School Ramblings {August 6, 2016}

We have just finished our second week of the new school year. We've been easing in with half days. I'm really not looking forward to full days as the half days have been perfect. I might have to look over the calendar one more time to see if we can afford a few more half days. ; )

Last spring I started doing these post called School Ramblings and I plan to continue them this year. It will be a look into our homeschool. I probably won't get them done every week.

What's in the Morning Basket? Well, this heading is being changed to Afternoon Basket. This year it just works out to do this in our afternoon. Our Afternoon Basket for the first weeks have gone well. We have the following things in the basket that we will be working through this term and some items all year.

Music Appreciation:  SCM Music with the Masters-Beethoven,

 listening to folk songs, learning hymns, reading The Listeners Guide to Music by Percy A. Scholes (can find free online)

Reading the following books: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham; Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder; Ourselves by Charlotte Mason; A Field Guide to the Familiar by Gale Lawrence; The Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco; The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Greeks by F.G. Gould.

 We are studying the works of Constable using SCM Art Portfolios. We will be using The Law's Guide to Nature  Drawing & Journaling by John Muir Laws on weeks that nature study isn't possible. 

We are reading poems by Williams Wordsworth and listening to Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare.

Nature study is also scheduled during this time once a week if weather permits.

Tyler's favored book: Tyler read Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan for free reading and flew through it and enjoyed it. I asked for a review and got nothing except that it was much enjoyed. ; )

What's this? (improvement needed) It has been a struggle to get going in the morning and starting school on time. We've done well, but I really need to work on my attitude. I've been unpleasant and my voice is stern and that really makes everyone anxious. My morning grumpiness is due to low B12 levels and I'm working on getting those up, but I really shouldn't let that show and I need be more loving in the morning no matter what. I hope to work on this next week.

 

We've got this! (improvements made) Caleb and I were really nervous about starting back to math this year. Caleb was just past the halfway point in Algebra I. It actually went really well! I cut back his math to thirty minutes instead of forty-five that we did the previous two years. It seems like we are getting the same amount of work done with less frustration.

Looking ahead (teacher duties): I need to fine tune that schedule and do a little rearranging to fix some bumps we hit during our first two weeks. I also need to work on a post with our book list for the year. I intended to have that post done before now.

Clicking Around (some links I've enjoyed recently):
Do You Plan for Bad Days? from Kortney Garrison @ One Drawer Deep
Not a Math Person: How to Remove Obstacles to Learning Math   
Friday Philosopher: No STEM for CM from Anna @Little Drops of Water

How was your week?