Dear Lord, I feel like a Whale!

• Oct. 9, 2005 - What makes for a GREAT homeschool?

Sometimes having a great homeschool can feel like that slippery bar of soap - just keeps slipping out of my grasp. OK, so a toddler posting her Barbie down the toilet CAN be a distraction, as can boys intent on eradicating english comprehension from the universe! But rather than just 'getting through' each day, I'm really trying to nail down the things that make homeschool great. Any ideas?,

One nugget of wisdom I have stumbled upon recently, is to share doing 'school' with other families. There are two families we 'do school' with sometimes - it's so great utilising the skills of different moms, AND the kids get a a great day while they're at it. Maybe you guys already do this in the USA, but it really seems to make sense to share our inspiration, resources and skills and homes with each other. The hospitality is nice too!

Better go coz my 7 yr old is oiking me off the computer so he can do his blog!!!

• Oct. 11, 2005 - Interesting question

Posted by spunkyhomeschool

What makes for a great homeschool? Here's my thoughts

1. A mom who wants to be there not just in body but in mind too! When I'm distracted it's a disaster

2. A mom who wants to learn what the children are learning.

4 A mom who counts how many more days she gets to homeschool not how many days she HAS to homeschool

5 An understanding that homeschooling is like making a fine tapestry of cloth. Each sttch may seem insignificant but when placed as a part of the whole it is necessary and signifcant.

6. A trust in the God who cares more about the education of your children than you do. And my God doesn't fail!

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• Oct. 12, 2005 - Untitled Comment

Posted by KarenW

Spunky has great advice. I especially like #2. Perhaps that's why my kids are excited about science and not very much math is getting done.

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• Oct. 22, 2005 - To Each His/Her Own

Posted by KeepingtheHome

It's been important to me to realize that homeschooling should not be the same for everyone. For the first few years, I tried to do homeschool like regular "school," with set hours and set subjects. That actually works for some homeschoolers. But not for me.

For some personalities, a great homeschool is one that is not scheduled or rigid. I'm not necessarily talking about "unschooling" here, but a more loose scheduling. We've been having our best homeschooling year because I decided that practical skills are just as important as academics, and I decided that I'm not going to feel guilty (not much anyway) if I want to take a break from school for a couple of days just because the weather is nice. We call it Nature Studies, that's all!

My relaxed schedule would not work at all for someone who adores scheduling and rigidity.

Each of us just has to find our own niche.

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