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

TEN Strategies
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.