Homeschool Chat Part III

[bellebud]

Wish I'd known what to call it! Back when I was an English teacher in a public school, I set up files for each student so they could work at their own pace. Once a week, we had a general class time, but the other 4 days, we used the file system and each student got personal time from me as needed. Some kids just whizzed through on their own and were able to use the balance of class time for study hall while others needed that one-on-one. What was nice was that I was also able to have a single history student (the history teacher hated him and there wasn't another certified history teacher) and give him the attention he needed to succeed.

Along those same lines, I was (and still am) also adamant about my students using a 3 ring binder and keeping it organized. I attended a seminar once that demonstrated that students who could keep themselves organized with a binder did much better in school and on into life, leading to utilizing time management skills. We also love the Flylady system (www.flylady.net) and each DD has set up her own "control journal" in her binder. They tweak it as they learn what does and doesn't work for them, but Flylady has been a blessing to our home for MANY years.

I am all about having kids be self-reliant and self-motivated by natural consequences. That's how it works in the real world. If I miss my deadline, I could lose my job. If I don't go to work, I don't get paid. I don't have my boss watching over me to make sure I did my work for the day nor does he call me at home to remind me to come to work. I used to tell my students that school was their "job" and their paycheck came quarterly in the form of grades. They earned the grade, I did NOT give it to them. I don't know how many times I had to reiterate that to students and parents. "Why did you give Johnny a D???" "I didn't, Johnny EARNED a D"

What an amazing teacher you were!!! I wish schools would do something like this. The kids would all be so much better off!! How lucky for the students who had you!

 

[MissNurse]

DH and I went to the superintendent's office this morning and filed the forms to start homeschooling. AR requires you to wait 14 days before taking the kids out of school if you take them out during the semester. I'm not really sure why, but they do. Anyway, we will begin our adventure in two weeks! Got curriculum ordered and on the way! At least I have some time to get prepared!

 

[kimmyann]

Hello again everyone! I posted on here at the beginning of the year in regards to homeschooling my son. We did it & now he is in the high school this school year & doing fine. I am on here again because I'm thinking of homeschooling my youngest DD, but am planning for this to be a long term decision & for different reasons then my DS. My son actually opened my eyes to homeschooling & ever since I have been open to it. Now, I actually just typed a long post & somehow erased all of it before I posted, so this one will be shorter & to the point more since I just did it.

Anyway, my DD is actually begging me to homeschool her. She switched schools this year (to her home school, so she could go to school with the neighborhood kids) & it started off great. She loves learning & has always loved school, until now. She is in the gifted class as she was last year, but it is done different a bit because the class is mixed & not exclusively gifted, the gifted resource teacher comes once a week. This class also has switch teachers, so they change classes each day. She is bored to death. She says that she just sits there waiting until other students get help & finish their work. She also says that the teachers yell & are mean to the kids alot. She feels uncomfortable that they act this way & doesn't understand why. Friday she came home crying because of the teacher (she has been crying every night for the past week) They were supposed to pick a folder from a box so she picked a red one & was walking away when a boy comes up to her & tries taking her folder. The teacher comes up to her & snatches it out of her hands & hands it to the boy. The teacher then says to her, "just let him have that one, you go get another". I think she was totally shocked because she has always been a good student, never gotten in trouble, so for a teacher to talk to her like that when she did nothing wrong really upset her. I just feel that I'm not sending my kid to school to be treated like this & to be bored all day. I have two other kids that have been in public school since kindergarten & never realized anything about homeschooling until this past year with my son. The more I see with public school the less I like it. It just seems things are getting worse & if she's wanting me to homeschool her & I am willing then we should do it.

So, I need some advice on curriculum. I know that I want a put together set that is already layed out for us to follow. I really like the A Beka, but the price is a turn off especially that you have to purchase the student & teacher set separately. I have also looked into My Father's Word, but am worried that their 3rd grade level may be "boring" to her. Which I could always add to it I guess to give her more challange with it. Any suggestions or experience with sets would be great. I am also willing to mix it up a bit, but not much, atleast not yet. I know some have good reviews of Math U See. Anyway, any help would be great. Also, another issue with my final decision is that I do work. I drive a school bus, but it gives me great flexability with my days. I am home for the most part of all of the middle of the day so I'm figuring on doing any instruction during that period. She can go with me to work (which she already goes anyway so she is used to it) so she can bring books, worksheets, & even a laptop with some learning games to occupy her while we have down time. It would also giver her a chance to mingle with others that she already knows. So, I think this will work out well.

 

[southern_redhead]

Also, another issue with my final decision is that I do work. I drive a school bus, but it gives me great flexability with my days. I am home for the most part of all of the middle of the day so I'm figuring on doing any instruction during that period. She can go with me to work (which she already goes anyway so she is used to it) so she can bring books, worksheets, & even a laptop with some learning games to occupy her while we have down time. It would also giver her a chance to mingle with others that she already knows. So, I think this will work out well.

Hi. I've never posted on the thread before, but I've been lurking. I can identify with your post so well. I, too, work in the school system (though, I am not a teacher.) It is a real eye opener, isn't it? I have said many times that, I think, by working in the school "I see too much." I see all of the senselss behavior issues and the way the teachers/adminstrators hands have been tied in dealing with them. I see how much of the school day is wasted, I know that my kids could be doing so much more if they weren't tied to a computer "pointing and clicking" through silly things like AR and the like. I love that there are educational programs that can be utilized but we have become reliant on them, so much so that kids can't even "write" very well anymore. Creativity has been thrown out the window. My children would do very well being taught with heavy use of manipulatives, projects, field trips to places like zoos and museums that would give them "living" reinforcement of what we are studying. That just isn't happenening in PS. We used to go on field trips quite often. We went to a local battlefield, to Indian mounds, etc... Now, we are cut down to one field trip a year and it is usually a current movie because the theater cuts a deal on price. I get it, we, as a district, have no money. It doesn't make me feel any better about sending my kids to school, though. They are still spending the majority of their waking day tied to a desk and bubbling in worksheets, sitting at a computer, and being drilled on memorization (which, for two of my children is like telling them to breathe undewater. Their systems just aren't designed to work that way.) Even PE has been stripped from them. "Free play" has been reduced to a minimum because we now have "fitness standards" that they must be tested on. Running laps in under a certain time, acheiving a set number of pull ups, sit ups, pushups.... So much for the whole learning to play together and use their imaginations.

My biggest issue is behavior. It's like your DD having the folder taken from her and getting a snippy comment. It's likely the teacher wasn't mad at your DD, that student might be one of those kids who "has to have" a certain color folder, or spot on the circle rug, or whatever and the teacher has been told to, or learned to on her own, comply with his every whim/phobia to reduce melt downs. She may be frustrated by that student and popped off to your daughter while "in the moment". Many times, in our school, these "melt downs" are horrific. These children have very real problems, I won't deny it. I just don't think my children need a first row seat to their outbursts. I've seen it on other threads as well. Well behaved students being expected to give in for the sake of peace. Or, worse, being used as "peer tutors" for behavior. How many well behaved, quiet students have been forced to sit in a group setting with behavior problems in hopes that their good behavior will "wear off on the others"? I know it happened to me as a child, I spent a miserable third grade year sitting with THREE boys that needed attitude adjustments. I don't mean three consecutively, I mean AT ONCE, as a group. Talk about being bullied. When I finally fell apart and had cried one too many times over it, my mother went to the teacher and was told how sorry she was, that she just hoped I would be a good influence. I see it in a less extreme fashion with my own kids and peers. Being told to "ignore" other children's threats and bullying, having a class blamed as a whole when a teacher can't control a student or group of students within the class. As a dear friend says, "We are letting the inmates run the asylum."

I have to say this: I love probably 90% of the people who teach/work in our district. They are good people. We have loving, caring administators for the most part. Our Board of Education is strong. That said, their hands are tied by what we've that to which we've let public education be reduced. All we hear about are test scores, placement, our "grades" as a school. All of these things are doled out by people who never set foot in our school. Who don't see the big picture, don't realize what the staff is dealing with above and beyond the academic side of school. Also, I feel that we are cramming the academics down the students throats. What I did in 7th grade is now being introduced, in a watered down version, to my first grader. I very much doubt that my school was a "target" school when I was a student. Possibly because we weren't trying to teach children things that they weren't yet ready to grasp. We (as a whole, not just "we" as a school) are teaching so far above what these children are really ready for and then we wonder why they fail so miserably on the testing.

I have really been pushing my DH to make some changes so we can give homeschooling a try. The big hang up is that I carry our health insurance. It seems so sad to me to throw away my children's formative years over INSURANCE.......

 

[MWGreene]

Hi. I've never posted on the thread before, but I've been lurking. I can identify with your post so well. I, too, work in the school system (though, I am not a teacher.) It is a real eye opener, isn't it? I have said many times that, I think, by working in the school "I see too much." I see all of the senselss behavior issues and the way the teachers/adminstrators hands have been tied in dealing with them. I see how much of the school day is wasted, I know that my kids could be doing so much more if they weren't tied to a computer "pointing and clicking" through silly things like AR and the like. I love that there are educational programs that can be utilized but we have become reliant on them, so much so that kids can't even "write" very well anymore. Creativity has been thrown out the window. My children would do very well being taught with heavy use of manipulatives, projects, field trips to places like zoos and museums that would give them "living" reinforcement of what we are studying. That just isn't happenening in PS. We used to go on field trips quite often. We went to a local battlefield, to Indian mounds, etc... Now, we are cut down to one field trip a year and it is usually a current movie because the theater cuts a deal on price. I get it, we, as a district, have no money. It doesn't make me feel any better about sending my kids to school, though. They are still spending the majority of their waking day tied to a desk and bubbling in worksheets, sitting at a computer, and being drilled on memorization (which, for two of my children is like telling them to breathe undewater. Their systems just aren't designed to work that way.) Even PE has been stripped from them. "Free play" has been reduced to a minimum because we now have "fitness standards" that they must be tested on. Running laps in under a certain time, acheiving a set number of pull ups, sit ups, pushups.... So much for the whole learning to play together and use their imaginations.

My biggest issue is behavior. It's like your DD having the folder taken from her and getting a snippy comment. It's likely the teacher wasn't mad at your DD, that student might be one of those kids who "has to have" a certain color folder, or spot on the circle rug, or whatever and the teacher has been told to, or learned to on her own, comply with his every whim/phobia to reduce melt downs. She may be frustrated by that student and popped off to your daughter while "in the moment". Many times, in our school, these "melt downs" are horrific. These children have very real problems, I won't deny it. I just don't think my children need a first row seat to their outbursts. I've seen it on other threads as well. Well behaved students being expected to give in for the sake of peace. Or, worse, being used as "peer tutors" for behavior. How many well behaved, quiet students have been forced to sit in a group setting with behavior problems in hopes that their good behavior will "wear off on the others"? I know it happened to me as a child, I spent a miserable third grade year sitting with THREE boys that needed attitude adjustments. I don't mean three consecutively, I mean AT ONCE, as a group. Talk about being bullied. When I finally fell apart and had cried one too many times over it, my mother went to the teacher and was told how sorry she was, that she just hoped I would be a good influence. I see it in a less extreme fashion with my own kids and peers. Being told to "ignore" other children's threats and bullying, having a class blamed as a whole when a teacher can't control a student or group of students within the class. As a dear friend says, "We are letting the inmates run the asylum."

I have to say this: I love probably 90% of the people who teach/work in our district. They are good people. We have loving, caring administators for the most part. Our Board of Education is strong. That said, their hands are tied by what we've that to which we've let public education be reduced. All we hear about are test scores, placement, our "grades" as a school. All of these things are doled out by people who never set foot in our school. Who don't see the big picture, don't realize what the staff is dealing with above and beyond the academic side of school. Also, I feel that we are cramming the academics down the students throats. What I did in 7th grade is now being introduced, in a watered down version, to my first grader. I very much doubt that my school was a "target" school when I was a student. Possibly because we weren't trying to teach children things that they weren't yet ready to grasp. We (as a whole, not just "we" as a school) are teaching so far above what these children are really ready for and then we wonder why they fail so miserably on the testing.

I have really been pushing my DH to make some changes so we can give homeschooling a try. The big hang up is that I carry our health insurance. It seems so sad to me to throw away my children's formative years over INSURANCE.......

Words cannot express how very well you wrote that post. Absolutely true and one of my biggest motivations for homeschooling. Thank you!

 

[lovethattink]

Hello again everyone! I posted on here at the beginning of the year in regards to homeschooling my son. We did it & now he is in the high school this school year & doing fine. I am on here again because I'm thinking of homeschooling my youngest DD, but am planning for this to be a long term decision & for different reasons then my DS. My son actually opened my eyes to homeschooling & ever since I have been open to it. Now, I actually just typed a long post & somehow erased all of it before I posted, so this one will be shorter & to the point more since I just did it.

Anyway, my DD is actually begging me to homeschool her. She switched schools this year (to her home school, so she could go to school with the neighborhood kids) & it started off great. She loves learning & has always loved school, until now. She is in the gifted class as she was last year, but it is done different a bit because the class is mixed & not exclusively gifted, the gifted resource teacher comes once a week. This class also has switch teachers, so they change classes each day. She is bored to death. She says that she just sits there waiting until other students get help & finish their work. She also says that the teachers yell & are mean to the kids alot. She feels uncomfortable that they act this way & doesn't understand why. Friday she came home crying because of the teacher (she has been crying every night for the past week) They were supposed to pick a folder from a box so she picked a red one & was walking away when a boy comes up to her & tries taking her folder. The teacher comes up to her & snatches it out of her hands & hands it to the boy. The teacher then says to her, "just let him have that one, you go get another". I think she was totally shocked because she has always been a good student, never gotten in trouble, so for a teacher to talk to her like that when she did nothing wrong really upset her. I just feel that I'm not sending my kid to school to be treated like this & to be bored all day. I have two other kids that have been in public school since kindergarten & never realized anything about homeschooling until this past year with my son. The more I see with public school the less I like it. It just seems things are getting worse & if she's wanting me to homeschool her & I am willing then we should do it.

So, I need some advice on curriculum. I know that I want a put together set that is already layed out for us to follow. I really like the A Beka, but the price is a turn off especially that you have to purchase the student & teacher set separately. I have also looked into My Father's Word, but am worried that their 3rd grade level may be "boring" to her. Which I could always add to it I guess to give her more challange with it. Any suggestions or experience with sets would be great. I am also willing to mix it up a bit, but not much, atleast not yet. I know some have good reviews of Math U See. Anyway, any help would be great. Also, another issue with my final decision is that I do work. I drive a school bus, but it gives me great flexability with my days. I am home for the most part of all of the middle of the day so I'm figuring on doing any instruction during that period. She can go with me to work (which she already goes anyway so she is used to it) so she can bring books, worksheets, & even a laptop with some learning games to occupy her while we have down time. It would also giver her a chance to mingle with others that she already knows. So, I think this will work out well.

Have you looked into the Abeka DVD program? The teacher's manuals and the student books are included. We didn't have to purchase separate flash cards because what's needed for home is included on the DVD, though they did mail some flashcards. You can also have them keep track of grades at no extra charge. To get info and pricing for the dvd, you have to go to Abeka Academy http://www.abekaacademy.org/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

We keep track of the grades ourselves.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Kimmyann....there are lots of options..especially if you are open to mixing & matching some of your Curr. We use Teaching Textbooks and we just looove it! You can go at your own pace and move up as soon as you are ready...I am sure you could find some that a family no longer needs for a good price...Alpha Omega has a good set of programs also...they started a new online set of curr the last year of so called Monarch..it's like the Switched On Schoolhouse but it's not dvds, it is all online, so you can do it ANYWHERE!! Check out Christianbook.com too or Rainbow resources just to see what else is available.... I agree with all that you said- I think you are doing the right thing.

Southern Redhead...I agree with you 100% also!! And I feel your pain over the insurance deal--should they be put in an unhealthy environment so as not to sacrifice health ins.? I hope you can find a way to bring them home if you feel this is what y'all need!

 

[kimmyann]

Or, worse, being used as "peer tutors" for behavior.
"We are letting the inmates run the asylum.".

I have really been pushing my DH to make some changes so we can give homeschooling a try. The big hang up is that I carry our health insurance. It seems so sad to me to throw away my children's formative years over INSURANCE.......

I hope you can figure something out with the insurance. I am in the same boat, I carry myself & the children on my policy. I also agree with everything you posted. My DD has been used as a peer tutor since kindergarten. I see all kinds of things in the schools everyday (especially to & from). I also see how schools really have their hands tied because they have allowed, over time many things to become exceptable or tolerated. Now they have a massive problem because they can't deal with it the correct way because now the parents expect their child to be respected & not to have their rights to express themselves taken away so they can behave anyway they please. In turn, the good kids are getting stepped on & pushed back to give the bad kids "rights". Unfortunately, this seems to be happening in society as a whole, but I don't have to send my kid away seven hours a day to be treated bad.

Have you looked into the Abeka DVD program? The teacher's manuals and the student books are included. We didn't have to purchase separate flash cards because what's needed for home is included on the DVD, though they did mail some flashcards. You can also have them keep track of grades at no extra charge. To get info and pricing for the dvd, you have to go to Abeka Academy http://www.abekaacademy.org/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

We keep track of the grades ourselves.

I did look at this & it seems a bit more structured then I would want. I want the freedom to be able to spend more time on things she is really interested in. Thanks.

Kimmyann....there are lots of options..especially if you are open to mixing & matching some of your Curr. We use Teaching Textbooks and we just looove it! You can go at your own pace and move up as soon as you are ready...I am sure you could find some that a family no longer needs for a good price...Alpha Omega has a good set of programs also...they started a new online set of curr the last year of so called Monarch..it's like the Switched On Schoolhouse but it's not dvds, it is all online, so you can do it ANYWHERE!! Check out Christianbook.com too or Rainbow resources just to see what else is available.... I agree with all that you said- I think you are doing the right thing.

Southern Redhead...I agree with you 100% also!! And I feel your pain over the insurance deal--should they be put in an unhealthy environment so as not to sacrifice health ins.? I hope you can find a way to bring them home if you feel this is what y'all need!

Thanks, I will be checking these things out this week. It popped in my head to check Amazon, but I'm not sure what kinds of things they would have.

 

[MissNurse]

Hi. I've never posted on the thread before, but I've been lurking. I can identify with your post so well. I, too, work in the school system (though, I am not a teacher.) It is a real eye opener, isn't it? I have said many times that, I think, by working in the school "I see too much." I see all of the senselss behavior issues and the way the teachers/adminstrators hands have been tied in dealing with them. I see how much of the school day is wasted, I know that my kids could be doing so much more if they weren't tied to a computer "pointing and clicking" through silly things like AR and the like. I love that there are educational programs that can be utilized but we have become reliant on them, so much so that kids can't even "write" very well anymore. Creativity has been thrown out the window. My children would do very well being taught with heavy use of manipulatives, projects, field trips to places like zoos and museums that would give them "living" reinforcement of what we are studying. That just isn't happenening in PS. We used to go on field trips quite often. We went to a local battlefield, to Indian mounds, etc... Now, we are cut down to one field trip a year and it is usually a current movie because the theater cuts a deal on price. I get it, we, as a district, have no money. It doesn't make me feel any better about sending my kids to school, though. They are still spending the majority of their waking day tied to a desk and bubbling in worksheets, sitting at a computer, and being drilled on memorization (which, for two of my children is like telling them to breathe undewater. Their systems just aren't designed to work that way.) Even PE has been stripped from them. "Free play" has been reduced to a minimum because we now have "fitness standards" that they must be tested on. Running laps in under a certain time, acheiving a set number of pull ups, sit ups, pushups.... So much for the whole learning to play together and use their imaginations.

My biggest issue is behavior. It's like your DD having the folder taken from her and getting a snippy comment. It's likely the teacher wasn't mad at your DD, that student might be one of those kids who "has to have" a certain color folder, or spot on the circle rug, or whatever and the teacher has been told to, or learned to on her own, comply with his every whim/phobia to reduce melt downs. She may be frustrated by that student and popped off to your daughter while "in the moment". Many times, in our school, these "melt downs" are horrific. These children have very real problems, I won't deny it. I just don't think my children need a first row seat to their outbursts. I've seen it on other threads as well. Well behaved students being expected to give in for the sake of peace. Or, worse, being used as "peer tutors" for behavior. How many well behaved, quiet students have been forced to sit in a group setting with behavior problems in hopes that their good behavior will "wear off on the others"? I know it happened to me as a child, I spent a miserable third grade year sitting with THREE boys that needed attitude adjustments. I don't mean three consecutively, I mean AT ONCE, as a group. Talk about being bullied. When I finally fell apart and had cried one too many times over it, my mother went to the teacher and was told how sorry she was, that she just hoped I would be a good influence. I see it in a less extreme fashion with my own kids and peers. Being told to "ignore" other children's threats and bullying, having a class blamed as a whole when a teacher can't control a student or group of students within the class. As a dear friend says, "We are letting the inmates run the asylum."

I have to say this: I love probably 90% of the people who teach/work in our district. They are good people. We have loving, caring administators for the most part. Our Board of Education is strong. That said, their hands are tied by what we've that to which we've let public education be reduced. All we hear about are test scores, placement, our "grades" as a school. All of these things are doled out by people who never set foot in our school. Who don't see the big picture, don't realize what the staff is dealing with above and beyond the academic side of school. Also, I feel that we are cramming the academics down the students throats. What I did in 7th grade is now being introduced, in a watered down version, to my first grader. I very much doubt that my school was a "target" school when I was a student. Possibly because we weren't trying to teach children things that they weren't yet ready to grasp. We (as a whole, not just "we" as a school) are teaching so far above what these children are really ready for and then we wonder why they fail so miserably on the testing.

I have really been pushing my DH to make some changes so we can give homeschooling a try. The big hang up is that I carry our health insurance. It seems so sad to me to throw away my children's formative years over INSURANCE.......

AMEN! I worked in the school system for 5 years as a school nurse, and you could not have said this any better! I feel exactly the same way!

 

[nadira36]

Introducing myself - I'm a SAHM to 3 girls age 4.5, 3 and 7 mos. We live in Alberta, Canada so things are pretty easy here - which is great since we're unschoolers/whole life learners or what ever name you might prefer to call it.

As such we don't follow a curriculum, but rather follow the girls interests. It's been an amazing experience so far and I can hardly wait for the next adventure.

over the past few months we've looked into life cycles and metamorphosis, anatomy and basic physiology of the digestive system, basic math, and our older DD is just starting to read. What an amazing journey.

As I said we don't follow a curriculum, but we do have work books in case the girls are interested (they usually aren't, but sometimes...), we have handheld learning games, and the girls both spend a lot of time witht he computer - which is the biggest reason DD1 is starting to read and write now.

DD2 is trying to do everything her big sister does, but their interests are so different that the effort is only partially there - well in everything other than riding. lol Both girls LOVE to ride horses - though even with that we see a huge difference between the two. It's those differences that reenforce our decision to home - and more specifically unschool our children.

When we first decided to homeschool we thought we'd 'teach' our children. We tried and that blew up big time. We had a little girls who suddenly 'couldn't' do things. She'd resist, she'd walk away, she'd say it's too hard - if she said anything at all.

What we discovered is that she was beyond what we were teaching. The work wasn't too hard - just sitting there, pounding her head against the proverbial wall for our sake was too hard. We backed off - saw no apparent learning for a while, then suddenly she's back. Now we completely follow her lead - if she asks us to read a word, we do - without adding anything else or 'teaching' her how to do it. We spell for her, help her write as needed. And step back. She asks for help when needed and the rest of the time we watch, strew new information, and watch some more. We've also found she thinks best moving. And not just small movements - when she has something big on her mind she uses her whole body and moves about the whole room - or house in some cases. Asking her to sit in a small space just doesn't work. lol

 

[shannon006]

I would like to formally introduce myself. I am a mom of 6, married for almost 25 years. Our children are 3,10,17,18,21, &22. Having said that, we have had 3 go through the public school system and graduate, and currently have a senior. This year we have pulled our 5th grade daughter out of the public school to homeschool through a partnership with another school district. This is the first year for them and there have been a lot of issues for them to work through. We should be up and running with the program this week. The curriculum they are using is K12. I have read online a mixture of reviews, but we are going to give it a try and see how it goes.

We have been in our school district for many years, and have seen it go down hill. So many of the children seem to have little to no respect for any adult, staff or parent in the school. Budget cuts have left the school with no counselor for k-5, a shared gym & music teacher, as well as librarian. Veteran teachers are seen crying in the hallways and not loving their job as they once did. The reason? The students are so out of control they are unable to teach, they are too busy dealing with other issues. So enough was enough and we pulled our daughter out. Private school was not in our budget. We also have her enrolled in what are called Homeschool Connection classes. They meet once a week and offer many different types of classes. Our daughter has had 2 weeks of these and we are thrilled with how wonderful the staff and kids are.

Any advice for a newby?

 

[Jessica14]

I would like to formally introduce myself. I am a mom of 6, married for almost 25 years. Our children are 3,10,17,18,21, &22. Having said that, we have had 3 go through the public school system and graduate, and currently have a senior. This year we have pulled our 5th grade daughter out of the public school to homeschool through a partnership with another school district. This is the first year for them and there have been a lot of issues for them to work through. We should be up and running with the program this week. The curriculum they are using is K12. I have read online a mixture of reviews, but we are going to give it a try and see how it goes.

We have been in our school district for many years, and have seen it go down hill. So many of the children seem to have little to no respect for any adult, staff or parent in the school. Budget cuts have left the school with no counselor for k-5, a shared gym & music teacher, as well as librarian. Veteran teachers are seen crying in the hallways and not loving their job as they once did. The reason? The students are so out of control they are unable to teach, they are too busy dealing with other issues. So enough was enough and we pulled our daughter out. Private school was not in our budget. We also have her enrolled in what are called Homeschool Connection classes. They meet once a week and offer many different types of classes. Our daughter has had 2 weeks of these and we are thrilled with how wonderful the staff and kids are.

Any advice for a newby?

I don't have any advice really as I just pulled my kids out and started this year as well. DD is 8 and DS is almost 7. I can relate to your post as one of the reasons I pulled the kids out was all the politics of the school and district that did not benenfit anyone but certain parents and administration. They cut teachers and cram more kids in classes and our school in particular can not afford to do this. The kids are really challenging (I subbed in the building for several years and I love all the kids, but its tough for the full time faculty and staff).

They cut the library aides and now the full-time librarians are travelling between buildings. There is not a lot of understanding by the counselors about spectrum disorder kids. Kids are constantly being taken out of classrooms for disruptive behavior because they have such difficult home lives it errupts in the classroom. Again, I really love and miss ALL these kids, no matter how tough. It's just that they don't have the support staff to deal with all of this. We've had three different principals and I think the older kids who went through all the transitions were very disrupted by it (non of those principals moved/arrived by choice-we lost a great guy because of district politics).

So I understand your move. All I can say is that we are having a bit of a tough time finding a groove although academically, both kids are doing very well. We are busier than ever with activities planned by our homeschool group and we are starting to make friends. Its a really good thing! I'm very positive for the future!
Jessica

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

nadira.. to the boards!! it's great that youhave decided to keep the girls home already, and that you see the path you want to take as far as learning...Just keep in mind that they are still very young, and that you may always unschool, or you may decide to follow a curriculum later down the road. One of your girls may end up being the type that need the 'structure' of a curr. more than the others. I have 3 kids and they all learn differently and I have had to adjust things for each of them. Just saying that so you don't feel discourage or like you did something 'wrong' if down the way you have to change your style! Very cool that your oldest is showing an interest in reading already!! That's always so exciting!!!

Shannon to you too!! So many new people lately! Our thread is growing! Well, first off, I hate that the public schools are in the shape they are in-I have lots of people that I know and love who are in the teaching system and are absolutely sick of the way things are, but can't really change anything. So,for me, I just see them as being trapped or stuck. Until they make a life change and get a diff degree or change careers midstream. As far as advice for you, just remember that things change! We have been homeschooling for 8 years now and I have some things that I kinda keep using every year, and some things that I found absolutely do not work and try new next year. We have become a great market, so the competition is greater now between publishers and we are benefitting. So, there really are a lot of good, very good, options out there.
Also, be prepared for the backlash. I know that sounds negative, but I really dont think I was prepared mentally for the remarks of people--people I don't even know,..and right in front of my children too!!! Other than that, be prepared for how much you are going to love this lifestyle and freedom you weren't used to before. We are here for you!

 

[nadira36]

Just keep in mind that they are still very young, and that you may always unschool, or you may decide to follow a curriculum later down the road. One of your girls may end up being the type that need the 'structure' of a curr. more than the others. I have 3 kids and they all learn differently and I have had to adjust things for each of them.


Also, be prepared for the backlash. I know that sounds negative, but I really dont think I was prepared mentally for the remarks of people--people I don't even know,..and right in front of my children too!!! Other than that, be prepared for how much you are going to love this lifestyle and freedom you weren't used to before. We are here for you!

Thanks for the welcome. I'm not too concerned about how things will be down the road - if we need to change we will We'll figure it out as we get there.

The only people giving us any backlash are specific family members - and we knew they'd feel that way. We just laugh at or ignore the MIL. My BIL did say a few things at first - more questions than anything - he listened to us and shrugged. He couldn't have done it, but sounds great for those that can. My BIL has very loudly proclaimed we're ruining our children. Of course we just shrug and ignore him too. lol In a few years when our children are older we'll see how much we're 'ruining' them

 

[graygables]

Need to vent...
here's a new one:

"You need to go to public school so you can be bullied and learn how to deal with it". A member of my family said that to my children. I said, "Why? When they already get bullied by you?"

I'm also tired of the "how will they ever go to college?" thing. They don't want to go to college. Neither of their aspirations require college.

And..."no, they didn't bring their math books to the hotel. I don't care that it's a 'weekday', we're on a mini-vacation"

How about, "mind your own beeswax" and "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" and "BUTT OUT".

Vent over. I feel better now.

 

[dwelty]

Hi everyone, my wife and I have been seriously considering homeschooling for some time now. This is due to several factors including recent changes to California state curriculum that clash with our personal values, substandard state test scores, and increasingly heavy handed policies related to parental rights, including what health services can be offered to children without parental knowledge. The straw that finally broke the camel's back was a threatening letter we received today related to our two daughters missing 2 days of school in late August when we took them out of school for a trip to Disneyland. The letter warned us of state laws that allow a parent to be prosecuted for truancy based on unexcused absences including vacations during the school year.

my wife is a stay at home mom, and is willing and able to teach both our daughters. (8 and 5) We just help on how to get started. And advice on resources would be greatly appreciated.

 

[AmandaRG]

Hi everyone, my wife and I have been seriously considering homeschooling for some time now. This is due to several factors including recent changes to California state curriculum that clash with our personal values, substandard state test scores, and increasingly heavy handed policies related to parental rights, including what health services can be offered to children without parental knowledge. The straw that finally broke the camel's back was a threatening letter we received today related to our two daughters missing 2 days of school in late August when we took them out of school for a trip to Disneyland. The letter warned us of state laws that allow a parent to be prosecuted for truancy based on unexcused absences including vacations during the school year.

my wife is a stay at home mom, and is willing and able to teach both our daughters. (8 and 5) We just help on how to get started. And advice on resources would be greatly appreciated.

One of the things you can do is see what the requirements are for CA. Most publishers have websites where you can get an idea of what they offer, and there are some curriculum review sites as well. I missed our homeschool convention this year but I do plan to make the next one to see some for myself.

Good luck, I wish I could be of more help, but this is our first year as well.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Hi everyone, my wife and I have been seriously considering homeschooling for some time now. This is due to several factors including recent changes to California state curriculum that clash with our personal values, substandard state test scores, and increasingly heavy handed policies related to parental rights, including what health services can be offered to children without parental knowledge. The straw that finally broke the camel's back was a threatening letter we received today related to our two daughters missing 2 days of school in late August when we took them out of school for a trip to Disneyland. The letter warned us of state laws that allow a parent to be prosecuted for truancy based on unexcused absences including vacations during the school year.

my wife is a stay at home mom, and is willing and able to teach both our daughters. (8 and 5) We just help on how to get started. And advice on resources would be greatly appreciated.

to Homeschooling and this thread! First good place to check into is the HSLDA...this will give you guidelines and requirements and links to what you need to do in California. I know your wife will do a great job! there are lots of good places to look for good curriculum:Christianbook distributors, rainbow resources, Alpha Omega publishers, ABeka, Bob Jones...and many others,.but this should give you a great jumpstart to see what you might want to do. After you remove them from school, and as you wait to get curriculum, make good friends with your library!! Let them read a lot and get some math workbooks from a local bookstore ....that will give them some work to do, but give them a little downtime from public school as you transition~ best wishes! We are here to help if you need us!!

 

[kimmyann]

We are still in the deciding stages of homeschooling my DD (8). While her & I were discussing pros & cons together I said to her "now, you may get sick of being with me all day". She looked at me funny & said "why would I get sick of you? Your my mom."

With two older kids, I guess I forgot how at this age they still want to be around me. It really made me stop & think how much they can change as they get older.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

We are still in the deciding stages of homeschooling my DD (8). While her & I were discussing pros & cons together I said to her "now, you may get sick of being with me all day". She looked at me funny & said "why would I get sick of you? Your my mom."

With two older kids, I guess I forgot how at this age they still want to be around me. It really made me stop & think how much they can change as they get older.

Oh girl! How precious! yes, bring her home while she still wants you!!! I think that is just too sweet...what an awesome response!!