Excelsior Academy
Friday, March 2, 2007
~January Update~
Whew it has been a very long time since I last posted about our progress. It has really been slow and steady. Part of the re-adjustment to me being at home. I’ve taken up a new hobby ~ knitting and I’ve been spending more time reading, listening and being. This has allowed me to be active in other areas than hsg. But I’m returning because I really enjoy recording our progress and sharing w/others on their journey. It keeps us all connected.
So w/o further ado, here is a summary of what’s happening with the Warriors:
Jan. 10th ~ marks the first day of our new term. We began slowly with me focusing on what is most important and what schedule will work best. I used our time to have discussions with Da Boy and Riley about what they’d like to accomplish this year and what they thought needed to be improved. After this discussion, I decided that things needed to be kept short and sweet ~ very simple for my sake. We would officially begin on the 31st, my last day at the library.
Jan. 10th ~ marks the first day of our new term. We began slowly with me focusing on what is most important and what schedule will work best. I used our time to have discussions with Da Boy and Riley about what they’d like to accomplish this year and what they thought needed to be improved. After this discussion, I decided that things needed to be kept short and sweet ~ very simple for my sake. We would officially begin on the 31st, my last day at the library.
Week of 1/15 ~ 1/19
I began planning our term, working to determine where was the best place for us to start. I decided on our art and picture study, it would be the same as AO. I selected the pictures to be used and then I selected our group reading material. I created a separate entry to keep up with these are listed in the sidebar.
I began planning our term, working to determine where was the best place for us to start. I decided on our art and picture study, it would be the same as AO. I selected the pictures to be used and then I selected our group reading material. I created a separate entry to keep up with these are listed in the sidebar.
Week of 1/22 ~ 1/26
My plan was to move them both up to Yr 7 in AO, however, I found out neither is ready for this jump. I worked out a school calendar to help me stay focused and to include breaks, exams and such info. However, it is a very flexible calendar so that when life happens we are able to roll with it. I created our daily schedule to be about a 3 1/2 - 4 hour day which will include 1/2 of drill/exercise. This week was a no lesson week due to ice storm and the necessity of prayer and planning. We spent time reading, enjoying the comfort of our cozy home and the snow. ;D
I have decided to move slowly back into the flow of learning. I will work on habits and take my time with what is to be covered and when. I will be transitioning into a full schedule by using CMs school schedule to help. We will begin with the Form 1 schedule to allow us time to develop and reinforce needed skills and habits. Our schedule will rotate on a 6 day cycle and will be done by order of day. So, if we miss a day, we begin on the next day )i.e Day 1 last worked day begin with Day 2 assignments).
Jan. 26th ~ was our first day of lessons. This was done to determine where really stood. I wanted to see how each would work on the new schedule, where they were in math and what I needed to address as I created my lesson plans. I have begun using lesson plans again and they have been a life savior.
Our schedule looked like this:
20m ~ OT Bible - Gen 5
20m ~ Penmanship - Frost poem (actually 10m)
10m ~ Recitation - Bible Ps 37:5
10m ~ French - Lesson 1 (actually covered Spanish-tape player wouldn't work)
20m ~ Math - Lesson 1 MEP Yr 5 (actually 25m)
15m ~ Break - outside
15m ~ Drill - outside
30m ~ Reading - audio Da Boy- Trumpet of the Swan, Riley - Treasure Island
10m ~ Natural History - organized books
Music appreciation ~ Schumann cd1 hour home blessing ~ living and dining rooms, bathroom and kitchen
*overall a very productive day. 30m was cut from schedule due to starting late and I wanted to be done by 12:30p.
Week of 1/29 - 2/2
Mon & Tues - reading and copywork. Da Boy began Black Beauty. I spent both days fine tuning lesson plans and working out math strategies, reading CM and printing materials.
Wed ~ snow day. No formal lessons today and my last day at work. Developed my lesson plan outline to be able to keep track of where we are and where I want to go over a 6 day period. Though there were no formal lessons, the following was done: Bible NT ~ John 2; Copywork ~ John 2:23-25; Math ~ p2 #1 & 4; and Reading.
Thurs ~ we began lessons again which was Day 2 on my lesson plan that included art study. Art study was amazing. I read over CMs notes as well as WCL2L’s section, and had tremendous results. They both really surprised me with the work. The oral narrations were very good as were their illustrations for Bible. We worked through Week #1 of math and I am finding that we need to add in more mental math and basic arithmetic for reinforcement. We began Ps 91 for recitation and I believe this will be ready in 4wks for a formal recite. I am spending time actually lesson planning like I did when I taught computers, this has been very helpful in keeping me on track, flexible and confident. Definitely a plus around here.
Fri ~ another eventful day and we managed to complete all but 1 lesson ~ crafts. We did drill, mental math and had a read aloud. I’m exhausted but I was before we started, its the second day home and I’m finding I was very tired. We did the first lesson in the “Italics” book.
At the end of this week I discovered that there was a lot that needed to be done in order for us to have a successful hs. The following is a brief list of things I am working on:
1. attitude ~ too much time spent alone has developed some tudes that aren’t appropriate
2. communication ~ nothing is said w/o it being ugly or degrading
3. responsibility ~ too much time alone has created an air that they are in charge and need to tell the other what to do
4. habits ~ they appear non-existent at this point but I am sure they just have become dormant
5. character ~ also appears non-existent though it too was new before them being left alone
6. organization ~ its a mess, enough said. need a plan
I am confident that things will improve. I will work slow and steady, individually and at their level of understanding. I will endeavor to develop confidence, trust and cooperation in them and allow them the time necessary to adjust to this again. It is an adjustment for me and them, however, I am hopeful and the Lord has not given me this assignment to fail nor left me w/o the proper resources to get it done. My main resource ~ prayer. We will work more on their level, not mine and there will be some weeks we do less and some we will do more. I am not discouraged and I am at peace with this plan.
Well that’s all for now. I’ll update soon on February and then start fresh with March. I am journaling all our progress, including the little details of what is working, why and what I do when it doesn’t. I may share some of my notes on this but for now I’ll “keep it simple ~ just the facts.”
til next time ~ in the life & times of the Excelsior Warriors!!
Labels: habits, homeschooling, life n times, plans, tos
posted by Dawn ;) at 11:35 AM
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