Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Back to school (2nd in the same school year) update

I've stepped down as Chair of our department (and also asked to be able to go on duty on days that will be more friendly to our homeschooling schedule) to better focus on our homeschooling.  When it comes to planning, I have a generalized schedule for the week, but really, we just take it one day at a time.  I've stuck with my old favorites, Mater Amabilis, Montessori at Home, and Catholic Heritage Curricula.  With regards as to how M1 is taking it... Well... he's a little mischievous for Montessori but I'm still managing to have a little of his cooperation.  I do notice that they really stop and listen when it comes to literature, so perhaps Sonlight, or Before Five in a Row would have been the way to go.  But I find the planning part, and dividing the stories into lesson plans and subjects a little challenging, perhaps when I've developed more creativeness (which I hope will come with experience in homeschooling).  And, so we have read-alouds everyday but I'm not using the stories the way BFIAR/ Sonlight does it.  But I love buying us living books... I'm sure there are always pearls they can consciously/ unconsciously pick up.

But I think the best way I can teach them at this point is by being a good example.  Again, stressing the importance of continuous personal growth, and development as a parent.  I look at my eldest now, and he has certainly caught a couple of my not so good traits.  They do watch me, and catch on the way adults act around them.  When I see them pick on the bad habits, it gets me fidgety thinking how fast time is and it seemed I have little time to correct them and get them back on the rail, and I find myself asking for more time to build them on their formative/ foundation years.  But I see the good in them also, and how M1 can be a compassionate and a good leader between them two, and it makes me proud.  It gives me faith that I'm on the right path when parents around me are telling me stories how their children have started to excel academically.

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