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Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Currently on my mind

  • My Duties as a Homeschooling Mom

1. Schedule vs. Routine:
a. What are the bad habits I have that are preventing my children from being more productive?
b. Is it crucial to follow a timed schedule for my little ones? Why do I feel choked at times?
c. How to relax enough but not become too relaxed with our time?


2. With a 3 year old, 7 year old and 5 month old puppy- how do I:
- keep up with the house
- provide ample time for each individually
- stop myself from feeling run-down at the end of the day
- prioritize my own learning without overwhelming myself
- stop myself from becoming complacent

  • Prioritizing Our Time Better
- I'm asking myself what is important right now? (Answer: Math, Phonics, Reading, Bible and Writing)
- Am I keeping the focus on what is important or adding more than is needed or able to be done?
- If we study history, science and other subjects- at what point is does it start hindering us?
- How can I make our time more efficient and enjoyable during the day?

  • Charlotte Mason
- Currently reading More Charlotte Mason Education by Levison (love it); Language Wars by Beechick
- How much of CM's philosophy do I want to adopt and how to implement.
- Where is my comfort zone regarding CM and Classical philosophy? (still discovering this)

  • The Hows & Whys of Learning
- Why are we using the products that we are?
- Why are we studying the subjects we are at this time? Are there subjects that would be worth waiting for?
- Educational philosophy for younger years: is there a balance to be obtained between academic and developmental?
- How to become confident about the approach I decide to take: able to discuss it intelligently and with my research done.
- Writing path: Writing Aids with TOG or Progymnasmata, or a mixture of both? ...and why.

  • Getting & STAYING Organized
- In every area, I'm great at developing systems and following them for a week or two and then they fall by the wayside.
- How to stop feeling overwhelmed at all I have to do!
- How much to purge/what to keep

  • Nature Journaling/Study
- Educating myself on how to approach
- Getting the kids involved
- Making it enjoyable for everyone but educationally effective
- WTM science cycles vs. Ambleside/Mater Amabilis

 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

These are great questions, Jessica!

Rachel Harris said...

Great questions... a lot of which I am pondering myself. Let us know if you come up wtih any answers! :-)

Blessings
Rachel

Lisa~ said...

Jessica.. you are such a gem you know that... these are questions now, but you will find the answers. You will. I know it...

I love reading about Charlotte Mason, but did not read any of her books. I read Catherine Levinsons books, both of them in a day! Penny Gardeners book, Karen Andreolas book the Charlotte Mason companion. That was the most practical for me... and Catherine’s books...

I have never adopted one type of philosophie.... I have had to develop my own with influences from the greats like CM , SWB and her mum. *Ü* Raymond Moore and even Holt. I have tried to read all I could…

You will find as Danny gets older... your children are going to respond to different approaches... or maybe you will be blessed and they will be more alike than different... and although I too am blessed, my children respond differently to learning and how it is presented.

Shawn is very analytical, practical and just the facts please and lets get this going…. Christian is more artistic and expressive, not analytical at all and very kinesthetic. RyLee tends to be more like Shawn, but is more curious and has more of an inner drive to self motivate.

Although I have found that 1 curriculum can be used in more than one way… I have left myself open to learn what I can and use what will fit my ideas, my ideals and our lifestyle too when it comes to philosophies.

Reading and learning and experiencing will be best teacher. This is how I learned and I’m still learning how to educate my children and myself. Its ongoing.

Glad you found a mentor! I wish I had one in the beginning! In a way I did though….they just didn’t talk back! I found them in books.


Lisa~

Elaine said...

Great questions that I too ask myself quite often.

Elaine
my blog: http://akhmmm.wordpress.com