Our School Day

Recently, on another blog I follow, there was an article on “If You think you can Homeschool?”  It was a quiz on whether or not you were up to the task.  I am not sure if the author meant for it to be satire or not, but parts of it were funny.  Overall, however, it did not ring true for me.  I have been at this for eight years and I can say that only two of the items on the quiz were similar to events that happened in my home.

So what does happen at my house on a typical day?  Well, I will tell you.  Remember, this is my house, my kids, our schedule.  It is not a representation of the home school world at large.  But you will get a good idea of what we do ‘at school’.

We wake up.  This happens more without the aid of an alarm clock than with the sounds of the morning buzzer.  Spencer has a built-in get up and go system.  He arises between 7:30 and 8:30am almost always.  If he is still sleeping at 9am, he was tired!  Shelby gets up when she needs to or when I wake her, depending on her schedule and how well she slept.  Poor girl, she struggles in the sleep department and this is something we take into consideration on a day to day basis – but we aim for getting up by 9am.  In the first year of schooling at home, we tried the ole ‘start each day by 8:00am’ like our friends were doing and we were miserable.  I mean miserable.  I soon learned that if we rested, took our morning easy and I did not get all freaked out by the clock, it all got done and no one got hurt.  This is a good thing.

Also, I cannot, cannot start school with a messy kitchen or den.  Clutter and mess are huge distractions to me.  So I have this routine where I tidy the kitchen, clean up any breakfast mess and start a load of laundry.  Somehow, once this is done (which takes me 10 - 15 minutes) my mind is ready to focus.  This is also helpful as the kitchen, den and office is ‘the school area’.

We study/learn.  Yes – this actually does happen!  The subjects we do together are Bible and history.  Shelby is taking geometry (with a great tutor this year), language arts, French, and chemistry.  For the most part, all of her subjects are self-directed and she comes to me when she needs help.  I am definitely involved for review, giving tests and grading.   In addition to her studies, she baby-sits, has a job and is involved at church.  She has learned how to balance her schedule around her activities.  For example, tomorrow morning she is going to babysit.  She has to be there for three hours.  So today, she did her school work for nine hours.  She might only get in one or two hours of study tomorrow.  She is learning time management well this year.

Spencer has math, grammar, reading (a special program for him), typing, guitar and science.  Several of his subjects are self-directed, but obviously I am more involved with him than his sister. 

The biggest lessons I teach is in regards to relationships and communication.  Conflict is dealt with around here as soon as possible.  If there is a hurting heart, all things stop so we can pray, talk and start the healing process.  Having my kids learn scripture is more important than learning history facts – but yes, it is good to know the date when the Declaration of Independence was signed!  

Home Economics.  We are blessed with our humble home and possessions.  Therefore, we take care of them and learn how to balance school with chores and fun.  Everyone has chores and they get done without much fuss. When you have a small home, two kids and not many toys, it is easier to take care of the house. (It was not always this way, but has been for the last four years.  Sweet!) Spencer is learning how to cook and Shelby is learning how to balance a checkbook.  

Fun Studies:  Currently, I am tutoring at Summit Academy.  The classes are held on Thursday.  This is an alarm clock morning for sure!  The science class I am teaching is on Flying Creatures.  Spencer is in my class so we are doing the study at home as well.  It is great to incorporate science studies with nature studies.  Bird watching is an on-going activity here at the house.  It does not feel like learning, but we are.  This applies to not only bird watching, but other subjects as well. Even while on vacation this year, we are going to go to a museum about the civil war and walk through a battlefield.  I am a big opponent of having fun while you learn.  

Extras:  We go to homeschool events, field trips and get together with other families to hang out and have a good time.  In a few days, we are going to SkyZone for some jumping!  I also help to organize two dances for homeschoolers – one in the fall and one in the spring.  

Flexibility:  When the rest of the world (or at least it seemed that way) went to the beach this summer, we are going in a few weeks.  It is not possible due to my husband’s line of work to have vacation in the summer.  However, the first weeks of fall are the perfect time.  If we were in a traditional school setting, this would not be possible.  The flexibility for us to go with the flow of life, whether it is a trip or helping family has been an incredible opportunity and blessing.

Things we view as perks:  no additional ’homework’; no school uniform or dress code; flexibility in our schedule; able to pursue interests as they occur; study at a customized pace (both of my kids need this; they each have their own learning disability/hurdle); hot lunches – which most of the time, the kids have cooked themselves!

There are days when it is hard.  There are days when it goes great.  And as a woman, I can get a bit lonely at times.  Every now and then, I get surprised with phone calls and visits.  Those days are special.  I started writing about one of those rare days and will post it soon.  For now, I wanted to share what a typical school day at “The Fowler Home School” looked like.  

Do you homeschool or teach?  I would love hear what a typical day is like for you in your learning center.