Flexibility: a Character Trait a Homeschool Mom Must Have to Survive!

 

        One of the things that happen as the school year starts is changes to make your day work with the needs of life, the teacher, and the students. I want to encourage you to not get frustrated with your school but shape and mold it using the tools you have to make it work for your family. Flexibility is a  character trait that a homeschool mother must understand. Check lists, curriculum, plans, & goals are all good but they are just tools used and you are the master of the tools.Each year may look different and what works for one homeschool mom may not work for another. That's ok we are all created by a creative God for His purposes.
            My goal as a homeschool mom is to find the recipe that works for my family. I think kids do best on routine so I am working towards finding what works for my family while still being flexible.Its also so much easier on the teacher and student when we do find something that works and stick with it especially in Math. I am looking for tools that I will return to year after year. While I am working through the bugs finding what works, ( as a veteran mom I have tried many different types of curriculum or created my own unit studies etc.) I know I must be flexible to adjust to what I am using or make a complete change. Each year I have more children to teach so that adaption causes changes too but being flexible still doesn't change my goals.
              Our goals are to find a Christ centered education that develops Godly character  as our top priority. Second, I have found that the mastery approach of learning works best for my students for example  grammar and math. As far as style goes the Charlotte Mason style of homeschooling affects what tools I use and how I use them. For example our history, science, & language arts are taught in the way Charlotte Mason suggests. This narrows down my choices out there from experience knowing the different types of curriculum ,and what did not work for our family.
          I also want tools that are open and go so that's less work on me as a teacher. Finally, if I can avoid printing or searching for literature guides, notebooking pages, laps books, etc. that is a also a time saver. Finances is last since we consider homeschooling a tool to disciple our children we have agreed as husband and wife these eternal souls are what we are investing in not things that rust and fade away. However, we are to be good stewards so I do try to be wise with my purchases. If we don't use it we sell it and we are looking for wise buying choices in curriculum.
       So from the beginning of the school year we have made some changes to what we are using or how we are using what we purchased. I am happy we have found some long term keepers that fit my goals and some things like highschool science I am still in search of even though we keep using Apologia highschool because our co-op does. I am not a fan of Apologia highschool but like the elementary series.
      So here is our current daily list. We just started the McGuffey readers this week as an example of a change hoping for the better from our original plans this summer for the 2014-2015 school year. Time will tell but I think its is going to work for our family. I may make changes in time how I use them as I get experience with them but I really like using them at this point. I will talk about that more later in another post.

  For now our daily schedule:

1. Wisdom booklets (Bible & all subjects throughout the month)
2. Bible passages relating to history lessons
3. Math U See
4. Easy Grammar
5. McGuffey readers: language arts includes: spelling, copywork, narration,literature, dictation, grammar, vocabulary, and phonics.
6. reading through a book usually from history.They just orally narrate so I hold them accountable to what they read.
7. Science Apologia
8. History: Mystery of History and Biblioplan
9. writing~essays and notebooking from history lessons
10. Foreign language Rosetta Stone Italian 

We do 1-2 as a family together in the morning

5-8 I work with the elementary students

5-8 is done independently by my highschool students.

7-9 is done after lunch

    It seems like a lot but it really is the perfect fit for our family. The lessons are short, mastery, and building on the next so they are able to do it without frustration because they are learning and not feeling left behind! We are both able to keep up. I am able to prepare, work with them daily, and check their work while they are able to reach the goals daily completing their work. And still getting done in the early afternoon as their reward when working diligently. 

   This is only week 5 so I will know at the end of the school year what will continue or try to find something that's a better fit. We are not using the Illuminations much at this point so it will be something I will not continue or purchase next year.
 So don't get discouraged but instead be flexible allowing God to lead & guide you as He directs you to what works for you and your sheep.