Stressing about math
The last 3 days have been beyond busy in our household, and likely your household can relate. Hubby and I actually laughed when we looked over the calendar as there was literally nowhere to pause until the day ended at a late hour. In the midst of the activities, I’ve tried to keep an abbreviated version of academics going as every little bit helps.
In the wee hours of the night, I was prepping for our lessons that were to be taught today when I found myself becoming anxious over my fifth grader’s math and questioning my ability to teach this. Yes, fifth grade math! I’m using Singapore’s “Math in Focus” as our skeleton math curriculum and some of the word problems in the extra practice and enrichment books I’ve been frustrated with. I don’t feel the authors have done a decent job of explaining how to present a few of the concepts. This belief led me down that not-so-fun road of asking the question, “Do I throw in the towel on this curriculum and go back to what I was using before (Calvert Math), or do I persevere with what I’m presently using?” Math is such an important subject so I want to make sure it gets the time and attention it deserves, and that I’m comfortable in teaching it. My latest thought is to combine Calvert’s Math and Singapore’s books and teach the concepts using both of their resources and methodologies, which just means more work for me-ugh. But you just do what you have to do to make it work. Hopefully, I”m making the right decision. We’ll see how his next round of standardized testing goes.
Using everyday life to keep tone
Our schedule is packed with lots of activities this year, and they seem to keep multiplying as the kids get older. These activities affect my gym time, but I’m trying hard to stay active.
One thing I do is walk on my toes around the house. I do this when I’m teaching, when I’m cooking (rare), when I’m getting ready in the morning,etc. I’m hoping these little things will help in the maintenance of my stamina when I can’t get to the gym. It also makes me feel like a ballerina:)
Vacation ends. Here we go. Should I keep the long summer break?
We made it back home from vacation after driving all night. It has been a mad rush of activities all weekend, so it’s the usual business of I haven’t even finished unpacking yet.
I’m getting the classroom organized and am really excited to see what the kids will be learning this year. I plan to use this week to help ease the kids and myself back into an academic mode. I’m questioning whether I’ll keep a traditional school calendar in the future. I was reading some on the history of the school year recently. In the past, schools took a break so that the children could help farm and work out in the fields. Well, my kids aren’t helping to run a farm, so I’m debating the value of a long summer break. Yes, I need a break for sanity, but it may simply backfire on me as we begin our start-up. Something else to ponder. Well, it’s after midnight-let’s have a cup of coffee..
BTW-crazy summer sales going on right now-getting some shopping done before my free time gets consumed for the fall.