across curriculum which means they are researching deeper into subjects already being studied. They are challenged to think and defend what they believe vs affirming what they have been taught.  

 

It is just a very different view of what defines being educated.  I do not worry if my 2nd and 3rd graders are not writing multiple paragraph "essays."  That is not an academic objective I have for my children.  My goals for my 2nd and 3rd graders are for them to master foundational writing skills--what makes a complete sentence and what constitutes a good paragraph-- b/c those are the building blocks for more advanced writing.   :)  My goals are to have my children graduate from high school with the ability to jump into college level work without any adjustment.  The path they take to get there is not a set in stone route.  But the end goal is academically solid.

 

FWIW, there are definitely subjects where this approach does not work.  Foreign language can only be taken so far w/o an actual expert.  Conversational language/composition at a high level requires someone who is a master of the language. It is important to acknowledge limits.  But, for many subjects, excellent resources can compensate for the lack of a master teacher.

 

(ETA:  I am also personally a better teacher when my kids use courses designed by me.  When I have purchased pre-fab materials and have relied on them, I tend to get lazy and make the assumption that all bases are covered and just let the course control what my child needs to do and learn.  When that responsibility falls on me, I am forced to better prepared and more equipped to discuss and challenge my student.  I am a more engaged teacher.) 

[RosieCotton]

I'm heading there to grab my copy :) Hurray!

 

I second I want to be 8Fill when I grow up. :laugh: Or maybe just live down the street.  . . think of all the fun planning parties we could have!

 

I've set aside this weekend to lay out plans for a 7 week block of school so this is just perfect timing!

I'd really like to sketch out more than 7 weeks this time and get some good ideas paired with the resources we will need in One Note.

 

I know what I am doing tonight!

 

Thank you!!

[Aspasia]

Bought and read this a couple days ago (thanks to this thread!), and I am feeling very inspired! My oldest is barely 8, and not a passionate reader (yet, anyway), so I can relate to the posters with younger kids and kids who may not have a lot of burning interests. Today I took my kids to the free summer movie at the local theater, and it happened to be Night at the Museum (the third one). As I was watching that, I realized that I could use movies, like this one (which has a billion obvious learning paths) or any others, to tap into my kids' interests. I mean, even a movie like Frozen has tons of possibilities: Scandinavia (geography), Scandinavian myths/fairy tales/lore, Vikings, Sami people, weather, etc. Fun! 

 

 

[idnib]

I talked to DS about this idea for the coming school year and he said he wanted to try using The Mysterious Benedict Society, which he has read 3-4 times. I thought that was a great idea and yesterday I sat down to go through his copy and start making notes. At that point I realized this is a series! When I spoke with him about it, he said he had plans to read the others but hadn't gotten around to asking me to get them.

 

So I have a couple of questions:

 

If anyone here is familiar with the series, can you let me know if there are large overarching themes we should look into? He's hoping to read the rest of the books over the next 2-3 months. 

 

Should I start in the middle of the year, after we've had a chance to examine the whole series? Or just go with the one book and not worry if he finds other more interesting stuff in the rest of the series?

 

Based on 8's method, I have no doubt I can find enough in the first book to generate enough materials. I just don't want him to be disappointed when he finds even more interesting stuff in the subsequent books but we're planned out. Has anyone taken one aspect from a book in a series and then planned an aspect from each of the remaining books as they were read?

 

We school year-round so I don't feel compelled to start in the fall, although that was my plan.

 

I hope I'm explaining this clearly.