Monday, November 18, 2019

SEEMINGLY UNPRODUCTIVE DAYS ARE NOT WASTED



HOMESCHOOLING, WORKING, REVIVE A BAD DAY

By the time the holiday’s roll around, most parents are a bit burned out by the hectic pace of managing parenting, schooling, work and more. Use your FREEDOM IN HOMESCHOOLING and be flexible on days and times of the school year that you need to re-ignite your love of managing it all.

First, give yourself permission to goof off a bit. Be thankful for the power you hold to be flexible. Find that freedom and use it wisely.

CHANGE UP LEARNING EXPECTATIONS AND METHODS OVER THE HOLIDAY

This time of year, we take it easy and redirect learning to more movie based, experience based, project based learning approaches. This allows us to lay around, watch videos, do craft projects, go on field trips
, notebook what we are learning, have deep discussions on topics of interest. Mainly, it’s about interest lead learning with the exception of math, reading and writing.

THINGS THAT DERAIL US

Moodiness, holiday burnout, lack of focus, and much more. Let's face it. Our home students have good days and DOG days. You know, they don't want to wake up. They argue with you for hours about how BORING the work is. They want to take tons of bathroom breaks and you want to scream. Sometimes you do. This is a sure sign, a redirection is needed.

IT's OKAY

Give yourself permission to just take a week off, heck the holiday’s off. Refocus and redirect what you are grateful and thankful for, but need to have a break from. When I have days like that at work, I leave early or I just don't go. Sometimes,  I even take a long lunch break just to get my head back in the game.

TAKE A SIESTA

Times like this. I give us all a 'timed' break. I set the alarm and tell the kids they can do anything BUT play video games or go outside. Usually, they just get a snack, watch a show, or read a book of choice. Me - I take a short nap.

Why? Well because if Mom's cranky, her kids know it and mom/teacher can't redirect when cranky.

MAKE UP DAY...

Sometimes the day is a totally wash. So...we make it up. I move the work and lesson to the following day. Or do school on a day I had plan to have no school.

SHORTEN THE LESSON

This is another secret weapon. On days where we have somewhere to go, the kids are not engaged, or I'm too distracted to do an entire lesson. We shorten it. I don't do their DVD teaching section, I teach the new subject myself to the student. Or we don't do every homework practice problem or even cut our any of our electives for that day.

REMIND YOURSELF TO BE THANKFUL and CREATE A LIST FOR ALL TO SEE

Remembering why we are doing all we do is a good way to ignite passion back into a hectic schedule that is compounded by holiday expectations. Thanksgiving seems to come at the right time. Include the kids in the creation of a Be Thankful board that you place on your walls, in your room, on your refridgerator to remind you just how much you have to be thankful for, then tell your kids just how much you are thankful for a particular trait or action they did to make you happy. Words have power and using them to get ourselves on track is a great way to prepare for the holidays ahead.

By LM Preston, www.empoweredsteps.com and www.lmpreston.com blog: homeschoolandwork.blogspot.com/  





Monday, November 4, 2019

My Homeschooling Adventure in Maryland


Homeschooling in Maryland

As a Maryland homeschooling parent, I was rather intimidated by the rules of the state. I’d first stumbled upon Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and researched the legal requirements for homeschooling in Maryland. I was concerned that it was one of the most restrictive states for homeschooling.

THE RULES
The state has the overarching rules:
·       Contact the superintendent of schools for your county to notify them that you are planning to homeschool your child. (See list of Superintendent here: http://marylandpublicschools.org/about/pages/school-systems/superintendents.aspx )
o   Do 15 days before planning to withdraw student from school
o   Use form for your county listed here: MD Homeschool Notification Forms by District (https://homeschoolstatelaws.com/2017/03/20/maryland-homeschool-notification-forms/ )
·       There is a law regarding attendance and instruction that has to be followed and is verified by a local school system or supervisor.
o   This is where the student can use what’s called an Umbrella school to serve as that supervisor. Here is a list of Umbrella Schools and Supervising entities: http://nonpublicschoolsdb.marylandpublicschools.org/nonpublic/home_instruction/DisplayLocationsByCounty.asp
o   The parent can have scheduled documentation review with the state employed supervisor that reviews and validates student is getting instruction
·       Check the HSLDA website that outlines various options: https://hslda.org/content/hs101/MD.aspx

OTHER RESOURCES
Maryland has many different counties. Each county supports homeschoolers differently. In Anne Arundel County where we used to live there was a large amount of support from the school board who had one person that managed homeschoolers.

Maryland libraries, museums, gyms and more have homeschooling events.

Unfortunately, as a homeschooling student, kids aren’t allowed to participate in public school sports or extra-curricular activities. However, the superintendent will notify their homeschooling families of certain opportunities that will accommodate homeschooled students.

Here is a list of other support for Maryland Homeschoolers:
·       Maryland Homeschool Organizations and Support Groups - https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/homeschooling-in-maryland/homeschool-organizationssupport-groups/ 
·       HomeSchooling in MD – HSLDA - https://www.hslda.org/hs/state/MD/ 
·       Maryland Homeschool Association  - http://www.mdhsa.com/  
·       Maryland Homeschool Resource Network - http://www.mhrn.com/ 
·       Maryland Home Education Association (MHEA) - http://www.mhea.com/ 
·       Hand In Hand Homeschool - http://www.handinhandhomeschool.com/

MY EXPERIENCES

As a Maryland homeschooling family, we decided to homeschool using an Umbrella school. We searched the few offered and found one that was mostly hands off, but had quarterly events for the homeschooled kids and documentation training and review. Many Paths of Natural Learning accepted home educators that taught their kids in many ways. They acted as an advocate for many of us and provided a wealth of support for the small fee they charged. My kids got to participate in a graduation and other events sponsored by the Umbrella school.

Maryland has a large group of homeschooling families of so many variations. My family had two working parents, other families we’ve befriended were single parents, and many more.