Back to school ~ 2013

Our year officially started in August, but since we were a little displaced, had the majority of our curriculum in boxes, and lessons were sporadic at best, we are starting over.

I've also decided to throw the idea of "what grade are you in?" out of our homeschool.  My son is at different levels in all subjects.  My way of thinking is he's right where he's supposed to be, so there!  (Hopefully that doesn't sound too bratty and obnoxious, but really.  Stop questioning me!)

Mary recently wrote a post that was almost verbatim to my thoughts the last few months.  So, I'd like to make a change in how we do things.  In the past I made a plan and scheduled lessons similar to public schools.  We have been a little more flexible with our time and resources, but the plan is still the same.  I’d say, “Here are your lessons, now let’s do it.”

My son isn’t seeing the connection of education to real life.  I want him to be excited and interested in learning.  But, implementing an "interest led" plan is something neither my son nor I would be happy with.  It gives him too much control, and plain and simple my son is not "interested" in school at all.  That makes me sad and frustrated.  Education is too important to be losing him at this early stage.

I became even more worried that my son didn't know the former presidents of the US, didn't know the states and their capitals, and many other things he has shown an interest in learning.  How could I have overlooked so much?

I've been so focused on teaching the fundamentals that I forgot a simple but major fact;  you can't teach everything all at once and what you do teach should be interesting, compelling, and worthy of their time and energy.  I want my son to be able to write and do it well, regardless of his attitude, learning style, and all other equations that didn't fit into my plan.  I want my son to excel in math beyond what he is capable of at the moment.  His mind just hasn’t wanted to conform to my standards.  (Dare I say a public school standard?)  So I've thrown caution to the wind in order to break him.  Poor little guy!

Children are only interested in one thing - what is in it for me.  They have to see the benefits of a good education.  Telling them that with good grades they’ll be able to go to a great college, get a better paying job, and have a better chance for a life of prosperity does not compute in their “here and now” minds. 

I'm transforming.  For the past few weeks I've been working out the details of a new plan.  I've been cleaning up and transforming our homeschool resource blog.  Now it is more pleasing to my son's artistic eye.  I’ve changed some of the curriculum we will be using to adapt to his interests, and hopefully he will find more joy in learning.  Of course we'll tweak and adapt even more as we go, because after all that's what's so great about homeschooling, right?

To be continued…

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