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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: Feb 02 2015 at 4:05pm | IP Logged
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Anyone feeling burned out? I don't think I am but I'm struggling with many issues in our homeschool. Anyone want to talk me through?
I love Charlotte Mason!  Over the past year I have studied up and found wonder books and blogs to learn more about her and I'm absolutely in love with a Charlotte Mason education! 
I love to plan! I find it an enjoyable activity. 
But, I'm about burned out on planning. (Hopefully this will be short lived!) I think planning out a CM education is one of the hardest projects I've ever taken on. I'm not sure if I can do it anymore. I think I want to find the perfect book for everything and I don't know how to work with the reality.
My oldest will be in high school next year and I just keep going back and forth on decisions on what we plan to use in high school. I even did (what I thought) was some good planning over Christmas break and made some general list of subjects and possible books to use. I had a good first plan for history and science. I felt confident in my planning. I put it away and forgot about it until I was asked on Friday what plans I made (a local homeschooling friend who knew I had worked on that project). I sat there and recalled everything in that notebook and completely dismissed it all.  I can't keep a plan! I doubt everything and keep going back and worth. It's getting embarrassing!
So, all weekend I have this in the back of my head while planning out our week. This caused lots of problems in my head and I really thought twice about everything we are currently doing. Don't worry! I didn't make any changes and plan to just keep working at it. 
I think I'm striving for perfection! I know that perfection is not what I want or need. I just need to follow God's will in our homeschool journey. We are so far from perfection that it's hilarious that I have it as a goal very deep in my mind and heart. (Very deep!!) It causes me to doubt and to not follow God's lead. It makes it impossible for me to hear God to know what I'm suppose to be doing.
And this my friends is where I'm at this February. I'm not sure what is the next step. I know I need to work on some of this before I pick that planning notebook up again.
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Feb 02 2015 at 5:57pm | IP Logged
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Anything can look perfect on paper. Pretty much nothing will end up perfect when you add people
I look for what works rather than what's ideal. If there's something that works for me AND for the kids. Hands off!
And it may not fit anyone's idea of what's best.
we just finished (our halfway point was just a week or so ago) a video series on the Constitution. Is video the best thing? Who knows. But my 4 oldest kids all got it all done at the speed at which I thought we should get it done. They learned stuff. That's pretty good.
So not perfect but it worked here, with my kids, with me. That's good enough.
So things I tend to plan.. I work out what I want us to do.. then look at the time frame and a more realistic view of what we'll get done.. and then move some stuff to the "it would be nice to have it one hand if I can but I won't require it's use" which gives me the leeway to get stuff that's extra if I'm over planning and to get less if I need to and still cover the material.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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SallyT
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| Posted: Feb 02 2015 at 9:14pm | IP Logged
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Is it the prospect of high school that's making this feel so fraught?
Is it making you put pressure on yourself?
Can you involve your son who'll be in high school in the planning process?
Do you have an outline or template to follow that would help you feel that what you're writing down really is what you need to cover in a given year?
Would it be awful if you were forced by some circumstance to carry out the plans you wrote down over Christmas? Or would it be okay? If "awful," how could you tweak those plans to bring them around to "okay?"
I empathize -- I do a LOT of hand-wringing over planning, and it's always the things I feel insecure about (read: math) that are hardest to commit to. But maybe trying to identify why this feels so high-pressure, and then strategize with yourself about how to relieve some of that pressure, will help. And moving some of the internal conversation out into a conversation with your son about his upcoming year might help you to feel more comfortable, too. Kids are often more excited about the prospect of high school than you might think, and enjoy being part of the planning. Your mileage may vary, of course, but that's worth exploring, as a way to have some definite direction.
With, again, great empathy,
Sally
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Castle in the Sea
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: Feb 03 2015 at 12:45pm | IP Logged
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Sally,
I think I just want to give up planning and buy a curriculum in a box! I have thought this through and it wouldn't save me any planning time since there is not a program out there that I love 100%.
My son has no interest in helping me plan.
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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countrymom
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| Posted: Feb 03 2015 at 6:09pm | IP Logged
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My best laid plans are always foiled in homeschool land. The only plan I can stick with is "keep it simple"
But then again, I see you have 2 to school and I have 8, which is a whole different animal
You CAN do it!!
Homeschooling Connections has a free webinar coming up with a few topics that may interest you
Refresh conference
Fear Not Homeschool Parents, You CAN Homeschool Highschool
Refresh Your Passion! How to Regain Your Energy, Empower Your Homeschool, and Return to Enjoyable Learning (all the way to the end of the school year!)
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SallyT
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| Posted: Feb 04 2015 at 8:44pm | IP Logged
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Hmm, what about a couple of Homeschool Connections classes (or even one), just to take some of the burden off you? There are many, many good writing classes, for example -- lots of grammar/composition/expository writing that would be a good high-school kickoff for a 9th grader.
Also, if you're looking for CM/classical history and literature that you could tweak, I'd be glad to share the plans I've used with two so far. Includes religion, too. All you would need to add would be math, science, and foreign language, and you would have a 9th grade year, touching every base you'd need to.
I used to sell these, but I've given up doing that and am happy to share the .pdf, if you're interested. There's more in them than anyone could use in a year, so you'd have plenty of leeway to pick and choose. PM me if you're interested. Again, I'm happy to share, especially if having something laid out that you could either go with or customize would help you.
Sally
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countrymom
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| Posted: Feb 05 2015 at 7:20am | IP Logged
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I highly encourage Homeschooling Connections or any online Catholic school as well. It has been revolutionary in our teens homeschool life, as well as mamas sanity.
It was hard for me to let go of being the "teacher" but I am so glad I did. My students really enjoy their HC time.
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SallyT
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| Posted: Feb 05 2015 at 8:22am | IP Logged
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From a teacher's perspective, I have to say that I really, really enjoy my HSC students. One of the nicest things is to see how they form friendships -- mine generally show up for class as soon as the online classroom opens, about 20 minutes early, so they can chat. I have very small classes, and so far I've had the same group who've progressed with me as I've added a new class, so they are quite a close-knit little band. (I don't teach any core classes, just poetry -- but my colleagues across the board are EXCELLENT. My students particularly rave about Mr. Campbell's world history class, so there's a recommendation for ya!)
I'm graduating one high-schooler this year, and then will have a couple of years' breathing space before the next one is a 9th grader. And I'm already thinking about what we're going to do. More and more homeschooling becomes like chess, where you're thinking three moves ahead.
Cassie, I will say that one thing that really motivated both my oldest two was to start talking about college, even as early as 7th grade. Most of the time what they think they want at 13 or 14 and the vision they have at graduation are two radically different things; still, especially for my rather resistant oldest child, getting on the computer together and saying, "What kind of place would you envision yourself ending up," then looking at college websites, was eye-opening. She thought about things she liked to do, and we googled, for example, "colleges with drama programs," since that was her big thing at that time.
She did not end up in a drama program, but just seeing pictures of college campuses and imagining herself there was very powerful. AND we looked at what they were looking for in terms of requirements. So she knew that if she wanted to get out of the house and be in one of those attractive environments, there were hoops she had to jump through. And that opened the door for saying, for instance, "Well, how would you like to do science?"
The idea that their education is moving them on to the next, much more independent, stage of their lives motivates a lot of kids who otherwise could care less about school planning to become more actively involved in directing their education. This varies depending on the person and his/her maturity level, but it's good to think about how you might move to this kind of place. My daughter did remark, in her first year of college, that the best thing about her homeschool education (besides the fact that I had forced her to read Beowulf) was that she had come to college already self-motivated, with the confidence that she could be in charge of her education. I think that's made a huge difference in how she's navigated her classes and campus life for the last four years.
So possibly, to a great extent, *what* you choose in terms of books and syllabi is less important, in the great scheme of things, than these larger life lessons. Not that the books don't matter, but you can back off from sweating the details, and everything will be okay.
God bless you. I know it's stressful. Hang in there!
Sally
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: Feb 05 2015 at 2:11pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Sally!
I have many other thoughts but nothing is coming out today.
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Feb 10 2015 at 9:08am | IP Logged
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I have just a couple of minutes of computer time left, Cassie...and wanted to pop over to your planning thread.
The other ladies have already given you some really good ideas!
In general, planning is just getting ideas on paper. You're not married to those plans - they can change before or during the time you're living them. Which is GREAT! Think of your earlier planning as a rough draft! It's ok to change things up, deviate, add, make things more interesting - that's exactly what we do with a rough draft, isn't it?! 
High school always seems daunting...but it's just the next step forward!! 9th grade should be a step wider and deeper than 8th grade. 10th grade should be wider and deeper than 9th. And so on. Don't let it be bigger than it is. Don't overcomplicate it just because it's <<<HIGH>>> <<<SCHOOL>>>!
Find a good high school guide/template and work from there. I use Ambleside's upper forms (9-12) to help me and give me a guide. I use a lot of the books they have listed, mostly because they already live on my shelves, but I do substitute some books for different reasons - sometimes to provide a fuller view of our Catholic faith, or sometimes because a student has requested something particular (either because of a passion or an interest).
I plan it all on paper and consider even my final booklist a working draft. I still sub books on that booklist throughout the year - term by term. And that's ok. I try to be very considered in what I substitute, pull or change so that I'm not just making knee-jerk reactions.
It helps me to start building high school in a three ring notebook. I keep state requirements in there, a place for keeping transcript material, and four dividers for each grade of high school. If I see an interesting course description for a Homeschool Connections course, or a Great Courses course, I punch it and put it in the notebook. It's just a place for ideas to land. It's also a place for records like attendance, grades, volunteer work, outside classes, etc. to land. I keep all the student's (very marked up and adjusted) booklists in this notebook, too. When my oldest graduated, I handed her her notebook. It's a good record and collection of what she's done. And when it's time to build a transcript, it's all right there, filed in the appropriate grade.
pumpkinmom wrote:
| My son has no interest in helping me plan. |
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That's ok. My oldest son doesn't really have an interest either, but...and this is a big but...I hand over the responsibility of education in high school so my son DOES have to be ready to live it. I'll plan, encourage, brainstorm, help research alternatives...but LIVING HIGH SCHOOL IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. So, my son has to be on board with the plans. Does he have to LOVE everything on those plans? Nope. And I'm fine, fine, fine with that!  Education is a discipline. I better be able to explain WHY I think high school Latin is important, or why a certain book has been chosen. And though he may not love it, it's his job to accept it and live it as discipline. Which is real life. He won't always have jobs he loves, or books and professors he loves. He will have to *buckle-up-buttercup* and deal. Real life practice there! BUT...I do want him to KNOW what his high school plans are, to understand why they are the way they are. I do want him to agree to the responsibility of living them. And for a high schooler (boy or girl....but ESPECIALLY for a boy!!) Dad steps in more often than I do to reinforce that. Please don't think my husband is super involved - nope! But if I let him know that son is resistant to >>insert issue here<<, Dad steps in and has my back. He does this in various ways, but we've had lots of success when the boys talk while they're working out at the gym or something...it's neutral ground, it's "man time," they're both open to hearing each other...and it yields AMAZING fruit for me the next day!!
Back to plans and perfection...
Nothing is perfect. And it's reassuring that Our Lord tells St. Paul that He likes to work with our weakness. So, I should be all set then! My job is to be diligent, industrious and grow in virtue and grace through His Sacraments. He will take care of all the rest. Period. There is peace if you can leave it right there. So, I have to be careful that as I'm "walking on the water" just as St. Peter did, that I don't start to look away, doubt, wonder about my own weaknesses, the impossibility of the task before me...because if I do, I'll start to sink just like St. Peter!!!  Eyes on Our Lord! Always. There is always room for growth and improving plans, but there is also peace in just staying focused on the grace He's given me in this moment and working with that. Peace that plans, booklists, life - doesn't have to be perfect - just my very best effort.
Let us know if we can brainstorm specifics more with you, Cassie! But I really think you've got this one!!! Gotta get rolling with my day...but sending lots of  of encouragement!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Topic: Hey, it's February!
