Home Schooling and Raising Chickens

[Grace Boyer]

Beth
Are you under contract for a longer period of time than the rest of this school year? (I know nothing about how teacher's contracts go). If not, think seriously about taking your son out and homeschooling him next year! Your student are very important, of course, but you own son is your first responsibility. Any sacrifices you make for him now will be more than worth it later on. I'm not saying that homeschooling is necessarily the best option for you, but it's definitely worth considering.

 

[TitiBebbs]

Oh Grace if only I could. I'm a 37 y/o single mother who is currently living in my parents' second home. There is no way I could afford financially to homeschool. I have figured the next best thing for my situation. I am finished with work this week and I begin summertime homeschooling for the months when school is out. Next year, I have already made arrangements for him to come to the school where I teach and he'll be in a class with a woman I admire. She challenges the children with LOTS of hand-on work, projects, group work, and intensive curriculum that thankfully breaks from the district series we use. I feel that aside from driving her crazy, this should be a good match. Who knows, if Mr. Right comes along (in this small town where everyone is married out of high school tee hee) I might have the opportunity. That is unlikely, though because that would mean giving up MY life to depend on someone else. After all these years of doing things on my own, that is the scariest thought for me.

For now, I will give him the best I can in the time I have. This summer, his first assignment is to design connected lessons in math, science, reading, writing, and social skills for the theme of BUBBLES. I'm also working on the connection of chickens and farming/gardening. He got the awesome pleasure of picking his very first "harvest" from the garden he planted. Radishes grow fast and he's been a reluctant gardener- Okay reluctant everythinger, until today. He doesn't even like radishes but he was super-excited about these. We'll keep on with things for now.

Beth

 

[Grace Boyer]

Beth,
I'm so sorry! I didn't realize your situation. No wonder it's difficult to know what to do. I glad you worked out the best option you could.
Is there anything your son really enjoys doing? If you could put something he really liked into your summer homeschooling, he might look forward to all of it more.
Spend time with him doing what he enjoys, along with the homeschooling time, and above all else, teach him the Word of God, which is the only way to teach real character that will stick with him all through life. Prov. 22:6- 'Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it'.
God cares about your situation, and is ready to help you if you ask him.
Ps. 68:5-' A father of the fatherless and a judge of the widows, is God in his Holy habitation.'
I realize that if you're not a Christian, these verses mean little or nothing to you, but if I was in your situation, I would find them very comforting. I'll be praying for you and your son. Let us know how he does with the summer homeschooling.
Grace

 

[hipmarye]

Here's a great link to let the kids watch a chick embryo develop: http://www.exploratorium.edu/traits/more.html#

 

[BirdBrain]

That was cool !! My daughter really enjoyed it.

 

[TitiBebbs]

Thank you Grace. I am a Christian, although not as devout as most of the people around here. I recently moved to North Florida (the Bible Belt) and I'm finding the goodness of others is rubbing off on me. We will be incorporating more Bible into our lessons. My mother is yelling at me to help her in the kitchen. Gosh I feel like I'm 12 again.

Beth

 

[hipmarye]

Quote:
Where are you in Florida? I used to live in Orange Park just out side of Jacksonville. The parks department used to have the most wonderful programs for kids. I enjoyed all the hsing opportunities when we lived there. Good luck this summer.

 

[Grace Boyer]

I know exactly what you feel like. I had a comment today that made me feel like a four year old. I had a piano performance, (Idecided I'm going to get out of as many of those as I can from now on, I hated it), and as my teacher was telling me what I got C's (commendable), and A's (needs attention) as she said each one that I should have done better on, her very encouraging statement was '' Shame on you''. Last time I was told that it was when I was four years old and my older sister wasn't pleased at the progress I made picking up my room. Funny what things make you think of. I couldn't laugh though, because, as my teacher didn't know what I was thinking, she'd think I was to get a bad score.
Actually, I was a nevous wreck and didn't consider laughing at the time. Now I'm dreading the recital next week. I've never played for an audience, just judges. Maybe God will be merciful and make me sick that night. (I'd put a smiley face in here if I knew how to do it) anyway, got to run-I get to clean the bathroom this evening! Yea!! (or something)

 

[AtRendeAcres]

I am only on page 4 but I am really enjoying reading all the posts!!!

We have a 12 and 13 year old girls who are really getting into the chickens
Older sister graduated 6 years ago, she is in army intelligence since she graduated and will be going to Iraq this fall!

I am a un-schooling mom living in a world that wants to know what your kid got on there math standardized test!

We started with the 4H project that they didn't want to do (but Mom wanted chickens)

Starting with 30 eggs (an incubator that regulates the temperature by what looks like a paper clip so I believe the eggs were actually cooked a few times now)

In that month we looked at the 4H lessons and did none but, the research that went on through my house was spectacular!!!

we found out we had leghorns so we got into
what breeds
produce better
eat more
are social
trained (did you know clicker training was perfected on chicken, they can even be taught to do tricks and are a welcome therapy pet)

social
other people
what 1 hour of your day could mean to someone else
how your actions affect another person not matter were you are

coops
designs
cost per-design
supplies needed for each
economics on how materials have gone up since gutted as house and rebuilt it 3 years ago

feed
types
nutrition (for them and us)
pros & cons (store commercial/medicated or making your own)
cost per month/year
table scraps (not wasting)

girls picked up 2 day old silkies yesterday
buy the end of this week we should have 6 Wyandotte, 6 Americanas

this will be an on going project that will effect may aspects of there lives!

 

[Chelly]

Can I brag a minute?

(I'm gonna anyway

)

My sweet boy, in Grade 2 - public school till the end of this school year, and just moved up to HIGH SCHOOL level reading books... he's a really smart kid - I'm sure he's going to do really well when we homeschool!
(Trick is finding books now that he's interested in - he is now onto Harry Potter!)