Ack, he's a Senior!

He turns 18 shortly which means he can get a job around here (for some reason most places don't want to hire 16 year olds in our area). He needs to get his DL but we're working on that. What does this mean for his senior year? Well, this means I will get him all dressed up, take him for a senior picture to fill in my "Through the years" school frame and he'll take the GED.

What this means for me is that I will need to take some time to clean up the online schooling before I shut it down for good. I'm sad and excited. Sad because I like school and homeschooling gave me a chance to be creative, spend time with my son, make lots of lists, and work in Excel (I love spreadsheets). Excited because even though I love school, I love the idea that he's done (because he so wants to be done). I just want him to be happy. If helping him study for the GED so he can pass with flying colors is what makes him happy then sign me up!

It's been difficult to give myself permission to do things differently even with all the naysayers (some even in my own family) but we've come through it stronger and braver than when we started so I consider our whole homeschooling experience a win. He's such a great kid and I want great things for him. Taking him out of pubic school was the best for him (it may not be the best for you or your kid - this is just my opinion) and I wish I had done it sooner.

Junior Year

Started in September of 2018 but whatever. I would never make money at blogging. I'm clearly not good at writing every day or even every month.

Junior year started out strong. We were both excited and ready to make it the best yet. Unfortunately, I got distracted and the distraction involved him to some extent (we got new flooring in the bedrooms and the loft and he uses both rooms) which resulted in us both losing our momentum. By Thanksgiving we had decided to put the school program into hiatus until January.

Dusted off the cobwebs in January only to have us not start out strong or have much motivation so put the school account on hiatus again so he could study for the GED; he just wants to be done. He is looking into the trades which is something I'm very proud of him for doing. He has also started writing a novel based on a D&D campaign he created. Yes, I typed that - he is writing a novel. The one who hates writing is writing. Willingly! Let's just take a moment to appreciate this...

I think I type this every time but this is the beauty of homeschooling - it can be whatever you want it to be.

Sophmoritis?

The kid is not to blame... we are both not as gung ho as we were in the beginning of the year. He got behind and so did I, but we are trying to make it up. The best part is that even though he has not been all in with the school program, he still has been learning through reading and playing video games. YES! Video games can be educational!

He is still up for learning to write Japanese and he found a video game that will help him (I'm not surprised, are you?). He is not going to buy it until it goes on sale though. Smart kid. He has also decided he wants to cook without me or Dad in the kitchen with him. He is going to experiment with different foods which I think is a fantastic idea. 

Even though we are not entirely focused on the school work, we are still learning practical skills. This is the best part about homeschooling... it is fluid and all up to you. We are going to finish the school year strong even though we have gotten off course this semester because homeschooling is what you want it to be - nothing more, nothing less.  

Happy Homeschooling!

Taking Initiative

So, we're eating dinner tonight and the kid says to me, "Mom, you'll be so proud of me..." I'm thinking, "I'm always proud of you" but instead I quip, "Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"I'm using my journal to learn to write Japanese. There are three alphabets - I'm on the first one." He then goes into an explanation of each of the three alphabets for me and his father. After dinner, he shows us his journal. He is doing a great job so far even though, as he says, he is not good at drawing. (Side note: it irritates me that someone said that to him. I don't want to assume it was a teacher but I have little faith that it wasn't.) His dad asks if he'd rather have ruled paper and he says he would. He also asks if I have a clipboard. I'm trying not to jump for joy at this point (paper and a clipboard... for the kid who does his math homework in Paint. In. Paint. With his mouse. You see where I'm coming from?).

I bring him the clipboard and the notebook paper and he tells me he's now working on something different (he spent the afternoon on Japanese). In the video game he just taught me how to play there is a dragon language which he wants to learn. Best part of that language is for every letter of our alphabet is a corresponding letter in Dragon. A bit easier than Japanese.

When I left him just now he was learning how to write his name in Dragon. I told him that once he got to a point where he was comfortable, I could teach him how to write it all in calligraphy. He seemed pretty excited about that. Imagine that... Excited about writing!

3rd Year's A Charm?

  I don't want to jinx myself but I think we've finally found our groove. My son has four core classes that require a certain number of assignments completed each day in order to complete the week's schedule. He's been doing it without complaint. Without complaint! Someone knock on some wood with me!

  I have a list of subjects we did not cover during 8th and 9th grades so I will slowly introduce those to him in the coming weeks but so far so good for the first 6 weeks of school. I also have a list of subjects that I want to make sure we cover although the curriculum might already include some. I had resume and cover letter writing on the list but he's already doing that in Sophomore English so I scratched that off. I'm hoping to scratch off more but we'll see. Wish us luck!

Sophomore year!

  How is it possible my kid is a sophomore already? What is happening here?!

  Since we're still not participating in the co-op (even though they still have me in their group for the third year), we started school when we wanted to which is the day after Labor Day. Actually, I think the co-op started that day too but that is neither here nor there.

  We had a great day! We came up with a schedule, he's taking their math class (so far so good) and we have come to an understanding regarding writing assignments (which I intend to amend later but that's neither here nor there either). It's all good.

  Since he is doing the writing assignments, I've had more to grade and I'm already behind. Working 40 hours a week is really sucky when you're trying to homeschool a high schooler. I'm thrilled that he's doing so well and sticking to his schedule though so I'm not complaining!

  Issues so far that we'll have to work out:

1. Time 4 Learning still uses cartoon-y characters in their videos but we're dealing with it. If it stops being lectures again and all cartoon-y, I'll have to find another program for him which I have already been researching so I'm ready if that day comes.
2. Back to the writing issue - I do not believe he is fully utilizing their bank of information when it comes to his writing assignments but I will bring this up as we get a bit further into the semester. I have to remember that he is not an English geek like I am.
3. He wants to learn cursive and I have a bunch of other topics I want to introduce but I don't want to spring that on him until he gets a few weeks of his schedule under his belt. The hope is not to cause any surliness (at least, not more than he already exudes) and not to add hours to his school day. I need to figure out how to present these things to him without it seeming like school work. He's 16, not 6. 

  I'm up for the challenge and I'm optimistic for this year. Here's to a great sophomore year!

Freshman year is... not done yet

  Yes, I realize it's July but I've had a lot going on outside of homeschooling. I'm going to leave it at that.

  The only subject he's not finished with is math. Teaching Textbooks hasn't worked out for us leaving me to wonder how I'm going to finish up math for him (hence, why it's July and he's still not finished).

  I'm confident I will come up with something though. In the meantime, I have to talk about my success with a writing assignment! I had him read The Catcher in the Rye and write a book report. Getting this kid to write a report is like pulling teeth. You would think I was asking him to saw off his right arm with a spoon with the way he reacts to the words "book report". It would be quite comical if it weren't so frustrating. Thankfully, no argument for this past request and the paper he wrote wasn't bad! 

  He will be done with math before the end of July. If I type it, so shall it be.