School Supplies!

I have a secret to share!  Lean in and come a little closer as I share this secret.  It is a secret that only my family really knows!  I am sure that they want to form or find a support group for me.

Here it is . . .

I love school supplies!  I love school shopping and getting my materials ready for school.  I love all the colorful goodies associated with organizing and preparing for school.  All through the year, I cannot resist strolling down the school supply isles, whether I need something or not.

There is just something so special about the anticipation and excitement that comes with gathering my supplies for a brand new school year!  The colors and styles speak to me!  They call out to me to be creative, innovative, and resourceful!

Whether it be a new folder in my favorite color, a brand new composition notebook, or a package of crisp, white folder paper, I am always inspired by what "school supplies" mean to me.  It means that it is a time for new beginnings, new ideas, new ways to create, explore, and stretch my wings!  It is a chance to try new things, search for new ideas, and discover new ways of learning and teaching.  As a teacher, this is fuel for my heart and I love it!

As a child, my Mom made preparing for a new school year a special event!  We all looked forward to purchasing a new outfit or two for the coming school year!  So much fun!  As we looked over our supply lists for the coming year, we all participated in the planning and execution of searching for supplies for five kids!  It was a math lesson to figure out exactly how much of each item was needed, but it was also a team-building lesson too!  We had to work together to accomplish our task and we loved it, or at least I did!

My Mom always let us join her for our annual pilgrimage to our local "Longs Drugstore" to choose and purchase our new school supplies.  It felt like Christmas to me as I chose my items with careful consideration to color, style, and design!  I remember the joyful anticipation as we unpacked each brown paper sack and made a pile for each child in our family.  Each item in my pile represented new hopes for the coming year:  to succeed, to make my parents proud, and to learn new things.  In her sweet and gentle way, my Mom communicated to us that she believed in us, school was a priority, and she wanted us to be completely prepared!

As a parent and teacher, I want the kids in my life to know that school is a priority and I will do whatever it takes to prepare them for an outstanding new year!  So . . . as I prepare each homework folder and each new bulletin board, I hope to communicate that I value each student!  As I organize my supplies, lessons, and activities, I hope to demonstrate excellence and the joy of learning to my students!  As I get my classroom ready for the new school year, I want my students to know that I love that I get to spend my days being their teacher!

To this day, I think that is why I love school supplies!  It is a reminder of the importance of remembering just what a new year represents.  It is not just about pretty new folders and sweet smelling erasers . . . it is about HOPE and NEW BEGINNINGS for my students and for me!

Encouraging One Another: Mom to Mom, Teacher to Teacher

For those of you who don't know, I am a mother of five.  I have been a teacher for 20+ years and have homeschooled my children.  I have taught in private and public schools. I am currently teaching for a hybrid school.  We use the "University School Model." Students come to a regular classroom setting twice a week.  On the other three days of school, students do the assignments that I have given them. Students turn in their assignments twice a week.  With parental support and teaching on the other three days, students are supported and encouraged.  This brings together the best of two worlds in education! Accountability is provided through assignments and a classroom teacher.  Love, support, and encouragement from parents brings about stability and allows a student to thrive.

                              Hi HeiDee-

                              So, I thought of a specific question for you. I want to encourage my students/children to listen attentively through positive reinforcement, yet I'm not always sure how. The older ones have been getting better at this but it's getting the younger two on the same page. A session can look something like this: All sitting around the table and I start to teach. Someone blurts out so I stop to explain that we need to raise our hands and wait to be called upon. This sometimes follows with silliness ('ok, ok, ok') moving around, tapping. I've tried simply tapping a bell to regain order. This works for some, while others think it's a game and make comments about my bell use. While I am trying to explain

that the response is disrespectful I'm starting to loose another. Meanwhile the 2 year old is dropping 

his project and calling, 'mom, mom, mom.' I really just want to get back to the lesson but feel I need to

stop for the distractions. I feel like I'm going to loose it and shamefully do sometimes. Not sure how to

reestablish 'order.' How do I share my expectations (listening quietly without fidgeting) and hold them

to it? Thank you for any advice you have!!

PS- they really are good boys, but I feel the more orderly we can be, the more productive and the more

peaceful the environment.

“Teacher and Mom”

                       

                                   

Hello “Teacher and Mom”           

Home schooling multiple ages and grades is always a challenge. For the most seasoned teacher the 

task is looked upon as daunting for two reasons. First, teaching multiple grades requires more of a 

teacher in lesson planning, but also in time management. Planning lessons for multiple grades and 

being creative becomes a challenge as you strive to meet the needs of everyone. Secondly and most 

challenging is the classroom management aspect. It is difficult to keep some busy, while addressing 

the needs of others.

                                   

To be honest, the latter is always the toughest! Whether you have been homeschooling for one or ten 

years, keeping a handle on the management aspect of the classroom is often difficult in teaching a 

variety of ages. I will tell you that the scenario above is all to common in homeschooling classrooms. It

sounds like you work at being organized, and that is always a huge plus! I remember many "silly" 

episodes with my kids. Some days, I was extremely patient and was able to quickly redirect their 

behavior back to a lesson. Other days proved itself to be quite difficult. Sometimes, my patience was 

lacking. I will tell you this. When I am patient and in control of my classroom, my students follow with 

respect and are quick to respond to my expectations. Now, I am able to have complete control of my 

classroom when I am teaching other children. Somehow, during the days of just teaching my own, it 

was far more difficult. As a Mom, that is their teacher also, we play so many roles. It is difficult for our

children to always separate them. There is never a break for us and our kids, so I think I learned to be 

more patient. I was a stricter teacher with my kids, than I was as just their mommy. If the silliness 

became out of control and too often, Dad was included very quickly in the discipline. When they knew 

that they had my discipline, as well as Dad's discipline to deal with, behavior quickly changed.

                                   

I also looked for ways to separate my kids during serious subjects like math or english. When it came 

time for art, science, or history, we did things all together in a more relaxed atmosphere. I would set a 

timer next to the little ones and give them an activity, usually in 30 minute increments. They were 

nearby, but in a different area of the room. This helped me focus on the big kids and more difficult 

lessons. I would do this 2-4 times a day. I would also break up the mini lessons by doing two in the 

morning and two in the afternoon.

                                   

                                   

Another great way to help with management issues is to teach in small groups. Choose other families, 

with like views on teaching and child rearing, to teach with. When you can switch off or teach together, 

it helps with your kids' behavior and it gives your children variety. For some reason, learning with 

other kids seems to help with behavior issues. The desire to do well and encourage some "healthy 

competition" is sometimes very good for boys and learning.

                                   

                                  We also employed behavior charts for our kids to show Dad at the end of the day. A great day would start with 5 happy faces. If someone didn't respond to correction quickly and with a happy heart, a happy face would have to be turned in. My boys would work diligently to have all five at the end of the day.

                                   

                                   

Here is my last suggestion for today. I always have instrumental worship/classical music in the 

background. There is always a steady dose of "noise" in the classroom. For some reason, I think having 

a steady amount of background sound helps cut back on silly behavior, because the brain is always

engaged in a positive way at all times. I have done this for years. Also, studies show that music in the 

classroom keeps the brain engaged in a learning mode, thus reducing classroom discipline problems.

                                                               

I hope some of these ideas were helpful.                             

                                   

I was thinking of posting your question to my blog, anonymously, of course, with my answer. I would 

only do this if you gave me approval. I work with homeschooling families that deal with similar 

situations and I know it would be helpful to get some answers to great questions like yours.

                                   

                                   

By the way, I know that your boys are good boys. I dealt with the same types of issues with my kids. I 

can tell from your blog posts and your overall Facebook posts that you are a great mom with a great

family!

                                   

                                   

Hugs,

HeiDee