SUCCESS!

3. April 2008 by Shannon.

Well, sometimes God just makes me laugh.  He knows our struggles so well, and is already sending “help” before we’ve even asked for it.  I was so stressed out last week - ready even to call it quits… when along came Help.  I stumbled upon a really unique curriculum that was just too revolutionary. I was hesitant to start something new, but seeing as we were finished up Egypt, and really ready to go on to something new and as McKenzie had declared an all out strike at my plans… I figured a change of pace couldn’t hurt.

Oh my goodness…. what a change this week!  Okay, things aren’t PERFECT, but they are a dang sight better than what we were doing!  I came across a curriculum called “Connect the Thoughts” (CtT).  It is completely unique to anything I’ve ever seen before… it gives the student ownership of their own education, in a directed, yet respectful of their individuality way… instead of writing what they need to “regurgitate” or “narrate” or even using “copywork” (which although helped my daughter tremendously in the area of penmanship and her pencil “allergy”…. it certainly wasn’t getting her to think and ponder the things she was studying.  CtT does just that… instead of being concerned about the mechanics of writing, it encourages the student to really THINK and PONDER and CONSIDER whta they believe, know and need. 

In one week, no - in a few days, I’ve seen such changes in McKenzie.  Deeper thoughts, more responsibility, more ownership of her education…

One of the things I’m finding incredible is watching my daughter “own” her education.  Today she said the most insightful thing I’ve heard out of her in months…. all related to one of the assignments in her CtT book.  She said to me “Mom, this brick wall I drew means that when you rush through your studies, and you just keep going even when you don’t understand something, you are leaving out a brick in your wall… and if you leave out enough bricks, your wall is going to fall down!”  And she went on to explain that that was exactly how she felt in public school, like some of her bricks were missing and she felt unstable (in her learning, like she was faking knowing something because everyone else seemed to know it - I reminded her that maybe some of those other people were faking it too… so no one would know unless everyone spoke up). 

One of the saddest aspects of my education was not learning how to tell time on an analog clock… I missed that week in grade 2, I guess, anyhow, by the time I figured out everyone else could do it I was too embarrassed to admit I couldn’t… it took a friend to teach me when I was in my early 20’s…

Guess what I make sure my kids learn early?  LOL!

One other thing we’ve implemented this week, which has helped as well, has been a “goals” sheet.  On Friday evenings, Mom, Dad and Kenzi sit down with a sheet of paper with all her subjects listed on the left side.  Beside each subject, she determines (with our guidance) what her weekly goals will be.  During the week, she is responsible for her time.  I will remind her that it is still school hours and that she should make best use of that time, but I will not tell her WHAT she needs to be working on.  She is responsible for her own education - I’m just here to encourage and facilitate.  At the end of the week (Friday evening again) she needs to take a little time to review her past week and write on the bottom of the form her self-evaluation - how she felt she did on meeting her goals, including things such as attitude towards her work.  Then we go over the work she did that week and Tony and I write our own evaluation notes below her notes.  Then she puts that in her notebook, at the begining of that weeks work, and takes a new sheet for the upcoming week.. and she writes her goals for the upcoming week again. 

Now, that being said, this is Week One of this new system, but it’s run so smoothly I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner!  I’ve been saying for years that her education is her responsiblity… yet I guess I was too thick-headed to trust her enough with the logistics of her education.  It is so much more meaningful to her to be in control of how much or how little she gets done.

Please understand that last sentence though…. she still has minimum requirements… for example, she must do one math lesson a day.  SO, in her goals, she can write 5 math lessons OR she can CHOOSE to move along faster, and write 10 math lessons and plan her time to do two math lessons a day (if she were so inclined…. which didn’t happen this week, and I don”t expect to happen any time soon - but there you have it, the option is there, and she’s only really accountable to herself, with us as mentors and encouragers). 

I don’t think this would work with a student too young, but I think somewhere around 10 - with guidance - would be a beneficial homeschool addition.  After all, if we’re the only ones with any say, then as soon as we stop saying, they’ll stop doing.  I want a lifelong learner, and I think ownership and a little CtT might just be the ticket!

I’m so pleased today!  :o)

Blessings!

Posted in Curriculum Choices, Kenzi, Great Finds, General Homeschool | Print | 1 Comment »