End of the Year Motivation

So this school year is coming to an end. Though the nice thing about homeschooling is not having to set an official start and end date, I like to have that for my own mental marking point! But getting close to that end date for me means my motivation starts to wane a little bit. Everyday seems like the perfect day for an unschooling day! I know though, not finishing what I've started also brings a fair amount of stress. So here are a few ways to keep trucking along for these last few weeks!

1. Set an end date, and count down to it! Be bold and set an official date! Not to guilt you into finishing or put a rush order on completing this workbook or that. But to give you an end in sight! Something to look forward to! Of course that doesn't mean learning stops! Or that you can't compete any more lessons. But it means you can breathe......just a little easier.

2. Make a summer wish list, and share it with the world! I've started mine! One lazy afternoon (or if you would like the kids to get some extra spelling and writing practice) day dream about all the realistic (and unrealistic) things you'd like to do together this summer. Maybe there are field trips that got skipped over this year, something special coming up this summer, or something you've just always wanted to do. Make a nice long list and highlight a few! Decide what is realistic for your family and really make an effort to make it happen!

3. Shorten your school days, lengthen the play time. Lessons can be done in less time and still be as effective. Around here we've been concentrating on the basics and still adding our History and Science once a week and life seems more simple. The blow up pool as become a permanent fixture in the yard, the pile of towels has replaced the pile of worksheets. And still books are being read, Math facts accumulating.

4. Add more fun into your school time. We've found a few new websites to keep us motivated. I found some Computer games on History at Goodwill. I've made up Math games using flashcards and M&M's to help recognize numbers. You don't have to spend hours researching to add some more fun into what you are already doing. But changing things up a little makes a big difference sometimes!

5. Out with the old, in with the new. Grab some iced tea or iced coffee, and start making your list for next year! (maybe even hang around here for a cyber curriculum fair, TBA) and learn something new! Pack up all the old books and curriculum, spring clean your shelves, get ready for the next year.! If you can order early and start your planning now, do it! Spreading it out over weeks instead of days will be invaluable in the future months to come!

What are you doing to help motivate you to finish strong in these last weeks of the school year?

Freedom

I sit here, a few feet away, in awe. And yet what happens here is so common place I'm amazed it still awes me. In actuality it takes us all of 2-3 hours to complete what others would call "school". But truth be told, the learning happens from sun up till sun down around here.

As the year comes to a close and our routines are firmly planted, I've started to loosen the reigns and watch the kids flourish. At 5 and 6 they are already becoming independent in their learning, taking control of their own learning routine and schedule. Lately I've showed Jonah the plans for the day and let him choose what he wants to work on, at his own pace. The only agreement is that it has to be done. I don't care if what order or how long he lingers on one particular subject. And when it's done, HE is done! Whether it takes him 30 minutes or 3 hours is up to him!
Without the confines of institutional schools and bell schedules, my kids are free. Free to take an hour to practice a new Math concept or finish reviewing spelling words in 10 minutes. They are free to dig into manipulatives and supplies when the mood strikes and they have an "idea" about how something works. Learning is all around, ready and available to them at any time. Because our learning happens at home, our home becomes a mecca of learning opportunities ready for the taking!

I can't count how many times I've walked in on one child sitting in our circle time nook reading science or Language Arts books. Writing stories (using phonetic spellings of course) in dry eraser. Playing Math games on the computer or creating Solar circuits. Making a craft, drawing a picture, creating some new invention.

It's a daily occurrence that our "after school" hours are filled with learning and exploring completely delight directed, child directed. The kind I know they wouldn't have the freedom to do in an institution. The kind of learning that truly lasts a life time. The kind of learning that stays with them long past the section, unit, review. The kind of learning that grows and expands on their own. The kind of learning they want to pursue and follow instead of leave behind.  It's not forced or coerced.

It's free, they are free.

Finding encouragement

For homeschooling families,encouragement can be hard to come by sometimes. Whether you are at the park in the middle of the day (when other kids are in "school), at the Dr.'s office or within your own family, you'll get the questions, the looks the skepticism, the friendly suggestions. Negativity and doubt are out there, all over.

Encouragement is also out there, you just have to seek it out, be open and accept it.

Encouragement is your little one not wanting you to leave even for 10 minutes to drop off those Library books, encouragement is seeing your child's creativity soar with the extra time he's given during the day. Encouragement is watching your next reader bloom and grow.

This week I found encouragement in the strangest of places. A student PA (Physician's assistant) just happen to be at the Dr.'s office when I took Ellie in for an emergency visit for Strep Throat (which turned out to be scarlet Fever!!). A simple chit chat turned into a wonderful Spirit-filled conversation about staying with homeschooling during the hard times. About staying close to God and following His lead with your family through times when others didn't agree and didn't understand.

It came with meeting a new family who also homeschools and listening to their intelligent, kind, creative children who have never stepped foot in a school. Their success and conviction to train up their own children was inspiring even in the little conversations we managed to have while counting heads at the beach.

I found encouragement in an article that literally brought me to tears in the Homeschool Enrichment Magazine, reminding me why this journey is the one that I am on.

Through prayer and mediation this week, God is reminding me this is a journey. Not a race. That this should be adventurous and fun and exciting. Not stressful and hard! I want to live this journey everyday, I want to fight to find the peace in chaotic moments and struggles, I want to rest on the Lord and let Him lead us. He places the right encouragement for the right days, exactly when I need it. Sometimes you have to find it, recognize it and not ignore it. Soak it up like the sun's rays, store it away for the needed time.....

Incentives for littles

One of the difficult things for me about Homeschooling is finding a balance between being a parent and a teacher. I know my kids fool around, get distracted by shiny objects and run off in different directions a lot more than they would in a classroom setting at a traditional school. That's not altogether bad. But it can make it hard to accomplish what we need to on a daily basis!

So I came up with the idea of a School Store to help keep the kids motivated and on task. Most of these items were stocked by Grandma, she sends boxes full of items from Micheal's, Joann's and Target's $1 section (and other places). The goodies are things like craft kits, coloring books, stickers...you get the idea. I haven't added toys or candy. I really love that the incentives are creative items!

 

I keep everything in a box (waaaaayyyy out of kids reach). After a week (or so) we count up the stickers the kids received.  (More on how they earn stickers at the end of the post) And they get to choose items based on the points they have!

 This is a long process as they ponder, dig, count up points, make final decisions........

 I use colorful dots to make items worth certain point values. So coming up with interesting combos is fun (and mathematical!)

It's a pretty exciting end to any week! The kids look forward to it. Sometimes they practice patience and add up point from the last week if there is something they really want.

I'm sure you are wondering what it is I actually "reward" the kids for. Let me start by saying, school was frustrating for me at times. Many days I was dealing with whining, complaining, lost pencils, daydreaming, wasting time, fighting over crayons and scissors, etc.  I needed to come up with a way to keep the kids motivated, accomplish our goals each day and reinforce Godly character and principles. The kids don't earn points for speeding through Math, or getting 100% on their spelling. It's all earned through exhibiting character traits that are Godly. For us (for now) it's obedience, attitude, hardwork (diligence), orderliness and kindness. Within these character traits we can apply them to learning and treating each other with honor. Watching our attitudes and behavior as well.

In the past I've also used things like field trips, special trips to the ice cream shop, movies, trips to the park to help motivate the kids. Although these things are all part of our regular education as well, I would hate to only offer these as rewards. But you can be creative and add your own ideas in there!

Here is a simple free printable of our Daily Character Goals . There are scripture references for each character trait to help us why we want to practice these not only in school but in our daily lives!

Do you use incentives and rewards in your school setting? Share your ideas!!

Fending off Burnout

[Burnout] ~ the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest This could be physical, emotional or mentally.


It seems I've been here more often than I'd like to admit. Both as a public school teacher as well as a Homeschooling parent. Teaching in any location is difficult, it is tiring. However being a homeschool parent means you are taking on a full-time job (at home), the responsibility of educating your children! Where it normally takes a team of people to accomplish this from researching curriculum to planning field trips to teaching, you are doing it all yourself. No wonder burn out seems almost inevitable at one point or another. Maybe a few of these suggestions will help fend off that season in the year.....

1. Lay it all out ~ to your heavenly Father. Cry it out to Him, what you are struggling with. I Peter says to "Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you!" He does! He led you to this place of Homeschooling and when you are weak and weary and don't quite know how to keep going, we will comfort you and care for you. And ask others for prayer as well, whether it's your spouse, a woman's group, your Mom, reach out!

2. Take it all in ~ Sometimes identifying an actual problem might be the solution to burn out....is there a curriculum or schedule that just.isn't.working.? It may be something just needs to be changed to make things run smoother or click. Sometimes it may seem hard to switch in the middle or even end of the year, but it's not the schedule that is important, it's your children!

3. Call for Back up ~ everyone needs reprieve. Maybe you know another Homeschooling mom (or many!) who will take your kids for a day. Send some things for them to work on! Or a Mom who will let your kids come play for an afternoon. A good chunk of truly quiet time to either catch up, pray, sleep, read, sew.....whatever! is maybe what you need! There will be a time that someone calls on you and you can repay the favor!

4. Call it Quits ~ that's right, just quit already! For a few days or maybe a week! (if you feel really guilty take notes on everything your child does for that week and label it your unschooling experiment!) That is one of the perks of choosing your own schedule and time line, it can fit your life. When you have hit a rough spot trying to barrel through and keep teaching for the sake of teaching isn't going to accomplish what you really want with your children.If your have fallen behind in your housekeeping or other duties, take a few days or week just to catch up. Give yourself permission to get things in order!

5. Go on an edu-vacation ~ Plan a whole week (or a few days) to get you out of the house and do fun (and perhaps educational) activities with your kids. We live on a small Island but I can fill up a whole week of fields trips.....and most for FREE if I wanted or needed to. A trip to the Library, Fire Station, Post Office....exciting and FREE! Visit some Botanical Gardens, Go play at the Park, read books under a tree, go swimming......the list is endless and life is educational.

6. Get in check ~ Make sure there isn't something medically wrong. Exhaustion, sadness, lethargy, lack of motivation can all be symptoms of medical issues! Everyone deals with these from time to time, but if you notice any one symptom is hanging around and really starting to interfere with life, it may be time to get a check up and seek help.

Don't give up though, whatever you do. Make a choice for your children and sanity sake to do something about the slump. Trying to push through a difficult season in life only makes the stress and burnout worse. Give yourself permission NOT to feel guilty about asking for prayer, help or taking time to just catch up with life. You'll thank yourself later!

This is great.....

I came across this, I thought it was so great considering these are the questions many homeschooling families get along the way.....

Homeschooling Conversation from the Future