Home School Contract

  Wednesday Jan 9, 2013

       Yesterday was our Tuesday Homeschool Trial. We have one once a week until September. This is our third one. Basically testing out the schedule I have in place. It went really well. My goal is to start school at 9am in the livingroom with circle time and end around 1pm with lunch, follwed by PE which technically would have us end by 2pm. I let Sienna my three year old join in and she loves it. It seems she can be a little more enthusiastic about school than the older two, which is promising and exciting. My goal is to start home school days with chores, breakfast, and independent hygene already done. We have to start our day at 7:30 am.
       I refuse to feed my kids ANYTHING but a hott breakfast with all the food groups included to prepare their brain with energy and the ability to retain information and focus. Yesterday once they were dressed with their beds made- I made eggs, whole wheat toast, with banana and frozen blueberries and turkey sausage patties, and orange juice. Breakfast is usually done by 8:30am. They then had to complete every chore on their chore chart as a team with fifteen minuets on the clock. While I complete my chores (how can I focus on their learning when there is chaos around me in an unorganized house) This is what they are responsible for- Making thier beds, putting dirty clothes in the laundry, cleaning their rooms, brushing their teeth, clearing and wiping the breakfast table, and tidying the livingroom if they played that morning. All while I clean the kitchen, wash dishes, shine my sink, start on laundry, make my bed, get Jax settled, and sweep. Then they get to fill their chart with their little smiley faces and we started the day at 9am on the living room floor with nothing to do but 3 hours of learning/ fun!
 
     Here is what we focused on yesterday. At circle time we went through the rules first. During school I am their teacher and they are responsible students. This time is for fun and learning. They may not interupt and if they have questions or somethign to say they must raise their hands and practice patience. We went through the days of the week, and what the day of the week was yesterday- Tuesday. They each had to recite the days of the week on their own The months, the weather and we had a clock activity.

     Then we moved to the coffee table for a phonics game. I have this really awesome Melissa and Doug puzzle that has each letter hook up with a picture of the sound the letter makes. We broke them all up and they had to match them back up, who ever got the most matches got a sticker (we did it four times!!). Then I had all the matched stacked and put 7 at a time on the table and they had to race. I would call out a sound "what letter makes the sound ssss" they would have to say "s" and grab the right puzzle peice. It worked very well. We spent a whole hour on it and it was fun the whole time. They would get so excited when they got one right they would hug me and tell me they love me and I was the best. Their love for learning amazed and humbled me. It was an extremely enjoyable, and beneficial activity.
 
     After phonics it was time to get a little more serious, we had to practice writing and my goal is to have the kids able to write their names on their own before kindergarten and all letters. Madison already can with me spelling it, Cayden is having trouble. I have a dry erase writing sheet and had them trace their name and then write it three time on their own in order to get a sticker. Cayden took much longer and wanted to give up. With positive reinforcement and my beleif in him he pushed through and was more proud than ever. Madison just breezes through everything. I can tell their difference in learning styles are going to be an obstacle for me at times. Who better to understand and cater to their needs more than their own mom?
 
     After writing we did 4 pages of work books varying from math, to phonics, to writing. Cayden once again struggled on the lengthy last activity but I was impressed with his dillegence and determination and his unwillingness to take shortcuts. It was awe inspiring. Madison was tired but did a great job earning herself six stickers for the day.
 Our last activity was one of following directions, independence, and listening skills. They had a cooking lesson. The had to make their own lunch. Grilled cheese, cut their own tomatoes, and everything. They did amazing and had a lot of fun and it was the perfect ending to a unique "school day."

I know everyday will not go as smoothly as yesterday but I know that it is worth the try. Yesterdays trial made me feel hopefull, successful, and inspired. It allowed me to have faith in my children's ability to get more from me than just guidence in life but an education. It really gave me a peek into what we can acheive out of this experience. I am looking forward to recieving our curriculum in the mail this summer more than ever. I am really looking forward to being a crazy, awesome, brave, homeschool mom. <3









HomeSchool Contract
January 1, 2013

From Google

    Deciding to homeschool our children was an idea I had been toying away with for a couple of years, for a lot of reasons that I wont go into right now, simply because so many people just don't understand and because obviously there are far more reasons than just one. I will be happy to share them with you at another time. I really got into the process once I met a little group of homeschool moms and their children at my local chik-fil-a. That was then, that I realized not only is homeschooling a feasable option, but it is semi popular practice in my area, and I would have so many different options as a parent and as a teacher, I would also have the support of a homeschool community to back me and my children up.
 
   Families homeschool for all sorts of reasons : They travel alot, or are focusing on their childrens other talents and abilities weather it be a sport, or a music, or a love for acting- Families homeschool for religious reasons (this is a big one) for economical reasons, social reasons, maybe they have a child with a disability, or they themselves have a disability, and there are people like me who have sort of just given up on the public education system who beleive it is not what it used to be.

  Society has so many mis conceptions about homeschooling. That we are all sheltering our children and they are poor ferile souls locked in a house somewhere sitting in their pajamas looking out the window just dying to get out. As all homeschooling moms will tell you the #1 question asked by all well intended (i'm sure) outsiders is " aren't you afraid they will not get enough opportunities to be social" also as most homeschooling moms will tell you this is the most annoying and un-educated question someone can ever ask you (I was guilty of asking it myself because with out knowing more aobut it, it is a acceptable concern). This is the case because most moms homeschool because they want the best for their children and any mom who would want the best for their children would find it just as or MORE important for their kids to have a social life than any stranger would, but who also beleive socialization and education should not be mixed as in a public or even private school environment.
  
    Don't get me wrong you run into your fair share of freaky and unsocialized families, but a lot of us are just normal people wanting to give their children a different opportunity in life. With this said, I have been doing my share of research,googling, talking to other moms, reading blogs mainly, and there are some things I do not wish for my kids out of their homeschooling experience. I feel like there are some parents out there who use homeschooling to their own advantage by completely sheltering their children from the real world, by not having to provide them with a normal lifestyle. Who kind of use it as an opportunity to save money on gas, clothing, and food. Or to sleep in. This I do not agree with. There are a community of homeschoolers who lack structure, schedule and reguard to normal routines, and human behavior. There are moms and dads who are complete control freaks and use homeschooling as a chance to militarize their kids, and keep them in the house inorder to help maintain it.  There are characteristics and habits as a homeschool mom I wish to avoid.
 So I felt I owed to to myself and my children to establish a Homeschool Contract- a list of priorities and promises if you will, before I even get started so we are all clear what we expect to acheive out of this journey. It also gives me a set of guidlines so in my own eyes I do not fail them or myself. This became really important to me as I did more researched and realized how easy it might be to confrom to certain types of homeschooling. So here it is :)

January 1, 2013

           

I VOW TO NEVER TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HOMESCHOOLING

I AS MOTHER AND TEACHER PROMISE TO NEVER:

1. Let them sleep in (they will thank me for this later)
2. Allow them to wear their PJS all day (NO this is not why we homeschool normal people get up at a respectable hour, make their bed, get dressed, and brush their teeth and Start their day)
3. Make them spend more than 20 min a day on chores (Just because you are home it doesn’t make you my personal slaves. Chores are my job you are responsable for your school work, your own mess and BEING A KID)
4. Make them miss out on getting cute new school clothes (Just because you will be home doesnt give me the right to dress you in atrocious hand me downs from salvation army... not saying they wont always be brand new but you wont look sloppy)
5. Make them miss out on extra activities
6. Keep them home for more than three days in a row
7. Deprive them of sleepovers, playdates, and feild trips (All of these are required, for all of our sakes)
8. Shelter them from real life (There is a real world out there are I intend. for you to know all the gorey details.)
9. Deprive them from what it’s like to get a packed lunch (Juice boxes, ziplock bags, and goodies HOORAY!)
10. Let them skip on alternate studies such as foreighn language, home ec, Computer skills, internships, and anything else that may help them as a individual. (Sorry, you will know spanish, how to cook, how to use basic tools, to read and play some sort of music, and play some kind of sport no fat, lazy, talentless kids allowed at this school)
11. I PROMISE TO NEVER KEEP  THEM INSIDE WHEN THE WEATHER IS SPECTACULAR
12. let them drive until they are 18  (I am sorry I am putting this in writing before you are even old enough to play a driving video game. I don’t beleive 16 is an appropriate age and never will. This is about safety, taking the responsibility seriously, and being old enough to understand it is a priveledge and a weapon if misused. I just want to be clear right from the beginning) So there fore my next promise
13. Not to deprive you of normal teenage experiences because I dont feel like or havnt made the time to be your transportation.
14. Lastly, I will never ever under any circumstances other than DEATH, allow you to withdrawl, drop out or quit school. It simply is not an option. You will be shipped off to a third world country and really be taught an education. School is NEVER an option it is a REQUIREMENT. Any protests will result in loss of all priveledges and human contact.

I PROMISE TO ALWAYS:

1. Support them in what they love
2. To provide them with a stable, safe and helpful learning environment.
3. To have appropriate expectations according to each individual
4. Encourage their strengths and do my best to help strengthen their weaknesses
5. Accept their weaknesses

6. Give Praise before I give critisizm
7. Remind them multiple times a day how smart they are
8. Not let my lack of patience on busy/ crazy days make me a mean teacher
9. Accept and adapt accordingly that most days will likely be busy/crazy.
10. Do my best to be fair, and non judgmental
11. Make every day and every moment a learning opportunity
12. TO HAVE FUN EVERYDAY
13. To make being a kid the most important part of our schedule
14. Do my best to support every opportunity to be social
15. See them as individuals with different paces and ways of learning and not as a group

16. To not compare them to each other
17. To allow them to fail, and try again
18. To allow them to make their own mistakes
19. To allow independent thinking
20. Let them be passionate in their passions, to dream, to use their imagination, to let them beleive in magic, world peace, that they can be president, miss universe, a doctor, a pastor, a volunteer, or a magician.
21. Say they can be anything they set their heart to and MEAN it
22. To love them no matter what
23. To give them everything they need in order to be succesfull.
24. To listen to them, and their feedback
25. To push them outside of their comfort zone
26. To always consider public school as an option
27. I promise their happiness, education, and future come first.
28. Consider one day they may be smarter than me, and I may need help, and that this is a good thing.
29. To sometimes allow them to be the know it all
30. Try my hardest not to say “I told you so”
31. Be kind and accepting of all their emotions
32. To always cancel school on your birthdays, and sick days (fever required)
33. To not let you slack off in the summer J
34. That I will never Stop learning, seeking information and doing everything in my ability to be the best I can be at teaching you.
35. That we will all learn alot from this
36. That we will all have a special bond for the rest of our lives.

                                                                                           Sincerely,

                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                           Your Mother and Teacher.

 I intend to sighn and frame this and do my very best not to break this contract. They deserve every single item on this list. It's yours to steal if you like :) 
Id like to write more about my homeschooling experiences as I get them. I may make them whole posts on my main blog or add them here. We will see how it goes. Happy Homeschooling :)