Ah, the day before a camping trip. There will be few, if any, postings between tomorrow and the 18th of March, we'll be in the desert after all and connections will be spotty. I will have the laptop and will be working on the new schedule but may not post much.
I am interested to see how Banker does today, he has put off a ton of work from yesterday, when we ditched at noon to go get his hair cut, ran errands then never really got back into gear. It was our first "let's blow out of here for a while BEFORE it's all day". We were almost giddy making appointments that didn't revolve around which class he'd be in or how quickly we could get there after school..."1:15, that'll be great". Yeah, free schedules work just fine.
He has a load of work to do because today is it, as I said, we are taking tomorrow off to load and transport dogs to their guest family in the morning, do a quick shop for junk. You cannot camp without copious amounts of junk food. Then we will come back and pack and hang around waiting for hubba to do the same. He will want to relax and we will harass him into packing the car then we'll wake him too early on Saturday to go go go.
Banker did say he will take his Nook along to read his book, he is sorely behind already even though I did give him an extra week to read it. He tried the, "I'm not going to finish this, I'll take my social studies and do it at the campsite" but I don't want him to, I want him to have a week off school, reading doesn't count. Although that being said, one of the points of this is the ability to do what you need to do, want to do and have to do when you want to, or can, do it. I think I will tell him today, after his work :) that he can take whatever work he wants to with us. It'll be interesting to see what makes the cut.
He also spent his hard earned cat sitting money on the full version of MineCraft yesterday which I really think is rather educational in comparison to some of the other games he plays. He spent time playing online with a group of friends from school he hasn't seen nor spoken to in a couple of weeks. It was really REALLY good for him. He lit up. He does miss some of his school buddies. The ones he didn't hang with outside of school hours but did eat lunch with daily for a year. I need to take my own advice and work on connecting him with those kids 'live' every once in a while, the mall on the weekend or bowling or something.
My number one priority when we get back is hooking into some live activities with other home school kids. I want him to at least have a few opportunities before summer hits. It's hard that it's all winding down now but hopefully I will be able to find something for him.
I had my first non-questioned interaction yesterday as well. Kiddo wanted a hair cut so we went to our usual gal and she asked how school was going, we said it was great and that we were home schooling now. She didn't miss a beat and said, "wow, that's so great, it's huge here, isn't it?" She was the first one who didn't ask me why. It was a nice change since I don't have my abridged explanation ready yet. The "what? why?" is hard to answer without coming off preachy or as though you're on a soap box, like me, yesterday. I am trying to come up with a one or two sentence explanation of why the global shift in our educational philosophy and lifestyle. Sure, it's not hard at all.
I am going to run some errands while he works today, what a sweet perk of this. I am anticipating a wonderful, happy, hard working, day with both of us having our eye on the prize... finish today and we're done for 10 whole days of nothing but nothing!
/Tracy
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Day Twenty Nine
Happy Wednesday.
I am anticipating a hissy free day. All our math, planning and schedule issues have been dealt with and planned for. Banker was moaning that the course load for his days is woefully uneven. He is right but I assured him that all will be rectified when my laptop and I spend some quality time in the deserts of New Mexico.
I did go and "borrow" an assignment from a science teacher in a different district , it's a project about reporting on an ecological crisis, the students have to do a report/pp/presentation/paper about a crisis, it's causes, current ramifications as well as some suggestions to fix/change/alter/improve the crisis. I liked it so I took it. He's got till the end of the month to email me something fantastic. It occurred to me he hasn't had to (been able to) do any "projects" since we jumped ship and I know he enjoys putting his knowledge into something tangible or creative. So, now he has a project.
I'm just looking at the calendar, the project is due the same day as his next book report (I'm having him read Lord of the Flies!) and the day I'm having my "ladies who lunch with cocktails" lunch, nice. He'll probably be happy with me grading after a lunch with the ladies who cocktail. I've been getting together with other stay at home moms for a cocktail lunch since Banker was 2 years old. The original "baby" group. The kids are all still friends and I just realized that there are 10 of them now, kids, and 8 of them are home schooled. Wow, that's random. So my little group takes new incarnations, some moms join and some leave. They like to change it up and call themselves the cocktail moms, the nooner or the margarita mamas but really, it's all still my original "the ladies who lunch with cocktails" and has been for 10 years now just the faces change. I like it. The last luncheon found Banker here, another mom brought her home school 13 year old and they were very quiet upstairs but they were still here and I felt it, although not perfect, it worked.
But, again, I digress.
I'm excited for our new change up, the one class per subject and the new, more evenly laid out schedule. I think Banker is too, he and I had a long conversation about the frantic nature of yesterdays maths level competency reviews. He admitted he was out of control and explained, pretty clearly, the source of it. I get this is new and he doesn't cope with change terribly well. Even though I was very clear in my declarations it was purely for ME to be sure I bought him the right product, he couldn't get past the 'testing' nature and panicked at the amount of information he wasn't clear on deciphering.
We've made a pact that in future, I'll let him know if he's being tested or just doing a review to see his level for course adjustment and he won't lose his mind.
I told him, although why I had to I don't know, that I am his biggest fan! I want him to succeed and the sole reason he is out of public school is because I think we can get him a better future this way, in my heart and soul I think it's better.
SOAP BOX TIME
Texas has some of the worst scores in the country, academically. It has the worst grades, worst schools, teachers and graduates who can't read, are you kidding me? I just read a report that ranked education and schools by state... Texas won 43rd of 50, well, we beat Alaska ? Oh and I do realize ratings can be tweaked to serve who ever is making the list but realistically, Texas isn't the place to come for public education. I am a fan of some of their universities, but that's a few years off. I've always laughed when I hear proud parents waxing poetic about their child's TAKS score...has nothing to do with the kid, just means the teacher drilled that information (and ONLY that information) into their heads with such aptitude (from years of practice) that the child parroted it straight onto the paper, way to make your money school district. Two of the teachers from Bankers elementary school would read the TAKS test results, by student, out loud to the rest of the class to ensure they all knew who was "commended" and who, um, wasn't. Although, now that I think of that reading of the scores to the class, one of Bankers 7th grade teachers did the same thing, not the test scores but at the end of the semester, read the grades for each student, to the class. Nice, asshole. I remember Banker coming home upset that although he got 100% in the class, some didn't and he could name the students with failing grades. Wow, he shouldn't know that.
I am indifferent to any local charter public, magnet and specialty schools, I didn't put Banker in one because, frankly, I wanted him to have a life and although you are free to have your child labelled here in Austin, as "gifted and talented" (what a ridiculous term) Austin doesn't have the money or wherewithal to bother with specialized programs for them like there are for the stupid and non English speaking kids. Well, we don't want to leave any behind of course and the smart ones, well, they can read on the couch until everyone else is done unless you want them to have 'extra' work ? No, I want him to have NEW and EXCITING and INTERESTING work. There is no reason on earth an above average, smart, elementary kid should be taking pages and pages of those *&^% worksheets home daily...to prove what? they know it? well of course they KNOW it, they're SMART. The "I don't get it" kids are the ones who should be taking pages and pages of mindless photocopied worksheets home every day to practice until THEY get it. Am I the only one this makes sense to? Shouldn't the smart kids be challenged and allowed to investigation additional NEW and DIFFERENT information while the back of the pack, well someone has to mow my lawn so I'll hire you, kids do the rote practice till their brains ooze out from boredom? Yeah I think so.
I want more than that for Banker, I want him to complete his education proud of what he's accomplished and excited with the information he has...not merely sighing with relief that he got the piece of paper. I don't want him to ever have to embroider his name on his shirt. I want him to have the stars and I fully intend on giving him every opportunity to fulfill his ambition, without the Texas Education Agency and it's "wait wait let's sink money into the lowest common denominator to catch up instead of inspiring young minds to flourish" minions in his way.
END OF SOAP BOX TIME
Wow, that was a wander. I guess I am just becoming more confident with my decision, daily and even though I don't feel the need to justify what I did what I did I wanted to bitch a bit about some of the things that led to the decision.
Banker is still asleep at 9:30, good for him, he's had a pissy time of it and the extra sleep will do him well. He has a long academic day today, putting a few things off from Monday and Tuesday plus we are taking Friday off so he's trying to get ahead, although, I really need to clarify for him that there isn't "ahead" anymore, there's just him and his speed is THE speed.
I'm looking forward to our day and I hope he has a brilliant, informative, fun day too. He just came downstairs and is raring to go, he's humming already, perfect.
/Tracy
I am anticipating a hissy free day. All our math, planning and schedule issues have been dealt with and planned for. Banker was moaning that the course load for his days is woefully uneven. He is right but I assured him that all will be rectified when my laptop and I spend some quality time in the deserts of New Mexico.
I did go and "borrow" an assignment from a science teacher in a different district , it's a project about reporting on an ecological crisis, the students have to do a report/pp/presentation/paper about a crisis, it's causes, current ramifications as well as some suggestions to fix/change/alter/improve the crisis. I liked it so I took it. He's got till the end of the month to email me something fantastic. It occurred to me he hasn't had to (been able to) do any "projects" since we jumped ship and I know he enjoys putting his knowledge into something tangible or creative. So, now he has a project.
I'm just looking at the calendar, the project is due the same day as his next book report (I'm having him read Lord of the Flies!) and the day I'm having my "ladies who lunch with cocktails" lunch, nice. He'll probably be happy with me grading after a lunch with the ladies who cocktail. I've been getting together with other stay at home moms for a cocktail lunch since Banker was 2 years old. The original "baby" group. The kids are all still friends and I just realized that there are 10 of them now, kids, and 8 of them are home schooled. Wow, that's random. So my little group takes new incarnations, some moms join and some leave. They like to change it up and call themselves the cocktail moms, the nooner or the margarita mamas but really, it's all still my original "the ladies who lunch with cocktails" and has been for 10 years now just the faces change. I like it. The last luncheon found Banker here, another mom brought her home school 13 year old and they were very quiet upstairs but they were still here and I felt it, although not perfect, it worked.
But, again, I digress.
I'm excited for our new change up, the one class per subject and the new, more evenly laid out schedule. I think Banker is too, he and I had a long conversation about the frantic nature of yesterdays maths level competency reviews. He admitted he was out of control and explained, pretty clearly, the source of it. I get this is new and he doesn't cope with change terribly well. Even though I was very clear in my declarations it was purely for ME to be sure I bought him the right product, he couldn't get past the 'testing' nature and panicked at the amount of information he wasn't clear on deciphering.
We've made a pact that in future, I'll let him know if he's being tested or just doing a review to see his level for course adjustment and he won't lose his mind.
I told him, although why I had to I don't know, that I am his biggest fan! I want him to succeed and the sole reason he is out of public school is because I think we can get him a better future this way, in my heart and soul I think it's better.
SOAP BOX TIME
Texas has some of the worst scores in the country, academically. It has the worst grades, worst schools, teachers and graduates who can't read, are you kidding me? I just read a report that ranked education and schools by state... Texas won 43rd of 50, well, we beat Alaska ? Oh and I do realize ratings can be tweaked to serve who ever is making the list but realistically, Texas isn't the place to come for public education. I am a fan of some of their universities, but that's a few years off. I've always laughed when I hear proud parents waxing poetic about their child's TAKS score...has nothing to do with the kid, just means the teacher drilled that information (and ONLY that information) into their heads with such aptitude (from years of practice) that the child parroted it straight onto the paper, way to make your money school district. Two of the teachers from Bankers elementary school would read the TAKS test results, by student, out loud to the rest of the class to ensure they all knew who was "commended" and who, um, wasn't. Although, now that I think of that reading of the scores to the class, one of Bankers 7th grade teachers did the same thing, not the test scores but at the end of the semester, read the grades for each student, to the class. Nice, asshole. I remember Banker coming home upset that although he got 100% in the class, some didn't and he could name the students with failing grades. Wow, he shouldn't know that.
I am indifferent to any local charter public, magnet and specialty schools, I didn't put Banker in one because, frankly, I wanted him to have a life and although you are free to have your child labelled here in Austin, as "gifted and talented" (what a ridiculous term) Austin doesn't have the money or wherewithal to bother with specialized programs for them like there are for the stupid and non English speaking kids. Well, we don't want to leave any behind of course and the smart ones, well, they can read on the couch until everyone else is done unless you want them to have 'extra' work ? No, I want him to have NEW and EXCITING and INTERESTING work. There is no reason on earth an above average, smart, elementary kid should be taking pages and pages of those *&^% worksheets home daily...to prove what? they know it? well of course they KNOW it, they're SMART. The "I don't get it" kids are the ones who should be taking pages and pages of mindless photocopied worksheets home every day to practice until THEY get it. Am I the only one this makes sense to? Shouldn't the smart kids be challenged and allowed to investigation additional NEW and DIFFERENT information while the back of the pack, well someone has to mow my lawn so I'll hire you, kids do the rote practice till their brains ooze out from boredom? Yeah I think so.
I want more than that for Banker, I want him to complete his education proud of what he's accomplished and excited with the information he has...not merely sighing with relief that he got the piece of paper. I don't want him to ever have to embroider his name on his shirt. I want him to have the stars and I fully intend on giving him every opportunity to fulfill his ambition, without the Texas Education Agency and it's "wait wait let's sink money into the lowest common denominator to catch up instead of inspiring young minds to flourish" minions in his way.
END OF SOAP BOX TIME
Wow, that was a wander. I guess I am just becoming more confident with my decision, daily and even though I don't feel the need to justify what I did what I did I wanted to bitch a bit about some of the things that led to the decision.
Banker is still asleep at 9:30, good for him, he's had a pissy time of it and the extra sleep will do him well. He has a long academic day today, putting a few things off from Monday and Tuesday plus we are taking Friday off so he's trying to get ahead, although, I really need to clarify for him that there isn't "ahead" anymore, there's just him and his speed is THE speed.
I'm looking forward to our day and I hope he has a brilliant, informative, fun day too. He just came downstairs and is raring to go, he's humming already, perfect.
/Tracy
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Day Twenty Eight
WHAT THE HELL DID THEY DO IN SCHOOL ALL DAY LONG FOR 8 YEARS?
I am on a public school tirade, really, at what point did they tell him he's now ALLOWED to try?
I am trying to find the level for Bankers new math program and he's FREAKING out. There are the weirdest gaps in his math knowledge. He is stumped by a couple really basic 5th grade problems but flying through a couple of really advanced algebra problems. Worst, he's freaking out. Wow.
I knew it would be a challenge to determine the "right" level of math program to buy him based on the competency review pages they gave me but I had no idea. I want to be sure I get this right, get the dummy down version if it's all work he's already done and he'll hate the program because he'll be bored out of his skull but I don't want to get the next level up because, if today's meltdown is any indication, this level of challenge, venturing into totally new ground, will send him off the cliff.
I'm totally and completely gobsmacked at his comments and completely hysterical reaction about facing these problems!
OH WOW, THAT is the problem, he has no skill set to cope with "trying" a problem. He looks and either makes a blanket statement that he knows how to do it or he doesn't.
The meltdown, and I am talking massive, complete, teenage girl in full drama worthy, meltdown is because he "can't" just "try" the problems he doesn't know how to do.
"They didn't TEACH US THAT"!!
"Well, honey, give it your best shot, try to think it out and give your best answer, you might surprise yourself".
"BUT THEY DIDN'T TELL US HOW TO DO THAT" *weep weep*
"hey... this is a just a rough outline so I can see where you are and what you know, your math teachers never gave us any indication of what you were learning. No need to freak out, babe, just go through and see which ones you can figure out"
"But we're not ALLOWED to do that, she said if we don't KNOW how to do it, then skip it" stomp stomp weep weep snarl
Wow, school system, nice job. NOT ALLOWED? to what? TRY??? BITE me.
Ok, we've had a chat, he's washed his face and he's successfully passed the pretest to determine which test he takes. Wow, that hurt. He asks questions that shock me... "am I allowed to think of numbers with decimals as money?" WHAT? YES you can THINK ... just THINK... however you want.
Now then, I do know that some of this is Bankers innate rule following, letter of the law, there is no grey only black and white, personality. But, come on, I'm sure he's been told he's not "allowed" to think of things a certain way or not "allowed" to figure out a different way to do a problem so it's not ALL on me!
--MOTHERING MOMENT--
Ok now... were are we? He passed the competency for the overall pretest. Oh wait a minute... I just checked and he's gotten all the questions correct...the calming down effect is working. Little successes go a long way with the Banker. He's not frantic, teary, pissy or on the edge of any precipice. I went in the dining room to stop him thinking I'd made the decision to buy him the pre-algebra (unless he pulls off some colossal mathematical brilliance in there). I want him to be successful right off the bat and he can work through quickly, I don't think he'll be bored, he does have knowledge gaps. I didn't stop him though, he's getting it, slowly, he's thinking and I am not about to stop him.
I'm helping him, not really but directing, a little stroking is really making this so much easier for him. This isn't an exam, it's to place him and if me saying, "are you sure, did you double check your decimal points" helps him work it through, after the biblical level fit this morning, then I think it's the right way to go. This is interesting watching him calm down and work through and sit and think...
THIS is why we do this. I feel very VERY good about the homeschooling decision right now. Life is about thinking and school wasn't letting him think.
On a side note, he discovered the sitting on the couch eating your lunch watching tv moment. Luckily he's a huge fan of Science Channel, Discovery Channel and History so he was watching something I'd call a documentary, way to keep learning, babe!
He ultimately flew through that level competency test and we decided to just stop with the tests. We are going to get him pre-algebra and he can work through as quickly as he is able to to get a good, solid, base for the rest of the programs through this system.
Good plan after a really really bad morning.
It's 11, he's doing the sample pre-algebra lesson online to get a 'feel' for the class and he seems pleased he can answer all the questions so far, easily. He's getting a crazy late start on his regular day but that's the freedom of this, isn't it?
I'm exhausted already, nothing kills you quite like seeing your child on the edge of hysterics and in tears, notwithstanding the cause so I'm just spent for the day. I'm going to order his math program then have a well earned glass of wine.
He's going to work through his "easy" day and then hopefully feel great at the end of it.
Me? I'm really looking forward to our camping trip.
/Tracy
I am on a public school tirade, really, at what point did they tell him he's now ALLOWED to try?
I am trying to find the level for Bankers new math program and he's FREAKING out. There are the weirdest gaps in his math knowledge. He is stumped by a couple really basic 5th grade problems but flying through a couple of really advanced algebra problems. Worst, he's freaking out. Wow.
I knew it would be a challenge to determine the "right" level of math program to buy him based on the competency review pages they gave me but I had no idea. I want to be sure I get this right, get the dummy down version if it's all work he's already done and he'll hate the program because he'll be bored out of his skull but I don't want to get the next level up because, if today's meltdown is any indication, this level of challenge, venturing into totally new ground, will send him off the cliff.
I'm totally and completely gobsmacked at his comments and completely hysterical reaction about facing these problems!
OH WOW, THAT is the problem, he has no skill set to cope with "trying" a problem. He looks and either makes a blanket statement that he knows how to do it or he doesn't.
The meltdown, and I am talking massive, complete, teenage girl in full drama worthy, meltdown is because he "can't" just "try" the problems he doesn't know how to do.
"They didn't TEACH US THAT"!!
"Well, honey, give it your best shot, try to think it out and give your best answer, you might surprise yourself".
"BUT THEY DIDN'T TELL US HOW TO DO THAT" *weep weep*
"hey... this is a just a rough outline so I can see where you are and what you know, your math teachers never gave us any indication of what you were learning. No need to freak out, babe, just go through and see which ones you can figure out"
"But we're not ALLOWED to do that, she said if we don't KNOW how to do it, then skip it" stomp stomp weep weep snarl
Wow, school system, nice job. NOT ALLOWED? to what? TRY??? BITE me.
Ok, we've had a chat, he's washed his face and he's successfully passed the pretest to determine which test he takes. Wow, that hurt. He asks questions that shock me... "am I allowed to think of numbers with decimals as money?" WHAT? YES you can THINK ... just THINK... however you want.
Now then, I do know that some of this is Bankers innate rule following, letter of the law, there is no grey only black and white, personality. But, come on, I'm sure he's been told he's not "allowed" to think of things a certain way or not "allowed" to figure out a different way to do a problem so it's not ALL on me!
--MOTHERING MOMENT--
Ok now... were are we? He passed the competency for the overall pretest. Oh wait a minute... I just checked and he's gotten all the questions correct...the calming down effect is working. Little successes go a long way with the Banker. He's not frantic, teary, pissy or on the edge of any precipice. I went in the dining room to stop him thinking I'd made the decision to buy him the pre-algebra (unless he pulls off some colossal mathematical brilliance in there). I want him to be successful right off the bat and he can work through quickly, I don't think he'll be bored, he does have knowledge gaps. I didn't stop him though, he's getting it, slowly, he's thinking and I am not about to stop him.
I'm helping him, not really but directing, a little stroking is really making this so much easier for him. This isn't an exam, it's to place him and if me saying, "are you sure, did you double check your decimal points" helps him work it through, after the biblical level fit this morning, then I think it's the right way to go. This is interesting watching him calm down and work through and sit and think...
THIS is why we do this. I feel very VERY good about the homeschooling decision right now. Life is about thinking and school wasn't letting him think.
On a side note, he discovered the sitting on the couch eating your lunch watching tv moment. Luckily he's a huge fan of Science Channel, Discovery Channel and History so he was watching something I'd call a documentary, way to keep learning, babe!
He ultimately flew through that level competency test and we decided to just stop with the tests. We are going to get him pre-algebra and he can work through as quickly as he is able to to get a good, solid, base for the rest of the programs through this system.
Good plan after a really really bad morning.
It's 11, he's doing the sample pre-algebra lesson online to get a 'feel' for the class and he seems pleased he can answer all the questions so far, easily. He's getting a crazy late start on his regular day but that's the freedom of this, isn't it?
I'm exhausted already, nothing kills you quite like seeing your child on the edge of hysterics and in tears, notwithstanding the cause so I'm just spent for the day. I'm going to order his math program then have a well earned glass of wine.
He's going to work through his "easy" day and then hopefully feel great at the end of it.
Me? I'm really looking forward to our camping trip.
/Tracy
Monday, March 5, 2012
Day Twenty Seven
My day started great. Hubba came upstairs with coffee for me. The best coffee is the cup you don't ask for but is merely delivered before you even come downstairs in the morning. Just when I'm feeling "off" because I don't feel like he likes anything I make, do, cook or create (he certainly doesn't dole compliments of any kind to me or Banker). BUT then first he plunks down a pile of old jeans and asks for another denim quilt (I made us one a while back), arrives home after a day of golfing with dinner and then coffee this morning. Dastardly :-)
But, I digress.
The Banker came downstairs bright eyed and bushy tailed. He started working then asked for my internationally famous and totally delicious gigantic order of powdered sugared french toast made from super thick slices of the homemade bread. I complied of course. He got back into work and proceeded to have a mental breakdown over rough feet. REALLY? We are frantic about feet? You can't work because of it? I wonder sometimes if the preteen angst is academic or hormonal driven. It's difficult when two things happen (and change) simultaneously. I hate having to put on my mother-hat during school but he's old enough and there's no confusion there. You will NOT stomp past me and you will NOT made a snide comment to yourself when I've given an answer. You don't do that to your teacher OR your mother. *we had a chat, we'll see if his mood improves.
That drama over, we hope. My thoughts wander.
The time is sort of flying by. I can't believe it's day 27 already. I will admit I feel less sick and more confident every day. Heart sick not cough cough sick.
I love that I have the plans done ahead of time for the week so Banker can come downstairs, grab his weekly folder and get stuck into the work head of him. I like the idea of getting the schedule on some sort of spread sheet instead of a word, page per day, document. I think a spreadsheet type (my friend did one and I lusted after it) is more streamlined and "professional" but the Word, 6 page/wk, document leaves room for daily review and comments and areas for him to update information and futz workloads. I'll have to keep thinking about it.
Even though I said I wasn't going to think about school this weekend, I did of course. I spoke to another home school friend who also uses Math-U-See and was happy with it. So, even though I was pretty confident in my plan to use it next year (actually the end of this year), it's sort of been continually confirmed by iindependent sources, of moms I trust, so that makes me happier that my decision is a good one.
Speaking of plans, there are going to be a lot of changes when we come back from our camping trip next week. I have been so concerned about an educational gap that I have completely overcompensated by adding courses, classes and information without doing any vetting of that which was already in place.
I am not doing any change until we come back, a natural break and all that. I am going to reduce his course number by half but increase the amount of work in each subject he does. I still have him working through the math, history, and English he was doing in public school yet I added math, history/social studies, English, language arts, grammar and physics. Really? I know, I know. Well, scrap that, I know NOW. I needed the month learning curve to be sure I was confident enough, as was he, in the work he is doing.
I am going to reset us to ONE course per subject, some bought, some free;
As quickly as the crisis came on, it seems to have passed. Banker is laughing, singing and generally back to his "happy in his heart" self. There's few things so joyful as a 12 yr old making up songs to a pre-algebra work page. HAHAHAHA Oh and by the way, they're terrible! hahahahahaha
Any day that has this kind of laughter built into it simply has to end up in the good column.
/Tracy
But, I digress.
The Banker came downstairs bright eyed and bushy tailed. He started working then asked for my internationally famous and totally delicious gigantic order of powdered sugared french toast made from super thick slices of the homemade bread. I complied of course. He got back into work and proceeded to have a mental breakdown over rough feet. REALLY? We are frantic about feet? You can't work because of it? I wonder sometimes if the preteen angst is academic or hormonal driven. It's difficult when two things happen (and change) simultaneously. I hate having to put on my mother-hat during school but he's old enough and there's no confusion there. You will NOT stomp past me and you will NOT made a snide comment to yourself when I've given an answer. You don't do that to your teacher OR your mother. *we had a chat, we'll see if his mood improves.
That drama over, we hope. My thoughts wander.
The time is sort of flying by. I can't believe it's day 27 already. I will admit I feel less sick and more confident every day. Heart sick not cough cough sick.
I love that I have the plans done ahead of time for the week so Banker can come downstairs, grab his weekly folder and get stuck into the work head of him. I like the idea of getting the schedule on some sort of spread sheet instead of a word, page per day, document. I think a spreadsheet type (my friend did one and I lusted after it) is more streamlined and "professional" but the Word, 6 page/wk, document leaves room for daily review and comments and areas for him to update information and futz workloads. I'll have to keep thinking about it.
Even though I said I wasn't going to think about school this weekend, I did of course. I spoke to another home school friend who also uses Math-U-See and was happy with it. So, even though I was pretty confident in my plan to use it next year (actually the end of this year), it's sort of been continually confirmed by iindependent sources, of moms I trust, so that makes me happier that my decision is a good one.
Speaking of plans, there are going to be a lot of changes when we come back from our camping trip next week. I have been so concerned about an educational gap that I have completely overcompensated by adding courses, classes and information without doing any vetting of that which was already in place.
I am not doing any change until we come back, a natural break and all that. I am going to reduce his course number by half but increase the amount of work in each subject he does. I still have him working through the math, history, and English he was doing in public school yet I added math, history/social studies, English, language arts, grammar and physics. Really? I know, I know. Well, scrap that, I know NOW. I needed the month learning curve to be sure I was confident enough, as was he, in the work he is doing.
I am going to reset us to ONE course per subject, some bought, some free;
- Science (free, NASA/Khan *which is my favorite site of all time)
- Physics (free, Physics classroom)
- Math (bought, Math-U-See)
- English (bought, T4L)
- Social studies (bought, T4L + add on free online review from his history book)
- Latin (subscription bought, Cambridge Latin)
- Grammar (free, Grammar101)
- Typing (free, typing web)
- Literature (free, reading classic and writing me an essay )
- Geo-caching (with friends)
- Canoe/kayak trip downtown Austin (might invite friends)
- Houston Museum (Titanic) (3 family (7 child) road trip with an overnight hotel for fun!)
- NASA (maybe, we've already been one)
- The Alamo (Texas history, baby)
- Wrath of the Titans movie (Latin references of course!)
- Hunger Games movie (he read the series)
- Blanton Art Museum
As quickly as the crisis came on, it seems to have passed. Banker is laughing, singing and generally back to his "happy in his heart" self. There's few things so joyful as a 12 yr old making up songs to a pre-algebra work page. HAHAHAHA Oh and by the way, they're terrible! hahahahahaha
Any day that has this kind of laughter built into it simply has to end up in the good column.
/Tracy
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Day Twenty Five and Twenty Six (weekend)
No school.
No planning.
No fretting.
No grading.
No thinking about school or anything having to do with school.
I'm not going to worry about school.
I'm not going to worry about breaking anybody.
We are thinking about camping, we go in a week.
/Tracy
No planning.
No fretting.
No grading.
No thinking about school or anything having to do with school.
I'm not going to worry about school.
I'm not going to worry about breaking anybody.
We are thinking about camping, we go in a week.
/Tracy
Friday, March 2, 2012
Day Twenty Four
I woke up with a start in the wee hours, dreaming the Banker was sobbing, "Mom, please, I hate homeschooling, I haven't got any friends, I'm lonely!"
I don't know what brought it on but there was no way on earth I was going back to sleep. I lay there and stared at the ceiling for a couple of hours then I got up and it's wrecked my whole day.
He seems happy enough today but I'm staring at him wondering...sort of like when you have that dream that your husband moves out to go live with some firmbodied blonde (or is that just me) and I wonder all day what I don't know.
Banker seems happy enough today. He is currently working on a Sudoku puzzle, humming and singing. That's happy, right? He's so linear. I thought having him do one (easy!) every once in a while would shake him up and makes him think outside the box, or boxes as the case may be! HAHA See, even frantic I crack me up. He's struggling with it and getting really annoyed, this is a good plan, he needs to have to work for something that doesn't come quite so easy as most of the other work he does. Who'd have thought it'd be a puzzle that drove him mad.
He flew through his work this morning then gave me a complete lecture on acceleration, speed and time as it pertains to two cars travelling on either a flat or on a slope. *I glazed over but nodded at the appropriate times I'm sure". He loves so much of what he's learning. It's so satisfying to hear him humm and sing and explain it all to me at the end of the day or while we are driving to the store or while I'm in the bathroom, through the door. It's all knowledge to be shared of course!
That being said, I have known for a long time that he hasn't been really challenged. He's managed to get away with not working very hard at all. Lowest common denominator at public school and all that. "Mom, I read comics on the couch during math/english/science/social studies while the rest of the class finished their stuff". It has been very very interesting watching him have his butt kicked by this puzzle. He hasn't done these before ... it's quite the experiment watch him change how he thinks. Outside the straight line kiddo. He's struggling and succeeding simultaneously; fascinating. He got so incredibly frustrated that he didn't finish it in record time, he just offered to do ANYthing other than have to finish the puzzle. I like seeing him have to work for it.
I do realize that being freaked out and suddenly panicked that you've ruined your child's life and happiness based on a dream is insane, just so we're clear, I do know it. Knowing you're completely mad and changing it are two completely different things so I'm stuck in this manic space today.
We are going on vacation next Friday, to New Mexico, to camp in the desert. I'm really looking forward to it, we both need the break. We have both been working really hard. We have seen more people during the week than we ever have so why did I dream he was so very very unhappy.
I'm not going to overthink it, overworry it or even worse, talk to him about it. You ask someone too many times if they are happy and they'll start to be very very UNhappy about it. It's like being asked 'are you ok'? after a while you aren't.
We usually go to happy hour on Friday's with friends but I'm going to blow it off this week. Doesn't really make sense to NOT go spend time with friends and kids and tequila but I feel we need to change it up a bit. I may rent a chick flick or something trashy on pay per view and I'm going to let Banker get on his Xbox and headset and blow the smithereens out of monsters with his friends. Maybe he needs to blow off some steam with 12 year old boys and make crude almost dirty jokes, "you said you're going to spatchcock the chicken *snicker snicker*" all the while killing off aliens in an online mob. Ahhhh, sweet childhood.
I'm going to have a cocktail here now, happy hour at my house at 11:58, rebel :) We are both in jammies and intend on staying that way. I'm hoping my feeling of dread passes and the fact a stupid dream can mess me up also passes. Truly, I'm not bipolar, I just find it hard to be my own cheering section and yes, I can be messed up by a dream, a look or by having to constantly and perpetually ask for validation at my own house, although I dole them out, compliments or kudos don't happen here for me. I'll admit, today I am back on the "are we sure I'm not going to break him?" bandwagon, but maybe not quite so squarely as I have been. Stupid dream.
/Tracy
I don't know what brought it on but there was no way on earth I was going back to sleep. I lay there and stared at the ceiling for a couple of hours then I got up and it's wrecked my whole day.
He seems happy enough today but I'm staring at him wondering...sort of like when you have that dream that your husband moves out to go live with some firmbodied blonde (or is that just me) and I wonder all day what I don't know.
Banker seems happy enough today. He is currently working on a Sudoku puzzle, humming and singing. That's happy, right? He's so linear. I thought having him do one (easy!) every once in a while would shake him up and makes him think outside the box, or boxes as the case may be! HAHA See, even frantic I crack me up. He's struggling with it and getting really annoyed, this is a good plan, he needs to have to work for something that doesn't come quite so easy as most of the other work he does. Who'd have thought it'd be a puzzle that drove him mad.
He flew through his work this morning then gave me a complete lecture on acceleration, speed and time as it pertains to two cars travelling on either a flat or on a slope. *I glazed over but nodded at the appropriate times I'm sure". He loves so much of what he's learning. It's so satisfying to hear him humm and sing and explain it all to me at the end of the day or while we are driving to the store or while I'm in the bathroom, through the door. It's all knowledge to be shared of course!
That being said, I have known for a long time that he hasn't been really challenged. He's managed to get away with not working very hard at all. Lowest common denominator at public school and all that. "Mom, I read comics on the couch during math/english/science/social studies while the rest of the class finished their stuff". It has been very very interesting watching him have his butt kicked by this puzzle. He hasn't done these before ... it's quite the experiment watch him change how he thinks. Outside the straight line kiddo. He's struggling and succeeding simultaneously; fascinating. He got so incredibly frustrated that he didn't finish it in record time, he just offered to do ANYthing other than have to finish the puzzle. I like seeing him have to work for it.
I do realize that being freaked out and suddenly panicked that you've ruined your child's life and happiness based on a dream is insane, just so we're clear, I do know it. Knowing you're completely mad and changing it are two completely different things so I'm stuck in this manic space today.
We are going on vacation next Friday, to New Mexico, to camp in the desert. I'm really looking forward to it, we both need the break. We have both been working really hard. We have seen more people during the week than we ever have so why did I dream he was so very very unhappy.
I'm not going to overthink it, overworry it or even worse, talk to him about it. You ask someone too many times if they are happy and they'll start to be very very UNhappy about it. It's like being asked 'are you ok'? after a while you aren't.
We usually go to happy hour on Friday's with friends but I'm going to blow it off this week. Doesn't really make sense to NOT go spend time with friends and kids and tequila but I feel we need to change it up a bit. I may rent a chick flick or something trashy on pay per view and I'm going to let Banker get on his Xbox and headset and blow the smithereens out of monsters with his friends. Maybe he needs to blow off some steam with 12 year old boys and make crude almost dirty jokes, "you said you're going to spatchcock the chicken *snicker snicker*" all the while killing off aliens in an online mob. Ahhhh, sweet childhood.
I'm going to have a cocktail here now, happy hour at my house at 11:58, rebel :) We are both in jammies and intend on staying that way. I'm hoping my feeling of dread passes and the fact a stupid dream can mess me up also passes. Truly, I'm not bipolar, I just find it hard to be my own cheering section and yes, I can be messed up by a dream, a look or by having to constantly and perpetually ask for validation at my own house, although I dole them out, compliments or kudos don't happen here for me. I'll admit, today I am back on the "are we sure I'm not going to break him?" bandwagon, but maybe not quite so squarely as I have been. Stupid dream.
/Tracy
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Day Twenty Three
Well, well, well. Today is the first official due date of a long term project. On home school day number one, I assigned a book and told Banker he was now taking an English Literature class which was one book, every 3 weeks, and one, 2 page (single spaced) book report which answered one of 12 questions supplied. No question could be answered more than one time. One book, one question, 2 pages. Simple.
Well, simple until he realized the March 1 due date was TODAY! He looked at me and I saw him thinking about pushing it back, asking for an extension, pulling, "but you're my MOM", anything to delay it. I smiled and supplied a preemptive, "don't ask me, sweetheart, a due date is a due date, you knew 3 weeks ago. If you'd needed an extension, you should have asked last week". It's due today, before bed. Then I went and made him his favorite beaten biscuits. He was delighted and horrified all at the same time, that's sweet.
He hadn't thought about the paper due date when he moved the work from yesterday to today. I did assure him he only has one day wiggle room. No moving Wednesday work to Thursday then to Friday, we have some rules here at Casa Williams.
He's worked it. He asked me numerous times to preview his opening, I refused. I want a final product. I did promise to critique it with my red pen, He liked the idea of a solid critique better than "just a check saying I did it". Oh, worry not, my pet, I'm all over it.
I cooked, made a menu for the week and went to do the grocery shopping while he worked this morning. It was cool yet odd. I sort of went hungry but that's another story for another blog so I ended up with random items but it was great to dash out. I've not been able to run out to the store for 7 years, mid day I mean. I had to shop on the drive either to or from school, either with or without him in tow. I liked the 10am store run. Yes, I liked it a lot.
I decided I am going to buy him the online Latin course at Cambridge. It's the book he was working through at school and really enjoys it. It makes more sense than jumping into a different Latin course and he can just continue to work through it. It's reasonable and he likes it. Bonus. New tense, I bought it, he's delighted. We will bump Latin from once to twice a week now. Happy Banker.
Now, he is all over me because I haven't gone through the check work folder and commented. I get that he needs comments, he needs to be sure this is the real deal, that I care, that it matters. I get that. Now, I have a red pen, it'll be more official looking for him. *grin*
I liked today, I liked the flow, the work and the plan. I liked the attitude and the feel of the work today. He is upstairs finished the regular day work and then he said he'll come down and work on the essay for me. I intend on cutting him no slack whatsoever on this one. I feel it's like the math question of last week, a test, I'm going to be brutal. He'll love it, trust me.
I am going to sit with my glass of wine, my red pen and all the work he's completed in a few minutes. I'm going to check, comment and grade. Then I'm going to cook him a killer dinner, because I cook, and it's going to be great. The food and the work.
/Tracy
Well, simple until he realized the March 1 due date was TODAY! He looked at me and I saw him thinking about pushing it back, asking for an extension, pulling, "but you're my MOM", anything to delay it. I smiled and supplied a preemptive, "don't ask me, sweetheart, a due date is a due date, you knew 3 weeks ago. If you'd needed an extension, you should have asked last week". It's due today, before bed. Then I went and made him his favorite beaten biscuits. He was delighted and horrified all at the same time, that's sweet.
He hadn't thought about the paper due date when he moved the work from yesterday to today. I did assure him he only has one day wiggle room. No moving Wednesday work to Thursday then to Friday, we have some rules here at Casa Williams.
He's worked it. He asked me numerous times to preview his opening, I refused. I want a final product. I did promise to critique it with my red pen, He liked the idea of a solid critique better than "just a check saying I did it". Oh, worry not, my pet, I'm all over it.
I cooked, made a menu for the week and went to do the grocery shopping while he worked this morning. It was cool yet odd. I sort of went hungry but that's another story for another blog so I ended up with random items but it was great to dash out. I've not been able to run out to the store for 7 years, mid day I mean. I had to shop on the drive either to or from school, either with or without him in tow. I liked the 10am store run. Yes, I liked it a lot.
I decided I am going to buy him the online Latin course at Cambridge. It's the book he was working through at school and really enjoys it. It makes more sense than jumping into a different Latin course and he can just continue to work through it. It's reasonable and he likes it. Bonus. New tense, I bought it, he's delighted. We will bump Latin from once to twice a week now. Happy Banker.
Now, he is all over me because I haven't gone through the check work folder and commented. I get that he needs comments, he needs to be sure this is the real deal, that I care, that it matters. I get that. Now, I have a red pen, it'll be more official looking for him. *grin*
I liked today, I liked the flow, the work and the plan. I liked the attitude and the feel of the work today. He is upstairs finished the regular day work and then he said he'll come down and work on the essay for me. I intend on cutting him no slack whatsoever on this one. I feel it's like the math question of last week, a test, I'm going to be brutal. He'll love it, trust me.
I am going to sit with my glass of wine, my red pen and all the work he's completed in a few minutes. I'm going to check, comment and grade. Then I'm going to cook him a killer dinner, because I cook, and it's going to be great. The food and the work.
/Tracy
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