Training the Teacher

A dear friend of mine (Hi Michelle) just posted something on her blog about curriculum review. I got on the site of a new curriculum she was using and it got me pondering about how homeschooling is going to work in our family. Since I am a teacher by trade and experience, there are many things that work to my advantage. There is also a way of doing things that I am going to have to unlearn.

Technically, Sawyer still has another year before he is eligible for Kindergarden (public school wise) but I decided to get started on schooling to establish patterns and habits and because, well, I wanted to! I wanted to be creative and use my training and I was getting impatient! Here is my current system: I was given a link to a free online curriculum for early learners. I spent a VAST amount of time printing, reformatting, and organizing the 26 week theme based study that covered a letter, a number, a shape or color, and a nursery rhyme a week. I added other online ideas and activities that I spend a VAST amount of time researching. I also added an art element where I found art pictures of each theme, printed them out, and laminated them, (which took a VAST amount of time) so I could have a visual for the "Theme Board". Then, every week, I spend several hours finding color sheets to match and additional activities to do. I have to admit, it is a well thought out, well put together, fun, innovative, and creative preschool curriculum that I have essentially built. Here are the pictures:


Here is the Theme Board for this week's theme ,which is Rain.


Here is my record keeping system - everything the children do is kept in a notebook with dividers. I am half way through the themes and will need to have an additional notebook for each child.

Here are the 4 (yes, 4) volumes of "teacher" materials that hold all the research, ideas, and materials I have created.


Here is my school wall and shelf.



You may have noticed that I used the word VAST repeatedly during my explanation of the preschool program. As a Public School Teacher, I put in a minimum of 10 hours a week overtime, many times closer to 20. I worked almost every weekend for 6 1/2 years lesson planning, correcting papers, and cleaning up the classroom. I am used to spending an incredible amount of time on educational preparation. Problem is, I simply don't have that time to spend. If I make time, then there will be huge compromises in the choices that Phil and I have made about our priorities. So, the pondering process for me (and Phil of course) is what does homeschooling look like for us? What resources are we going to use? How much time are we going to devote? How are we going to think outside of the box? What do we really want our children to learn in life and about life? What is truly important? Good thing to think on!!
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