Showing posts with label why homeschool. Show all posts
Showing posts with label why homeschool. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Some Helpful Organization in our Classroom

We have been a family in transition for the last year and a half and so our classroom has had several temporary homes.We will be moving one last time to our new home on October 5th (Praise the Lord!).

Thus our classroom organization has all been temporary in the three rental homes we've occupied.

Yet, despite our transitory circumstances, there are a few ways I've found it really helpful to keep our supplies organized and accessible.

We have our "workbox drawers" where I have often kept all the necessary teachers manual's and supplies for each subject organized, ready and accessible.  Right now, since I have a toddler who likes to empty drawers, my manuals are all conveniently accessible in their crate.

 For my son who is an advancing beginning reader, we have a word wall to help him practice his vocabulary and spelling words.  For my three year old, we have his letters up on the wall as well.  For both, we just used sticky tack to stick them up.


Because of our temporary circumstances, we only have one bookshelf in our classroom, but I keep it well stocked with library books for our current subjects.

I've put all of our puzzles in ziplock bags for easy storage and access for the children to work on during "quiet times" and have a few baskets out for my 12 month old to explore and play in while we do our homeschool lessons.  I've also posted a list with pictures of things my children can choose for quiet work.




We have a small math station, a religion "Mass/Prayer Corner" and a small table that is easily moved and used for projects. 

Plastic shoe boxes keep our various supplies organized and accessible but not easily dumped by my toddler.
 
To organize their supplies, each child has a crate by their desk to hold all of their school books, binders and supplies (our desks open on top so we don't use them for daily activities, just for storage of special projects).


To keep all of their papers in order,they have a binder where everything we save for the year will be kept.  I'll talk more about the binders as I explain what we are doing this year for each subject.

Much of our organization will change or be adapted to our new homeschooling space once we move but the beauty of our current set-up is that everything is easily transferred to a new location.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Our Basic Educational Philosophy/ Approach (The Why)

After deciding to home school, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the many, many options there are out there.  I found that Cathy Duffy's book 101 Top picks for Homeschooling Curriculum helpful because it describes the many styles of homeschooling, helps you identify what would best fit your family and then offers curriculum options.  The book was available at my library and I've checked it out each year as I plan curriculum best suits my children's needs.

In looking at all of the homeschooling options, I've found it helpful to be clear on the goals we have for the education of our children.  My desire for them, in a nutshell, is that they grow up to be well-formed, Catholic adults who love God, desire above all to embrace God's will for their lives(Vocation), are able to think for themselves, are able to discern and choose the Truth, love learning and ultimately desire to become saints. 


Because of my background and my desire for them, I prefer to use a classical education model since this has withstood the test of time and seems to me best suited to giving them a solid education.
The guides I have chosen for this education are "The Well Trained Mind" by Susan Wise Bauer and Laura Berquists' "Design your own Classical Curriculum."  I also insert Montessori and Charlotte Mason aspects often and use our own version of Sue Patrick's Workboxes to organize our day.


We love homeschooling because in the heart of our Domestic Church our children are free to encounter Christ, to be themselves, to have good friendships free of negative peer pressure and learn about the many good, true and beautiful aspects of God's creation and so find joy in learning. 
They have the freedom to blossom surrounded by love and encouragement. 
We have always been blessed with many friends who also desire this for their children and it is a beautiful gift for our children to have friends who also love and live their faith

Our family has felt called to embrace this beautiful lifestyle and we know the blessings and joys outweigh the struggles and daily trials of homeschooling.  I always try to keep our end goal and the many tangible fruits in mind when encountering the daily struggles of balancing the roles of wife, mother and teacher and the difficulties of little ones in a classroom or a child who struggles to master a skill or grasp a concept. It is a great gift to be able to witness my children's growth and those moments when the joy of learning shines through and I wouldn't change this for the world!
   
  


Sunday, September 15, 2013

Our Homeschooling Adventure - The What, How and Why


Are you ready for an Adventure? Let's go, what are you waiting for?

Ever since my first post on our Homeschooling Adventure, I intended to give updates about our homeschool days. 
Many drafts have been begun, only to be left incomplete in the "to post" file until they were out-dated as things became busy.  Well, this time, I've planned and begun to write a whole series of posts on what we're studying, how our homeschooling is going and how we've organized our days.  I'll be posting them each week with pictures.

As each family prepares their "Homeschool" they put a lot of time and thought into choosing the education and curriculum that best fits their family's particular dynamics from the many options out there.  I think it's helpful to see what has worked for other families and so I hope my posts are helpful for you though every Homeschool will be a bit different . There are, of course, many wonderful blogs out there.  If you've stumbled across mine, hopefully it'll help you to see what it's like to step into a homeschooling family's day :-)

I'll be posting on the following topics on the dates listed below in parenthesis and linking them back to this post as I publish them.


The Schedule and How our Day is Organized

Helpful Organization in Our Classroom



Our Curriculum this year(Grade 2 and Kindergarten):

Calendar Activities

Language Arts

 Math (10-23-13)

 Science(10-30-13)

History(11-6-13)

Religion (11-13-13)

Spanish and Latin(11-20-13)

P.E., Music, and Art (11-27-13)


A Lifestyle of Learning  - Learning throughout the day, Field trips, and Friends (12-1-13)


Thanks for visiting!