Well... EMU is officially a two student pre-school. Preemu... I suppose.
I could get into a long description but I don't want to.
-k
Okay, Okay... I'd love to leave the post that way... but I guess I can't really.
Yesterday, after much debate and soul searching, I re-enrolled Cory into public school. It wasn't an easy decision and the hardest part is not taking it personally. I truly wanted to have this time with him, to give him a better and more personal education than he's been getting, and to prepare him in the best ways for what lies ahead - both in higher education and beyond. It wasn't working out.
A large part of that was his refusal to buy-in. A smaller part was a certain lack of support. Mix in there two small attention-needing children and the fact that one of those two smaller children needs that attention multiple times at night... and it just wasn't working out.
I LOVED homeschooling. I think I was doing a good job of it. I firmly believe that homeschoolers get a better education MOST of the time and that even with our challenges, Cory was getting an excellent education. However, I didn't have the time I needed to discipline him into doing the most with the opportunity that he could... and ultimately, the biggest lesson was the shock of putting him back in school.
It wasn't a punishment to put him back. It WAS a consequence. It was a life lesson. If you don't take advantage of what you are offered... you lose it.
His education will be fine. Not exemplary, not exciting, certainly not personal to his life plans or interests, but fine.
And there is a horrible part of me that is mildly relieved. Now, I can just focus on the other two.
So, for the moment, this blog will languish in quiet repose...
-Headmistress... well... Head Pre-Kindergarten teacher anyway...
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Catch 22
So, I've been talking to my brother about the Catch 22 with my homeschooling goals with Cory. First and foremost, a HUGE disclaimer here. I will not even try to line out exactly what I hope to achieve and why for you to all pick apart here. I am sharing but with the disclaimer that it isn't the entire story because that's a LOT to put in a blog.
To oversimplify, I have two main goals with Cory in this first six month period and that will affect what happens next.
Goal the First: He was getting overwhelmed by pre-algebra. He wasn't getting the help and support he needed. I wasn't getting any cooperation from the school. I wanted to make sure that he wouldn't get any further behind on a subject he'd always been good at before this year.
Goal the Second: He'd never been challenged by a project or done anything that couldn't easily be completed within a class period. He'd never written a report or research paper. I felt those are skills that he will need in life, and certainly in high school. I wanted to teach him the skills to do a more complicated project and write a decent report/research paper.
I don't want him to fall behind but honestly, in Texas, the only thing that seems to matter in public school is that he pass his TAKS tests and that simply doesn't constitute an education. At least not in my opinion. And if he could pass TAKS tests, then he won't fall behind. And if that's all they prep you to do... what kind of future is that?
Which leads to the next strange question... which is harder to answer... if he was getting such a rotten education, why am I so determined to make sure he goes back for more of the same in high school?
Well... that's a bigger answer and although I'll answer it, please read the above disclaimer about not fitting my entire philosophy into the format of a blog post.
1. I am not determined about anything at the moment.
2. I think that what you learn in high school is mostly experiential and not the memorizing of data. If you could just memorize data and be successful, I could easily have him do that here or at home and it wouldn't matter in the slightest except whatever I would prefer. No, I think that the experiences you have in high school are extremely important - and at the moment, I think that would be best served in a larger format than my house... but...
3. Re-read # 1.
-Headmistress DE
To oversimplify, I have two main goals with Cory in this first six month period and that will affect what happens next.
Goal the First: He was getting overwhelmed by pre-algebra. He wasn't getting the help and support he needed. I wasn't getting any cooperation from the school. I wanted to make sure that he wouldn't get any further behind on a subject he'd always been good at before this year.
Goal the Second: He'd never been challenged by a project or done anything that couldn't easily be completed within a class period. He'd never written a report or research paper. I felt those are skills that he will need in life, and certainly in high school. I wanted to teach him the skills to do a more complicated project and write a decent report/research paper.
I don't want him to fall behind but honestly, in Texas, the only thing that seems to matter in public school is that he pass his TAKS tests and that simply doesn't constitute an education. At least not in my opinion. And if he could pass TAKS tests, then he won't fall behind. And if that's all they prep you to do... what kind of future is that?
Which leads to the next strange question... which is harder to answer... if he was getting such a rotten education, why am I so determined to make sure he goes back for more of the same in high school?
Well... that's a bigger answer and although I'll answer it, please read the above disclaimer about not fitting my entire philosophy into the format of a blog post.
1. I am not determined about anything at the moment.
2. I think that what you learn in high school is mostly experiential and not the memorizing of data. If you could just memorize data and be successful, I could easily have him do that here or at home and it wouldn't matter in the slightest except whatever I would prefer. No, I think that the experiences you have in high school are extremely important - and at the moment, I think that would be best served in a larger format than my house... but...
3. Re-read # 1.
-Headmistress DE
Friday, January 25, 2008
This week
The focus of homeschooling this week has been largely behavioral... because, let's face it, that's more important to success in life than the accumulation of raw data that you may or may not ever use again. I think the show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" is good entertainment, but the fact is the only reason fifth graders know the answers to those questions is that they've come up recently. Ask those same kids again in 8th grade, and they won't know the answers to those questions either.
No, the most important things are learning HOW to learn, learning how to manage your time effectively, learning how to get along with different people, and surviving. So, although I won't ignore his education, I will focus on what I think the goal of education should be.
In my mind, education should be useful. You should learn history in order to know who we are, where we came from, what we've been through to get where we are, and the background of the cultures of the world because of how they affect who are are and where we are heading. For instance, if you didn't know anything of the history of the middle east, you would have a very shallow response to what's going on right now. You should learn math in order to learn reasoning and to be able to use math in real life. I could go on and on but I think you get the point.
My goals with Cory are partially educational in the sense that I want to make sure he's learned what he needs to learn not to have fallen behind. I certainly would never want him to be worse off academically because of what we have done. However, I feel that one of the biggest failings of the public school system is that they aren't concerned with teaching kids how to learn. They want them to memorize things that will test well on standardized tests that measure benchmarks. They aren't truly preparing them for much of anything.
Kids should learn HOW to write a report (hence my 3D biographies). Kids should learn how to manage their time, how to research, proper grammar and spelling, logic, deductive reasoning, effective communication skills, patience, persistence, and creative expression. Kids should learn how to learn from different people with different styles and abilities. When you enter the work force, your boss won't always be a good communicator, a good delegator, or a good motivator. You will need to know how to do that stuff yourself. If you want to come across as well educated, you need a good vocabulary (spelled well), a good grasp of grammar, and the ability to express yourself well. People will pay more attention to what you have to say if you can say it well. People will take you more seriously if you present yourself well. You will be given more freedom if you can demonstrate more responsibility.
I keep telling Cory that if he only does the bare minimum required, with the least effort, he can expect the least out of life. If he wants to rush through all his assignments just in order to get to the point where he can have some free time, he must learn the following phrase "Would you like some fries with that?" Because if you only want a simple, entry-level job and the income level that will provide, you can continue to put forth entry level work. You can live that way. You just can't thrive that way. Eventually, you want more out of life...
I'm also teaching him that the more he argues, the less helpful I'll be. This happens in life too. He has the right to be uncooperative and he has the right to deal with the consequences that come with such an attitude. Learning that now in relative safety will save him heartache later... IF he learns it.
Time will tell.
- the DE
No, the most important things are learning HOW to learn, learning how to manage your time effectively, learning how to get along with different people, and surviving. So, although I won't ignore his education, I will focus on what I think the goal of education should be.
In my mind, education should be useful. You should learn history in order to know who we are, where we came from, what we've been through to get where we are, and the background of the cultures of the world because of how they affect who are are and where we are heading. For instance, if you didn't know anything of the history of the middle east, you would have a very shallow response to what's going on right now. You should learn math in order to learn reasoning and to be able to use math in real life. I could go on and on but I think you get the point.
My goals with Cory are partially educational in the sense that I want to make sure he's learned what he needs to learn not to have fallen behind. I certainly would never want him to be worse off academically because of what we have done. However, I feel that one of the biggest failings of the public school system is that they aren't concerned with teaching kids how to learn. They want them to memorize things that will test well on standardized tests that measure benchmarks. They aren't truly preparing them for much of anything.
Kids should learn HOW to write a report (hence my 3D biographies). Kids should learn how to manage their time, how to research, proper grammar and spelling, logic, deductive reasoning, effective communication skills, patience, persistence, and creative expression. Kids should learn how to learn from different people with different styles and abilities. When you enter the work force, your boss won't always be a good communicator, a good delegator, or a good motivator. You will need to know how to do that stuff yourself. If you want to come across as well educated, you need a good vocabulary (spelled well), a good grasp of grammar, and the ability to express yourself well. People will pay more attention to what you have to say if you can say it well. People will take you more seriously if you present yourself well. You will be given more freedom if you can demonstrate more responsibility.
I keep telling Cory that if he only does the bare minimum required, with the least effort, he can expect the least out of life. If he wants to rush through all his assignments just in order to get to the point where he can have some free time, he must learn the following phrase "Would you like some fries with that?" Because if you only want a simple, entry-level job and the income level that will provide, you can continue to put forth entry level work. You can live that way. You just can't thrive that way. Eventually, you want more out of life...
I'm also teaching him that the more he argues, the less helpful I'll be. This happens in life too. He has the right to be uncooperative and he has the right to deal with the consequences that come with such an attitude. Learning that now in relative safety will save him heartache later... IF he learns it.
Time will tell.
- the DE
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
I know why...
Sometimes the mind, for reasons we don't necessarily understand, just decides to go to the store for a quart of milk. - Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider
My mind would rather get the milk than hang out with the teenager and his tooty rotten four year-old brother.
-k
My mind would rather get the milk than hang out with the teenager and his tooty rotten four year-old brother.
-k
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Siblings
I yelled at Cory. He was giving me attitude on top of attitude about something I thought I was being very generous about - and the more we talked about it, the worse his attitude got. Then I yelled and suddenly he was very responsive.
Part of that is that he was testing to see how far he could push me and he realized when he reached my boundaries and was suddenly willing to comply.
Of course, I was holding Ian and Katie when I yelled, and I got both of their attentions as well.
I told Cory that I was sorry for yelling, but that it sure got him to understand how I felt and to finally stop arguing. I told him that if he wanted me to talk to him like an adult and reason with him like an adult, then he needed to respond to me that way and not push me until I shouted.
Then I told him again that I was sorry for yelling because I knew he didn't like it. And I told Katie I was sorry for yelling at her, because I was sure she didn't like it when I yelled at Cory either. Before I could say anything else, Ian piped up "I liked it."
-k
Part of that is that he was testing to see how far he could push me and he realized when he reached my boundaries and was suddenly willing to comply.
Of course, I was holding Ian and Katie when I yelled, and I got both of their attentions as well.
I told Cory that I was sorry for yelling, but that it sure got him to understand how I felt and to finally stop arguing. I told him that if he wanted me to talk to him like an adult and reason with him like an adult, then he needed to respond to me that way and not push me until I shouted.
Then I told him again that I was sorry for yelling because I knew he didn't like it. And I told Katie I was sorry for yelling at her, because I was sure she didn't like it when I yelled at Cory either. Before I could say anything else, Ian piped up "I liked it."
-k
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Mobile Emus
We went mobile again today. We went to a homeschooling group at Landa Park, one of the GORGEOUS parks in our area. I met Amy, of the obnoxiously-glorious-red-and-perfectly-curly hair. She's nice, except for the unforgivable sin of having better hair than I have.
Ian LOVED it. Kept asking me "I can stay with you?" as though in disbelief of his good fortune that he gets to stay with me, go to the library, come to park days, and generally be at home instead of going back to daycare. Bear in mind that he LOVED the daycare he was attending. LOVED it. Was the spoiled crown prince who got extra treats and special treatment there. And yet, he feels he has won the little kid lottery by getting to be with me instead. That makes me feel good.
Cory disappeared instantly to the creek to torture small water creatures. He brought back a net with a crawfish in it and then was indignant that I insisted he return the crawfish to the water before we leave instead of leaving it next to the playground to slowly die. Honestly, Mom. No one else's parents insist they behave less like a future serial killer. I swear. My life... it's like unbearable. Except that he too, can't believe his good fortune at being homeschooled now. And it isn't that he works less. He is achieving more already than he was in school simply because he's one of three and gets more ground covered and more personally than ever happened to him in his whole school career combined - and we've always lived in good school districts.
We went with "the cousins" because we spent today with them. Jim is helping acclimate me to this exciting new world and he's introducing me to other homeschoolers. This park day was part of that process.
And I knew I was in the right place when a little boy who I assume belonged to someone in the group was having a conversation with one of the little girls who I knew belonged to someone in the group. I don't know what they were discussing, because I wasn't paying attention until I heard him declare loudly "I poop out of my butthole!"
And although I don't know which one was his mother, I identified with her immediately and felt right at home.
-k
Ian LOVED it. Kept asking me "I can stay with you?" as though in disbelief of his good fortune that he gets to stay with me, go to the library, come to park days, and generally be at home instead of going back to daycare. Bear in mind that he LOVED the daycare he was attending. LOVED it. Was the spoiled crown prince who got extra treats and special treatment there. And yet, he feels he has won the little kid lottery by getting to be with me instead. That makes me feel good.
Cory disappeared instantly to the creek to torture small water creatures. He brought back a net with a crawfish in it and then was indignant that I insisted he return the crawfish to the water before we leave instead of leaving it next to the playground to slowly die. Honestly, Mom. No one else's parents insist they behave less like a future serial killer. I swear. My life... it's like unbearable. Except that he too, can't believe his good fortune at being homeschooled now. And it isn't that he works less. He is achieving more already than he was in school simply because he's one of three and gets more ground covered and more personally than ever happened to him in his whole school career combined - and we've always lived in good school districts.
We went with "the cousins" because we spent today with them. Jim is helping acclimate me to this exciting new world and he's introducing me to other homeschoolers. This park day was part of that process.
And I knew I was in the right place when a little boy who I assume belonged to someone in the group was having a conversation with one of the little girls who I knew belonged to someone in the group. I don't know what they were discussing, because I wasn't paying attention until I heard him declare loudly "I poop out of my butthole!"
And although I don't know which one was his mother, I identified with her immediately and felt right at home.
-k
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
3-D biography of a household Object
Here is one we did today that we liked so much that we'll do it regularly, keep them all in a notebook together, and we wanted to share this with everyone who might possibly be interested.
We picked a list of 12 common household objects to start this project with and numbered them in no specific order. Then we rolled the dice and chose one to complete the assignment with. Then, we’ll fill in the blank with a new item for next time.
1 Kleenex (tissue paper)
2 toilet paper
3 fly swatter
4 spoon
5 television
6 telephone
7 computer
8 hair brush
9 deodorant
10 pillow
11 compact disc
12 paper towel
Write everything you currently know about your item (i.e. physical description, everything you can think of. This takes at least ten minutes, no more than fifteen minutes).
What did people used to do before there was this item?
Who invented it and when?
Who makes it?
How much does it cost?
Where do you get it?
Where are they in the house?
What exactly does it do?
How long does it last?
What will they be like in the future? (Get as creative here as you can without trying to just be funny).
3 fun facts not covered above.
1. ___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
If you used resources like the internet or a dictionary, list them here (if you used the internet, please list the sites that you used.) ______________________________
_____________________________________________________________
This is the outline where you have done all the research. Now, write a 1-2 page paper using all the information you gathered above. Check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. If you like how it turned out, you can blog it.
We picked a list of 12 common household objects to start this project with and numbered them in no specific order. Then we rolled the dice and chose one to complete the assignment with. Then, we’ll fill in the blank with a new item for next time.
1 Kleenex (tissue paper)
2 toilet paper
3 fly swatter
4 spoon
5 television
6 telephone
7 computer
8 hair brush
9 deodorant
10 pillow
11 compact disc
12 paper towel
Write everything you currently know about your item (i.e. physical description, everything you can think of. This takes at least ten minutes, no more than fifteen minutes).
What did people used to do before there was this item?
Who invented it and when?
Who makes it?
How much does it cost?
Where do you get it?
Where are they in the house?
What exactly does it do?
How long does it last?
What will they be like in the future? (Get as creative here as you can without trying to just be funny).
3 fun facts not covered above.
1. ___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
If you used resources like the internet or a dictionary, list them here (if you used the internet, please list the sites that you used.) ______________________________
_____________________________________________________________
This is the outline where you have done all the research. Now, write a 1-2 page paper using all the information you gathered above. Check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. If you like how it turned out, you can blog it.
IF YOU USE THIS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND GIVE EMU CREDIT.
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