Homeschooling During the Summer!

I've wanted to home school Flower for quite some time now.  However, the timing is not good, and I don't really have the backing of my husband, so for now, it is a no-go.


Since she started kindergarten, it seems that we have gotten a few bad apples for teachers, and this is one reason I wish we could home school.  I absolutely know that not all teachers are like this, so please do not think I am harping on teachers!  I had some amazing teachers when I was in public school; one in particular, Mrs. Wells, made a huge impact on my life.  I have a great respect for teachers.  We just happen to get the teachers who are either brand new and unsure, or just flat do not care for teaching.  I really believe that a good teacher must have a heart, a passion, for teaching children.


My second reason for wanting this, is because of all the state mandates.  I know and understand why we have those.  But in my opinion, the poor teachers must spend so much time focusing on "teaching for the test" that they can't just teach.  They teach exactly what is on the test, and grill about passing the test.  If they could just focus on making sure the children learn and retain the basics, they would most likely pass the tests.  (Again, this surely isn't the teachers' fault.  I wanted to be a teacher, but I just don't think I could in a public school now.  I think the laws that were made with good intentions to help our children hinder the teachers from really teaching.)


I could go on and on about this, but I won't.  Those are just two of the many reasons I would like to home school. I have many friends who were home schooled, and we've all gone on to live very productive lives.  We aren't socially inept.  


Anyhow, back to my story.  Flower and I are starting some third grade workbooks today!  I spent the morning creating "lesson plans" in reading, math, science, history, handwriting, Bible, and language arts.  (I enjoyed doing that, and have a new-found respect for my mother, and for teachers.  Mom created lesson plans for two kids for many years, and I never realized just how time consuming it could be!)


Flower is very excited about working on these lessons with me.  As she said "I cannot wait to be smarter than every other kid in the third grade next year!"  We have some fun science experiments to work on, building projects in history, and a "paper" to write.  We are even going to learn cursive, and everyone knows that really is the most important part of third grade!


Don't worry, though.  I promise to let Flower have a summer!  I'm not keeping her in doors all day long!  We work on school during nap time, when being our normally loud and boisterous selves would only wake brother up (and  no one really wants to wake him up from nap because he is grumpy!)  Not only that, but because it is truly a one-on-one learning environment, what takes a normal class 8 hours to accomplish, we accomplish in only a few hours.  Besides, taking field trips to the park is a great way to learn about nature!  Of course we will be outside this summer!


This is also a great way to keep Flower's brain from "turning to mush", as her teacher stated.  She won't forget the things she already learned, and be forced to spend the first 2 months of school relearning what she should already know.  


Now, if you will excuse me, it looks as though I have some papers to grade!