Category Archives: homeschooling

Aug 15 2016

Pen Pals

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My son has a pen pal who came to visit the other day. They had never met each other, so the excitement and nervousness was palpable as we were waiting for their van to pull into our driveway. I had met this little girl’s parents before, but not her or her siblings.

Children hiking in the Smokies

Hiking in the Smokies with pen pals and siblings

It’s a sweet story how it all came about. Thirteen years ago, before I was married with children, I met a couple from Texas who came to work for the same organization I was working for. They did not have any children at the time. I left that place about the same time they did.  Continue reading »

Aug 14 2016

4 Lessons from the Olympics

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The Olympic Games have been going on in Rio for a week now and we have been watching a bit here and there. I am very fond of gymnastics. Other than that, we watch some of the sports simply to help the kids understand more about the world around them.

Rio 2016 Olympic Logo

Yes, I think there is educational value in watching a bit of the Olympics. Emphasis on “a bit.” Competition is part of life. Grit and perseverance are part of a successful life. Olympic athletes may have super-human powers, but at the end of the day they are people who have turned on the flame of ambition in their hearts.  Continue reading »

Aug 11 2016

Are They Homeschooled?

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A few weeks ago, my children attended Science Camp in Sevierville. The teachers were either community college professors or public school teachers. It was a good experience, though not perfect. Nothing and nobody is perfect, right?

Dracula's Castle Bran Castle

Bran Castle in Romania, a.k.a. Dracula’s Castle, which we visited in April, when it was not crowded.

On the last day of class, one of the teachers was quizzing my children’s group verbally. She would tell them a definition and they would have to guess the name of that scientific concept. It’s a game called “I Have… Who Has…”  Continue reading »

Aug 10 2016

Relax! You Got This

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The more I homeschool, the more I relax. I suppose it’s because I am starting to reap the benefits. See the results of my hard work. Watch my children learn and grow and generally behave well. So I relax.

Hope TV Romania - Speranta TV

Hope TV mixing room in Bucharest Romania, where I gave an interview about homeschooling

Like most people, I started out with trepidation. Will I be able to do this? Can I even think of finishing one homeschool year? Or will I call the local public school in tears one day? Doubting one’s abilities to teach one’s children comes easy to most parents.

But. And I tell my kids as we read different books, whenever there is a “but” in the story, something is about to change. But. When you accept a calling, you should remember the One Who called you. He does not place His calling on people who cannot rise up with the occasion with His help. He knows the end from the beginning.

Then, you just take it one day at a time. There will be tough days. But you keep going. It’s grit. You grind and you grind until it finally dawns on you, “My children are learning. They know stuff. They remember stuff. Wow! The vocabulary on that child… He just did multiplication in his head!…”

This will be our fourth year homeschooling officially and I am more relaxed than ever. I do not want to relax to the point of unschooling. We still have a routine we enforce, curriculum we must finish, records we keep, and extra-curricular activities to which we dedicate a lot of time (because they are worth it).

It must be the Suzuki books I read over the past few months. This one or this one or this one or this one. The psychology behind teaching your own child or, in this case, helping them practice, is complex. These books stay with you and percolate through you long after you finished them. They are probably one of the best things you can read if you are a homeschooling and instrument parent.

Aug 9 2016

Tuesday Tome Week 32 – Romanian History

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The title of my book this week was “O scurtă istorie ilustrată a românilor” written by Nicolae Djuvara, who is almost 100 years old. I picked up this book when I was in Romania in April. To be clear, it is in Romanian.

Romanian History

Just in case you are interested in reading it, this Romanian title has been translated into English and French. The English title is “A Brief Illustrated History of Romanians” and Amazon sells it, of course. Well, I should say that is the literal translation of the Romanian title. I see they chose “A Concise History of Romania” for the official title of the English version, translated and published in Canada.

Djuvara is a historian with many book titles to his name, so I can only assume that this English translation is the same as the Romanian title I read. If you are not confused yet, read on.

Continue reading »

Aug 8 2016

Using Summer Camps As School Days

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Depending on where you live, you might have to show for 180 days of school. Homeschoolers love their freedom, but most believe following the law of the land is extremely important. In Tennessee, we must turn in an attendance record with 180 days of school, made up of at least four hours of learning each.

Tunes and Tales cloggers and girl

My daughter wanted a picture with the cloggers from Tunes and Tales.

That’s right. No matter where you register – with your local school district or an umbrella school – you must keep a record of your school days every year. It’s really not that hard. Everywhere you register, they will hand you a form, so you don’t have to scour the internet for the best and most appropriate attendance sheet.  Continue reading »

Aug 7 2016

Homeschool Planners

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Homeschool planners come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. Every homeschooler is different, so it only follows that every homeschool planner can take different forms to fit everybody’s needs.

Homeschool Planner

My homeschool planner this year: a colorful binder I fill with pages gradually.

I have tried a few over the years and have found them wanting in different ways. Finally, this year, I decided to make my own. I wanted it to show both children on one page, for their individual subjects, but also with room for the subjects we do together.

Here are four steps to find your perfect planner for the next school year:

Continue reading »

Aug 6 2016

Robotics Revolution

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Every August, The Muse organizes a trade show which focuses solely on robots. It’s called Robotics Revolution. We decided to go to it this year, which was their second show ever. Next year, I will have this on my calendar. It is too good to miss.

Robotics Revolution Knoxville

Telling the robot to pick up a pipe and drop it in the bucket

One hour is not enough to spend over there. Most booths have robots the kids can handle and program. There are tables with LEGO pieces and my children spent 30 minutes just building different structures – as if they have not seen LEGO bricks in a month. It strikes me as ironic because, on most days, our living room carpet is strewn with LEGO bricks.

Robotics Revolution 2016

Girls complain they do not feel nurtured in the sciences, so I made sure our daughter got a turn

Oak Ridge National Laboratories also brings several teams of scientists and interns to walk participants through a series of experiments, from creating an electric circuit to looking through a microscope at a 3D-printed ladybug and more.

Girl plays with a robot kitty

Playing with the robot kitty

If you want to start a First LEGO League team, this is the show to visit and make contacts. You can also learn from the pros. There are homeschoolers in the Oak Ridge and Knoxville area who have been winning trophies for years. One can learn from them and establish some good contacts.

Boy and girl building with green LEGO bricks

Three tables with green LEGO bricks welcomed builders of all ages.

This event happens in the Jacob Building at Chilhowe Park in Knoxville, TN. When driving on I-40, take the Zoo Exit and come toward the Zoo Drive and Entrance. Make a left before you reach the parking area, as if you were headed to The Muse or to the lower parking area. Stay on the left side of the pond. The Jacob Building is the large structure on your left (you should see lots of stairs to get to it), with parking in front and behind it.

If you get your tickets ahead of time, as we did, you will enter through the door which reads, “Ticketed Families” and they will locate you on their list. It would be a good idea to have your confirmation email from The Muse available on your smart phone in case there is a glitch in the system.

Aug 5 2016

My 500th Post

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This is the 500th blog post on HomeschoolWays.com. Yesterday was my three-year anniversary since starting this blog, too. A bit of math: 500 posts in three years means I have published three posts per week. In my very first post, No Dress Rehearsal, I promised two posts a week and, occasionally, more. But even I was not sure I could keep this promise.

500th blog post on HomeschoolWays.com

Thank you to those who have taken the time to drop me a line in private or on the website. We bloggers love comments, so keep them coming. Thank you for reading. Even those who do not comment share with me occasionally that they read it so I know you are out there.  Continue reading »

Aug 3 2016

Queen Anne of Romania Has Died

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Queen Anne of Romania passed away on August 1 and I feel very sorry. Although she was a very unusual queen, in that she never really reigned properly over Romania, she represented the monarchy in a very real way. The Communists removed her fiance, King Michael, from the throne in 1947, so she never really set foot in Romania until almost 50 years later.

Peles Castle - mom and children visiting

The kids and I in front of Peles Castle, one of the residences of the Romanian Royal Family.

Next Tuesday, I will publish a post about this book on Romanian history I just finished. The best part was the modern era, because I finally learned the real facts about the time just before Communism set in. And the royal family were a big part of that history.  Continue reading »