The Year's Week 2

I need to remind myself that week 1 of each school year is always an overwhelming feeling of doom and disaster -- and that it will work out as we find our pace again -- that elusive balance between my very organized, Type A, driven attempt to try to control everything and the reality of life 24/7 with an energetic 3 yo and an often unenthusiastic, monosyllabic 13 yo. My right brained learner doesn't work to a schedule, doesn't seem to change gears from his own speed to whatever anyone else expects so... things get done but at a meandering pace. It sometimes drives me crazy!

The things that did go well this first week:

* The "Tot Trays" for Jm seem to be met with enthusiasm and excitement. I can even convince him that we need to get chores done first before uncovering the table of trays. He even asked for "school" Friday afternoon. I just boxed up and inventoried what I have for the trays and I think we've got a great selection to last for the fall (& maybe even spring!).
--> Though they don't seem to be independent work after the first week, they did provide a great selection of topics for us to talk about and handle. If I give my time to a couple hours of tot trays and stories (be ready ahead of time!), I think it will gain me a bit of time afterwards when he is fine to have some time on his own.

* Bj seems to be OK with sitting at his desk for a couple hours with head phones on and working independently this year. Most days I didn't need to redirect (on the days I was home, anyway!!!)

* Piano is still positive.

* Bj was willing to test out some different options for the year and give his opinion (No Way on the science, Yes on the history).

* I think I found a World History sequence that will work for us for the next 2 years. It's by Walch called "Focus on World History" and is a workbook type text with a summary of each section followed by some great questionnaires/worksheets that require more research to explore the topic in more detail. Similar to what I liked about Trisms in that research skills are a big part of it, but with the added benefit of making sure that the basics were covered and put into place with the summary first. It is not as Euro-centric as many of the texts, nor too wordy for my non-wordy right brainer. http://www.walch.com/product/915. If this works as well as I'm hoping, we can use the same series for American History in 10th.

Things that need to be re-thought:
Science was a disaster!!!! All my careful thought and planning about merging online video learning with an encyclopedia-type science book that seemed like it would really fit Bj will NOT work. He found it very confusing without having something in place to center the odds and ends -- and to provide the basic spine of vocabulary and terminology. Back to the drawing board as this wasn't just because it was the first day. I ended up with a text recommended by a Science Education professor at NCSU (http://www.science-house.org/middleschool/reviews/index.html)called Conceptual Physical Science published by Pearson. A new version was published with a date of 2010 (in the future!) so I got it along with a problem solving set. Part of the huge benefit to the next text is the 1 year online access to supplement the text -- videos explaining lots of the terminology, tutorials about some of the topics, etc. I really hated to go to a traditional textbook for science but I'm thinking this will be OK -- and will provide even more skills that he will need in college.

* Time for me -- I do need to bring in someone twice a week so I have time and space to give to Bj and to do the things I need to do. This is life. Considering I'll be in my 60's when my youngest graduates from highschool, this isn't a season. This really is life. What do I need, what do I want, what are my priorities, given that one of my priorities is to be homeschooling right now?

Enough ponderings for now... Week 2 really will be better -- or at least the next phase in adjustment as I try a full schedule for the week and find out how much I've overestimated Bj's capacity/interest in fulfilling that!

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Carnegie Melon also has some free online courses -- though the choices are limited and you sign up for the entire course:

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