Teach-Now 2014

Now that I am back in school, I have a lot of homework! My time is consumed with research and using new software.  My homework is not traditional textbooks and test.  It is project based and I am trying to use social media more, as it is a requirement for my license.  As teachers, we need to up-to-date on technology and know what our students are learning and doing in the 21 century. 

My plan is to use this platform as a way to share what I am learning.  I have posted a few assignments to Facebook, which is fine.  However, I would something a little more personal. I will be sharing my research here, hopeful it will be interesting and educational.

I have learned so much already about useful software, apps, and general presentation and teaching tools.  We are working hard to integrate technology into lessons and help students build 21st Century Skills (collaboration, communication and critical thinking).  Everyone can use these skills for life, not just a career. 

Up  until now, most of my research has focused on our school district.  We have looked at student demographics, economics, city demographics, and test scores.  It is interesting how all of these things play a role in student learning. 

The process of learning is fascinating! There are so many learning styles, teaching styles, methods, etc.  This blog will keep the focus on education, but will expand from simply home education into how education happens for humans and what outside factors, such as stress, can affect our learning.  Stay tuned...

Well hello!  Wow, I have neglected this blog for years...  SO much has happened. 

The quick update: our kids are back in public school and I am working at the elementary school AND enrolled in a licensure program working toward my teaching license.  We are all having a great time! The kids love school and spending the day with all their friends.  The teachers are amazing, accommodating and fun to work with. 

Emily and Madison won 3rd place in the talent show! They played the flute and saxophone - Great job girls!

Anthony turned 40!

Emily played Little Miss Muffett in the 5th grade play.  She is did awesome! What a fun night.  So proud of her!

Getting ready for the science fair.  Making rock candy.  YUMM!

Getting braces! The before picture - such a beauty.

During - I am sure she will appreciate this picture.  :)

And...after.  Looking forward to cleaning brackets and wires for 24 months.  Ugh...

Summer 2014 - lots of fishing on the Muddy Creek

The BIG fish! Don't worry... we throw them all back to lead full and happy lives. 

River fun! Summer band concert 2014. 

That sums up the highlight reel for school year 2013. It is amazing how quickly life can pass.  As I look back through this blog.  My now 8-year-old was "almost 4" - how can that be?

Do you ever get so wrapped up in the day-to-day business of life that you forget to enjoy it?  Our schedules are full, our children are busy, life happens... and it happens fast! My oldest will be driving in less than 5 years.  That will fly by.  Who knows, my next blog post could very well be a picture of Emily with her drivers license.  As "they" say, "In a blink of an eye."  I need to remember to stop blinking.  

Welcome Summer!

Can it be? Summer is her already!?  Living in Oregon, it is not typical to be swimming and enjoying the sun in early May.  We are usually waiting out the rain well in to June.  What a fun blessing this year.  The kids have been swimming and playing and enjoying the sun. 

This does not bode well for our school plans.  We ended up tapering off the school work much earlier this year.  Oh well, I figure that's a perk of home school - may as well enjoy it.  We usually continue on with the "basics" over summer anyway.  I still need routine and structure in my day and it keeps the children organized and on top of their studies. 

What are our "basics?"  At the young ages of 10, 8, 6 and 3, it's handwriting, math and of course reading - LOTS of reading.  We read all summer long.  This mom always has a book in her hand and kids like to "be like mom." This little habit works in my favor, they don't always, trust me! 

This summer we will be staying home.  No vacations planned, no camping planned, nothing of the sort.  So what will we do this summer? We will have a 3-month staycation with a pool in the backyard, a tent, a fire pit, and no neighbors, other than grandparents.  We don't need to go anywhere.  This year it will be marshmallows and hot dogs by the fire in the backyard.  I am actually looking forward to the down time.  Weekends at home, tending flowers, reading books and raising kids.  Now that's a wonderful life. 

Speaking of a wonderful life, I received the Vision Forum newsletter today with an article titled The Rise and Fall of Motherhood, you can read it here: http://www.visionforumministries.org/issues/family/the_rise_and_fall_and_rise_of.aspx

While I found this article discouraging for our society as a whole, I appreciate the encouragement for all stay-at-home moms and home school moms.  What an honor to know that we are fulfilling God's highest calling by raising up His children.

I am so thankful to get to stay home, educate, raise and enjoy my children, and an early summer.

Welcome sunshine! Pull up a chair and stay a while. 

Pumpkin Patch - Surprise!

SURPRISE! 

To our delight, we found a pumpkin patch growing along our fence row.  This is the place we throw out all the old food, grass clippings, anything that will "compost."  Last year we tossed out the old rotting pumpkins without even a second thought.  We didn't care for this plant.  We didn't till the ground, we didn't even water it.  Amazingly, it has grown all on its own.  Now, we have our very own pumpkin patch!

 

 

As we searched through it looking for signs of pumpkin, we found it!  This plant is growing lots and lots of beautiful, round, soon-to-be golden pumpkins.  

This is our largest pumpkin so far.  We still have another month or two of growing - I can only imagine how big they will get by mid-October.  A dear friend told us to carve the children's names in the small pumpkins and watch their names expand as the pumpkin grows.  What a neat idea! We will give it a try and let you know if it works.  Stay tuned...  

Back From the Homeschool Hiatus

Well, it's that time of year again!  The weather is cooling down and summer is coming to an end.  As fall approaches, school begins.  It has become a tradition to step up to the wall and see how much we have grown over the past year.

 

Emily, my how she has grown in every way.  Not only is she taller, she is more intelligent, witty and wise than she was just a year ago.  Her love for the Lord and drive to seek Him through scripture is admirable.  It is a pleasure and a blessing to get to learn with her this year. My firstborn joy!

Ms. Alyssa, strong, intelligent and stubborn! Excellent qualities for a fine leader.  This child is a decision maker and a do'er.  If you need something done, ask Alyssa! We are excited to watch her grow and blossom this year.  Here at home, there are no bounds to what can be taught or learned. My aspiring pediatrician will keep me on my toes!

Michael has grown 4 inches in the last year! He is bright and eager and full of questions. This little man is a math whiz with an unstoppable hunger for knowledge.  Try as I might, I cannot keep up with his desire to learn.  Look out girls, your brother is on your heels. It is my pleasure to get to be his teacher this year! I am excited to see what the Lord's plans will be.

First day of school - 2012. What a great day! We are learning about God's amazing creations.  We will be studying all of the people, cultures and countries in our world.  By the end of this year the children will be familiar with all the continents and know most of the countries and their capitals.  What and exciting year.

And, where is AJ during all this?  He is listening, playing and building marble runs.  This precious boy can build and create structures that are far beyond what I can imagine.  His curiosity and discovery is amazing at this age. 

Emily and Alyssa working through their math workbooks.  They are using Teaching Textbooks this year and they love it! This is by far the most fun math program we have used yet.  I think we finally found one we will stick with. So far, they don't even complain about completing the worksheets or quizzes.  Phew! Glad to see an end to the math battle. 

 Reading Time: Mom's favorite subject.  Twenty minutes of complete silence and time to catch up on chores and lesson plans. 

 Enjoying the last few days of summer!

The beginning of a new year...

Organizing our homeschool day

Here is how we organize our day.  Each child has a storage cube full of daily assignments.

 What's in each cube?  Lots of clear zip-loc bags.  I labeled each bag with a subject and assigned each subject a number.  I put each subject in the order I would like each child to complete it.  It may be different for every child depending on how teacher-intensive it is.   As the bags are completed, I try to get them filled with the next day's assignment.  Often times, I put a snack or something fun in a less desirable subject to make it more 

fun and give the children something to look forward to.

When the bag is complete the number is moved to the number strip.  When the number strip is full school is done for the day! 

Each  child is color-coded.  They got to choose their favorite color, Emily is red, Alyssa is yellow and Michael is green (of course) Go Ducks! 

We use My Father's World for our core curriculum.  All the student sheets are organized neatly in 3-ring binders.  The binders are complete with a 3-ring pencil pouch and a 3-subject notebook to help keep all the "necessary" items in one easy location.  This helps minimize our precious time from searching for a pencil or clean sheet of notebook paper.  

My Father's World Kindergarten.  Again, I put all the student sheets in one easy location.  I have dividers for all 26 weeks and subjects to help keep it organized.  




Colorful dividers:

This year we will exploring Countries and Cultures.  Here is our notebook all ready to go. This contains all the student sheets, passport, pencil pouch and 3-subject notebook.  As the student sheets are completed the kids can file them behind the appropriate divider labeled with World or a specific continent.

               A peek inside...   

Homeschool Camp out 2010

Ahhh, the homeschool camp out!

This was another highlight of our fabulous summer.  We stayed on the coast at William Tugman State Park with many other homeschool families.  We got to know some pretty amazing families and children this weekend. There were many fun activities planned to keep us all entertained.  We got to swim, play games, make stilts, paint stilts, have stilt races, worship the Lord together and eat candy, lost and lots of candy!!!!

This event kicked off our school year and what a way to start the year!!  The children came home excited to be a homeschool family.  They are motivated and ready to dig in to their school books.

They are certainly not going to be short of friends this year.   This is a picture of a lot of the children in our co-op.  There are many more besides this that could not make it to the camp out this year.  The girls have several new friends their age and a lot of them even attend our church.

Michael made some new friends this weekend too.  There were 4 boys including Michael who were all about the same age and played really well together.  We are excited to spend more time with them and develop their friendships.

Daddy and boys are hanging out in the motorhome.  We just finished up breakfast and were getting ready for the day.  AJ is getting SO big!  Michael is too for that matter, he turns 4 in two more days.  UGH... where does the time go? 

This last picture is one of the Minute-to-win-it games we played.  The boys had to put an Oreo on their forehead and use only their facial muscles to move the cookie down to their mouth.  It was very fun to watch - quite the sight.  These little hands just could not stay off the cookie.  Can you blame them?

In the evenings we all sat around the camp fire and sang songs.  The girls learned a lot of new fun songs.  They have been singing them all week.  It so great to listen to them and know that they have some very fun memories of camping.