Quick update....we are on our second week of homeschooling! I used to be a teacher so I am used to making lesson plans etc...last week I did a master daily schedule (flexible of course) and planned out 4 hours worth of curriculum. Well every day last week we FLEW through it all in under 2 hours...I did supplemental work and let him play on computer learning websites etc. so supplement some of that so this week I planned a lot more. Like today we did 4 days worth of science lessons in less than the 30 min I have allotted. I just don't know what to do I have even started just talking/asking more questions in all subjects to make it take longer/make sure he understands it all! I am doing two math books already added in Bible classes and independent reading time and we still finished today in under 3 hours!!! I am thinking maybe it's just b/c we are reviewing so he's already done most of this stuff and in the next few weeks it will take longer? I mean it's week 2 and we are already 1/4th through a lot of the curriculum
It still amazes me how fast you can get the work done when you don't have to waste time getting in line to go to lunch, PE, library, bathroom and so on. We nearly always finish our day way before the public school bus goes by. I think about how much time in school is wasted on nonsense. It took me a while to relax and realize I don't have to add extra work every day. When I finally listened to some of the ladies on here and let us all de-school it started to click and we all had an ahh ha moment when we saw that this is OUR school and we can do it OUR way. Math in pajamas, reading on the trampoline, science in a state park! I love it!
I used to teach professionally as well, and, yes, you'll have to let go of the time allotments you're used to for a classroom. The fact is that you're moving at a single individual's pace now and not at the pace of an entire class of 25. I thought at first that I was doing something wrong because we went through stuff so incredibly fast compared to what I did in a school setting. But I realized after a while that I just wasn't having to spend all my time disciplining, re-focusing the unfocused, entertaining, reviewing, etc. To give you an idea, my just turned 6 year old will be ready to start 3rd grade math somewhere around March if we stay on track with our lessons. I'm surely glad that his dad's an electrical engineer because I'm going to be of no use once we're past basic algebra--- and I have a feeling that will be sooner than I think!
This is the lesson that we homeschooling parents can never explain to a teacher or doubting family or friend... Homeschooling is NOT sitting at a desk for 8 hours.... nor is it doing only a tiddlywinks of work and then playing all day... It is somewhere in the middle... When we are done by lunch and out running around, many many many people think it is because we expect so little from our kids, and just have them do some math and some grammar from some random book from walmart... What you ar learning is that you are REALLY good at lesson plans and time management, for groups... single student planning is a whole other ball game. Try this... Lay out a plan "Outline" leaving the materials and resources open ended... Let the lesson be more conversational, and flowing... not so structured... Just consider your goals to be your directioal compass and have the student (Leading them) come up with ways to find the information,, ways of presenting the information... etc... This way, you never know when or where it will end... and you are also not locked into some artificial time stamp. Does that make any sense? Sorry. Typing in my car while DD is in ballet.
If all else fails have lots of library books available and when you finish way too early have your child read about tht subject. I have used this with my ds because he finishes quite quickly and we are pretty well set in our time increments to the schedule with the currric I use. I get Library books and if we are done too quickly for my comfort I tell him to go read about the country, or a story that fits in for reading time.. etc. These ladies are correct and I still have a hard time explaining this to my husband but school work does not take as many hours as it does when you are in a class room, mainly because you the teacher do not have a lot of kids to field questions for. Now the more kids you school the more time it will take of course because the one on one becomes one to three etc. But don't worry, just relax a bit on your time schedule unless you state says you have to teach certain times for certain classes you are ding fine!
I assume you are focusing on the required 4 hours mandated by the state (TN). Remember, that four hours can include instruction, independent work, reading, art, music, PE, computer, field trips, library programs, videos/educational tv, etc. As a former elementary teacher I know that so much time was spent teaching to the whole. You now don't have to make sure that everyone "gets it". In school time was spent taking attendance, getting settled in and ready for each subjects, snacks, bathroom breaks, lunch, and just getting places. It is a frame of mind adjustment. Fortunately we don't have mandated hours of instruction in NC. My daughter (3rd grade) is often finished with math, reading, and grammar in an hour. Our theme/unit study (social studies and science) can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on how in-depth we get or the projects we are working on. Tweak things as you need to. Just be sure that you and/or your son get stressed out! Good luck!
One more thing.... If you are registerd with Home Life Academy, then you may be exempt from the mandatory 4 hours of instruction regulation. You may want to check with a councelor at HLA to see if this applies to you.
Thanks everyone! I do have breaks scheduled in and I am not sticking to a strict schedule just a general idea like breakfast/Bible/Math/chores/Science and so on so my son knows what is coming next! I have "out and about" time scheduled in etc...and I have always made everything a learning activity! I just need to not worry about making sure it's 4 hours if he's learning WAY more than he did 7 hours at school! (His school had low reading scores so that is ALL they seemed to focus on)
Another former teacher here!!! A word of warning: I have been told by many hs'ers that were teachers that it is almost MORE difficult for us professional educators to homeschool, because we have been trained on how it is "suppose" to be done. And homeschooling is definitely teaching OUTSIDE the box. We almost have to "unlearn" much of our college education! One thing you have the option of doing that can be difficult in a classroom is to go with the flow. You don't have to worry about not getting something done and having to "move on". You can spend the time pursuing the child's interests!
When Ems completes her lessons early, then we try to broaden what we are working on. The first few years Ems finished her lessons quickly and efficiently. Then we hit 3rd grade and we slowed down a bit. This is just how things flow. Now she is cooking again. We are supplimenting with library books and unit studies. Eventually your children will hit a wall, over come it, and pick up the pace again. You will see this through the years of homeschooling.
We seem to go in cycles too. For a few months we seem to breeze through everything and then one of my girls hits a topic that stumps them for a while and we slow down to conquer it. Sometimes it feels like our school day is too long, but then I have to remind myself that I am bouncing between three girls. They each have plenty of free time while I am working with a sibling. I wouldn't worry about how long or short your day is as long as the subjects are being learned.
I did the same thing - loaded them up with more work when it seemed to be going too fast. It wore them out and school became a "chore". Now I let it happen - I think science was me reading yesterday 10 minutes TOPS. Math and Language took longer - but after I saw my dd outline 2 paragraphs and she "got the idea" I closed the book - she was done in my opinion. I think my DH is getting it too - but I do need them to be outside more and to read more - just what I need them to do. So my long winded thought is not to push as hard or else you will get tired and so will your child. You will stress out because you feel you aren't doing enough - he will feel he's doing too much
I often wonder what it's like to move from teachng to homeschooling. I tend to imagine (from comments from teachers-homeschooling moms I know) that it really of limited value but are there expectations you have to overcome when you start homeschooling? Even ways it might be a hindrance?
Four hours is a LONG day for us. Usually it is more like 2.5. If it goes four hours, he's sat on his butt for at least 2 of them looking at the wall....
