Back online!

It feels like a long time since I have updated the blog so am so happy to be back! 

So the move has happened and we are very settled into our temporary new abode - while work is done to our house.  The move has gone incredibly smoothly which has been a big relief.  The fact that S has been involved from the very beginning with the new house has certainly helped the whole family and has meant nobody has really been unsettled.  Last time we moved the twins were just 2 and a half so what a difference to move 4 school aged children!

So how's the schooling been.  Well - being totally honest it has been a bit of a battle!  S has peaked in his unco-operation which I have found very draining on top of the physical exhaustion that accompanies any house move.  On top of that one of the twins was off school for 2 days full of the cold.  Whilst she was desperate to be "home schooled" I was struggling to share her enthusiasm to come up with 2 children's lesson plans!  I relented for the second day and she worked so hard all day it was quite incredible!  S on the other hand complained his way through just about every task that we did leaving me feeling like I'd been through the wringer every day!  I have noticed that whatever happens in the morning (or frequently the afternoons with everything that has gone on this past while) S very quickly forgets all about it and moves on.  I on the other hand feel quite traumatised after a session of battles and take hours to recover, by which time normally the other 3 children are home with their own traumas to deal with!

The psychologist came at the end of the week and I had a really good session with him.  (He's S's psychologist really!!!).  He pointed out that where S is obviously really benefitting from home schooling the offshoot of that is that his self confidence is improving to the extent that he is far more able to express himself when he is not really wanting to co-operate.  I think in a funny sort of way I should be pleased then! 

Because of all the difficulties of last week we have started a new system.  I am now going to record all his complaints and his positives.  Whilst I really strongly disapprove of "keeping a record of wrongs" (1 Cor 13) S responded immediately to the thought of having a record of his moaning and groaning and rather than me lose my patience with him I simply write it down which helps my sanity too.  Having spoken about it with the psych I am going to write them down and then S's challenge is too either make sure there are more positives than complaints (complaints will be in red and positives in blue) or that he sees he's had a good moan so then can let that be the end of it for the day!  So we'll see!

From a learning point of view we've done a lot!  We've tackled symmetry, sentence writing, read a book, looked at magnets and magnetism, studied -ing words, learnt how to draw circles with a set of compasses, looked at scale on maps, learnt how to round numbers, looked at "qu" words, done some dictionary work, and done a little bit of history.  We've done other random things too but they would be the main things for the week.

After the struggle of last week today was a really good morning.  I have to continually remind myself to think beyond what is obvious and not to jump in with assumptions when teaching S.  When he fully understands a task, is totally secure and happy with the environment and the task he works fantastically well and is a real pleasure to teach.  My challenge is to reach that point with him faster and faster and for him to complain less!  I feel that he is learning a lot.  His reading is beginning to get more fluent and as my confidence grows to be more and more flexible with my lesson plans we are covering many things which is great. 

This week we are hoping to look into Burns and hopefully incorporate it into a wee visit to a museum in New Lanark to tie it into our history which he has come across in his reading.  At the same time as that I'm hoping we can use some of our map reading skills too.  Finally I am hoping we can do something that really does exploit the benefits of home schooling!

So a mixed week but overall I think a positive week!  I'm so glad to be back online and to be able to use the computer programmes with S again which will bring the computing dimension back into what we do which has to be a good thing. 

Right - off to try to Tesco shop!