It's raining, it's pouring!

Devon worked inside today. Power tools and all. It's raining cats and dogs and even hailed some earlier. He's perfecting his skills as a wood worker, this time, another bamboo cane. Learned some about Roosevelt while working.

Looking forward to finishing the Spring session as we are currently doing summer and spring at the same time. ACT and SAT practice tests next week.

Tentative schedule for next week:
Monday: SAT practice test
Tuesday: ACT practice test
Wednesday: free study while I assess his strengths and weaknesses from the test answers.
Thursday: review based on need
Friday: Farm work day

The week after should be mostly review of material for the tests and some free study. Should finish up the school year by Thursday.

Rushing

Trying to give Dev space and let him learn. At the same time, I want to hurry and finish this year so we can try the session study over the summer. I'm really excited about all they will learn through this lesson set. I will be learning, too. Besides recycling, I have not learned much about green living. I like not having to create the session. I am changing parts that are slanted towards extreme Populism and ranting about the Plutocracy of the US government, but that is easier than starting from scratch.

Today, Dev worked on making a bamboo cane while listening to Mama's cousin, Kurt tell a bit of family history. He used one tool at a time, switching tools to find the best one for the job. The cane is shaping up nicely and Dev learned a lot about the oil rigs.

This Session

We are learning about our world this session. Several of our lessons cover where our food comes from and how to get it from safer and more humane sources. It has been a lot of work, but we are learning tons. We planted okra and joined our local farming co-op. For the summer, we are only working on making our household more earth friendly. Lots of projects planned to this end!

Our Homeschool Adventure

I did not set out as a parent thinking "I'm going to home school my children." Not by any means. I have seen it work for dedicated parents, but it was not for me. Although I had a degree in secondary education, I didn't feel I had the patience or time to home school. I am my family's primary bread winner. My family has gone through 2 sessions of home school, separated by years. The first was when my sons were small and dealing with bullies on a daily basis. A shooting in the park next door to their school was the last straw. We home schooled until we moved out of that district.

We moved to an awesome school district with top marks from the state. I was happy with my boys growing up in the schools. Then, my oldest son cracked a lower lumbar. He says he woke up that way, but he left home fine, then the school calls me to pick him up. I take him to emergency and learn he has a crack in his spine. On the way to emergency, he can not even set in the car. Fishy to me, but my son stands by his story. No doctors in our case would clear him for school or tell the school he couldn't return. I am sure, as the person who was taking care of him that he was not ready to return. He could not even set up. He tried returning to school when 1 doctor released him, but within an hour, called me and needed to come home.

At that point, I pulled him out of school and began home instruction. It has been an adventure. He is 15 and was a year behind in school. I have caught him up and we began exploring things that were not required in school, such as photography, leather working, interior design, anatomy and physiology, among others, as his interests wander. He is learning a lot, but he says the most important lesson he learned was the 4 week class I taught on how to study, research and learn. It has been a rewarding semester, but we are still undecided about homeschooling next year.

our curriculum

to graduate, must have
*=required course

1 study skills

1 test preparation

1 home economics

4 English
literature*
reading*
media (blog)*
and one of choice

5 math
choose 5
business math
algebra
trig
geometry
statistics
calculus

4 social studies
government
geography
history*
civics*
economics*
psychology
sociology

4 science
biology
geology
physics
chemistry
ecosciences*

3 language
must be all same

1 art
visual
leather working
photography
interior design
music

1.5 at least PE/rehab
walking
yoga
total gym

.5 health
anatomy and physiology

1 speech

1 technical applications

.5 religion

Because my son is goal oriented, I am not as lax as I would be with any other student. We have set goals and rewards (usually time with friends) for meeting those goals.

each assignment is worth 7% of his grade.
There are 15 assignments for each class.
There is a test out option, but he must pass a comprehensive test of the subject matter with an 80% or better.
Requirements for each class are clearly stated in the syllabus for that class.

Devon has earned the right by completing homework and classwork to do much of his work independently, using a forum to keep in contact.
When in the classroom, Devon has 3 hours of independent study and 2 hours of guided study per day. Guided study covers a different class each day. ex: right now, Devon is taking 5 guided classes. Monday is History, Tuesday is Eco Sciences, ect.

We use books, computer software, Brittanica online, the internet,field trips, and more to enrich the curriculum.

We keep close records of everything we do, which will be transferred to a transcript to enroll him in college when he is ready. We are studying everything he would have to study in Public school, plus allowing for a few classes that follow his interests. We try as much as possible to tie related classes together so he learns the connections between them.

There is more to it, but that's the basic outline of what we are doing.

My Credentials

It has come to my attention that I should list my credentials. Even those who are against home schooling are less adamant when told my full resume. I have always wanted to teach. I read constantly and many of my books are educational theory. However helpful this alone is, it is my educational background that really prepared me to home school my son when it became medically necessary. I have an associates degree. In college, my major was Secondary Education. Definition of secondary education available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_education . I have worked as a teacher's assistant. I have worked at the college in disabilities services, assisting students, tutoring, and much more. I have taught as a substitute teacher for 3 Texas school districts. I also taught for Head Start of Greater Dallas for a semester.

Several of the classes I took in college prepared me for guiding Devon's schooling and tailoring it to his unique needs. In addition to core curriculum, here's a list of some of the classes I took:
Educational Systems
Children with Special Needs
Instructional Technology and Computer Applications
Special Topics in Bilingual/Bicultural Education
Portfolio Development
Practicum (or Field Experience) - Teacher Assistant/Aide
The Heritage of Mexico
African-American History
Introduction to Teaching Reading
Education Software and Technology
Principles and Practices of Multicultural Education
Reading Problems
Guiding Student Behavior
Child Growth and Development
Introduction to Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Contemporary Social Issues
Race, Ethnicity and Community
Teaching Mathematics in Elementary and Middle School
Cultural Studies
World Civilization

While I was in college, I took every class I felt would help me effectively teach in the modern classroom. I graduated with double the number of college credit hours I needed, and all of the overages were Educational or Educational related.

In a nutshell, that's my credentials. Thanks for reading!

Book List

We have a HUGE world history book, not sure of the name or exact title. It was the one with the most comprehensive coverage available at halfprice books. There was a whole section of books on world history and more in the educational section of the store!

on jump drive:
Topics learning software high school success deluxe 2009
covers: grammer, writing, chemistry, biology, American history, American government, foreign languages, typing, Brittannica online subscription
Topics learning software math success essentials
covers: fractions, prime numbers, working with data, probability, pre-algebra, algebra 1, geometry, microsoft excell and training software.
Classics CD
Best of newberry books CD

in hard/paper
The unofficial guide to homeschooling by Kathy Ishizuka
secret country by Pamela Dean young adult fiction
100s of old issues of National Geographic
plane geometry by eugene seymour
complete guitar handbook by r.cutchin, c.douse, A. perlmutter, R. riley, M, Ross, T skinner
the complete idiot's guide to study skills by randall S. hanson and kathrine hanson
gray's anatomy, henry gray
fundamentals of anatomy and physiology, donald, rizzo
atlas of human physiology, by T&J
interactive mathematics intermediate algebra, by D. patrick kinney, and douglas F. robertson
college algebra, by R. david gustafson and peter D. frisk
principles of anatomy and physiology,tortora gerard j.

We will be getting more, these are what he requested for this semester and next.

What a year!

This year has been a productive one so far! Devon and Rob both started the year in public school with home school as a supplement. Devon injured his back and we started homeschooling him full time. We tested him to see where to begin, set up a curriculum that includes everything required by public schools and adds a few key things, then set to work. At first, we kept a schedule similar to the public school, but soon learned it takes 15 minutes to engage in a new subject. 45 minute classes just do not cut it with his learning style. We adjusted to a schedule closer to what he will see in college. We spent some time learning how to study, a subject I feel public school should find a way to fit in somewhere. Devon earned the privilege of having free study time to work on whatever subject he would like. Seems so far to be his most productive time.

We studied history through leather working. We worked through an Algebra book. We set up an online forum to keep in touch even when the kids want to visit their grandparents. We planted okra and joined our neighborhood farming co-op. We learned about healthy eating and where our food comes from. We free cycled many many things this year for art and useful things around the classroom and our home. We studied anatomy and physiology because Devon wants to become a nurse.

When Devon turned 16, we also allowed him to start a work/study program. He got a part-time job working as a Fuller Brush salesman. It is a bit of a family tradition. He is 4th generation.