It's June! omg
I really hate having to sign in to blogger each time I want to post to my blog. But despite clicking on the "remember me" box on both desktop and laptop, it never, ever works.
I've been thinking about next year's school style. I miss our Montessori approach, but I also realize the kids are getting older and I'm just not equipped/knowledgeable enough to really "do" Montessori at that age. However, ds could still benefit from a lot. Dd actually works okay most of the time, but she can be so easily distracted by the 12yo as he avoids work. Here are my thoughts:
- Treat next year and the year after like "prep school" years for the 12yo. As much as I want him 'in control' of his learning, I waffle too much in deciding what they'll do or allowing them to make decisions. 99% of the time, allowing the 12yo to make decisions doesn't work so well. My problem is that once I've allowed that option, I don't feel comfortable in insisting on something if he's chosen to just do nothing. I think it's that I'm bouncing from giving him options to trying to "make him" do something. And I know I can't make him do anything but am stuck on how to help him choose to do something. If I go into the year with a prep school-mentality, it means that my vision will be on not really giving him options. It's my inconsistency that does me in with him. I think he desperately wants the structure, but he wants it to be consistent structure. I've got to provide him that.
- A set curriculum of what I'm going to show the kids when. (Well, with some flexibility.) I spend too much time thinking, "Well, what should I show them?" If I had it all laid out, in a sequence (see, I need structure, too!), things would go so much more smoothly. It reminds me of something I was reading just the other day: something about how proper planning allows for more spontaneity. I seem to start the planning then get lost in the spontaneity and can't get back on track. If it were all laid out for me, I think it'd work well.
- The 12yo is going to have a CD math program--The Learning Equation. This will enable him to do lessons on his own, but can turn to me for help. This program is also available for his sister. Next year, I'm not going to present lessons to her in math. She will have to decide if she's going to do the TLE lessons or the MathPower lessons. This is part of my need to have them more independent. Not just my need, but it's important for them. The TLE is good in particular because a student can't just sit in front of a book and not process what they're reading. It reads everything to you and gets you involved in selecting things in the lesson. Then there's follow-up work. For my own dd, I'm thinking I'll put together my own little "workbooks" for her on the different topics. Or see what she thinks of selecting problem cards (index cards with questions on them) instead. Not too much prepared ahead of time so that it can really be tailored to her.
All I can write for right now--have to go shower!
3 comments:
If antone else on that computer uses Gmail, it won't remember you.
Mama Says
Nope, nobody uses gmail. But thanks for the suggestion!
I e-mail in my posts. Under "Settings" there is a tab called Email where you can invent an e-mail address that you want to mail your blogs to. The formatting comes out a little wonky, but you can go back and edit that later when you have time.
I started doing it that way because I was having connection problems and my internet connection kept dropping out while I was composing my posts. E-mailing them meant I only needed the connection long enough to send the message.
Post a Comment