Tuesday, September 11, 2007

A New Era Begins

We have been homeschooling now for 16 years! (Wow! Do I ever feel old saying that!) It never fails that with the onset of each new school year we change something that irritated me about the previous year. You would think that after all this time we would just fall into place and never miss a beat... HA! I wish!
This year we have a nice, sturdy table. Odd thing to bring up? It wouldn't seem odd if you had been in our school room all the previous years and heard the kids griping about the others not saying when they were going to erase, or when they were going to get up because they table wiggled and messed them up. It had gotten to the point where I would have one do their work at the coffee table and the other at the table. The problem with that was that I had to be in 2 places at once and/or running back and forth between them, or they weren't getting their work done because I wasn't there to crack the whip. With the coming of the gloriously solid worksurface, we all do school together in one place, at one time, with no interruptions!! Yay, God!
We've only done 2 days so far, but it is going well and our Jr year of highschool is going smoother than it would have at the squeaky, rickety, wiggly table of the past!
For those interested, this years subjects include:
*Forensic Science
*Social Studies -
~Role of Family in Culture
~Current Events
~God & Government Book #1
*Language Arts -
~Proofreading & Grammar
~Journalism
~Essay Writing
~Advertising (which also falls into some SS)
~Novels and Poetry -
>Cantebury Tales, Chaucer
>Paradise Lost, Milton
>Pilgrims Progress, Bunyan
>The Abbott, SW Scott
>The Black Arrow, Stevenson
>Crippled Splendor, Ivan John
>The Man Who Was Thursday, Chesterton
>Many More
~Vocabulary
*Math -
~Advanced Algebra
~Geometry when AA is finished
*Geography
*US History Cont...
*Music (instrumental, vocal, and therory)
*Art
*PE
(Not all of these are everyday. We finish one and begin another or they are once or twice a week..)

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay for the new table! I wish I could see our table right now. It is under a lot of card making stuff.(my roomates) Blessings on this next year of homeschool they look like they have a lot of fun things to learn this year. I miss you guys. I hope I can come visit next year again we will see.

Oh I need to call you to, I got a new job!

Sara said...

Oh friend...I've been thinking of you so often lately. Can I come and learn with you? :) Sounds like a great year you have planned. Miss you!

Heather said...

PTL for the new wiggle resistant table :) Thank you so much for your comment on my blog. You are such an encouragement. A note about your curriculum this year...WOW *I* need to go back and take some of those courses again...wow. :) God Bless you and yours this new school year.

Deeapaulitan said...

Sabby - Cant' wait to hear about this new era in your life too! Call me, call me, call me!

Sara - You know you are welcome anytime. We are beginning a Beth Moore study at Women's group on Thrusday. I've been thinking about you too!

Heather - I love teaching for the simple reason that I get to learn along with the kids! I enjoy the fact that I don't have to make up excuses to sit down and read a classic novel or study a difficult concept in math ... I have to know what the kids are learning or I can't teach it! :o)
The time will fly with those 4 little ones of yours and soon you'll be where I am with one graduated and 2 more coming up on her heels!

faith ann raider said...

It is SOOOO cool to hear about your homeschooling. I was homeschooled and I just think that homeschooling during the high-school years is SO awesome. It's amazing to see everything y'all are covering. From where I sit it looks like an awesome curriculum.
I've started my first year homeschooling this year with my 5yr old and I love it... not every day of it, of course, but I am so glad to be learning alongside my daughter and watching her little sisters learn too!

Deeapaulitan said...

Faith, were you homeschooled the whole way through HS? I haven't met very many who hae done this and it always excites me to find others!
Teaching your own daughter now must feel so rewarding (both to you and to your mom)!
I found that by the time my youngest was doing school she already knew way more than the other two did at her age because she had picked up on it from them. It's frustrating for her brother, but he is learning to praise her for it and she is learning to be humble! LOL! I'm finding where I wasn't a very good teacher with my oldest getting ready for college. I should have been stronger about grammar, and essay writing with them being on the SAT now.
Blessings on your 1st year!! I'll be praying for you.

Anonymous said...

Hi-I am a friend of Jewels and I saw your comment on her blog. I am also a homeschooling mom-we also lean more to Classical and love it. I am really enjoying your blog.
Blessings, Rose

Anonymous said...

Have you ever used Apologia Botony and Astronomy? We are starting these this year. Also, We use Memoria Press Latin curriculum. We really our enjoying that one and especially their Copy Book. Do you plan on homeschooling up to 12th grade? That is what I am planning to do. Are you encouraging your children to attend college. I was thinking about a Christian College or having them get a bachelors degree through a long distance college. Some of our friends have their degrees from Excelcior College-I am not sure I spelled that correctly. Blessings, Rose

Deeapaulitan said...

Oh yay! A new friend! I have never used Apologia,Rose, but have several friends who have and they love it. We homeschooled our first daughter through highschool, and she is preparing for college now. She graduated 3 years early and I was not ready for her to be away from home, so she took 1.5 years off and is now applying and testing and writing essays. We plan on doing the same with the other two. Our son should graduate right on time, and our youngest about 3 years early also. They are all being encouraged to go on to higher learning, although for our son I think that may mean a technical school or specialized training rather than a university. Our oldest has 3 main desires. Music, missions, and writing. Our son - music, building, and ministry. Our youngest - Biblical archaeology. I use a diploma program called North Atlantic Regional Highschool that tracks their work and gives them a certified diploma in the end, but allows me to use whatever curriculum I want in order to get them there! I really like it.
Wonderful to have a new friend commenting! Do you have a blog?

Amy Witt said...

Wow, is that what I have to look forward to? What fun. How wonderful to see what great books and things they are doing.

Have a blessed school year.

AMy

Deeapaulitan said...

You better believe it, Amy! It has been fun teaching these higher subjects. It REALLY has. I think middle school years were probably my favoite, but Highschool has definately kept me on my toes. I will miss it when it is over, I think.

Anonymous said...

Hey Deea! It's Shannon from about 9 years ago. I found your blog about a week ago. I'd ask how you are doing but I read your blog! You're doing such a great job homeschooling. Was wondering if you might answer a few questions. Josh is getting ready to start 7th grade and I want to make sure we do things the right way. There aren't a lot of homeschoolers where we live. Oh, I have been wanting to thank Jim for teaching me chording all those years ago. We found an awesome church 4 years ago and I have been playing keys for the last 3 years on the P and W team. Please tell him how thankful I am that he took the time to teach me. I know back then it didn't seem like I was going to pick it up. But I knew God had called me to play. Monday I start singing as well! If you dont mind giving me a few pointers email me at s2fleming@duracom.net

Deeapaulitan said...

Shannon!! Oh My Goodness!! If you only knew how much we have thought of ya'll and how much we have missed you at times! I'll let J read this for himself, and I'll email you so we can talk homeschool and I can catch up with you all!

Its SO good to hear from you!