I wish I blogged more. Maybe I will give myself permission to blog more during 2021 🙂 I just feel like things I analyze right now are either too repetitious, or that they are too private and not to be shared publicly.
So I want to write about homeschooling 😉 I want to have record, as it’s all going by in a blur now.
This is half-way through 9th grade with Skyla and Vika. I suddenly decided to do 9th grade as block classes. So last semester, we did Geometry and Chemistry as our two huge, main classes.
Bible is going all year. We also did Health, Pottery & Drawing.
This coming semester, we continue Bible and Drawing. Our two major classes are Ancient History & Geography and English. Philosophy is also a minor class.
These classes (except Bible and Drawing) are all connected in one program– Tapestry of Grace Year 1. This covers Creation to the Fall of Rome. It’s an intense program, but I enjoy these subjects a lot, and I have the energy to sustain my enthusiasm for them.
For history, we complete the week with a Socratic discussion. So I bought a video lesson where the program writer teaches how to lead a Socratic discussion, and it’s a fascinating technique! Last Friday we sat in the cafe at the mall and had our discussion. We also have a Literature discussion, and they have small, weekly writing assignments.
It’s quite a change from the Math/Science side to the History/English side, but here we go!
I also wanted to say, that choosing to enjoy home school and invest in it has helped me gain emotional and mental enthusiasm for the subject matter. A book I read, Morning by Morning, talked about having enthusiasm for subject matter, to sustain the natural resistance to learning that some kids have.
So I’ve been messing around with how to have that enthusiasm, and 1. studying educational techniques, 2) reading about educational philosophies, 3) no longer pregnant/breastfeeding/co-sleeping, and 4) generally applying myself to become proficient in this role of home educating mom — have all helped me gain enthusiasm for my subject matter, varied as it is.
Only the Lord knows what 2021 holds in store, but this is what’s planned, and I’m learning to pray consistently about our learning and relationships.