Having To Explain Myself Again...

A few weeks ago someone approached me about how I homeschool. They were very "concerned" that we don't use state resources or have to be accountable to any state standards. I briefly told them about what we do each day and that we have a great opportunity to do a lot more field trips and hand-on learning than if we were in the public school system. Trying to reassure them, I told them of our upcoming trip to Jackson Hole, a trip into Yellowstone, and then diverting over to Idaho Falls to the King Tut museum. Ummm.... I'm pretty sure they think we are nuts and neglecting our children's education! Hopefully I'll have our pictures sorted in a few days and a post written about our fabulous learning experience this past week. The kids have declared that it was the best vacation/ field trip ever. I guess I've just gotta learn to not worry about what other people think when I know what we're doing is right for our family.

Using The Scout Program In Homeschooling

 

My kids love scouting! It's hard to believe, but we've been scouting for 15 years. It all started this time of year with a 7 year old Lexii attending her first Brownie Girl Scout meeting. Now, Nate is a First Class Boy Scout and Mason is a Wolf Cub Scout.

Girl Scouts call achievements "Try-its" and Cub Scouts earn arrow points and belt loops. If you are a Boy Scout you are probably working on Merit Badges. Regardless of the name, all of these activities can go hand-in- hand with homeschooling. Now that the boys are getting older, I really want them to be involved in deciding what they study and be led by their interests. After the basics are done, they can pick things in their scout books to work on. It's amazing how well rounded the programs are. Some of the things Mason has done lately are: cooking, recycling, safety, healthy lifestyles, sports, computers, art, drama, citizenship, gardening, birds, fishing, woodworking, etc. Nate has earned several merit badges and they are far from "easy". They don't let the kids slide with partial or shoddy work. They must complete all the requirements. They are very in depth. So far Nate has earned: Environmental Science, Citizenship in the Community, Family Life, Personal Management, Citizenship in the World, First Aid, Archery, Leatherwork, Astronomy, Fingerprinting, Fish and Wildlife Management, Photography, Plant Science, and Rowing. He's started work on Communications, Cycling, and Woodworking.

We've found that scouting provides a great alternative to the  "elective" classes that are offered through the public school for jr. high and high school age kids. I'm really grateful for scouting and the asset that it has become to our family.

Customize a digital slideshow

 

I just realized that I never finished the final post on the LDS Homeschool Conference. I guess I'm not much of a series writer :) My last 2 classes were 2 of my favorite. The Key to Building Youth, Instead of Teens by Nicholeen Peck and Mothers, The Heart of Homeschooling by Myra Johnson.

I always enjoy Nicholeen Peck's classes. This is one she taught at the UHEA Conference in June, and I liked it so much I went again. She reminds us that the "invention" of a teenager is very recent. When our grandparents were between the ages of 12-18 they were called youth. A youth is totally different than a teenager. They are training to become an adult. They are learning to be responsible and preparing for the future. Teenagers are self absorbed and live for today. She played 2 short video clips. One was of Justin Beiber being interviewed and the other was Alex and Brett Harris being interviewed. Justin was talking about himself, his fans, and very worried about his appearance and popularity. Alex and Brett Harris were talking about what they learned from their father and about the book they wrote called Do Hard Things. We then talked about the differences in both interviews. Can you guess which one was a good example of being youth instead of teenagers? Our youth should "Live with purpose and have a vision". I love that! Here are some things that our youth can do:

1. Raise your standards high ( example- Joan of Arc and her loyalty to God)

2. Do hard things

3. Learn self government

4. Know where you are going

5. Network ( find great adult mentors)

When my grandfather was 18, he was in WW11. While fighting overseas, his father died. He was given 1 week of shore leave to go home and settle his father's estate. He went back to his rural hometown of Grouse Creek and sold his family's property to the neighbor. He then went into Brigham City and bought a house for his mother and sister. He asked my grandmother to marry him and they ran off and eloped. He was back in the middle of the war by the next week. I look at many of the 18 year-olds today and wonder if many of them could do something like he had to do. I think it's very important to raise our kids to be able to do hard things. They are a choice generation- they need to be ready when the Lord needs them.

The final class was Mothers, The Heart of Homeschooling by Myra Johnson. She talked about working on ourselves so that we can bless others. If we do things the Lord's way we find joy, peace, satisfaction, and fulfillment. When we do things Satan's way we are tired, depressed, and burned out. Things that can help us do it the Lord's way are: 

1. What is our attitude?

2. Are we willing to serve/sacrifice?

3. Are we willing to build and strengthen ourselves?

She encouraged us to find joy in homemaking and nobility in motherhood. We should serve were the Lord wants us to serve. We should also get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat healthy.

This was such an amazing Conference. There were so many classes to choose from. I wish I could have taken so many more! I'll be excited for the recordings to come out so I can get some of the classes I missed.

1st "Official" Day Back To School

 Monday, August 20th was our "official" first day of school. We school year round with a month off here and there, but the school district dictates how many days and hours we need to be in school each year. To make the counting easy, we pick a day in August to "officially" start. Here's a little glimpse into our first day.

It's our tradition to go out for breakfast on our first day back. This year the kids picked Burger King.  Isn't it great having your picture taken with a mouth full of food?

At 9:00 we all meet in the living room for our morning devotional. We always start with a hymn and a prayer. I've found that working on hymns through the week helps the boys participate better in sacrament meeting on Sunday because they are familiar with the words. We also take this time to talk about a gospel principle relating to our theme: Adam fell that men might be: and men are, that they might have joy.  -2 Nephi 2:25. We also work on memorization. This could be Articles of Faith, The Living Christ, The Family Proclamation, scriptures, etc. We also do a quick review of the daily schedule and I find out what has already been accomplished that day.

No uncomfortable school desks here! We do have a school room, but the last few years the boys have migrated to doing their work wherever they are comfy.

In past years, we have been very structured with what we learn and when we do it. Nate has always thrived with a strict schedule. That's something that a lot of children with Asperger's need. As he get's older, he needs to be able to do better with change so we are working on that. This year he will know what he needs to do for the whole week and then work on structuring his own day. We will be here to help him make a plan- but he needs to take ownership too. He also has days when he won't be home much (art class, swimming, youth 4 freedom group) so he needs to learn to schedule around those activities.

One of the things I love about homeschooling is that my kids can do the things they love. Nate is very academic. He loves to read- especially the classics. He has a notebook full of papers he's written and notes he's taken on books and historical figures. He wants to be a scientist some day, so he reads a lot of science text books and studies the lives of mathematicians and scientists. Mason loves to create. He has built a playhouse out of scrap wood, loves legos, and loves to make crafts. We have a craft cupboard in the school room that I keep stocked full of supplies so he can make "projects". I really think the 4 R's are important- Religion, Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic, but after that they get to decide what to study. Mason studies Spanish, while Nate has decided to study Latin this year. Mason wants to focus on animals and astronomy and Nate has decided to follow a stricter science curriculum (Apologia) because he wants to be a scientist. In history, we will be studying ancient world history. Nate will pick his own books and keep a history notebook, while Mason will do more hands-on activities and books he's picked on his level. There's so much more we do- a post for another day!

No half-eaten lunches at our table! My kids never wanted to eat PS lunches unless it was pizza day. I really don't think they were that nutrition on most days either. Around here we try to have plenty of fruits and veggies and save the sugar for after school hours. Nate's favorite concoction- pizza tortillas. Mmmm.....

Our current lunch read is The Black Stallion. When the kids were younger it was easy to get them to sit still and listen to a book if I occupied them with food! It's a tradition that we've continued even though they are older. 1 chapter everyday with lunch. Sometimes 2. Some of our favorite lunchtime reads have been The Great Brain series and The Little House on the Prairie series.

Music is a really important aspect of our day. There's nothing better than having the house full of hymns and other great music in the middle of the day. Being homeschooled gives the kids an opportunity to really focus on their music studies. If they had to put in a full day at the local school and then come home for homework, chores, scouts, and instrument practice, I don't think they would love it like they do.

So- there's just a little peek into a normal day around here. Some days are smoother than others, but I wouldn't trade any of it!

LDS Homeschool Conference part- 4

Michelle Stone is well known for her ideas on Celestial Education. At the conference she spoke on what she calls: Celestial Education- The 4th Stage. The Command For Us To Come Into The Presence Of The Lord. Her opening statement was that if we want to give our children the education that God wants them to have, then we must give it to ourselves first. She reminded us that the purpose of the gospel is to bring us back to Heavenly Father. She reminded us to be striving towards "Zion" which is a place where the Lord can be among us. She also said that along with faith, we should also be seeking knowledge. We can have faith that we will have eternal life, but we can also "know" that we have eternal life by gaining knowledge through the scriptures and words of the prophets. We should always be diligently seeking Him.

Tresta Neil's topic was listed as: Learning By Faith, but she actually taught more about how to teach children to feel the spirit. Even though I had wanted to hear the other class, this one was great too!  Some of her ideas were: To teach with symbolism, share your own experiences, stand in Holy places with them, record their experiences, etc. She reminded us to teach our children with the spirit and if we do, the Holy Ghost will write it upon their hearts. We can teach it to them- but we need to teach them to recognize and allow the Spirit to put it into their hearts not just their minds. She talked a lot about a talk that Elder Bednar gave called Seek Learning By Faith. All in all- another great class!

LDS Homeschool Conference- part3

"...men are that they might have joy." 2 Nephi 2:25

Another class I attended was Women are that they might have joy!" by Mindy Heath.
This was the class description: Yes, that means you too! Discover How To Live With Peace, Joy and Connection In Every Area Of Your Life.
Have you ever felt like you were doing all the "right" things but none of it seemed to be working? Have you ever felt not good enough or that success is for everyone else but you? Maybe you are thriving in some areas of your life but struggling in others and no matter how hard you try you don't know how to change it. And deep down you know it's taking it's toll on you, your marriage, your kids, maybe even your faith.  You can have peace, joy and connection no matter what is going on around you!  Discover the key to "BE"ing who Heavenly Father created you to be and all the joy and healing that follows!

 "In all of life have much fun and laughter, life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." -President Gordon B. Hinckley

She started out with a story about herself. She was a mess! She had poor health, felt terrible all the time, was stressed, had no patience, etc. One day she couldn't do it anymore. She left. She went to a favorite place and poured her heart out to Heavenly Father. She realized she had been going about things all wrong. She then asked us a question. Are you going to keep trying to be what everyone else wants you to be? Or, let it all go and find out who Heavenly Father made you to be. Wow. The room was dead silent. I hadn't really thought about it like that before. It seems like we are always trying to do better- be better and sometimes it's really hard to measure up. It can be really depressing, especially when you look around and it seems like everyone else has it all together. We were made in our "perfect" Heavenly Father's image. We were given special gifts and divine attributes before we ever got to this earth. We are worthwhile and He knows what we need! When we are overwhelmed and stressed who do we listen to? Is it the Spirit, or is it Satan? Between 50,000 and 70,000 thoughts go through our head each day. At least 1/2 are negative. We need to change our thoughts! Benjamin Franklin said that the key to happiness is right thinking. We need to KNOW that we are good enough and that Heavenly Father loves us. We need to believe Christ. He will heal us and change us. We need to change our self talk and not let it become toxic. Sometimes we go from "I did something bad" to "I am bad".

"We must put ourselves in order before we can truly succeed." -Stephen R. Covey

What does all of this have to do with homeschooling? To truly succeed in life and experience deep peace, joy, and connection we must have our hearts and lives in order.

 "The academics cannot succeed until the relationships are in order" -Diann Jeeppson

LDS Homeschool Conference- part 2

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God  -D&C 88:119

When I first received my Conference Program Book, I was delighted that there were 24 classes to choose from. It was really hard to narrow it down to 6. Thankfully, they recorded the whole conference so each class will be available soon!

The first class I attended was called "A House of Order" by Regan Barnes. This was her class description: I will share how my children and I make the gospel an integral part of our lives, patterning our systems after Heavenly Father's systems!  I will help you recognize how Heavenly Father helps us grow in certain ways, through routines and order... Then I will help you figure out how to keep similar order in your own homeschool routine.  When we strive to make our home a heaven on earth, then we (both as parents and children in the family) can be homeschooled by Heavenly Father himself through the Holy Ghost! 

 I was very intrigued by what she meant about patterning her systems after Heavenly Father's. She gave us a great example. Sacrement Meeting vs. our homeschool day. We listed out what happens each week at Sacrament Meeting. There's someone there to greet you, prelude music, prayers, announcements, the Sacrament prayers, a program,  We then drew parallels with our day. Greeting- does each family member feel welcome and loved. As they come into the room before school, do we smile and say good morning cheerfully? The music- Is there something you do to set the tone and invite the Spirit? For our family we sing a hymn.  Her family sings their mission statement set to the hymn "carry on". Her 6 kids came in and sang it to us. Very fun! In place of the "carry on" in the chorus they sang "we are the Barnes, we are the Barnes, we are the Barnes". Prayers- praying throughout the day. Announcements- Letting everyone know what is expected of them throughout the day.  Going over the schedule. Sacrament prayers- Doing whatever our repetitious things are for the day. In our house those are the things like the Pledge of Allegiance, reciting the scriptures that we are working on, working on our Articles of Faith and The Living Christ, etc. The program- Doing your daily schedule and routine. She also talked about Testimony meeting being once a month and that could equate to a day that we share with each other what we have learned. 

She also had a list of P's on the board. Progression- Always striving for the Lord's plan of progression. Think of drawing an upward spiral. You are always moving upward but sometimes for a short time your hand falls to the bottom of that circle, but you quickly head back up on the higher path. Does that make sense at all? It is a deep contrast to the Nephite pride cycle that is a circle of events, but it keeps repeating itself over and over again with no progression upward. Principles- Always teach the Lord's principles, not the worlds. Purpose- Why are we here? Why are we homeschooling? Patterns- The Lord has certain patterns. We should pattern our homes and homeschooling after them. Personalities- Remember that each child is unique with his/her own personality and that is OK. Choose different patterns for them. 

She also cautioned us to not worry so much about perfection.  Sometimes we worry so much about doing it perfectly that we become paralyzed and do nothing. We should also not "overload" our children with information and facts.  We need to concentrate more on "writing it on there hearts". I truly believe that the Holy Ghost will help us do this.