No room for a schedule
I’m sure I’m not alone in saying academic interruptions have been plentiful these past few months. Traveling, weather, holidays, field trips, auditions, sports, and just the random needed down time have greatly impacted having much of a structured schedule in our home. For the most part I’ve tossed out having a timed schedule. I’ve now resorted back to my old ways of simply knowing what needs to be covered, so we cover whenever and wherever we can. Oddly enough, the kids seem to do fine with this approach. I’m thankful because there’s really no other choice right now. They get plenty of unstructured imaginative play and know when I call their name for studies, they must regroup to receive instruction. I’ll know in about 10 years how things went..
Today we were once again blanketed in snow. Most local schools and businesses were closed, but I still taught lessons. I was grateful to have received some hands-on wooden blocks and play figures in the mail to bring some newness to their “stuck-indoors” time. Most children find wooden blocks so attractive. I watched the blocks act like magnets to my kids, and while they worked to create their cities and fortresses, I played French lullabies in the background.
NY Times article, IB versus AP
Article sent to me by a friend. Interesting to note the differing points of view..
The Winter Crud
Tis the season. My daughter began running a high fever today having likely acquired the virus from her younger brother. She began complaining of feeling icky after her math quiz. I thought nothing of it really until I found her asleep on her bedroom rug upstairs. I couldn’t take her temperature because we don’t own a thermometer, but her skin was hot to the touch, one of those scary touches where you put them in a tub of water to cool them off. So, needless to say, she was out of commission and slept for hours.
I’m also sharing in the fun with a raw throat and coughing, but the symptoms aren’t of such a nature to slow me down. No need to stop teaching, and I was thankful to even get a run in tonight.
I was thrilled to sit down and work with the older boys on their writing skills. I have to be in a certain frame of mind to teach composition effectively. The subject matter for me seems to demand a certain amount of enthusiasm and we seemed to have good energy in their writing lessons today. Other subjects were covered including math. Is it sad that I applaud myself when I solve my oldest son’s math problems while he’s doing so concomitantly? At one point today he said that he felt like he was teaching the math concepts to me versus the other way around. How sad and exciting is that?
Here’s to feeling better tomorrow.
Ivy League Homeschooling 