The faster I go ...

the behinder I get! That seems to be a common theme in the month of February. The holiday "high" is over, motivation is hard to come by, and for some of us, winter is lasting forever. Every day I wake up feeling "behind".

I was thinking about this as Jill, Kelly and I recorded our most recent series of webinars: "Has Your Homeschool Dream Become a Nightmare?" Take some time over the next week or so to listen to the three-part series. Each session is about 45 minutes long. I think you'll be encouraged!

But back to being "behind". As I had the opportunity yesterday to interact with a mom who is feeling "behind" ... it caused me to evaluate just what that means. I asked her to define "behind" for me. Does she feel behind because her kids aren't at the same place their public or private school peers are academically? Did some holiday conversation amongst cousins or in-laws leave her feeling as though she was lagging in her homeschool journey?

Comparison can be just as lethal for homeschool students as for others. Especially when it is combined with mid-winter lethargy and lack of motivation. Invest a few moments to set some concrete academic and spiritual goals for your children. Just 2 or 3 apiece. Write them down and refer to them often this time of year. Learn to compare your child's progress to your *goals* and not to their peers.

Don't give in to comparing and measuring yourself to others ... enjoy the freedom that comes from setting your own goals.

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How do others view homeschoolers?

One of the regulars over on the Sonlight Forums shared a thought-provoking, well written article today. It is titled College Professor Critiques Homeschoolers by Greg Landry M.S. I'll copy the article in its entirety at the end of my comments ... but I wanted to highlight a few of the things he noted about homeschool students that I think are "right on".

They are independent learners and do a great job of taking initiative and being responsible for learning.

I have found that most homeschool students I've encountered, including my own, are independent learners. I spent a few years teaching science labs in a homeschool co-op and for the most part, my students were motivated and didn't need me hanging over their shoulder every moment giving direction.

They handle classroom social situations (interactions with their peers and professors) very well. In general, my homeschooled students are a pleasure to have in class.

This is, to me, an especially significant observation. For all the dire warnings and fears that folks have about homeschool students not being "socialized", this statement seems to imply just the opposite. Homeschool students seem to do very well in "mixed" age groups ... equally comfortable with peers as with those who are older.

They come to college without sufficient test-taking experience, particularly with timed tests. Many homeschooled students have a high level of anxiety when it comes to taking
timed tests.

My kids have never seemed to have test taking anxiety, so this one surprised me a bit. Though it certainly doesn't sound unreasonable. Anything that is unfamiliar in life has the potential to create anxiety ... and many homeschoolers are "anti-testing". The good news is that this one is easy to remedy! It wouldn't be terribly difficult to add some "timed" testing to your high schooler's educational experience.

Many homeschooled students have problems meeting deadlines and have to adjust to that in college. That adjustment time in their freshman year can be costly in terms of the way it affects their grades.

I have, for years, encouraged folks to add "organization and time management" as a required skill to their academic schedules. It's always nice when you see the goals you set for your students pay off. This is one area that my daughter brought up soon after she entered her freshman year of college. She was amazed at all the kids who could not seem to manage their time and get assignments and projects in on time. As she was heading off to bed at night she would smile at all her suite mates burning the midnight oil to get the next day's work done in time!

Overall, a very encouraging article ... but offering challenges as well. I enjoyed the balance in the author's presentation, which can be difficult to find when reading through articles on homeschooling or about homeschoolers.

Article copied in its entirety below:

College Professor Critiques Homeschoolers
copyright 2009 by Greg Landry, M.S.

I teach sophomore through senior level college
students - most of them are "pre-professional"
students. They are preparing to go to medical
school, dental school, physical therapy school,
etc.

As a generalization, I've noticed certain
characteristics common in my students who were
homeschooled. Some of these are desirable,
some not.

Desirable characteristics:

1. They are independent learners and do a great
job of taking initiative and being responsible
for learning. They don't have to be "spoon fed"
as many students do. This gives them an advantage
at two specific points in their education;
early in college and in graduate education.

2. They handle classroom social situations
(interactions with their peers and professors)
very well. In general, my homeschooled students
are a pleasure to have in class. They greet me
when the enter the class, initiate conversations
when appropriate, and they don't hesitate to
ask good questions. Most of my students do
none of these.

3. They are serious about their education and
that's very obvious in their attitude, preparedness,
and grades.

Areas where homeschooled students can improve:

1. They come to college less prepared in the
sciences than their schooled counterparts -
sometimes far less prepared. This can be
especially troublesome for pre-professional
students who need to maintain a high grade
point average from the very beginning.

2. They come to college without sufficient
test-taking experience, particularly with
timed tests. Many homeschooled students have a
high level of anxiety when it comes to taking
timed tests.

3. Many homeschooled students have problems
meeting deadlines and have to adjust to that in
college. That adjustment time in their freshman
year can be costly in terms of the way it affects
their grades.

My advice to homeschooling parents:

1. If your child is even possibly college
bound and interested in the sciences, make
sure that they have a solid foundation of
science in the high school years.

2. Begin giving timed tests by 7th or 8th grade.
I'm referring to all tests that students take, not
just national, standardized tests.

I think it is a disservice to not give students
timed tests. They tend to focus better and score
higher on timed tests, and, they are far better
prepared for college and graduate education if
they've taken timed tests throughout the high
school years.

In the earlier years the timed tests should allow
ample time to complete the test as long as the
student is working steadily. The objective is for
them to know it's timed yet not to feel a time
pressure. This helps students to be comfortable
taking timed tests and develops confidence in
their test-taking abilities.

3. Give your students real deadlines to meet in
the high school years. If it's difficult for students
to meet these deadlines because they're
coming from mom or dad, have them take
"outside" classes; online, co-op, or community
college.
_______________________________

Greg Landry is a 14 year veteran homeschool dad
and college professor. He also teaches one and
two semester online science classes, and offers
free 45 minute online seminars..
http://www.HomeschoolScienceAcademy.com

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Time Management - Meal Planning

Summer is upon us and with it comes the freedom to travel, take long walks, visit the beach, and grill almost every meal. But before you know it the school year will arrive once again and it will be time to put a schedule in place. Next to getting laundry done, one of the hardest things to schedule seems to be meal preparation. How many times have you looked at the clock only to realize it's 4:30 pm and you have nothing defrosted for dinner?!

Here's a simple approach to meal planning that has worked well for me for years.

Divide up the week into 7 categories ... something like this:

• Monday - Chicken dish
• Tuesday - Pasta
  
• Wednesday - Beef dish
• Thursday - Casserole
• Friday - Pizza Night
• Saturday - Left-Overs
• Sunday - Crockpot Meal

Next, purchase an index card file or box to hold a series of 3x5" cards. Divide them into six categories:

• Chicken Recipes
• Pasta Recipes
• Beef Recipes
• Casserole Recipes
• Pizza Recipes
• Crockpot Recipes

Copy your favorite recipes for each category onto a 3x5" card. Then file appropriately.

Each time you prepare to go grocery shopping (I happen to shop twice a month), pull out one recipe per day from the appropriate category. Then base your grocery shopping list on what you know you will be cooking.

Your categories will vary based on your family needs. As our children got old enough to work in the kitchen, they became responsible for meal planning and preparation and this plan was helpful as they took on this new responsibility.

Take some time this summer to create your own meal planning recipe box. Check out my recipe blog for some new meal ideas. Share some of your favorites here!

~Judy

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I found my desk!

I don't know about anyone else, but February and March tend to be the hardest months of the year ... for homeschooling or just life in general! My desk is always a good indicator of this mid-winter slump. Instructor's Guides pile up, assorted notes and papers litter my desktop, and somewhere under all of the "stuff" are bills and important notifications.

Each year at this time I see my life reflected in the clutter on my desk. My priorities go out the window and I have little motivation to put away the "IGs" and sort through the "papers".

So what's the remedy? Well ... cleaning off my desk is always a good place to begin! The point being that often just identifying one small task, and choosing to get it done, is a good start towards climbing out of my mid-winter slump. Another good idea is to get OUT! Out of the house, out of your office, out of the kitchen ... whatever applies. Even if it's just for a brisk, 15 minute walk around the block, the change of scenery and fresh air is always a good slump-reliever.

Or maybe you need to give yourself the "gift" of a few moments alone. After your kids are settled in for the evening, pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage and spend some time browsing through Sonlight's Podcast library. The series on How to Organize Your Homeschool is always a good motivator this time of year.

Send me some of your "slump-busters" ... I'd love to hear them! And as my mother used to tell me, spring is always just around the corner.

Keep on . . .
~Judy

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How do I get it all done?

The homeschooling mom's perennial question. You know that kid's "song that never ends"? Well this is the question that never gets answered. It is one of the most-often asked questions I hear from both new and veteran homeschoolers. It has also been on my mind of late since we recorded the goal-setting podcast I mentioned in my last blog entry.

I've read many of the time management books, done some speaking on the topic, and designed multiple Excel spreadsheets and chore charts ... all in the name of getting it all done. But it occurred to me the other day that perhaps we're asking the wrong question. Not that the "how" question isn't a good one ... but I think there's a question we should ask before we ask how. I think first we should ask ourselves to define what ALL is.

Being a somewhat hyper-motivated individual in my younger years (I got over it), I remember well the struggle to say "no" to things. Every opportunity presented to me seemed to be a good thing, so I would think of course I should say yes to this! And before I knew it my plate was overflowing and I was asking that perennial question ... how was I ever going to get it all done?

Though it has been a painful lesson learned by hard experience, I regularly have to be reminded that not every opportunity, as good as each one may seem, is the best for me. And the process of determining what is best can be as simple as setting some well-defined goals. Decide what you're aiming for in life ... both short-term and long-term. Then as each opportunity presents itself, weigh it against your list of goals. Will this opportunity push you closer to any of those goals, or will it slow down your progress? A very practical way of practicing the Biblical mandate to redeem my time.

It's a well-known fact (probably someone somewhere has done a study) that homeschool moms suffer from we're not doing enough syndrome. Surely we need more sports, more music lessons, more field trips, etc... Perhaps what we really need is a prayed-over and well thought out list of goals!

~Judy
Galatians 6:9

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Of squirrels and hoarding

It's that time of year again when I inevitably slip into my winter hoarding mode. Here in the infamous snow belt region of upstate NY, I face each winter wondering how many months it will be again before we see green grass and warmer temperatures. And while we're waiting for that first snowfall (which I love, by the way), we spend our days hiking hills through the multi-colored leaves that are falling, and harvesting vegetables from our garden to can or freeze for the coming cold months. Autumn is my favorite season of the year ... hands down.

I also find myself cleaning out bookshelves, storing or giving away books and curriculum we no longer need, sorting through summer clothes that have seen better days, and just organizing overall. I think I know the dreaded months of January and February are coming (this homeschool mom's most hated months!), and I'm subconsciously attempting to prepare for them in advance.

All of this canning, sorting and organizing definitely put me in the mood for recording one of our latest Podcasts over at Sonlight.com. Jill, Kelly and I put together a fairly extensive series on goal setting, homeschool time management, conquering the clutter in your household, and overall organization. We had a great time sharing practical ideas and swapping stories from our homeschooling and child-rearing memories. If you find this time of year inspiring you to sort, clean and organize, take a few moments to listen to some of our tips and suggestions. I think you'll enjoy them!

And just to share some of the great "smells" floating around our household, here's my time-tested spaghetti sauce recipe. I canned 42 quarts of this delicious sauce which we will enjoy over all sorts of pasta throughout the cold winter months to come.

Judy's Spaghetti Sauce

(I use a combination of whatever canning tomatoes are available and Romas)

4 quarts (16 cups) of processed tomatoes (I remove the stem end and puree them in my blender, skin and all)
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
3 Tablespoons Parsley Flakes
1 teaspoon Basil
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Pepper
6 teaspoons Salt
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 chopped Onion

Combine in a large stock pot. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir in 1 - 12 oz can of Tomato Paste. Cook 30 minutes more (or longer) until sauce thickens to your liking.

Yields 7 pints of spaghetti sauce

ENJOY!!

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