Homeschool woes

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Permalink Reply by Patty Wysong on September 18, 2008 at 7:49pm

LoL--Yup. I can relate and I don't get it either. I've noticed that the church kids I help teach on Wed. nights are rowdier around the full moon, and I've had public school teachers, home school friends, and even nursing home nurses tell me they've noticed it there too!! I dunno. Maybe it's the full moon, maybe it's just being boys (and it's hit my three too!), and maybe it's MATH (ick) and maybe, well, who knows?!!! LoL.

Advise? I'm all ears, girls! Pour it on!
...please?
LoL

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Permalink Reply by Cherie Roberts on September 18, 2008 at 10:41pm

Dawn,
I've only just begun home schooling, and my girls are very young, so the real struggles haven't begun, so I'm speaking more as a former middle/high school biology teacher ... hope this helps.

The first question ... is this sort of thing common, or relatively rare? If it is rare, it's probably nothing to stress over. We all have "off" days. Just don't let on that they are getting to you - that will only fuel their behavior. Stand your ground and don't give in. If they think that their behavior can result in your allowing them to get out of an assignment ... well, you're in for a lot more of that sort of thing. In educational lingo, we call it "keeping on task." Even seasoned veteran teachers can have some trouble with it, so don't beat yourself up.

If the problem is recurring, you're going to have to look at it a bit more closely. What time of the day are they doing their math work? If they are too tired, or if they are too fatigued from a full day of schooling, they may benefit from tackling the math at a different time. Are they comfortable? Often, in an attempt to reduce distraction, we have the learner in a place where they are not comfortable, and their discomfort becomes the distraction. Is the curriculum compatible with their learning style? LOTS of kids do not do well with the textbook/workbook method, hence the development of math classes that utilize all manner of manipulatives, computers and such. Curricula are not "one size fits all," so you might need to make a change. Boys, in particular, tend to have a greater need to expend energy, so perhaps when they are having trouble focusing, a brief diversion to allow some exercise might be good. Go shoot some hoops for 15 minutes ... something like that. You know your boys better than anyone, so observe ... talk to them about it ... experiment with small changes before big ones, and eventually something will click.

When I taught in the classroom, not a day went by (or a class) that I didn't have to deal with at least one student that fit your description. Sometimes the problem was resolved in a few minutes ... sometimes we struggled until the end of the class. In the end, your determination has to outlast theirs. That can be exhausting, but it pays off. You don't have to be mean or get angry to emerge the victor. Show unconditional love, but be serious, and do not lower your expectations. If they fail to meet those expectations, there should be some sort of penalty. "If you don't complete your math assignment, then you will not get to (fill in the blank)." Say it, mean it, and stick to it. Consistency works.

Hope this is helpful ... I know it's hard when it's your own ... we'd rather hug them than butt heads with them. I'll be praying for you.
Blessings,
Cherie

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Permalink Reply by Michelle on September 19, 2008 at 7:17am

Yes, I have had this issue very recently. I am blessed to have a support system because I do virtual school. (Same as traditional home school just technical support.) My homeroom teacher suggested for my 1st grader that you take frequent breaks, be more creative and not try to stick to the rote memory of teaching material, change the subject if need be. You can always come back. That is the blessing of homeschooling. Although structure and scheduling is necessary to stay on track, sometimes you have to change things up a bit to keep your students on track and you feeling like you are on the track. LOL I pray that helps.

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Permalink Reply by Rachel on September 20, 2008 at 5:36am

Every day ! it is a battle for me with my 13 yr old. he farts around like no body I know !

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Permalink Reply by Donna on September 20, 2008 at 9:19am

Dawn,

A very wise, seasoned homeschool mom once told me, when you are having a rough day with your kids to two things. One is set them free outdoors and you can call it PE. Then bake something and you can call it math, science, reading and home ec! And I've used that advice and it has worked for me. The fresh air does help, especially with boys (I have two also). And the baking is fun and just brings everyone together. We do school all year round with breaks here and there so that we can have some flexibility when we have those days where they don't really want to do school.

Hope this helps!!!
Donna

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Permalink Reply by Michelle on September 21, 2008 at 1:45am

Thanks. that helped me!!!
Donna said:

Dawn,

A very wise, seasoned homeschool mom once told me, when you are having a rough day with your kids to two things. One is set them free outdoors and you can call it PE. Then bake something and you can call it math, science, reading and home ec! And I've used that advice and it has worked for me. The fresh air does help, especially with boys (I have two also). And the baking is fun and just brings everyone together. We do school all year round with breaks here and there so that we can have some flexibility when we have those days where they don't really want to do school.

Hope this helps!!!
Donna

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