Hit a wall 30 days in and starting over in January

[Mosaicmind]

I am homeschooling our youngest 2, who are doing 9th and 10th grade work. We began our school year September 12th and I was planning to be done the end of June, but circumstances have caused me to fail miserably. We did really well the first 3 weeks, with just a few hiccups here and there. The problems began in our 4th week, when I had a couple of bad pain days and couldn't do much with them in the subjects that I was leading. I asked them to continue on in the other things they could do alone, but one son has issues with staying on task and some days he wouldn't do anything. Yes, I did discipline him and he has been doing much better the last several years but still I can't expect them just to teach themselves. Anyway, we waded thru weeks 4-6 and after that we did our best until the week of Thanksgiving.

 

I got all of their work together and realised that we only got a good 30 days in that I felt I could count towards our total days required. It's not just my chronic pain and illness but we had personal family issues going on plus we were appealing again for insurance to approve the surgery I've needed for 3 years. Honestly, I dropped the ball and just couldn't get it together again. I made the decision to re-start our year January 2nd, 2017 and plan on our year running until Dec but hopefully being done by Thanksgiving.

 

I've read the posts about schooling from Jan thru Dec and this would work well for us since we don't do anything during the summer and can school during then. This seems like a good choice for us but I've got a few questions. If you do this, do you promote your kids the next January or earlier? Since my boys are in high school, doing this schedule means they won't graduate until Dec versus May. Do you think this will be a bad thing? Has anyone else graduated later? I don't see it as a huge deal for us because both of my boys want to go into the military like 2 of their older brothers. I'm just needing some feedback and encouragement right now. My surgery was denied but my pain is a bit better controlled so I hope to not have this happen again.

[Melissa in Australia]

Most of the people responding on the Jan to December thread are in Australia. in Australia the school year runs from end of January to December.

[SarahW]

I think you should post on the High School subforum - your title doesn't alert the moms of highschoolers and might get lost here on Gen Ed.

 

Over there I think you'll get lots of good advice concerning credits, hours, and how best to work your present situation into a transcript. Also, they might have good ideas for how to keep things going on track.

[HomeAgain]

Do you have any firm plans in place to give your children the education they need?

If that sounds harsh to you, I'm sorry, but I noticed a lot of hopeful statements in your post and not much on having a realistic plan that takes these things into account.  What is your back-up plan if you are unable to do a steady work pace?

[Hunter]

Neither of my boys had school years, even in high school. We homeschooled year round, half days in December, July, and August, and we matched the local school vacation schedule, so they had weeks off with their cousins and friends. Labor Day and July 4th were a week off and were boundary of the July and August 1/2 days.

 

The older used American School correspondence school and plugged away at it until he earned a diploma, and then started at the community college.

 

The younger did a lot of Bible, advanced math, Greek and Latin, and a lot of unstructured unschooling. He took the GED when he was ready to start at the community college. The GED has changed so much that the community colleges are often using alternative tests now, in addition or to replace the GED. I wouldn't choose the GED, now, if given the option of an alternative test.

 

We plugged away steadily at preparing for the community college. The local collage only cared about an accredited diploma and their own entrance tests. They didn't care about transcripts or the details of what the boys had done, and certainly not when they had done it.

 

At the beginning, we were planning on direct entry into a 4 year school for the younger, but...I didn't have the resources to provide that for a kid who talked the talk of wanting it, but when it came down to getting the work done, wanted me to spoon feed him everything. I did not have the resources to accomplish that for him. School was not an option for this 2e kid. I at one point did try and put him back in school. The story is too long to tell. Once school was not an option, we buckled down and did what we could. Well, I did what I could. DS2 did a combination of what he wanted to do, and what I coerced him into doing.

 

Until I'd had enough, and actually sat right outside the GED testing room to bar the door, and threatened him with all sorts of mean things if he didn't try his best on the test. He passed. I handed him over to the local CC, "gifted" and all. It was his choice from then on what he wanted to make of his life.

 

I gave my boys what I had. It might not have been "enough" but it was all I had to give.

Edited December 17, 2016 by Hunter

[Mosaicmind]

Most of the people responding on the Jan to December thread are in Australia. in Australia the school year runs from end of January to December.

Yes, I saw that when I read that thread a few years ago.

[Mosaicmind]

I think you should post on the High School subforum - your title doesn't alert the moms of highschoolers and might get lost here on Gen Ed.

 

Over there I think you'll get lots of good advice concerning credits, hours, and how best to work your present situation into a transcript. Also, they might have good ideas for how to keep things going on track.

I've kept us on track for 3 years so I'm not worried about that at all. I could still get done by August but had decided to school thru December and probably promote in Aug/Sept, but take more time off Nov and Dec then in the summer since we don't take trips and we have no family friends around us.

[CadenceSophia]

Are you planning on going full time through every summer? That sounds somewhat uncomfortable and would create conflicts with outside activities, camps, etc. In Australia the December/January break corresponds to summer weather.

 

I don't realy understand "starting over". We are three+ months into the school year you started. You accomplished 1.3 months, and had 2 months vacation. Now your school year ends in August instead of June. It stinks but if you can't finish the year by August, you have an objective mark that you are not able to make homeschooling work right now AND you are at the proper time of year to enroll them somewhere or find an option that can work.

 

I lose time due to chronic illness sometimes, and have had a couple babies since starting. We also take super long trips to visit family. We school year round because of this, but even when I am really sick or in bed with a new baby, I have the kids come to me with/for work. In consider homeschool a job that must get done even on days I couldn't possibly drag myself to an office.

[Mosaicmind]

Do you have any firm plans in place to give your children the education they need?

 

If that sounds harsh to you, I'm sorry, but I noticed a lot of hopeful statements in your post and not much on having a realistic plan that takes these things into account. What is your back-up plan if you are unable to do a steady work pace?

No, that's fine. I asked myself that question 3 years ago when my back issues got so bad I was bedridden. We do have things in place to keep us plugging along and my hubby has been a great help but this fall was brutal in many ways. I've had several people at church who have told me that whatever education I can give them at home is much better than what they would get in the schools; one of those is a teacher.

 

I am getting them hooked up with some online stuff that they can do on days if my pain is too bad or my husband and oldest son said they would help so it doesn't just fall on me.

[Mosaicmind]

Neither of my boys had school years, even in high school. We homeschooled year round, half days in December, July, and August, and we matched the local school vacation schedule, so they had weeks off with their cousins and friends. Labor Day and July 4th were a week off and were boundary of the July and August 1/2 days.

 

The older used American School correspondence school and plugged away at it until he earned a diploma, and then started at the community college.

 

The younger did a lot of Bible, advanced math, Greek and Latin, and a lot of unstructured unschooling. He took the GED when he was ready to start at the community college. The GED has changed so much that the community colleges are often using alternative tests now, in addition or to replace the GED. I wouldn't choose the GED, now, if given the option of an alternative test.

 

We plugged away steadily at preparing for the community college. The local collage only cared about an accredited diploma and their own entrance tests. They didn't care about transcripts or the details of what the boys had done, and certainly not when they had done it.

 

At the beginning, we were planning on direct entry into a 4 year school for the younger, but...I didn't have the resources to provide that for a kid who talked the talk of wanting it, but when it came down to getting the work done, wanted me to spoon feed him everything. I did not have the resources to accomplish that for him. School was not an option for this 2e kid. I at one point did try and put him back in school. The story is too long to tell. Once school was not an option, we buckled down and did what we could. Well, I did what I could. DS2 did a combination of what he wanted to do, and what I coerced him into doing.

 

Until I'd had enough, and actually sat right outside the GED testing room to bar the door, and threatened him with all sorts of mean things if he didn't try his best on the test. He passed. I handed him over to the local CC, "gifted" and all. It was his choice from then on what he wanted to make of his life.

 

I gave my boys what I had. It might not have been "enough" but it was all I had to give.

Thanks. I guess that really it's not as bad as I may make it sound. They have done a few things between Thanksgiving and now so we aren't too behind. I would absolutely not have them do the GED, like you said. My oldest did extra things last year so he's actually ahead this year. My hubby and oldest son said that they would help when I needed it so it wasn't all on me. Thanks for the encouragement.

[Ellie]

I am homeschooling our youngest 2, who are doing 9th and 10th grade work. We began our school year September 12th and I was planning to be done the end of June, but circumstances have caused me to fail miserably. We did really well the first 3 weeks, with just a few hiccups here and there. The problems began in our 4th week, when I had a couple of bad pain days and couldn't do much with them in the subjects that I was leading. I asked them to continue on in the other things they could do alone, but one son has issues with staying on task and some days he wouldn't do anything. Yes, I did discipline him and he has been doing much better the last several years but still I can't expect them just to teach themselves. Anyway, we waded thru weeks 4-6 and after that we did our best until the week of Thanksgiving.

 

I got all of their work together and realised that we only got a good 30 days in that I felt I could count towards our total days required. It's not just my chronic pain and illness but we had personal family issues going on plus we were appealing again for insurance to approve the surgery I've needed for 3 years. Honestly, I dropped the ball and just couldn't get it together again. I made the decision to re-start our year January 2nd, 2017 and plan on our year running until Dec but hopefully being done by Thanksgiving.

 

I've read the posts about schooling from Jan thru Dec and this would work well for us since we don't do anything during the summer and can school during then. This seems like a good choice for us but I've got a few questions. If you do this, do you promote your kids the next January or earlier? Since my boys are in high school, doing this schedule means they won't graduate until Dec versus May. Do you think this will be a bad thing? Has anyone else graduated later? I don't see it as a huge deal for us because both of my boys want to go into the military like 2 of their older brothers. I'm just needing some feedback and encouragement right now. My surgery was denied but my pain is a bit better controlled so I hope to not have this happen again.

 

I would count all the days based on the fact that you were all awake and more or less out of bed, and just pick up where you left off and keep going. Point out to your children that they have to complete [this amount] of work to earn the credits to graduate, and so it's to their benefit to be more diligent.

 

Personally, I would still "promote" them in the fall, but at the high school level, it's mostly about credits earned. I would not determine at this point to do something that would cause them to graduate late  (although they might make that decision for themselves if they don't work for it). Yes, I think that's a bad thing

 

Also quit blaming yourself, my friend.

[Mosaicmind]

Are you planning on going full time through every summer? That sounds somewhat uncomfortable and would create conflicts with outside activities, camps, etc. In Australia the December/January break corresponds to summer weather.

 

I don't realy understand "starting over". We are three+ months into the school year you started. You accomplished 1.3 months, and had 2 months vacation. Now your school year ends in August instead of June. It stinks but if you can't finish the year by August, you have an objective mark that you are not able to make homeschooling work right now AND you are at the proper time of year to enroll them somewhere or find an option that can work.

 

I lose time due to chronic illness sometimes, and have had a couple babies since starting. We also take super long trips to visit family. We school year round because of this, but even when I am really sick or in bed with a new baby, I have the kids come to me with/for work. In consider homeschool a job that must get done even on days I couldn't possibly drag myself to an office.

I've been homeschooling for over 18 years and we have always schooled thru the summer. We don't take vacations, do camps, or much in the summer that has prevented us from schooling thru the summer. I guess it feels like starting over but it isn't really. They have done some things since Thanksgiving and my oldest had done extra things last year, so in some ways he's ahead of the game.

 

Yes, they have come to me but there have been days that I just couldn't even talk, been in a bright room, or around a lot of noise. I really just wondered if anyone had changed up things and decided to school Jan thru Dec. The boys will more than likely finish their work for this year anywhere from August to Sept. Putting them in public school isn't even an option and that's a long story in itself that I won't get into here. I've had many years like this because I've dealt with illness for over 20 years, but this is the first year that I decided to change up our year round schedule to January thru December.

[....]

Why can't they graduate in December?  I finished high school in December also (I didn't graduate traditionally, I petitioned the school board for a high school diploma - I wasn't spending another second in that prison).  

 

We have been working by semesters.  That's why we start new stuff in January.  I don't know if we are going to do that next school year or not.  We just don't do well when we are working on 300 different subjects.  I had to break it apart.

 

Is combining kids possible?  My 9th grader and 8th grader are combined in everything but math and it's been awesome this year.  I only have to plan for one curriculum instead of two.  They have a "classmate" and a lab partner.  The 8th grader is really competitive, so it's been pushing the 9th grader to get off her butt and work harder.  *ahem*  I'm keeping them combined next year, too.  My oldest two kids are only 13 months apart and at this age, there really isn't that much of an ability gap.  I mean, my 8th grader was able to read Animal Farm just as well as my 9th grader.  Heck, he wrote a research paper, too.

[Mosaicmind]

I would count all the days based on the fact that you were all awake and more or less out of bed, and just pick up where you left off and keep going. Point out to your children that they have to complete [this amount] of work to earn the credits to graduate, and so it's to their benefit to be more diligent.

 

Personally, I would still "promote" them in the fall, but at the high school level, it's mostly about credits earned. I would not determine at this point to do something that would cause them to graduate late (although they might make that decision for themselves if they don't work for it). Yes, I think that's a bad thing

 

Also quit blaming yourself, my friend.

Thanks! Yes, I've gone back and since they have done more work since Thanksgiving, I've counted those days also. I will promote them in the fall, now that I've read a few posts and looked to see that they can get it done easily by then. My oldest had done extra credits last year, which gave him a leg up this year. My youngest was already going to do more than he needed to this year, so he should be fine too.

[HomeAgain]

No, that's fine. I asked myself that question 3 years ago when my back issues got so bad I was bedridden. We do have things in place to keep us plugging along and my hubby has been a great help but this fall was brutal in many ways. I've had several people at church who have told me that whatever education I can give them at home is much better than what they would get in the schools; one of those is a teacher.

 

I am getting them hooked up with some online stuff that they can do on days if my pain is too bad or my husband and oldest son said they would help so it doesn't just fall on me.

 

I'm glad you have a plan. :) We did online school at two different points and both times it filled that immediate need.

Be careful of the bolded.  That's a statement intended to make you feel better, not one that is actually true.  If you do nothing at home or do things haphazardly that is not going to be better than a steady education no matter where it's gotten.

[RootAnn]

I haven't been there or done that, but I do know people who graduated a semester early from high school. I think it is doable.

 

I have one Jan-Dec kid with everyone else on Sept-May schedule. She'll start her next math next month and often does one semester stuff Jan-May. She's not in high school yet, so I don't know if she will skip a half grade, take an extra half grade, or graduate a semester early. Good luck!

[Mosaicmind]

Why can't they graduate in December? I finished high school in December also (I didn't graduate traditionally, I petitioned the school board for a high school diploma - I wasn't spending another second in that prison).

 

We have been working by semesters. That's why we start new stuff in January. I don't know if we are going to do that next school year or not. We just don't do well when we are working on 300 different subjects. I had to break it apart.

 

Is combining kids possible? My 9th grader and 8th grader are combined in everything but math and it's been awesome this year. I only have to plan for one curriculum instead of two. They have a "classmate" and a lab partner. The 8th grader is really competitive, so it's been pushing the 9th grader to get off her butt and work harder. *ahem* I'm keeping them combined next year, too. My oldest two kids are only 13 months apart and at this age, there really isn't that much of an ability gap. I mean, my 8th grader was able to read Animal Farm just as well as my 9th grader. Heck, he wrote a research paper, too.

Yes! I don't have a problem graduating them in December and they don't care, so I agree with you. January thru December seemed more sensible than August thru May or August thru July. I have them combined in a few subjects and it is much easier. I'm going to present my plan about doing year round from January thru December and then making a schedule based off of that and how they need to work to get there. I think that a little grace goes a long way and our family has been in need of just a little this year. We have no family or friends to support us, so that's made it extra hard. I guess I also need to quit worrying about other's approval and just do what's right for our family.

[Ellie]

Yes! I don't have a problem graduating them in December and they don't care, so I agree with you. January thru December seemed more sensible than August thru May or August thru July. I have them combined in a few subjects and it is much easier. I'm going to present my plan about doing year round from January thru December and then making a schedule based off of that and how they need to work to get there. I think that a little grace goes a long way and our family has been in need of just a little this year. We have no family or friends to support us, so that's made it extra hard. I guess I also need to quit worrying about other's approval and just do what's right for our family.

 

As I said, if you start this now, your children will graduate a full semester after their age peers. Personally, I would not do that.

 

There's nothing magic about a September-through-June "school year." Homeschoolers should feel no compulsion to do that. However, when we're coming the time when we'll graduate our children so they can move on to their adult lives, then we should consider what impact there might be on "graduating" six months after their age peers. Or depending on their birthdays, what impact there will be if they are older than 18 when they "graduate."

 

There's no reason you can't follow a different schedule for your vacations/breaks without graduating them late.

[Mosaicmind]

As I said, if you start this now, your children will graduate a full semester after their age peers. Personally, I would not do that.

 

There's nothing magic about a September-through-June "school year." Homeschoolers should feel no compulsion to do that. However, when we're coming the time when we'll graduate our children so they can move on to their adult lives, then we should consider what impact there might be on "graduating" six months after their age peers. Or depending on their birthdays, what impact there will be if they are older than 18 when they "graduate."

 

There's no reason you can't follow a different schedule for your vacations/breaks without graduating them late.

The son in 10th grade was held back in public school so he's going to graduate when he is 19. Two of my older kids graduated at 19 and both were glad because they told me they weren't ready for entertaining the military and going to college. None of our kids have gone to college right after high school for various reasons and it was the best thing.

 

They may very well finish in August instead of December, but I don't believe that it really matters. My older kids would tell you that it didn't matter to them and I've discussed this with my boys and they have agreed. I talked to my 10th grader about getting his work done sooner so he can graduate when he turns 18, but it's his choice not to push to get it done. We also know from talking with the Airforce recruiters, with my other 2 sons, that they like to see them older than 18 when entering the military because they aren't mature enough for that kind of life and responsibility.

 

I have told the boys that they can finish by August and start the new grade's work in September or continue working at a slower pace and getting done in December. I can push and try to get them to work faster but really it's up to them how quickly they work. I know, from raising my other 5 kids and watching them, that 18 and right out of high school isn't the wisest thing for a lot of kids. I graduated at 17 and I wasn't close to being ready for the adult world. I've said this before, all kids aren't the same and just as we know that one way of learning isn't right for all kids, graduating at 17/18 isn't right or wise for all kids.

Edited December 17, 2016 by Mosaicmind

[almondbutterandjelly]

Sounds like you have a plan!  In high school, it's really more about content then number of days, anyway.  The algebra book takes as long as it takes.  So does the biology book (or what you have decided is necessary to cover in the biology book). Etc.  Award credit as things are finished (or half-finished or quarter-finished) and keep on keeping on.  

[FriedClams]

My only advice would be to make sure you have a plan in place for your bad days so you don't get into the same cycle again. What gets done every day? When? How? Who is checking? Where's the accountability? Are classes online - where they're accountable to someone else - Or just reporting to you? I would encourage you to engineer a plan for success and really make sure your students understand it before January.

[BooksandBoys]

My only advice would be to make sure you have a plan in place for your bad days so you don't get into the same cycle again. What gets done every day? When? How? Who is checking? Where's the accountability? Are classes online - where they're accountable to someone else - Or just reporting to you? I would encourage you to engineer a plan for success and really make sure your students understand it before January.

Exactly this. My kids are much younger than yours (oldest is 3rd), so I'm only speaking to the conceit of contingency plans, not the implementation of those with high schoolers.

We have a lot of therapy appointments and some days we are in the car most of the day. I have plans for car days (less work, but still a set minimum). He stores the work that happens every day no matter what (that set minimum) in his backpack. The rest of his schoolwork is on his shelf, so when we are home more of the day, he is getting work from two locations, but this way, all we have to do is grab that backpack (includes a pencil box with sharpener, a few books for free reading, everything we need) on our way out the door on a busy day. He can do his independent work while I drive. We do work together sitting in parking lots. There's no guesswork because he and I know exactly what he has to do to call a day a "school day."

 

Whatever that minimum work plan looks like for you, knowing exactly what constitutes a minimum school day (and making sure your kids know) removes the decisions when your health condition flares.

Edited December 18, 2016 by BooksandBoys