We start another school year on Monday--2015-2016--a final year of high school for my son--a final year of middle school for my daughter. I haven't done a whole lot of prep work yet besides thinking about the year and pulling lists of books from our curriculum guide. I haven't even planned in my head how the days of week will go or what our daily or weekly schedule will look like. I know what I want to implement that has been lacking in previous years, but I also know how busy the days and weeks quickly become. I want to really study this year, even if that means not using every resource that is planned, as long as the ones we do use serve us well.
I would love the year to be simple and straightforward. I would love to not feel rushed, to have time to think and talk and write about what we are learning, to absorb beauty and knowledge in each of our disciplines of study. I sound like I'm the student, not the teacher! I would love for my students to experience the year in this way. Quality not quantity.
There are always loopholes in our educational journey. In the past I've fretted over missing some of the richness offered in literature or language study or poetry, art, nature studies. I remind myself at the beginning of each year that we are learning how to learn just as much as learning the content itself. We are learning to love to learn I should say; the desire to know, to delve, to seek information, to seek beauty, to understand the world and all that is in it to the best of our ability at any one time in our life. And to exercise that desire to learn all throughout our life, not just when we are in 'school'.
There is still some trepidation as I wonder how the year will unfold in reality rather than in theory (or in my head). But I am still excited about beginning again.
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Thursday, July 2, 2015
We're done!
Our 2014-2015 School year is closed--we are finished. Well, not completely. But I have declared that our year is done. It feels good. It is a weight off my shoulders--and my mind. I feel a sense of accomplishment and completion--no more guilt or worry or persistence to get those last few things done. No more cajoling, persuading, commanding, bribing. No more patience, graciousness, firmness, mental acuity, calmness, kindness, biting my tongue. No more angry outbursts, tired eyes, headaches, interruptions of house work, interruptions of school work, waiting around for students, searching for books, pencils, paper, calculators, etc. Yay--let's celebrate!
Of course, we still have to read a few more chapters in Mark Twain's Joan of Arc. And we are working through SAT/ACT prep books throughout the next 2 months. And I still have to finish recording grades, finish out the semester assignments on Home School Tracker, begin the new school year on HST, start planning 2015-2016 school year. And there's always our foreign languages that we try to work on more in the summer because we have more time.
But otherwise, we're done! And not a moment too soon--actually we're done when I thought we would be, even though we tried to finish earlier. It didn't work. But at least these last two weeks (after a two--make that three week break) were not as intense because we were already mostly done.
Now on to the summer projects!
Of course, we still have to read a few more chapters in Mark Twain's Joan of Arc. And we are working through SAT/ACT prep books throughout the next 2 months. And I still have to finish recording grades, finish out the semester assignments on Home School Tracker, begin the new school year on HST, start planning 2015-2016 school year. And there's always our foreign languages that we try to work on more in the summer because we have more time.
But otherwise, we're done! And not a moment too soon--actually we're done when I thought we would be, even though we tried to finish earlier. It didn't work. But at least these last two weeks (after a two--make that three week break) were not as intense because we were already mostly done.
Now on to the summer projects!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
New Beginnings
Although this week I've fought a cold and loss of energy, I feel like I am starting over again with many areas of my life. We've finished one commitment for school and it is very freeing; it gives me time at home that I haven't had for months. I am so happy to be home again. I can't say how much I missed being home during the day, in the evenings, on Saturdays. I missed planning out our school days, reading and discussing our books, cooking dinner for my family, sitting quietly in the evenings with a hobby, book, or movie.
So I begin our home routines again. I look forward to being home on Saturdays, even if it means I'm cleaning the house. I've used this week as a catch up on sleep and recuperating from a cold, but I know that I have the rest of the month to get back to normal. I'm excited about normal days of home life. I missed them.
So I begin our home routines again. I look forward to being home on Saturdays, even if it means I'm cleaning the house. I've used this week as a catch up on sleep and recuperating from a cold, but I know that I have the rest of the month to get back to normal. I'm excited about normal days of home life. I missed them.
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