Educational Philosophy Focus

Here's a link to a chart showing the focus of the questions in my previous post about determining your own educational philosophy:

Educational Philosophy Focus

Developing an Educational Philosophy

In talking to people (homeschoolers and non-homeschoolers!), not many have thought about and defined their definition of education and laid out what their overall goals are for their children's education. I've searched online several times for samples of educational philosophies and questions to ask when developing an educational philosophy. There just isn't much out there. A few teachers have educational statements that they had to develop as part of their teacher training -- though because it was often written before they were in the classroom, many are theoretical and not balanced with experience.

Unlike public and private school teachers, parents (both homeschooling and non-homeschooling) have the flexibility (and responsibility) to make educational decisions throughout their children's lives that will have long term impact. It isn't just one year at a time, it's a much bigger and long term perspective.

Parents also have a broader view than public/private school teachers and can consider a more holistic view of their children -- it's not just the academics, it's also values, attitude, relationships, and life skills. And, homeschooling parents have the ability to take their overall philosophy of education and apply it to the unique individual personalities, learning styles, and needs of each of their children. Homeschooling education isn't constrained by the very detailed state curriculum goals that decide things like "4th grade is the slot to learn NC history"!

Given all of that, here's my attempt to come up with a list of questions to talk about when developing your educational philosophy. It's worth bouncing the topics off of spouses and other family members to see what makes sense for you. I'd love to hear some feedback about the questions -- and, even better, hear some of your thoughts about these areas! I'm continually tweaking my answers to these questions as I learn new things about myself, my children, and how other people think about some of my underlying paradigms I didn't realize I had.

Here's a diagram to go with the following outline!
Educational Focus Diagram (pdf)
And click here for a printable version of this post:
Developing an Educational Philosophy (pdf)


Defining Education and Success

• What is an educated person?


• How do you know someone is an “educated adult” without knowing their educational background?


• Do you need formal education to be an “educated adult”?


• As you think about all the adults you know, what do you think is the definition of a successful adult? (separate men/women and define in terms of career/work, family, values, beliefs, lifestyle)

Lifelong goals for your children

• In terms of each of your children, what attributes would they have as an adult for you to consider them “successful”? (think of them at 25 or 30 years old.)


• Overall


• Values/beliefs


• Knowledge base


• Lifestyle


• Career/work/salary


• When each child is old enough to leave your direct care, describe what type of people you hope they are? Define it further in terms of:


• Value system


• Skills (household/academic/personal)


• Knowledge


• Direction headed


• When they leave your direct care, what type of a relationship do you hope they have with you and with their siblings?


• In your opinion, how much of this can you impact and how much impact do peers have -- or their basic personality? (the old nature/nurture question!)

How Learning Happens

• In general, how do you think children learn best at different ages?


• What roles do the following play?


• Rote memory vs. experiential learning?


• Keeping children on a pre-determined schedule vs. trusting their flow in learning?


• Self-teaching vs. absorbing/learning from someone else?


• How do you feel most comfortable teaching? I.e., what teaching style do you need to see in order to feel OK about your educational choice?


• What learning style does your child have that will impact how he/she best learns? (Read “How Your Child is Smart”)

Your Child

• What interests does your child have that will play a role in what he/she learns by the time she/he is 18?


• What strengths does your child have that can be built on? What weaknesses need to be strengthened? (keeping in mind the long term goals and all aspects of growth/learning)


• Academically, is it worth doing the Woodcock Johnson test to find out more detailed information about your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses? (more for the parents' piece of mind)

What is the best learning environment?

• Given all of those answers, what are the pros/cons of public school settings vs. private school settings vs. homeschool settings?


• What strengths/weaknesses do you think graduates of public schools, private schools and homeschools have?


• Given each option, what is missing in your educational journey? What can you add to or supplement with to achieve the goals for your family/child?

What are your goals for the YEAR (or middle school or elementary school) based on your life long goals?

• Academic


• Social/community


• Values/spiritual


• Character skills


• Life skills


• Physical skills

Pick the top goal in each category

• Those handful of goals provide the focal point of the year/semester/month. Don't try to do them all but do re-evaluate on a regular basis.
  

Homeschooling Priorities

• If you’re homeschooling, choose a curriculum or approach that best meet those goals this year, keeping in mind your child's learning style, your goals for the child, and your needs in being able to keep your sanity!
  

• What are your day-to-day priorities? Keep in mind your top goals in each category – those take precedence, though may not happen every day.

One of the hard parts about homeschooling is listening to other people and doubting your own decisions. Everyone you talk to has the "miracle” curriculum or structure or learning style approach that's "perfect" -- and it might be the solution for that family in that season of their educational journey. But it may NOT be the perfect one for your family in this season of your journey. Think about the long term. It is a long term journey, not a sprint!

Summer camp options to start thinking about:

Summer camp options to start thinking about:

NCSU has a middleschool engineering camp:
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/k12outreach/RaleighCampus.html

Camp Details:

* Application Period: February 1st - March 31st

* Lunch will be provided each day;

* Camp hours are approximately 9 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday;

* Camp fee: $250 (a limited number of need-based scholarships are available).

Java -- teaching/learning options

Benjamin really wants to learn Java. Now I need to find some alternatives:

Sun Microsystems talks about learning/teaching Java:
http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/comm_invest/jgp/bhs.html

BlueJ was designed to teach Java:
http://java.sun.com/features/2002/07/bluej.html

Wake Tech has some 6 week online courses, including a great sounding one for Intro to Java:
http://www.ed2go.com/cgi-bin/oic3/newcrsdes.cgi?name=waketech&course=jab&title=Introduction%20to%20Java%20Programming&departmentnum=WP&path=1

Non-traditional, interest-based options for MS

After talking with Bridget last night, my challenge to myself is to come up with a list of options for how to get middleschoolers involved in learning activities with others that would involve meeting/getting to know other kids, and furthering their interest in a certain area.

TEAM COMPETITIONS
Team competitions are great for a number of reasons. The competitive aspect works for some kids but I don't think it does for most. However, there are many other reasons to get involved in team competitions:

• It's a great social opportunity with a purpose so the kids can get to know each other better without all of the focus being on finding common ground
• It gives the team members a goal to work toward with parameters laid out and a rough plan on how to get there -- but still lots of opportunity for creativity
• It gives them something to work on with others who are interested in similar topics
  
• It gives a deadline so there is pressure to get something done and a time when it's over
  
• It gives the kids a feeling of being part of something bigger
• It gives endless opportunities for developing team building skills, learning how to work with different learning styles, learning how to brainstorm as a team, etc.
• It gives them a reason for improving their skills and knowledge -- not knowing how to do something, not following through will hurt the team, not just them
• It gives a reason for a deadline that isn't just to respond to a teacher's request -- it's the team's deadline, it's for the end result, they're helping their peers
  

1. FIRST Lego League (which I can talk endlessly about the benefits of -- see the results for my middleschooler at: http://water4tomorrow.org ). This is for 9 to 14 year olds: http://firstlegoleague.org ).
   
   
2. FIRST also offers a middle/highschool option of programming VEX computers (FTC http://www.usfirst.org/what/FTC/default.aspx?id=380)
   
   "The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is a mid-level robotics competition for high-school students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics Competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit. The ultimate goal of FTC is to reach more young people with a lower-cost, more accessible opportunity to discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology, and engineering. "
   
   
3. FIRST's major highschool program involves big robots -- again, bringing in programming, design, marketing, technical writing, presentation, working with the public, mentoring kids, etc., etc...
   
   
4. Math Olympiad, Science Olympiad
   
   
5. Envirothon (http://www.envirothon.org/) -- very cool slideshow to watch. I think this would be a great option for Benjamin at some time (for Grades 9 to 12) and I know that the Wildlife Center at Centennial Campus has classes for envirothon teams. Might be fun to go to their Nationals in 2009 in August in Asheville since it's close.
   
   
6. Here are some very interesting technology competitions (individual and team) from the Technology Student Association but I don't know if they're open to homeschoolers. Might trigger some ideas to look up, though:
   http://www.tsaweb.org/Middle-School-Competitions
   
   
7. EV Challenge -- a middle-school competition where a team builds a solar car and races it each spring. I don't know if homeschoolers can compete or not but it looks like a fun challenge. http://smarttchallenge.com/Schools/Middle_School/
   

I'm sure there are multiple other competitions but that's a start.

Non Competition Options
I think you can meet some of these characteristics with other options like forming a small coop to explore one topic. Maybe have the kids involved in deciding what topics will be explored for 6 weeks at a time and do classes (sharing with each other) and field trips on those topics. Another option might be to buy a kit and work on it together (like a solar car kit). Or form a "technology club" and have a list of options available for them to work on. Or be involved in a service project of some scale (Habitat for Humanity, Save the Rainforest, or something like that?). More of a challenge to come up with a topic but still doable.

The big thing is to find an interest, identify a goal, and find some other kids who want to be involved (& who have similar interests).

Local places for kids -- preliminary

Downtown Raleigh:

Natural Science Museum


NC History Museum

Marbles Museum
(IMAX for all ages but most of the museum is for the 10 and under crowd)


Durham:
Life Science Museum
Lots of inside and outside things to do -- most of the day

Duke Gardens/Cathedral



Chapel Hill
Planetarium

Asheboro
NC Zoo

Grammar Checks: Dr. Grammar

Easy to find grammar/word questions... Different from or different than...?

http://www.drgrammar.org/faqs/

A couple more simple and clutter-free websites

Just because one can dream... (more important when life is swamped!):

The Simplicity Habit
http://simplicityhabit.com/

My War on Clutter:
http://www.43folders.com/2007/07/02/clutter-discard-not-organize

Website design for kids

Kompozer: tutorial:

Blog with info about statcount, creating a website with Kompozer, etc.:
http://wysifreeauthoring.blogspot.com/2007/11/counting-kompozer.html

StatCounter (free):
http://www.statcounter.com/

HTML Tutorial:
http://www.w3schools.com/html/
http://www.w3schools.com/web/ (cool example of different CSS style sheets)

Learning HTML for kids:
http://www.goodellgroup.com/tutorial/

IPL Kidspace: Learning HTML
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/kidsweb/

Beginning Homeschool Links

An email I sent to a new homeschooler today who has a middleschooler. Some good websites to keep in mind...

Also, here's a website about deschooling -- written by Sandra Dodd who is a big unschooler. Even if you don't think you'll be an unschooler, it's helpful to read ways to shift your paradigm about what learning is and isn't!
http://sandradodd.com/deschooling


LEARNING STYLES:
This is the questionnaire we used to determine learning styles:
http://www.businessballs.com/vaklearningstylestest.htm

And a great book about it: How Your Child is Smart by Dawna Markova (you can read a lot of the book at the following website):
http://books.google.com/books?id=Zl8pJ6r5sJkC

Another great book about different types of learning is by Cynthia Tobias: The Way They Learn

RIGHT BRAINED LEARNERS:
I should say that I don't know if Alex is a right brained learner or not but it sounds like he might be. If you were to draw a huge venn diagram, there is a big circle of overlap for ADHD/ADD, right brained, dyslexia, and those who benefit from vision therapy....

A great summary of the Right Brained/Left Brained resources:
http://www.throwingmarshmallows.com/right-brained-links/

and a book (I have it if you want to borrow it):
Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World: Unlocking the Potential of Your Add Child by Jeffrey Freed

Right brained learning cards for states/capitals:
http://www.arty4ever.com/right/brain.htm

************
Local email loops:
http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/spice-line/

http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/WakeHSConnections/

A website about a workshop a friend and I organized in June this summer (I have booklets available for $5 each to cover the cost of printing if you want one):
http://www.freewebs.com/stayingthecourse/

Dayspring Home Educators (monthly meetings -- 3rd Monday of each month -- open to everyone):
http://dayspringhomeeducators.com/

***********
Other animal/wildlife resources for classes/field trips -- let me know if you need help on how to organize any of these and keep your sanity!:

Hemlock Bluffs will set up any classes you want if you organize a group/age group. Just email them and tell them what you want -- age range (11 to 13?), topics, if it would be a standalone class or a series.
http://www.townofcary.org/depts/prdept/facilities/snchome.htm

Natural Science Museum classes (only $35 -- up to 30 kids -- still a great price if you limit it to 10 kids)
http://www.naturalsciences.org/education/tropical_connections.html

Duke Primate Center (lemurs):
http://lemur.duke.edu/

A very cool tour of carnivores:
http://www.cptigers.org/

NC Wildlife Programs at Centennial Campus:
http://www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_08_education.htm

80 ways to simplify your life

A good list to look through -- plus I think the whole website has some potential thoughts to read when there's time...

http://simplesapien.com/80-ways-to-simplify-your-life/

A Magical Childhood

Some good Waldorfy type articles and activities to do with Jeremy:
http://www.magicalchildhood.com/index2.htm

(And a very good article on finding 2 yo happy buttons.)

Unit Study Mentoring

From Konos: Unit study mentoring (and soon to be webinars/podcasts):

http://homeschoolmentor.com/

Grammar Basic Skills Practice Games

Lots of different types of grammar practice at all age-levels.

http://classroom.jc-schools.net/basic/la-grammar.html

Middleschool Science

Tons of options for middleschool science -- both structured and non.

Some local resources to check into:

NC Science House (http://www.science-house.org/index.html ) -- they do all sorts of programs both for middleschool students as well as teachers. It might be worth trying to set something up for homeschoolers.

They offer a great resource called LabWrite that helps students/teachers write lab reports -- online or print version: http://www.ncsu.edu/labwrite/ This might be worth working through for a few official labs that we should do this year. They offer tutorials for standard labs, descriptive labs and student-designed labs (great for science fairs!). Under resources, there are many graphical/data type resources -- when to graph, when to use tables. There is also a small section specifically tied to Middleschool lab writing.

A middleschool text reviewer tied to the Science House is:
http://www.science-house.org/middleschool/index.html (last updated 5/2008). It sounds like the Science House has lots of different resources to look at. Would they do a "show and tell" of Middleschool science programs for homeschool parents? (The reviewer: John Hubisz) seems supportive of homeschoolers and said he's answered lots of homeschool inquiries.)

One of his good reviews was for CPO Science texts. (BTW: Part of a 4-company group that has middleschool resources -- should get a catalog but server was down this morning:
http://www.schoolspecialtyscience.com/ -- group includes CPO Science, Delta Education, Frey Scientific and Neo/SCI). Most of CPO's stuff focuses on Investigative Science where kids do activities to explore the different science topics.

Reading level (but Physical Science with Earth/Space might be good for Gr 7/8)
CPO Focus on Earth Science: Grade 6
CPO Focus on Life Science: Grade 7
CPO Focus on Physical Science: Grade 8
Foundations of Physical Science: grades 8-10
Foundations of Physical Science with Earth and Space Science: grades 8-10
Introduction to Earth and Space Science: grades 8-10
Integrated Physics and Chemistry: grades 8-10
Foundations of Physics: grades 10-12 and non-physics-major college students

Atom Building Game: http://www.cpo.com/sc_atombuilding.shtml
A very thorough approach (including electron shells) for talking about atoms and the periodic table. The game is $85 plus a teacher's manual -- but would work great if it was a 2 month class (or some such thing) for upper middleschoolers or lower highschoolers.

This comes from a series of supplemental material that looks good. Could this be used for 6 week science units for middleschool? (worth the $?)
http://www.cpo.com/sc_gallery.shtml

(NOTE: Lots of good links on the Middleschool Science Text Review website above)

Also, worth thinking about is how we talk about science to our kids and the fallacies/myths that are perpetrated throughout the texts and "dumbing down" of science in attempt to make it accessible to kids. This website has some examples of "Bad Science":
http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/BadScience.html

Other options:
Environthon: http://www.envirothon.org (but does it need to be a competition?)

AND NCSU's Chemistry Dept has an Outreach program:
http://www.ncsu.edu/chemistry/outreach/

Article: How to Raise A Spiritual Child

http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/0_how-to-raise-a-spiritual-child_64718.pc

Highlights

What to expect at this age
What you can do to nurture your child's spirituality

What to expect at this age

Though preschoolers are too young to grasp many of the abstract concepts that go hand-in-hand with spiritual life, they have other skills that will serve them well on the road to spirituality: They have no problem believing in things they can't see, and they live almost entirely in the moment. "Kids this age have an incredible sense of wonder — they're innate spiritual beings," says Marianne Neifert, a pediatrician, mother of five, and the author of Dr. Mom's Prescription for Preschoolers: Seven Essentials for the Formative Years.

This is the perfect age to begin nurturing your child's spiritual side — as sustenance for her soul, as a way of answering her cosmic questions, and as a means of strengthening her interpersonal skills. Every religion has some kind of belief embedded in it about loving your neighbor. And giving your child a foundation in faith will also give her something to fall back on in trying times later in life. "As recent events have shown us," says Neifert, "in times of crisis, people turn to their faith. It's a way to ground ourselves, and a way to interpret events that we don't understand."

What you can do to nurture your child's spirituality

Clarify your own beliefs. Whether or not you practice an organized religion, you'll need to decide what you believe in order to foster spirituality in your child. That doesn't mean you have to have all the answers, but you can take time to consider the questions: Do you believe in God? Do you believe there was a divine element in the creation of the world? What do you think happens when a person dies? In addition to your own beliefs, consider what kind of spiritual education you want for your child: Will your family join a church, synagogue, or other house of worship? Do you want your child to attend services regularly? Do you plan to send her to religious school? If you and your partner have different religions it's wise to decide how you'll approach spirituality with your child now, before she's old enough to get confused by your differing opinions.

Introduce spirituality early on. "Young children don't understand who God is, but they don't really understand who a grandparent is either," says Neifert. "Still, you want them to know Grandma, so you start talking about her from day one. It's the same thing with the idea of God." Just as your child takes your word for it that Grandma is an important person in her life (even if she rarely sees her), so she'll take your word for it that God is, too. And by introducing spiritual practices early on — such as lighting candles or singing hymns together — your child will view them as a natural part of life, and you'll have a spiritual influence on her before other people do. Even if you don't believe in God or see God as a single all-powerful being, it's worth talking to your child about it. "Kids are going to hear about God all over," says Neifert. "If you don't put your own spin on it, with your own values, they'll absorb someone else's."

Don't pretend to have all the answers. When your child asks where people go when they die, answer honestly: "Nobody knows for sure, but some people think they go to heaven to be close to God. Other people think they're born again in a new body." Inevitably, your child will ask what you think. If you have a strong belief, share it. If not, it's okay to admit that there are some questions people spend their whole lives trying to figure out — and this is one of them.

Use daily events to teach spirituality. Big ideas don't always require big actions. You can demonstrate that spirituality is a part of everyday life by incorporating it into ordinary actions and words. When you open the curtains in the morning, you can say, "Look at this glorious day Mother Nature made." At bedtime, you can sign off with, "God bless you, sweetie pie."

Instill an appreciation of nature. Nature is a great place to find a tangible manifestation of the divine. "Kids learn with all their senses — they love to pick up a rock or jump in a puddle or chase a butterfly," says Neifert. Help your child see nature as something sacred by demonstrating your own love and respect for it. When you go for a family hike in the woods or a picnic on the beach, clean up after yourself (and even others), and be considerate of creatures in their habitat. Plant a garden with your child, and make it part of your daily routine to check on the progress of the plants together. Start a compost pile so your child can watch mealtime leftovers turn back into soil that you'll use in your garden. Introduce her to the idea that the Earth is a gift, and that our survival depends upon the survival of the planet.

Tell stories. The world's spiritual traditions are full of stories designed to explain everything from how the world was created to why people sometimes do bad things. Introduce your child to the notion that different people have different ideas about God by drawing on this wealth of literature. Read stories together from an illustrated Bible, a book of Hindu mythology, or a collection of Jewish folk tales, amending and simplifying as you see fit. Even if you're reluctant to foster a literal interpretation of the Scriptures, for example, reading such stories will give your child the opportunity to ask questions.

Build on family traditions. Spirituality not only connects us to the divine; it also connects us to each other and to the past. If you're raising your child in the same spiritual tradition that you were raised in, be sure she knows that she's carrying on family rituals that were passed along by her grandparents and even great-grandparents. Show her pictures of her grandmother taking her first communion. Let her help polish a pair of Sabbath candlesticks that were handed down by your parents. And be sure to tell the same family stories at holiday time that you listened to as a child.

Make it fun. Religion and spirituality should be more joyful than somber and serious. Encourage your preschooler to paint a picture of God, make up her own story about how the world came to be, or simply imagine what heaven looks like. Together, act out plays or put on a puppet show based on creation stories or your own spiritual themes. Above all, do what spiritual people have done for centuries — sing and dance! If you don't know any traditional tunes, a wealth of CDs and cassettes of religious music is available. Don't forget to explore songs and chants from other cultures or traditions as well.

Practice silence. Once a day or once a week, take a minute to sit quietly with your child, encouraging her to be silent and listen to her inner voice. Your moment of silence needn't be introduced as some lofty practice of meditation, but simply as a calming break in a noisy day. Whether your child uses this time to commune with the divine or simply to rest and recharge, it'll help put her in touch with the "big" picture.

Introduce a simple form of prayer. Let your child know that prayer isn't something that's saved up just for Sunday morning, or for times when she needs help with something. It's a tool for communicating with a higher power anytime. So invite her to join you in saying a prayer at different times of the day — for example, when she sees something beautiful, when she does something new for the first time, when she wakes up, or at bedtime. A simple prayer of thanks before or after meals can be an easy and effective way to instill appreciation for the basics of life. If your child is too young to make up her own prayers, help her along with what Neifert calls "ping-pong" prayers: You suggest a simple phrase such as, "Thank you, God, for..." and she fills in the blanks. The idea is to let your child know that God, or the divine spirit, is always available. "If the being who created the whole universe can listen to you, that's pretty good," says Neifert.

Stress the spiritual side of holidays. Try to balance the commercialism of the holiday season with activities that underscore its deeper meaning. Volunteer at a local charity. Donate food, clothing, or toys to a shelter, and have your child do the same by choosing a few items she no longer plays with. Participate in church or synagogue events centered on holiday themes. On the fun side, share some holiday crafts with your child: Create a homemade nativity scene out of cardboard and fill it with little dolls, craft a menorah out of modeling clay, or make a Kwanzaa kinara to hold the symbolic candles representing the principles of the holiday — unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Consider joining a faith community. By regularly attending services and social events at a place of worship, your child will come to see that spirituality plays a central role in the life of the community. She'll also grow up more comfortable with the liturgy and rituals of your faith and come to see a house of worship as a place where she can feel comfortable and secure. "Kids thrive on predictability," says Neifert. "Whether it's a Catholic child seeing the communion bread and wine, a Jewish child hearing the Hebrew prayers, or a Hindu child smelling the incense in the temple, by experiencing rituals kids come to appreciate the predictability of a religious service, if not the deeper meaning." Most churches and synagogues also have children's services that introduce kids to the tenets of a religion in a way they can understand and enjoy.

Follow your child's lead. Let your child ask the questions, and give her plenty of opportunities to discuss her own notions of issues such as who God is, what heaven looks like, or what happens to people after they die. Try not to dictate the answers to big questions. If she asks you where God lives, begin your answer by asking her what she thinks. Or ask her to draw a picture and tell you about it. Spirituality is a two-way street: If you listen carefully to your preschooler, you might discover something you never thought of before.

Com

Volunteering Connections

Here are a couple websites where you can check out volunteer opportunities for kids:

http://www.kidsconnectnc.org/opportunitieswake.htm

And...
http://www.volunteermatch.org/

Quirky Creations to Check Out Another Time

A website showcasing homemade things of great creativity...

"Poppytalk Handmade is a monthly online street market curated by Poppytalk to showcase, buy and sell handmade goods of emerging design talent from around the world."

http://www.poppytalkhandmade.com/

Quirky journals, etc. (and her blog sounds fun as well):

http://www.etsy.com/
http://edessedesigns.typepad.com/

Blogging and New Techniques

Wow! There are blog templates and designs! I love some of the ones from this website -- and she has information on how to change this blog. I'm going to do that next time I've got some minutes...

http://www.simplyfabulousbloggertemplates.com/

And here's a "Blog Tutorial" -- worth reading before doing something with Diane:

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials/jennifer/blog-templates.html

Colors of the Season

I need new life in my colors, house and the season if I'm going to have enough energy to keep up to a 2 yo. I think I might like to try for the colors of Peru... check out these colors:

http://www.bill.lockharts.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/img_0581blog.jpg


And then I found some cool decorating blogs -- who knew that people had enough time, vision, organization and motivation to actually collect things, spray paint them beautiful and organize them??????

http://joysofhome.blogspot.com/search/label/Projects

She has links to all sorts of other decorating blogs. Maybe my next direction in life? Can one declutter and decorate with a 2 yo? Will there be a season in my life when it has higher priority?

"Homeschool and Loving It"

Book for homeschooling (either ebook or regular -- only difference in price is for shipping) -- table of contents looks like a helpful format to recommend to people.

http://www.homeschool.com/HLI/default.asp

Reusablebags.com

A website with a lot of types of bags, non-plastic cups, etc. Worth reading a bit more of the articles, etc.

http://www.reusablebags.com/

Highschool transcript example

A blog which includes a nice homeschool transcript and description of course outlines that were supplied to colleges for applications.

http://getinhangon.homeschooljournal.net/boys-college-search/

Computers, technology, kids

An article from 2000 about an Indian physicist who made available computers with no directions or anything to kids on the streets of India and what happened.

http://www.greenstar.org/butterflies/Hole-in-the-Wall.htm

Getting Started in Web Design Etc.

A very good set of articles about hosting, domain names, creating a website, etc.

http://www.thesitewizard.com/gettingstarted/index.shtml

Tutorials on Designing and Publishing Your First Website

• How to Start / Create Your Own Website: The Beginner's A-Z Guide
• How to Upload a File to Your Website Using the FileZilla FTP Client
• My Biggest Website Regrets
• How to Put a Search Engine on Your Website
• Woes of a Big Site: Preparing Your Website for Growth
• What Sort of Website Should I Create In Order to Earn Money?
• How Much Does It Cost to Set Up a Website?
• What is HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP and Perl? Do I Need to Learn Them to Create a Website?
• Glossary of Frequently Used Webmaster Terms
• Articles on Web Design

Choosing and Getting a Domain Name

• How to Register Your Own Domain Name
• Tips on Choosing a Domain Name
• Important Precautions to Take When Buying a Domain Name
• Should I Use a Temporary Domain Name Till My Preferred Domain Becomes Available?
• Should You Use Cloaked Domain Redirection to Point to Your Website?
• More articles on Domain Names...

Getting a Web Host

• Which Web Host Would You Recommend? (FAQ)
• How to Choose a Web Host
• All Those Disappearing Free Web Hosts
• The Fine Print in Web Hosting: Resource Usage Limits
• The Real Meaning of "Unlimited" in Web Hosting
• More Web Hosting Tutorials and Articles

Tutorials on Earning from Your Website

• How to Make Money from Your Website
• Accepting Credit Card Payments on Your Website
• How to Add Google Advertisements (Google AdSense) to Your Blog or Website
• How to Insert Google AdSense Advertisements into Your Blog on Blogger
• What Sort of Website Should I Create In Order to Earn Money?
• More tutorials on Earning Money from Your Website

Dreamweaver Tutorials

• Dreamweaver Tutorial 1: How to Create a Website with Dreamweaver CS3
• Dreamweaver Tutorial 2: How to Spice Up Your Website with Images in Dreamweaver CS3
• Dreamweaver Tutorial 3: How to Add Links, Change Fonts and Change Colours in Dreamweaver CS3
• Dreamweaver Tutorial 4: How to Add a Navigation Menu Bar to Your Website in Dreamweaver CS3
• Dreamweaver Tutorial 5: How to Use Templates to Manage Your Website in Dreamweaver CS3
• Dreamweaver Tutorial 6: How to Add a Feedback Form to Your Website in Dreamweaver CS3
• How to Insert Raw HTML Code in Dreamweaver

Nvu, KompoZer and Mozilla Composer Tutorials

• Nvu Tutorial 1: How to Design and Publish Your Website Using Nvu
• Nvu Tutorial 2: Adding Images, Changing Fonts and Colours, Creating Links, Writing Your Content
• Nvu Tutorial 3: How to Create Data Tables
• Nvu Tutorial 4: How to Create a Multiple Column Layout
• Nvu Tutorial 5: How to Add a Feedback Form to Your Website Using Nvu
• How to Insert Raw HTML Code in Nvu
• KompoZer Tutorial 1: How to Design and Publish Your Website with KompoZer
• KompoZer Tutorial 2: How to Add Images, Change Fonts and Colours, Create Links, and Write Your Content in KompoZer
• KompoZer Tutorial 3: How to Create Data Tables in KompoZer
• KompoZer Tutorial 4: How to Create a Multiple Column Layout for your Web Page in KompoZer
• KompoZer Tutorial 5: How to Add a Feedback Form to Your Website Using KompoZer
• How to Insert Raw HTML Code in KompoZer
• Mozilla Composer Tutorial 1: How to Design and Publish Your Website Using Mozilla Composer
• Mozilla Composer Tutorial 2: Adding Images, Changing Fonts & Colours, Creating Links, Writing Your Content
• Mozilla Composer Tutorial 3: How to Create Data Tables
• Mozilla Composer Tutorial 4: How to Create a Multiple Column Layout for Your Web Page

WordPress and Drupal Tutorials

• How to Start / Setup Your Own WordPress Blog
• How to Setup the Drupal Content Management System for Your Website or Blog
• How to Set Up a Blog with Drupal
• How to Make Your WordPress Blog Search-Engine-Friendly

Resources Needed by Webmasters

• Free Web Editors, HTML / CSS Editors, WYSIWYG Web Editors
• Free FTP Clients / Programs
• Free Programmers' Editors, ASCII Text Editors
• Annotated List of Budget Web Hosts
• Free Web Hosts
• More Free Webmaster Resources

Free Audio Books

Free audio books to download
http://librivox.org/

Vision Therapy/Right Brain websites

GREAT list of questions to screen for vision therapy (also an adult one)
http://www.cookvisiontherapy.com/childrens_screening.html

http://www.diannecraft.com/
(check out her articles -- one on different types of dyslexia)

http://www.visualspatial.org/udb.htm
(author is the Upside Down Learner)

http://www.arty4ever.com/right/brain.htm
Right brained state/capital cards

Right-brained Children in a Left-Brained World: Unlocking the Potential of Your ADD Child by Jeffrey Freed and Laurie Parsons.
(This is not ADD -- it's right brained-focus...)

http://www.giftedchildren.org.nz/national/article4.php

Personality Part 2

OK -- I think I've solved lots of the challenges of the last couple years.... too much focus on T traits, not enough grace and forgiveness given to the needs of my F. Reading several forums, I do think the INFJ fits a lot better and it explains the problems I've had letting go of all the challenges the past few years. I went to an INTJ forum and it just didn't fit -- felt very hard and unfeeling to me. The INFJ fits better, though it may be more of a challenge when I think about the negatives of the personality!

A great overall website for INFJ:
http://www.infj.org/index.html

Another description in a blog:
http://bahava.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/infj-the-sage/

Lots of great forum topics here:
http://infjs.com/viewforum.php?f=63&sid=b0ee6b748c6bf3cebb06dc128f3b620e

Learning styles associated with INFJ:
http://www.careerfulfillment.com/learning_styles/lrn_3infj.htm

Photos from BC Part 2

Photos from BC Part 1

And Speaking of Personality...

Found a MBTI analysis I did when I was 19 and in my first year of college. I was typed as an INFJ (instead of my current INTJ). Interesting -- wonder if I'm borderline F/T -- it would explain some things. The analysis back then said that as INFJ's get older, they often spend more time developing their T's, which I do think is stronger now than it has been. I think the T became more developed after I became a parent than before... Stress, maturity, changing environments and expectations....

Personality Tests: MBTI

Personality website with lots of links for tests, good descriptions of the different MBTI, etc. Also, on a political note, McCain is supposedly INTP and Obama is ENFJ -- wonder if the "N" is a necessary condition for wanting to be president? One would hope so!

http://typelogic.com/

Omnivore's Dilemma

Finished Omnivore's Dilemma (Michael Pollan)-- and then listened to a podcost where he spoke about Omnivore's Dilemma and his new book: In Defense of Food. Fascinating. I knew a lot of the information about the industrial food production and guessed quite a bit about the "Organics" being sold in Whole Foods (after all, how else does Whole Foods provide a perfectly consistent product from store to store and state to state), however the whole thing makes you think... And one wonders if the corn aspect in our diet has anything to do with increasing food allergies. I think it definitely is impacting weight.

Interestingly, Dad's take on the book was 100% different, maybe because what is "organic" in the very far north of Canada is much different, he's living off the land for much of his food, and he's involved in the beginning part of the food processing chain.

Pollan's premise behind his new book is interesting. I think I'm going to try to get that to read as well.

Homeschool CPA

This might be a very helpful website down the road... A homeschool Mom who is also a CPA has written a website for homeschoolers, including information about CPA and homeschool support groups. If you ask a question, she'll sometimes answer it in her blog:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCPA/

Unit Study Websites

To check out (free unit study websites):

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/methods/UnitsFree.htm (this one even has a lego unit study)

http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/schoolroom/unitstudies.php

Geodes

I think I'm going to take my fall's inspiration from various songs by Carrie Newcomer. Like "Geodes" from her Geography of Light CD... I think I'm going to start looking for more geodes in my life.


You can't always tell one from another.
And it's best not to judge a book by it tattered cover.
I have found when I tried or looked deeper inside.
What appears unadorned might be wondrously formed.
You can't always tell but sometimes you just know.

Around here we throw geodes in our gardens.
They're as common as the rain or corn silk in July.
Unpretentious browns and grays, the stain of Indiana clay,
They're what's left of shallow seas glacial rock and mystery,
And inside there shines a secret bright as promise,

All these things that we call familiar,
Are just miracles clothed in the common place.
You’ll see it if you try in the next stranger's eyes,
God walks around in muddy boots,
Sometimes rags and that's the truth.
You can't always tell, but sometimes you just know.

Some say geodes were made from pockets of tears,
Trapped away in small places for years upon years.
Pressed down and transformed,
Until the true self was born,
And the whole world moved on
Like the last notes of a song,
A love letter sent without return address.

You can't always tell one from another.
And it's best not to judge a book by it's tattered cover
Now I don't open them to see
Folks 'round here just like me,
We have come to believe
There's hidden good in common things.
You can't always tell but sometimes you just know.
You can't always tell but sometimes you just know.

By Carrie Newcomer © Carrie Newcomer Music, BM1 Bug Publishing

Hmmm.... Computer addiction?

A cool add-in I'm going to try for awhile is called: Rescue Time -- that tracks all your computer time and categorizes where you actually spend your time (it checks every 2 seconds)... I think I'm going to be surprised. It might work well for Bj as well to really see where his time goes... easy to install, totally invisible....

www.rescuetime.com

The Story of Stuff

A video that would be a good decluttering motivator is The Story of Stuff (20 min) -- and read the blog by simplemom.net

(http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html)

Science: My Science Box

My Science Box
Description from website:
At My Science Box you'll find complete, scaffolded lesson plans to teach a 4-6 week middle school science unit through activities, projects, and field trips. Every lesson has been kid-tested with students at Archway School. Create a printable version of any lesson plan or even a whole teaching box by clicking the "printer friendly version" button at the bottom of any page. If you use these lesson or have feedback, please register and post a comment for other teachers to view

http://www.mysciencebox.org/

Cool!

So... www.aimingforsimplicity.com was available through www.namecheap.com for $8.41 for a year! And, with a few clicks of the mouse, it now points to this blog. Isn't that cool!

Now to find a host website... I'm learning way too much without getting my major consulting project done that I should be working on!!!

Blogging Technology

Check out WordPress -- free blogging software that might be good.
http://wordpress.org/

(Tips on blogging this way on: http://www.webhostingtalk.com )

WordPress also has a list of hosts that they get kickbacks from -- but that they feel are good...
something to look at anyway.

Web Hosting Choices

August 9, 2008

If I'm going to be creating websites for people, I need to figure out way more than I already know. Here's a site that seems to have fairly upfront info about some web hosting sites (& what to look for):

http://whreviews.com/searchstrategy.htm

He recommends reading forum posts of users (not reviews) to find out helpful information. One of those forums is:
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/


Some web hosts that whreviews recommend are:

Honest Hosts**

Dathorn BlueWho CartikaHosting Pair Idologic UnitedHosting Clook Rochen HostingMatters HTTPme DownTownHost FluidHosting Servint HostGator HostNexus Weberz

and check out this one (need to read reviews!):
http://www.serversea.com -- probably not

Buy domain name at namescheap.com or DirectNIC

Language: Muzzy

A reference on another link to Muzzy makes me wonder about finding a similar language program for Jeremy for this fall. He loves videos. It's available on VHS for not much money on ebay... worth checking. It's available free for 30 days -- maybe worth trying?

http://www.early-advantage.com/

Also on the Muzzy site, they have childrens' books on DVD in spanish to reinforce it (including Curious George) -- a scholastic collection -- maybe cheaper elsewhere?

http://www.early-advantage.com/product/detail/scholasticdvdcollection291.aspx

Science: The Elements

August 6, 2008
The Elements: Ingredients of the Universe
A hands-on science program, I think for middle school...

http://www.ellenjmchenry.com/index.html

Research Paper Timeline

The following was an email on TRISMS where she explained what the research paper timeline was for her 8th grade son in a public school class for history. It's a good guideline to think about for maybe one paper each year.

***************

We had to place my son in private school last year because we
could not find an outpatient placement for his LD treatment program.
Overall, it has been an horrid experience, I've had to fight his
teachers to follow his treatment plan but some good has come out of
it.

He had to do a research paper for history class and she gave them
a packet with a timeline to turn in each component:

Topic and sources (min 3 books, 1 encyclopedia entry (max), 3
periodicals/websites)

4 days later-Bibliography cards, working works cited page

1 week later-Sources should be read.Title page, working outline

4 days later-1st 20 notecards due

1 week later-2nd 20 notecards due

4 days later-last 20 notecards due

10 days later-First rough draft due

2 weeks later-Final Outline, draft, polished paper, final works
cited page

She gave them samples of the outline, bibiography cards, works
cited page and how to do the different types of citations, a format
for the notecards, a definition of plagarism, a word requirement (900-
1,100 words for 8th grade)and required a map, chart, and a graph.

It was a tremendous help for my son to keep on track and meet
her standards. In the end her only quibble was with his paper's
length- 9 1/2 pages. She wanted it pared down to 6 pages which I
thought was ridiculous given the number of notecards required along
with the map, chart and graph.

Music Options in Raleigh and Cary

JamSessionz
N. Raleigh (near piano) -- group jamming sessions T/W/Th -- worth asking a few more questions (what type of instruments, how to handle reading/non-reading of music, etc.)
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
12:40 pm - 2:10 pm
2:20 pm - 3:50 pm
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
http://www.jamsessionz.com


Ken Demery

Thanks for contacting me about guitar lessons.

Please let me know if you have a preferred day/time that works best with your schedule.

The Fall Session begins September 5th, 2008

Lessons are taught "In your home" and can be scheduled in any

available time slot from 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm.

With the use of familiar songs and

melodies, students will learn musical notation, sight reading, basic theory,

and technique. Students begin by learning the notes on each string and

chords in the open position. The fundamentals and daily practice are

stressed.

I have attached an application/registration form to this message.

To reserve a place on my schedule please complete the application/registration form

and send it along with payment to the address listed on the form.

Lessons are $140.00 per month

Tuition is based on a 4 week cycle and is due in advance the last/4th lesson

of each month.

Students will need a three ring binder, sharpened pencils, metronome and a

music stand for each lesson.

http://www.kendemery.com

Language Arts: Short Stories Unit

A 3 week unit on short stories using Discoveries in Literature (green book)
http://members.accessus.net/~bradley/7thgradeshortstoryunit.html

(actually, her website has a lot about 8th/7th grade english/literature -- worth taking a look!)
http://members.accessus.net/~bradley/

7^th Grade Short Story Unit

(Discoveries In Literature, Scott Foresman green book)

Day One:

Elements of a short story

Review page 12 and handout

Read “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin – handout (www.members.accessus.net/~bradley/storyofanhour.html)

Outline the short story as a class

Review a completed outline of the story

Short Story Outline Assignment

Day Two:

Complete Vocabulary for “The Widow and the Parrot”

Begin reading “The Widow and the Parrot” pages 13-20

Day Three:

Conclude “The Widow and the Parrot”

Answer questions 1, 2, 4, and 5 page 20

Complete vocabulary for “Raymond’s Run”

Day Four:

Read “Raymond’s Run” pages 23-27

Answer questions 1-6

Composition: Being a Story Character – ½ page

Day Five:

Complete vocabulary for “One Night Stand”

Read “One Night Stand” pages 29-34

Day Six:

Answer questions 1-5 page 35 from “One Night Stand”

Review for spelling and vocabulary test tomorrow – covers words from “The Widow and the Parrot,” “Raymond’s Run,” and “One Night Stand.”

Composition – Writing a Journal Entry

Day Seven:

Spelling and Vocabulary Test #1

Complete vocabulary for “Gentleman of Rio en Medio”

Day Eight:

Read “Gentleman of Rio en Medio” pages 37-41

Answer questions 1-5

Composition – Describing a Character

Day Nine:

Begin watching Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Day Ten:

Conclude Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Take quiz on movie

Day Eleven:

Complete vocabulary for “Stolen Day”

Read “Stolen Day” pages 54-58

Answer questions 1-4, 6-7

Day Twelve:

Complete vocabulary for “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”

Begin reading “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” pages 60-70

Day Thirteen:

Conclude “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”

Answer questions 1-6

Day Fourteen:

Watch “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”

Composition: Describing An Animal page 72

Day Fifteen:

Begin vocabulary for “The Fallen Angel”

Begin reading “The Fallen Angel” pages 80-90

Day Sixteen:

Conclude “The Fallen Angel”

Answer questions 1-4, 6-8

Composition – Describing How Friends Help – ½ page

Review for spelling and vocabulary test #2 tomorrow: Covers words from “Gentleman of Rio en Medio,” “Stolen Day,” “Rikki-tikki-tavi,” and “The Fallen Angel.”

Day Seventeen:

Spelling and vocabulary test #2

Read “I’ll Give You Law” pages 105-110

Answer questions 1-7 Think and Discuss and 1-5 Reviewing Literary Terms

Day Eighteen:

Begin watching Call of the Wild

Day Nineteen:

Conclude Call of the Wild

Take quiz on movie

Day Twenty:

Review Elements of a Short Story

Begin writing a short story

Outline your short story

Day Twenty-one:

Peer edit short story

Revise short story

Day Twenty-two:

Watch Cask of Amontillado and The Necklace

Take quiz over movie

Day Twenty-three:

Turn in completed short story

Elements of a Short Story Test

Education: Educating the Net Generation

A book available in pdf (by chapter) about how technology has changed the education game. Mostly focused on the college level but important for us as homeschoolers to know as we get our kids ready. Website itself looks interesting to look through as well.
http://www.educause.edu/educatingthenetgen/5989

Organization: Daily Dockets etc from simplemom

Aug 3, 2008: Organizational charts to customize
Weekly: http://simplemom.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/sm-masterchecklistdownload.pdf
Daily Docket: http://simplemom.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/sm-dailydocketdownload.pdf
(I really like it -- can I create something for me?)
And the whole process explained:
http://simplemom.net/downloads/

Blogging: as a topic!

Aug 3, 2008 1066 Links Lessons about Blogging
Includes a huge list about things to do and avoid with blogging. Worth reading if Diane wants to go this route!

http://bloggingwithoutablog.com/1066-links-lessons-or-tips-for-bloggers/

Ponderings for Me: Social Network Plugin For Excel

July 31, 2008
A Plug-In for Excel for Plotting Social Networks (too cool!)
This is just cool. I need to start reading The World is Flat and see if I can find some other social network books. I think this will really change how we think and interact. Kind of an unsettling feeling, though.

Travel: Outerbanks Rentals

July 31, 2008
Outerbank Rentals -- check 281A and 281B
I'd like to spend a week in the Outer Banks -- the rooms mentioned are on the sound side but there's a long wharf. Might be a good option.

Ponderings for Me: Sit There, Do Nothing

July 31, 2008
Team Builders Plus: Sit There, Do Nothing…Are You Kidding?
A great article about sitting and meditating -- and how hard that is to do when you're stressed. Mostly work related but still applicable.

Ponderings for Me: If Only...

July 31, 2008
If Only... (a wish list for busy Moms)
From MOPS -- very funny! (And mostly too true)



If Only…
By Linda Vujnov

Bread crust was moist and delicious.

Clothing had no sizing so you bought what fit.

Hamburger Helper tasted great three days in a row.

Ice cream sandwiches counted as a complete breakfast.

Beds made themselves.

BOZ made house calls.

Oprah aired at 1:00. 3:00, 5:00 and 7:00…in the morning!

Hotels offered free get-away weekends for couples with preschoolers.

Coffee came in one gallon jugs.

The washing machine could carefully separate dark clothes from the whites and complete six loads of laundry in one cycle.

Men could complete 18 holes of golf in thirty minutes.

Varicose veins were in style.

Your best friend lived across the street.

The Emergency room had punch cards. After five visits, the sixth one was free.

Your neighbor had three teenage girls who loved babysitting free of charge.

The plastic vacuum cleaner you daughter loves to play with actually worked.

Your cat could clean the kids too.

Hosing down the inside of your car resulted in no interior damage.

Everyone’s advice truly worked.

Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, musical chairs, cake and punch were a hit for an eleven year old birthday party.

Photos joyfully put themselves in books and wrote catchy captions to ago along with each picture.

Easy Bake ovens could make Tex Mex casserole for six.

Two cars really could fit into a garage along with everything else.

School started at 10:00 a.m.

Cupcakes came with more frosting than cake.

Every backyard came equipped with a rollercoaster, dancing pink unicorns and a water park with a full-time lifeguard.

Date night was more than dinner at the local drive-thru and a gift purchase for your niece’s birthday.

When women said, “I don’t want anything for my birthday” men understood that they really meant, “Surprise me with something creative and personal that I’ll love!”

Highschool: HomeScholar

July 31, 2008: HomeScholar -- highschool topics
Her website has a lot of great info about homeschooling highschool -- this needs more time as well. Especially read:

• her sample info on assignment sheets for middleschool (here)
• setting up an assignment schedule (here)
• tons of things about record keeping (here )
• an archive of her articles here.

Ponderings for Me: SimpleMom blog

July 31: 2008
simple mom: Enliven Everyday Life with an Inspiration Board
(I love her blog -- lots of great stuff! -- I really need to spend more time on her organizational lists and information)

Science: Wildlife University

8/3/2008 Wildlife University
Look at this option for Bj for the fall -- free 30 minute online classes to do a series on endangered wildlife, etc. Of course, there is some bias but worth talking about!

http://www.nwf.org/wildlifeuniversity/catalog.cfm?series=Endangered%20Species%20Series

Ponderings for Me: 20 Questions

8/3/2008 : Marc and Angel Hack Life: Practical Tips for Productive Learning
This blog has some great info that should be explored further but one of the best is the following list of 20 questions to ask each week.
http://www.marcandangel.com

(original can be found here)

At the cusp of new beginnings many of us take time to reflect on our lives by looking back over the past and ahead into the future. We ponder the successes, failures and standout events that are slowly scripting our life’s story. This process of self reflection helps maintain a conscious awareness of where we’ve been and where we intend to go. It is pertinent to the organization and preservation of our dreams, goals and desires.

If you would like to maximize the benefits of self reflection, I have 20 questions for you. These questions should be reviewed every Sunday morning or sometime during the weekend when you have some quiet time to think. Remember, reflection is the key to progression.

1. What did I learn last week? – If you have trouble answering this question, it’s time for a change. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you should learn something new every week.
2. What was my greatest accomplishment over the past week? – Reflecting on your accomplishments is a healthy way to raise self confidence and contentment. It’s also an effective way to track your progress.
3. Which moment from last week was the most memorable and why? – It may open up your mind to new passions and goals, or simple pastimes worth revisiting.
4. What’s the #1 thing I need to accomplish this week? – Everything else is secondary, and should be treated as such. Nevertheless, this question will also shine light on other noteworthy tasks.
5. What can I do right now to make the week less stressful? – Set reminders in your calendar, get your laundry done, fill the car with gas… organize yourself.
6. What have I struggled with in the past that might also affect the upcoming week? – The idea here is to learn from your struggles and better equip yourself for future encounters.
7. What was last week’s biggest time sink? – Steer clear of this in the future. Setup physical barriers against distractions if you have to.
8. Am I carrying any excess baggage into the week that can be dropped? – Physical clutter, mental clutter… eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary may shine bright.
9. What have I been avoiding that needs to get done? – Pencil in a time to get these things done. For any 2-minute or less tasks, consider scheduling them first thing Monday morning.
10. What opportunities are still on the table? – If it’s still available and you want it, make a concrete plan to go after it this week.
11. Is there anyone I’ve been meaning to talk to? – Regular communication can solve problems before they fester. Always keep an open line of communication to those around you.
12. Is there anyone that deserves a big ‘Thank You’? – Take time each week to thank the people who have helped you. Your kind gesture will not go unnoticed.
13. How can I help someone else this coming week? – The easiest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want. If you help them, they will remember you when you need help.
14. What are my top 3 goals for the next 3 years? – You’ll never make any progress in life if you don’t setup realistic goals for yourself.
15. Have any of my recent actions moved me closer to my goals? – If the answer is no, something needs to change.
16. What’s the next step for each goal? – Knowing the next step is the key to accomplishing the whole.
17. What am I looking forward to during the upcoming week? – The answer can act as a great source of motivation. If nothing exists, schedule something to look forward to.
18. What are my fears? – Consciously address your fears each week and slowly work on resolving them. It’s all about taking baby steps.
19. What am I most grateful for? – It’s a smart way to keep things in perspective, and something you should never lose sight of.
20. If I knew I only had one week to live, who would I spend my time with? – Another helpful reminder… Life is short. Spend more time with the people you care about.

Take 30 minutes every Sunday and give yourself the gift of self reflection. It has worked wonders for me, and I am confident it will do the same for you.