homeschoolingsupport

Husband Not on Board?

2007-01-27T13:35:00.000-05:00

As a husband and father of soon to be 5 kids (wife due Feb 6th) I can tell you that I struggle with homeschooling on and off. Fortunately, my wife convinced me, when our children were young, to attend a homeschool convention with speakers and all of the other things that go with it. As soon as I heard their presentations, I was convinced that this was the path we should be on.

Don't get me wrong, it is challenging and you give up a lot of your personal time since your kids aren't away at school. But think back to when perhaps you were in school and there were kids that were horrible. You were exposed to things at a very young age that may have led you down the wrong path. I know my life would be significantly different now had I not been exposed to all of the peer pressure and the alcohol and drugs associated with partying. As good of parents as you/we may be, it's difficult to overcome peer pressure and that need to fit in.
People will tell you that if your children are home-schooled, they won't be properly "socialized." You know what I say to that? You're right, they won't learn to swear like a sailor, play quarters, drive drunk, play mean tricks on other kids, have pre-marital sex in their early teens, smoke pot, get tatooed, and overly-pierced, habitually lie to their parents, become overly disobient, overdose, end up in jail, etc. But they will go to Sunday school and church where they will hang out with caring adults and kids that have parents that are trying to help them take the right (albeit narrow) path to God.

Your neighbors will think your weird. Your non-Christian relatives will think you're nuts. But you just keep reminding yourself of the ultimate goal in life - eternal life. Our time on this Earth is a mere pencil dot on a 1000 mile long line of time. As you start settling in to homeschooling, you will meet other families that do it and they will help you and support you. You will learn of co-ops and classrooms taught by homeschool parents on those harder subjects like physics and chemistry that might scare you to think about.

Disclaimer: The following is not an advertisement! If you are having trouble financially and don't think you can afford to loose one spouse's income, think of the cost of daycare and other costs (emotional, relational, etc.) associated with both spouses working. Go to www.daveramsey.com and learn about Financial Peace University. Dave's class (which is probably being or soon will be held at a church or school near you) will help you immediately get your finances in order and pay off your debt so you may eventually not need that second income. My wife and I are currently enrolled at our church and have completed 3 of the 13 weeks of the course and it's been an eye-opener. He will get you motivated to get your finances in order. YOU NEED A BUDGET. YOU NEED TO TELL YOUR MONEY WHERE TO GO. EVERY PENNY OF IT. Until you do this, your money will be gone every month and you won't really know where it went. Friends of ours attended this course about 1 year ago and they are raving about it. In fact, they are sitting next to us in our class. Once you've attended the course, you are welcome to attend anytime anywhere to get a refresher for FREE.
You've taken the first step here by educating yourself on home schooling. Keep reading and learning. Use the previous paragraph to remove one excuse for not home schooling from your list. Good luck to you and God speed.

Please visit my homeschool site at www.homeschool-infosite.com. There are several links and articles pertaining to homeschooling.

Woody

What About Socialization

2007-01-27T11:53:00.000-05:00

What About Socialization?
If only homeschoolers had a nickel for every time they heard the question, "... but what about socialization?" That infamous socialization question, for any seasoned homeschooler, is quite a humorous one!

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Although non-homeschoolers worry that homeschooling may turn children into social misfits, we know that the opposite is true and that POSITIVE socialization is one of the best reasons to homeschool your children. During Homeschool.com's 2005 Summer Teleconference I had the pleasure of interviewing Diane Flynn Keith and we openly talked about the socialization issue. You can listen to the hour-long interview from your computer, by clicking on the play button below.
"Socialization is actually meant to prepare children for the real world, which means learning to interact and deal with people of all ages, races, and backgrounds," says Diane Flynn Keith. "In this case, homeschooling actually does a better job of this because homeschoolers spend more actual time out in society."
Research supports this. According to Home Schooling and the Question of Socialization by Richard G. Medlin, "Home-schooled children are taking part in the daily routines of their communities. They are certainly not isolated; in fact, they associate with--and feel close to--all sorts of people."
He continues, "Home schooling parents can take much of the credit for this. For, with their children's long-term social development in mind, they actively encourage their children to take advantage of social opportunities outside the family. Home-schooled children are acquiring the rules of behavior and systems of beliefs and attitudes they need. They have good self-esteem and are likely to display fewer behavior problems than do other children. They may be more socially mature and have better leadership skills than other children as well. And they appear to be functioning effectively as members of adult society."
This and other studies support the irony of the socialization issue in homeschooling that we have known for years, which is that traditional schools are actually more on a path of de-socialization. In traditional schools students learn to stay in a class to which they've been assigned and are grouped according to age and academic level, and generally with students from the same geographic area and socio-economic background.
So in a sense, as I like to say, many people are homeschooling because of socialization reasons.
During our discussion, Diane Flynn Keith agreed that traditional schools are not conducive to socialization and in fact, that students are actually punished if they try to socialize in the classroom.
She shared this ironic story, "I recall distinctly that my son spent a great deal of time in the classroom in the first grade, with his head down on his desk because he wanted to talk all the time to all his little friends around him and the teacher kept saying ‘We're not here to socialize, young man.'"
The structure and reality of traditional schools are teaching students to be passive and compliant, which can follow the children throughout life. Children can learn to take abuse, to ignore miserable bosses or abusive spouses later on. In a traditional school someone else usurps authority.
This is where homeschooling comes in. Kids in homeschooling develop self-confidence and self-esteem; they learn to deal with difficult people when they are developmentally ready. When they are ready to go out into the world they know they have choices, a foundation developed in homeschooling.
Research conducted by Michael Brady entitled Social Development in Traditionally Schooled and Homseschooled Children, a Case for Increased Parental Monitoring and Decreased Peer Interaction endorses this idea. Brady states, "There seems to be an overwhelming amount of evidence that children socialized in a peer-dominant environment are at higher risk for developing social maladjustment issues than those that are socialized in a parent monitored environment."
In other words, socialization in homeschooling works better because children have more opportunities to be socialized through the modeling of good social behavior by caring adults rather than through peers, who do not know much more than they do. Parents give their kids the skills they need to interact with other people and also have the chance to protect their children.
So, the big question in homeschooling socialization is "Who do we want them learning life skills from? Caring adults, or peers who don't know any more than they do?"
"No," Flynn Keith jokes, "the REALLY big question is ‘What about the prom?!'"
Prom and graduation are viewed as rites of passage, which are important parts of children's lives; however, they do not need to be activities organized by the state or a school. Many states and homeschool organizations have established proms and graduations for homeschoolers and a homeschooling family can create their own private way to celebrate rites of passage. Also, many homeschoolers get invited to public school proms at local public schools through friends.
Homeschoolers can participate in these activities because learning is faster in a homeschool setting, which means that students have more time to socialize. Contrary to popular belief, students are not at home chained to the kitchen table and crying over their worksheets every day, or peering out their work room windows with fear and disdain!
Quite the opposite! Homeschooling gives children more time to be out in the world, with people of different ages so they can figure out where their place in the world is, what they like/dislike, etc. With the extra time, homeschoolers also make an effort to create socialization opportunities for themselves, and to take advantage of those offered in their communities.
Organized spelling and geography bees, math leagues, and science clubs give homeschoolers a chance to compete academically; and swimming, soccer, baseball and other sports also allow them to interact with their peers in athletic competition.
Scouting, 4-H, and other activities are community-based and open to anyone and so provide homeschoolers with a variety of choices for socialization. Below are some other useful ideas for finding chances to socialize.
Opportunities to Socialize
Get connected with homeschooling support groups, both state and local organizations.(Homeschool.com has a complete list of local homeschooling support groups at: http://www.homeschool.com/supportgroups)
Find pen pals or e-pals (email).
Participate in homeschool family get-togethers, where you can often find out about non-publicized cooperative classes and field trips.
Get involved in community resources and opportunities - sports, scouting, dance/theater, etc. Contact your local parks and recreation departments.
Check out your community college, which is a good source for older students and allows them to interact with a lot of different people of different ages.
Volunteering. Volunteering is a great way to socialize but be aware there may be age restrictions, but some organizations will allow a child to accompany a parent volunteer.
Look into Camps. Camp is a wonderful chance for socialization and most camps have multi-age groups and counselors who act as role models.
Think about summer school, which is an opportunity to experience a school setting.
The homeschool support groups mentioned above work as support for the entire homeschooling family, which is important because homeschooling parents also need socialization; they need to have support, advice, and a sounding board from time-to-time and it is especially helpful if it is another homeschooling parent. Homeschooling organizations make it a priority to provide support for the homeschooling family and to allow them to feel connected.
So, as we've always known, there is no "socialization issue" in homeschooling. If anything, homeschoolers make a concerted effort to seek out and engage in many social activities and in many ways have more opportunities for doing so than traditionally schooled children do.
If you liked listening to the Socialization audio recording included in this newsletter and would like to hear more, we have over 60 interviews for both beginning and advanced homeschooling available at: www.Homeschool.com/preorder
By Rebecca Kochenderfer, Senior Editor for Homeschool.com and co-author of Homeschooling for Success.
Our thanks to Diane Flynn Keith for her help with this article. Diane publishes Homefires - The Journal of Homeschooling, which eventually became an online publication. Diane is recognized nationally and internationally as an expert in education outside the traditional classroom walls. A featured writer for The Link, a national homeschool newspaper, and the official Carschooling Advisor at Homeschool.com, Ms. Keith also is a popular speaker at education conferences and seminars where she often presents her Carschooling workshop. You can find more information and resources at the www.homefires.com Web site.
If you would like to receive the schedule for Homeschool.com's Teleconference, register at no-charge at: http://www.homeschool.com/Registration/default.aspHomeschool.com also has the following information available free of charge:
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Stay at Home Mom makes 6-Figure Income Working Online at Home- Second Time Around After Huge Comeback

2007-01-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

September 26, 2004 -- A Six figure income is something Sandi never dreamed of, "I honestly had no idea it was possible, so when I began to see that kind of money come in, I was honestly in shock! I was having so much fun it was hard to believe this was work." Then some health challenges occured and Sandi thought her career was over.Sandi has always valued the home, so much so that she even has written a book and other encouraging pieces for stay at home mothers to help them in their role at home. Face it, it's not always an easy road and any corporate career woman would have to admit that motherhood has more pressure than most executive time-sensitive meetings!Sandi however is no stranger to challenge, as a Professional Bodybuilder in the 80's, a personal trainer in the 90's and now in 2004 with far more success than she ever dreamed- Sandi has overcome more odds in one lifetime than most will ever face. Health challenges restricted Sandi for quite some time from pursuing her dreams, and at one point, after selling a succesful 2 million dollar business, she thought she'd end up being 'just' a stay at home mother in 2003. Facing Lupus and other painful diseases, Sandi made a decision to take a break and a rest- little did she realize that 2004 would be the year when life took a turn upward in a way she never had dreamed !There's an old saying that when someone comes back strong, they oftentimes come back with greater strength and skill. Sandi is a classic example of that! Regaining her health, developing her skills, sharpening her talents - she is at it again with Hyperfone and IBN. Working as a Business Trainer and Developer, Sandi knows first hand that Voip technology holds a promising future for anyone who wants a piece of the pie. Being a part of the very first business opportunity with a dialup broadband Voip phone globally is a pursuit she knew she would be giving her all to. She not only works to retail the product globally and assist others with the great features and packages the company offers, she scouts for qualified business partners to help the company broaden it's influence beyond the 56 countries already using their phones. IBN offers a Voip phone capable of clear communication anywhere in the world on dial up or broadband. Slated for October 2004 is the Wi Fi version of the phone, and 2005 promises a video addition. Working thru such phases has taken Sandi into several areas a 'typical' mom might only dream about.Already working side by side with Brett Rademacher as trainer, advertisement tester, and business scout, Sandi has in less than one week spoken to 40+ countries who are calling to get in! No longer does one have to go out and beg, plead and hope for success in this venue- as Sandi puts it, "The people are coming to me, 24 hours a day, from all over the globe! It's exciting, exhilirating and sometimes overwhelming how fast we are growing."Teaming up with her business partners, Sandi gears up this month in a $ 25,000 advertising cooperative that will bring great revenues to the company. Assisting in writing training manuals to teach others how to profit from the online marketing arena , Sandi has once again found her niche and is having the time of her life!This article courtesy of http://homeschool-infosite.com.You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

Home School Lesson Planner Makes Learning Fun

2007-01-24T22:53:00.000-05:00

A guide to producing highly motivational lesson plans is now available for home school. The Lesson Planner is a product created by retired teacher John Lundgren who used the techniques found in the planner to motivate his own students. One of the biggest challenges in the public school, Lundgren said, was to keep students interested and on task He created his Lesson Planner to help overcome this problem.Here is how the Lesson Planner works. There are four connected panes filled with ideas and suggestions for creating an integrated lesson. Home school or regular school teachers choose ideas from the four panels to accomplish their teaching objectives.The first panel offers over 125 kinds of writing that can be plugged into lessons from grade school to senior high. Students may write a report, create a bumper sticker, or even write a rap song as part of the lesson. The number of writing choices makes it easy to incorporate some form of writing in any lesson and in any subject area.The second panel features speech integration and cooperative learning activities. Even in home school, students need to hone their speaking skills. The cooperative learning ideas suggest accomplishing a learning objective with a partner or small group.The third panel promotes the benefits of integrating other subjects into the lesson. For example, while reading the "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck, science could be incorporated by researching how pearls are created. The fourth panel is titled learning devices and projects. This section offers suggestions for creating all kinds of projects that can be integrated into an interesting lesson.Lundgren is offering his planner for $7.00 including postage because he wants feedback for a future edition. The planner may be ordered by sending a check or money order to:Brain Grease, 6 West Broadway, Box 285, Salem, NY 12865.Read more about the planner at www.lessonplans-rx.comThis article courtesy of http://homeschool-infosite.com.You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

Acclaro Completes Market Research on U.S. School and Office Products

2007-01-24T22:51:00.000-05:00

Leesburg, VA --- June 20, 2002 --- With an upsurge in home schooling, growth of the SOHO (Small Office, Home Office) Market, and higher enrollment rates in higher education, the market for school and office products is an increasingly attractive one, measured by total end-user purchases of more than $312 billion in 2001, according to a recent study by Acclaro Growth Partners.Focusing on end-user consumption, the U.S. School and Office Products Industry Assessment is a comprehensive strategic analysis conducted by Acclaro Growth Partners using expert primary-source research methods. Based on the perspective of manufacturers and suppliers, the assessment represents the collective, analyzed opinion of key players regarding important issues that face companies serving the school and office products market. The study covers market segmentation and competition, market growth, past and future trends, and it also addresses profitability and key factors for successful participation in the market. Acclaro Growth Partners is a strategy consulting firm for middle-market growth companies, private equity firms, and associations. Specializing in time-sensitive, cost-effective research and analysis, Acclaro can help organizations with strategic planning (i.e., acquisitions, divestures) and corporate development initiatives (i.e., growth capital, customer service). For further detail on this industry report, or for more information on Acclaro's services, please contact Kit Lisle (Director) at 703-669-1500, or visit their website at www.acclaropartners.com. This article courtesy of http://homeschool-infosite.com.You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

ONLINE HOME SCHOOL GROUP UNITES CHRONICALLY ILL MOMS

2007-01-24T22:50:00.000-05:00

MARCH 2002 / Home-schooling one's own children can be a daunting task, but one that most home-schooling moms feel called to, even when their own health is fragile. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 38.4% of parents home school for religious reasons. [1More than one in three people in the United States live with a chronic condition, resulting in the amount of those home-schooling and living with illness overlapping a great deal. [2Rest Ministries, a Christian organization that serves people who live with chronic illness or pain, recently announced an online community for home-schooling moms with chronic illness. Rest Ministries receives over 500,000 hits per month to their web site and over 75 women currently participate in the homeschooling program. "Invisible illness can cause many to misunderstand our chosen lifestyles," shares Cindy Elliott, 43, from Texas. "Our group at Rest Ministries, Beyond Surviving Homeschooling, has an unspoken understanding of faith and grace. We recognize the very real limitations and frustrations which come with chronic illness, and the additional challenge these add to home-schooling. At the same time, we recognize that both the health challenges and home-schooling draw us closer to and more dependant on our Lord and Savior, Jesus. We have an unspoken language of three areas that each of us are intimately familiar with: our faith, our family and our illness... it makes all the difference."Elliott, is joined by co-coordinator, Trish Chmelik, of Wisconsin who lives with fibromyalgia. Trish is a wife of seventeen years, and a home-schooling mother of three boys; ages 16, 14, & 8. Although home-schooling three active boys is not easy, she feels it is a calling from God for this season of her life. "God has given me the ministry of raising three Godly men, and He gives me the strength necessary to do the job," she shares. "I wish to encourage other home-schooling moms living with chronic illness to persevere in their calling. I want them to know that they are not alone."To gain supportive friends, curriculum plans that take illness into consideration and spiritual sustenance, join Beyond Surviving Homeschooling at Rest Ministries.http://www.restministries.org/life-homeschool.htm===============================[1 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education 1 Statistics, Parent Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program, 1999 (Parent-NHES:1999). [2 Chronic Care in America: A 21st Century Challenge, a study of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.)===============================HOMESCHOOLING STATISTICAccording to the National Home Education Research Institute, home-schooling is growing at the rate of 7-15% per year; between 1.5 and 1.9 million children (grades K-12) were home-educated during 2000-2001.TESTIMONIES OF PARTICIPANTSThey are available for comment.The Beyond Surviving Homeschooling group has been a wonderful blessing to me. I have learned practical things about home-schooling, about living with a chronic illness, and about doing these two things at the same time! It is wonderful to have a support system that truly understands how I feel, what I am dealing with, and that will pray, encourage, and point me to our Lord. I have been a part of many home-schooling e-groups, as well as quite a few e-groups about my illness, but this is the first where I have felt the touch of God in my life and heart in all that we do. I thank God for bringing this group of wonderful friends into my life.Joan Holder, Chatsworth, CAIllness: fibromyalgiaHome-schools 4 children, 1 son, age 11, triplet daughters, age 9. 5 years home-schooling. email: JHx6@sbcglobal.net"This past year my 14-year-old son was failing school and losing all self-esteem. After much prayer, my husband and I felt led to try home-schooling. Shortly after this decision, Rest-Ministries introduced a new forum, Beyond Surviving Homeschooling, for those who suffer with chronic pain. It was as though this site was designed with just me in mind. I have found a connection with other home-school educators that are also suffering from illness, and I am understood and blessed. The bond we have established is truly a work of God. I feel as though I can count on these 'dear-ones' to lift me up in prayer. They are there to encourage and support me as I face the daily challenges of educating my child."Debbie Farmer, Bunn, NCIllnesses include: fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chrohn's disease, chronic kidney infectionsHome-schools 1 boy, 14email: debbifarmer@yahoo.comCo-CoordinatorsTrish Chmelik, Thorp, WIIllness: fibromyalgiaHome-schools 3 boys, ages 8, 14, & 16email: pachmel@discover-net.netCindy Elliott, Bay City, TXIllnesses include: MCS, candida, environmental allergies, chronic sinusitis, migrainesHome-schools 1 daughter, 12email: keciro@wcnet.netThis article courtesy of http://homeschool-infosite.com.You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

Homeschool Families can Enjoy one of the Fastest Growing Homeschooling Websites...State Laws, Classrooms, New and Previously-Owned Curriculum, etc.

2007-01-24T22:48:00.000-05:00

The Old Schoolhouse™ introduces CLASSROOMS, STATE LAWS for homeschoolers and a homeschool community for homeschool moms! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Posted by: The Old Schoolhouse™ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Cool, California...USA -- -- 8/25/01 9:57:34 PM -So much fuss over The Old Schoolhouse™, one of the fastest-growing homeschool sites on the web!The Old Schoolhouse™ is a family-oriented company dedicated to excellence in homeschool education, and is available to assist homeschool families with questions, including providing free information about homeschooling laws in all 50 states (courtesy of HSLDA). The Old Schoolhouse™ makes available NEW and PREVIOUSLY-OWNED curricula for homeschool families on a global level. Over 1,100 "praises" are given to The Old Schoolhouse™ (testimonials) by happy families. The Old Schoolhouse™ has begun to "turn the heads" of Educational companies/Curriculum companies everywhere. Many are leasing "Classroom Space" on The Old Schoolhouse™ website, which allows homeschool families to link and learn about excellent companies geared to pleasing the homeschool community. Companies are invited to apply for "Classroom Space". Click on the GREEN CHALKBOARD on the front page of The Old Schoolhouse™ website. You will find yourself in the CLASSROOMS, an exciting and informational place to be for homeschool families. A FREE newsletter is offered to families who homeschool. This is not EMAILED, ....it is a USPS-mailed newsletter to current customers of The Old Schoolhouse™. Thousands of homeschool families around the world will receive the next issue, due out in the fall. Advertising space is available (no more half-page or full-page ads left...post card inserts and tri-fold brochures are welcome), but must be in by September 29, 2001.Also, product reviews are being given for the next issue (fall edition). Send in what you would like reviewed - several items are chosen for each issue. Nothing can be returned...The Old Schoohouse™ receives boxes from homeschool companies on a regular basis. We'd love to see what you have! If we really enjoy it, we'll tell the homeschool community about it!Lastly, AWARDS TO COMPANIES...Each year, ten lucky educational/curriculum companies will be chosen to receive "The Old Schoolhouse™ Award of Excellence in Homeschool Materials". Contact The Old Schoolhouse™ for more information. 1-530-823-0447. The next award ceremony is in March of 2002. Come on Home...to The Old Schoolhouse™ - From Sea to Shining Sea - And Around the Globe. Welcome Homeschoolers! This article courtesy of http://homeschool-infosite.com.You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

It's Not Back to School for Everyone

2007-01-24T22:46:00.000-05:00

New York, NY August 31, 2004 -- Labor day is just around the corner and most parents are busy with back to school shopping, while kids are savoring their last sweet days of summer. But there is a growing population of children who are not gearing up to return to school. These are homeschoolers. They do not have to wait to see what classes they were assigned. They choose their own courses of study with help from their parents, an eye toward state requirements and college admissions recommendations, and possibly with the guidance of a Homeschooling Consultant. "Parents new to homeschooling call me to help them plan curriculum, meet state requirements, and figure out how to provide their kids with social opportunities," explains Rivka Seeman, a private Homeschooling Consultant based here in New York City. "Parents who are already homeschooling may call to discuss something that is not working, or to find creative opportunities for their children to learn outside the home. Sometimes teenagers find my website and prompt their parents to call. It's all about giving parents a greater diversity of options so they can provide their children with the education that will be best for them," Rivka continues. "For some kids that will mean going to school, but for some kids it doesn't." Unlike children returning to school, their education will not take place in one building this year. It will take place at home, at the library, at several museums, at sports classes, at an art class at their community college, at the nursing home where they volunteer, at their home run businesses, at their community gardens, and on a walking tour of the city. It will take place while they lie barefoot in the grass happily reading a good book. They will be learning wherever and whenever and their learning will not stop with the ringing of a bell at 3:00. More information can be obtained by contacting Rivka Seeman directly at (212) 501-7304 or through the Rivka Homeschooling Consulting website at http://www.rivkahomeschool.com/This article courtesy of http://homeschool-infosite.com.You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

Home-Educators.com All Set To Help and Expand

2007-01-24T22:43:00.000-05:00

April 16, 2004 -- Dad, Billy, is a general manager who feels very brave to be doing something different. Mum, Michelle, is a qualified Primary teacher who has seen the error of her ways and feels empowered to be free of the education system. Lewis is seven and loves history, dinosaurs, sharks and Lego. Eliza is four and likes Barbie, Groovy Chick, Playmobil and being creative. Evie May is six months and loves trying to grab anything her brother and sister are trying to play with.Their intention was always to let the children start school at seven but they got swept along in the tide of applying for school places and before they knew it they had a very unhappy and ill little boy. They persevered far longer than they should have but are thankful to have had support from other Home Ed families to make the break and do what we knew to be right for them. They feel they are still in the process of ‘unschooling' both Lewis and themselves. Quite a hard job when you have been conditioned for so long into seeing only one way of doing things.They intend to Home Educate indefinitely, as long as it is working for all of them. Lewis has no desire to return to school. Eliza doesn't have time to think about it between using metres of Sellotape to create another weird and wonderful ‘present'. Evie May is fascinated by all that goes on around her.Uncle Chris is the techno wizard who has been instrumental in getting this project off the ground. He is supportive of Home Education and has given them the backing to help us to help others. It is their way of ‘paying forward'. They have been helped and supported by others, now they would like to do the same.If you are looking for help and wish to get involved in this exciting new project just pop along to http://www.home-educators.com and sign up for a free account. You can post in the home schooling forums, submit your articles and techniques, add your home schooling links and a whole heap of other stuff. Put your ideas on the map!www.home-educators.comsupport @ home-educators.comThis article courtesy of http://homeschool-infosite.com.You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

How to Juggle Being a Home School Mom and a Home School Leader

2007-01-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

Home schooling is demanding enough as it is. If you are a home school leader as well, learn how to juggle both responsibilities. There is nothing more fulfilling than to witness your child excelling at the highest academic levels possible. It is equally rewarding to see your home schooled child immersed in an active, socially-sustainable home school organization or support group. To achieve this, moms oftentimes assume roles as both home school teachers as well as home school leaders.
In so doing, moms find themselves in dual leadership roles that demand a tremendous amount of time and attention to detail. What do you do, then, when it is becomes increasingly difficult to balance teaching duties along with serving as a support group leader? Here are a few remedies that ensure striking a balance in both roles.
As both roles demand much of one's attention, it is imperative to place goals and objectives into priority lists in order to feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Without a well-thought out and well-planned priority list, activities, lessons, e-mails, conference calls and projects gel into a one, rich amalgam of confusion. No mom needs this. In order to avoid this scenario, take a day or two, even a week, to plan your course of action. What projects need to be handled first thing each morning? Between what hours will you teach school lessons or will you intersperse teaching throughout the day? What projects can be handled before going to bed? Are there any projects that you can seemingly do simultaneously? Place your to-do items into a list of "must-do's" and "can wait" columns and be fervent in being honest with your assessment.
After you have jotted down your daily tasks and have put them into a priority list, it is time to make a plan. There are several types of plans that one may choose from. Some mothers create plans all throughout a given day, while still keeping their priority list in mind. Others plan their daily activities weeks in advance. Whatever style works for you, make sure to schedule your day to a tee. In realistic terms, ask yourself questions such as: "Do I need to allot one hour or two to teaching math?" How long will it take me to e-mail everyone in the group about the upcoming zoo trip?" "How much time do I need to schedule for the weekly trip to the library?" Efficient scheduling, in effect, guarantees that you are consistently on task and you are assured that you will accomplish all that was scheduled for any given day.
With a well-created and honest priority list and schedule in toe, it is time to look at your daily efficiency. Are there things that you can do that will help you cut down on time spent? For example, is it more efficient to e-mail all of the group members or is it more time consuming to call them all? Is there a faster way that you can drive to the library or is there a time of the day when the library trip can be rescheduled and the traffic isn't as heavy? This step, essentially, encourages you to look over your schedule and see if you can find extra or free time by finding ways to make your tasks more efficient.
One of the most important tips in helping to balance being a home school teacher and leader, is to be consistent. Consistency allows moms the opportunity to finish the goals that were predetermined to be accomplished in the schedule. The consistency factor makes it easier to complete tasks as scheduled and it assures that moms do not have to postpone any lessons to the following day or next week or be late in coming up with field trip ideas for a committee that you head. Consistency, also allows you to stay in control of your schedule, while creating room for fun and free time.
As more and more home school mothers join the ranks of home school leaders, certain priorities, goals and objectives must be set in order to be able to do both successfully especially since both roles are particularly demanding. These four easy steps: make a priority list, create a schedule, be efficient and be consistent will do much to assure that children are afforded ample teaching time and the support group is also given 110% of your efforts.
About the Author
Jennifer James, a writer and home school mother of 2, is the Director of the National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance. She has been featured on Fox News.com and BET Nightly News. In her role as a home school leader, Jennifer has also been interviewed by Reuters, The Christian Science Monitor, the Korean Broadcasting System and the Monthly Magazine World Report.This article courtesy of http://homeschool-infosite.com.You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

2007-01-16T22:04:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I have exciting news. I have been updating my www.homeschool-infosite.com website and there is a lot of new info and links there. Please have a look!

Homeschooling at Homeschool.com - Your Virtual Home School

2005-12-31T16:39:00.000-05:00

A New Website!!

2005-12-29T20:50:00.000-05:00

Hi, I have created a great website called homeschooling-infosite.com. Please click on the link over there and see all of the neat stuff on our site.

Welcome to our new BLOG!!!!

2005-12-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

This blog was created on December 15th, 2005 by Eric Smallwood