Confessions of a Real Mom
By Maggie Hogan
What are your priorities? Are you the type to plan ahead?
Or do you find yourself up against deadlines and last-minute crisis?
Goals today:
- to encourage you to develop realistic strategies for homeschooling
- to equip you with real examples
Plan
Is the education of your children really important to you?
What works best for you? A summer planning marathon? Monthly? Weekly?
Teaching Time
How often per week do you teach? Do you and your children function best with a little of each subject everyday or maybe a big chunk once a week?
Time of day
Know your students, yourself, and your household.
Bedtime
Use compelling books for this special time.
Combine courses – a few ideas:
- Literature with History
- History with Geography
- Geography with Science
- Bible and History
- Literature and Art
- Math and Geography
Cook
- Extra few meals
- Double up
- Ground beef
- Cooking Co-op
Share
- Teaching plans and resources
- Accountability
Babies & toddlers
- Include when possible
- Use quiet time wisely
Summers
- Outdoor or summer season lessons
- Fun projects and field trips
- Chance to get ahead (not get caught up!)
- Cushion for later
1. Select interesting and motivating resources.
2. Behind in a subject? Take an entire day and use it to catch up. You can cover an amazing amount of territory in one day.
3. Plan on-going jobs they can do independently.
4. Keep a notebook.
5. Teacher Planning Days are allowed.
6. Enlist support of husband, friend, mentor, senior at church, or someone to encourage or even be a resource for information/ideas.
7. Reality checks - are we learning anything?
8. You can’t do it ALL.
9. Teach them how to learn.
10. Let it Go. Lay the foundation - don’t build the entire skyscraper in one year.