Teaching homeschool this year was another decision I didn't see coming. It was an idea I have entertained in the back of my mind as a possibility if my boys were ever being seriously bullied at school or if there was something about their education that wasn't working for some reason. Carter (5th grade) was actually the one that pushed to homeschool this year due to Covid-19. Both Bryson and Caleb wanted to attend school. After much thought and prayer, we decided to send Caleb to public school and to withdraw the others for homeschool. As an 8th grader, Caleb is taking 3 high school credit classes that I didn't want to mess with. He is also really excited about playing tennis in the spring since that didn't happen last year due to Covid-19. I also knew wearing a mask at school all day wouldn't faze him as much as my other boys. (germaphobe)
The decision for Carter and Bryson (2nd grade) was heavily influenced by the fact that I decided to move forward and teach my last year of preschool. In-person school didn't start until September 8th, and there were still a lot of unknowns this summer about whether school would actually start on that day. I didn't know what the virtual option would look like exactly, and I knew I would be unavailable to help Carter and Bryson with virtual school on Tuesdays and Thursdays while I was teaching preschool. Another main factor was I knew in-person school would look a lot different this year with masks, sitting every other person at lunch, paranoias about germs, etc. I quickly touched base with other moms considering homeschooling. Once I realized I had a good support group in my ward, plus my sister who has been homeschooling for the last 6 years, I felt mostly confident moving forward. (And also overwhelmed!)
Our Monday/Wednesday schedule starts with a spiritual thought (typically a story from the Friend), history read-aloud, and a novel read-aloud. So far we have read The Book Scavenger, Charlotte's Web, and halfway through with The Boy Who Saved Baseball. After a 15-minute break, I start in with Language Arts and Math with Carter while Austin and Bryson play, usually outside with the chickens. I spend about 30 minutes teaching and working with Carter, then he finishes up his assignments independently. I work with Bryson one-on-one for about the next 45-60 minutes on Language Arts and Math. He usually gets a short break in there as needed. They both have some independent reading to do, piano practicing, and then we also do Science and/or History in the afternoon. Bryson has some Science/Social Studies workbooks, Carter has a US History textbook of sorts, or we watch a video on a certain topic.
While I teach preschool on Tuesday/Thursday, Bryson and Carter are responsible for working on handwriting practice, typing, and Math/Language Arts assignments that they can do independently. (I prep them on those assignments either the night before or before preschool starts.) After preschool, we do our read-alouds (spiritual, history, and novel). Then I work one-on-one going over their Math/Language Arts assignments.
We meet twice a week with our homeschool group. Wednesday morning we get together for an hour PE and Fridays we meet for 2 hours to do Science for an hour and Art, Music, or Theater for an hour. When we get home from our homeschool group, we do a poetry tea time and free writing or working on a writing project.
Science STEM activity with our homeschool group
Science lesson at the creek. We are doing a Marine Biology unit and this lesson I taught had a science experiment that needed lots of sand, so we met here instead.
The kids worked hard on the play The Jungle Book. Carter did a great job memorizing his lines, projecting his voice, speaking slowly/clearly, and using inflection. He played Akela, the leader of the wolf pack, and also another part as a human named Buldeo.
I should have worked harder with Bryson to memorize all his lines. He knew the first 3/4 well, but struggled on the last 1/4. He played Mowgli, and did a great job! Austin played a wolf--no speaking parts.
Mowgli and Bagheera. Baloo sleeping.
Mowgli talking to two humans and decides he would rather live in the jungle.
[Side note: Bryson was super embarrassed about having no shirt. Even though I told him it's completely fine for boys to have a bare chest, he was still very self-conscious and kept adjusting the necklace the ENTIRE play to make sure it covered his nipples. 😳]
Shark presentations: Each student had to research a species of shark and present 3-4 facts to the class, as well as a visual aid of some kind. Carter researched the Goblin Shark and make a shark repellent as his visual aid. (He decorated a can of shaving cream and then allowed everyone to have a sample.)
Bryson did the dogfish shark and made a shark cake as his visual aid.
This year is all about one day at a time and keeping my head above water. I am teaching 8 hours of preschool per week, I also have 8 piano students + my 2 boys that I'm teaching, my calling is busy as Primary Chorister, and then this new addition of homeschool to my plate. With the oldest 3 boys in sports, we usually have at least one sports' practice every night except Friday. Saturday is full of juggling baseball/soccer games, chores, grocery shopping, etc. It's been a lot to keep on top of! I'm mostly holding on by the seat of my pants and trying not to get discouraged at all the areas I am falling short.
