Frozen in Inaction due to Fear

The fear of failure is bringing the past into the future 

while doing nothing today.  

This isn't a great quote from anywhere (unless I am remembering something I read somewhere and I don't know where) but just from my pondering this morning as I think about the planning I need to do for groceries this week and this next interval of school work. 

I am over sitting down to do either of these jobs and having my gut recoil in fear.  And so often to avoid that pain I won't do anything, just making it worse next time it becomes critical to do these jobs.  I am also doing more research into my migraine symptoms as they occur and too often Google tells me that my symptoms are anxiety headaches yet I don't think I feel anxious.  Maybe my gut reaction is saying something different.

Off to eat my frogs,
Jen

Agile and Adaptive Planning for Homeschoolers

I was looking around one day on planning ideas from the corporate world that may fit the homeschool world.   Most of this post is about my thoughts when reading a Wikipedia entry on Agile Software Development.  (accessed 25 October 2017)

Agile software development describes a set of values and principles for software development under which requirements and solutions evolve through the collaborative effort of self-organizing cross-functional teams.[1] It advocates adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, and continuous improvement, and it encourages rapid and flexible response to change.

Adaptive planning is definitely what we need in our home schools.  Children change just as often and often more drastically than the needs of a client would change for a software developer.  We certainly can not hold too tightly to any plan and we need to be flexibly responsive to our "client's" needs.

Most agile development methods break product development work into small increments that minimize the amount of up-front planning and design. Iterations, or sprints, are short time frames (timeboxes) that typically last from one to four weeks.

I find myself planning in small bursts but in 5-6 weeks bursts.  I find that I can in the most part successfully complete my goals in science, history and geography but I do find there is a need to be flexible with maths and language arts as these require understanding before moving on.

Also in looking further into timeboxes I found that the most important factor is the time constraint for the most important part of the project.  It can mean loss of some of the ideal parts but the biggest emphasis is on completing the most important parts within the time frame set.  This is certainly how science, history and geography can be treated.  I may not get every activity done, every map completed or every experiment done in real life but we do keep the most important parts.

Compared to traditional software engineering, agile software development mainly targets complex systems and product development with dynamic, non-deterministic and non-linear characteristics. Accurate estimates, stable plans, and predictions are often hard to get in early stages, and confidence in them is likely to be low.

In looking up the definition of non-deterministic I learned that a deterministic system always produces the same output from a given starting condition or state.  Non-deterministic is definitely how I would describe children.  There is definitely no way they all develop the same way.  So in our homeschool planning we need to take this into account.  In my early days of homeschooling I definitely thought I had found the One and Only curriculum for certain subjects.  Needless to say more money and bookshelf space later I have learned that there isn't any one solution for my whole school.  I have had to flex and not hold too tightly to any plan because my children are "dynamic, non-deterministic and non-linear".    That is sort of what makes it fun.

Scott Ambler states that documentation should be "Just Barely Good Enough" (JBGE),[35] that too much or comprehensive documentation would usually cause waste, and developers rarely trust detailed documentation because it's usually out of sync with code,[34] while too little documentation may also cause problems for maintenance, communication, learning and knowledge sharing.

This part really resonated with me.  I don't know how many times I have planned out a whole year in full detail, printed it and bound it, to only find that it is out of sync with how our school year goes.  I love a plan, don't get me wrong, but I have learned that it is better to have goals for both skills and topics to be covered and then I only put in definite details as we approach each block when I am more aware of our health, our other commitments, our interruptions and our resources.  

It is always useful seeing that the corporate world's ideas on planning can be helpful.  It just takes being reflective and considering how the ideas can help us in our homes.

Best wishes
Jen

Week in Review Week 18 2018

I really thought this week would be a write off as I had all the signs of having a virus on the weekend but despite horrible headaches and a major amount of mucus I was able to get a barely minimum school week happening. 

We started a new maths curriculum and it is working out well, especially as I am using my Yogabook to chromecast to our lounge TV.  It is almost like having a smart board.  I can teach a lesson with ease and then assign the boys their work to do at their desks.

And my youngest, now almost ten, has been having a good attitude towards his assignments so that has been good too.

The bad part of my week was having my favourite guinea pig get sick and having a roller coaster ride as I tried to find out if she could be saved.  Sadly she couldn't. 😢

And I didn't get to do the extras but some is a lot better than none and considering my health physically and then emotionally then it wasn't too bad.  And next week is a fresh start.

Thank goodness!

Camping in April

My life can get really busy at times.  This last week was a little unusual but not that different to a more usual week.

My husband works in IT and had to deal with a major issue on Monday night leaving me to drop and pick up 3 boys from 2 activities.  Then I worked 4 full nights 4.30 to midnight.  By Saturday morning we were wondering about the wisdom of having booked a camp site for 2 nights this weekend, especially as I was working a six hour shift in the afternoon.  We ummed and aahhed but decided that camping wasn't for the weak anyway and we decided to not cancel.

It ended up being a great two nights away.  We had friends visit (their camper is in for repairs) and the boys had fun.  We explored a creek, played in a waterhole and had a camp fire each night.  (Everything stinks of smoke, isn't that a sign of good times?!)

We have learned that we need a better checklist for camping so that if we don't see each other before it we can still make time to be together as a family but we had all the essentials and the weather was lovely.

Now to book the next one and to remember it was good.  No wimping unless it is cyclonic or bushfires.  lol  The time out in nature is worth it.

Best wishes
Jen

Suitcase insights

I was just reading this article and these are my thoughts for my later consideration.

We carry everything with us just in case.  Simplify, lighten the load.  Those things that we prepare for so diligently won't likely happen and in the meantime the weight of them causes us stress.  Deal with them when they happen and not before.  Sometimes they turn out to be simpler to deal with than we thought.


Applies to life and to homeschooling.

Jen

Bullet Journal My Way

While I don't like lots of structure that might limit me (good bye to all those preformatted diaries and homeschool planners) and I don't like wasting resources (goodbye to dated planners which I miss chunks in) I have realised that I would much prefer to write down my days than to rely on electronic resources that usually are more flexible and less wasteful than paper planners.

There are some lovely bullet journals out there. I am not that artistic but I am learning that a little colour really helps me to smile.

As I have said I don't like being held to one style of layout or size of space so I don't draw up my days, weeks or months in advance.  My bullet journal is definitely a mood thing, whatever space I need is the space I use. :)

I usually add the colour later.  And I only create the headings that suit my day.  A very personalised way to journal.

Some days are more list based and others are more journal like.  The blank pages are so freeing.  I can do whatever suits me.

I used to cross off the completed items but then I decided I wanted to be able to read them so I started ticking them or putting a smiley face and then I cross off the incomplete ones as I move them on.

Because I dread losing all these entries (I have lost a paper journal before and I fear coffee spills) I scan them into OneNote then put tags beside the page when there is something written there that I may want to reference later.  I scan them as images as they are easier to crop and my books are 3/4 A4 pages.

Anyway, that is my way to bullet journal.

Best wishes
Jen

Loop schedule for Morning Time

It isn't called Morning Time or Basket Time here.  It is called Lounge Learning.  :)

There are so many things I want to fit into our LL time but I can't sit down for more than forty minutes before I want to fall asleep.  I have been learning about looping instead of block scheduling and think that I should give it a go for both our big subjects and our lounge time.

Here is the cycle for Lounge Learning.

Geography will cover things like our states, capital cities and major landmarks.  Then we will move onto continents, main countries and well known landmarks around the world.  The others are fairly self-explanatory.

The core things I do every time only take about 20 minutes leaving 20 minutes for one or more of these in rotation.  Good time length for me and my sleepy brain.

Best wishes
Jen

Homeschool Goals Brain Dump

It won't be pretty.  This is just a list I made one day when inspiration hit after reading a home school book.

Before school is done I want my boys to:
- know a good range of word roots that are common in English and Science
- know where countries are and what basic history they have... language, culture and politics and current language, culture and politics
- understand the basics of political outlooks e.g. socialism, communism, democracy, dictatorships, etc
- be able to observe their world, to be able to focus on the details when necessary and to be able to discern the beauty and the patterns of life
- be curios and to ask questions, to know who to ask, how to discern which sources are trustworthy
- appreciate nature
- by physically capable of using their bodies for fun e.g. rock climbing, tall trees, swimming, cycling, obstacle courses, trampolining
- recognise art and music that culturally significant
- be able to communicate effectively with the written and spoken word
-appreciate art by learning calligraphy, basic free hand drawing - perspective and lighting, and basic drafting
- be prepared for a technology-based world e.g. internet safety, online manners, typing skills, word processing, databases, spreadsheets
- have read or listened to some of the great books
- be able to prepare at least 5 different nutritious dinners, 2 desserts and a variety of lunches and breakfasts
- be able to the clean the centres of yuk in a home - kitchen, bathroom and laundry
- be able to wash clothes and take care of them well
- be able to create a budget and manage expenses within the income they have

Sometimes just letting it all flow out brings out up thoughts I had never consciously considered before.  This is a list I will be coming back to again.

Best wishes
Jen in Qld

I have been reading around the web about GTD's philosophy of task management. Misty has a whole series here on how to implement GTD for homeschoolers. I don't think she mentions it but I quite like an idea I came across of using a trigger list in my weekly review time so that I can make the next week better.

Here is mine.

Trigger List for Weekly Review

Week in Review

Household

1.     Which area of the house was looked after well this week?  Who did the work mostly?  Why did that work?  Can someone else help?

2.     Which area of house needs urgent attention?  What 15 minute job there would help it most?  Who can do it?  When?

3.     Which are of the house needs attention as a second priority?  What 15 minute job there would help it most?  Who can do it?  When?

4.     Which area of house was missed this week?  Does it keep getting missed?  Why?  Who can do the work?  What needs to happen first?  When will that happen?  What needs to happen before that?  Who will do that?  When?

5.     What routines worked this week?  What parts of the routines fell apart?  Why?  Does anything need to happen to make the routine work better?  Who is going to do it?  When?

Homeschool

1.     What subjects were most consistently done?  Why was this subject a success?  What helped them to go well?  Remember to repeat the actions associated with this success.

2.     What subject/s was missed this week?  Does it keep getting missed?  Why?  What needs to happen first?  When is it going to be done?  By who?

Events

1.     Were we prepared for planned events?  What worked?  What was missed?  What can we do so that we are better prepared next time?

Next Week

Events coming up -

What needs to happen before?  Who needs to do it?  When are they going to do it?  

Best wishes

Jen

My Weekly Planner

It sometimes takes some tweaking to find a style that works for me.  I knew I wanted the whole week's work laid out but due to my varying levels of energy due to allergies and my late nights at work I didn't want to restrict certain work to certain days.  If I am having a good day I want to zoom through as much as possible but if not then I want to at least hit the basics and not feel guilty at dropping the rest.

This is what last week looked like.  You can't see in the scan but each morning I highlight with yellow highlighter the work I aim to get done that day.  Sometimes it is just the basics list, other days it is more.  The good thing is that if something got highlighted on Tuesday but didn't get done on Tuesday then I just have it highlighted ready for Wednesday, no guilt due to a "Due Date" written beside it.

As you can see I could with working getting even my Bare Bones Essentials done consistently but I am starting to see a pattern of what gets dropped on a busy day.  I may have to adjust my time management or my expectations.  :-)

 Best wishes

Jen

A Homeschool Manual

Hi,

Have you ever had a really good idea but then in the flow of life with its ups and downs never implemented it?  Or maybe you have?

Today I found I had implemented a really good idea... twice.  :-)

As I have shuffled things around in this house I got 2 filing boxes in one place at one time and in looking through them realised that I had set up an almost identical filing system twice over for our homeschooling papers.

After having to read a training manual at work this last week I realised that I need a manual for homeschooling.  I am creating a document that lists out my goals for homeschooling, my plans for school, where things are stored and how the paper should flow through this system.

I am even thinking of creating a flow chart to show where things go when.  lol  Too much?!

Folders and boxes are now getting labels with official sounding names like Future Planning - Lesson Plans and Materials (a binder for the overview of topics and how they fit into the big picture) and Future Planning - Subject Materials (a large file box with folders for each subject for those miscellaneous things you find like a great game or crossword puzzle or fun activity, and folders for each resource that I have to copy to use eg Critical Thinking books, and folders for lessons plans with the materials that relate to them and a list of other resources and their location.

I already have Subject Boxes sitting in a bookshelf that have the current books that we are using for that subject and a small file folder that contains any worksheets or printed resources that will be needed for the current week.  Next week's work is in the Future Planning - Lesson Plans and Materials binder or the Future Planning - Subject Materials box.

The planning side of my personality is already feeling better.  I hate feeling overwhelmed.

So, how many people have a homeschool manual?  What do you have in yours and why did you decide to create it?

Best wishes
Jen

Time Management Alone Not Enough - Essay

This is an essay I wrote last year for a Uni prep subject.  Thought I would post it here.  Looking back at it I can see it has a few wrinkles but still it got me a good mark.  :)

Having dreams and being able to put in place actions that will lead to their realisation is a feature of humans that sets them apart from animals.  Many wonderful inventions such as the light bulb, the aeroplane and liquid paper have been created from the dreams in the minds of passionate and creative men and women.  Knowing how to turn those ethereal dreams and goals into physical realities effectively requires appropriate tools for time management and the achievement of dreams and goals for individuals, and for our society as a whole.  Time management alone is not sufficient.

Most people get caught up in thinking that if they finish their daily To Do List or achieve that elusive goal that their life will be complete.  This action component of goal setting is not enough though, unless it is acknowledged that humans are not only a physical body completing physical actions but also a spiritual being that needs meaning in life. Covey et al. (1994) and Smith (2000) agree that goal setting without a guiding passion or value can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction with life.  To Do Lists alone fail to bring dreams into reality for most.

In “First Things First” Covey et al. (1994) writes of four generations of time management. It is suggested that people with the first generation time management style action tasks without thought of priorities while second generation style time managers plan and schedule but don’t relate these activities to their priorities.  While possibly being able to be effective in their lives, those who follow either of the former styles will most likely find themselves living without a definite purpose in life and a feeling of dissatisfaction.  They are not realising their dreams. 

Third generation style time management people “achieve sizable gains in personal productivity through focused daily planning and prioritization” (Covey et al, 1994:25). While this may sound worthwhile this style may also prove dissatisfying.  The fourth generation moves on to a higher level of thinking, involving being aware of personal values, and being in touch with an individual’s uniqueness and their possible contribution to this world as they make decisions about what is written on their daily lists and what are their goal and dreams for life (Covey et al, 1994).  This level of time management is more likely to realise the dreams of those who utilise it.

Many time management systems available today focus on the second and third generation styles of organising, planning and creating task lists and schedules.  They miss the essential heart of the matter: that humans have hearts, with passions and a creativity that no other living being on this earth has.  Napoleon Hill (1965) suggests that each of us has a Major Definite Purpose in life and that when it is discovered we will know it for it will create a surge of energy in us (Hill, 1965:53).  Covey et al. (1994) also discuss creating a Mission Statement that inspires the individual and anchors them to that passion that helps make life worthwhile (Covey et al., 1994:116).

In day to day life there is a need to remember that humans are passionate and when driven by worthwhile dreams can achieve great feats.  While setting goals and writing task lists is a creditable action, it is valuable to note that there needs to be value in those goals and tasks or life can become a mundane pile of completed lists instead of a life of purpose.  When an individual knows what their passions are and what they value in life it will lead to a more satisfying life for them and will turn add value to our society as they achieve their dreams. 

There is a definite urgency for a different outlook on time management systems that acknowledges all of an individual’s needs, both spiritual and physical, if the human race is to continue flourishing as individuals, and as a whole.  Having purpose and reason to complete those To Do Lists will benefit the whole human race, not just the individual, and is a worthwhile reason to change how time is “managed”.

References

Covey, S.R., Merrill, A.R. & Merrill, R.R. 1994, First Things First, Fireside, New York, NY, USA.

Hill, N. 1965, The Master-Key to Riches, Ballantine Books, USA.

Smith, H.W. 2000, What Matters Most: the Power of Living Your Values, Fireside, New York, NY, USA.

Good, Bad and the Ugly! Or is it vice versa?

So working 20 odd hours a week can really change how you manage your life.  D'oh!  Of course it does!

The Ugly bit has been that our days do not start early.  My boys often don't get themselves breakfast and by the time I get up after a late night at work they are often entrenched in TV and PCs.  That certainly loads on the guilt.

The Bad is that I am not getting all the school done each day that I would like to get done.  We are not getting to the flesh of an education, only making bare bones a lot of the time, so school feels more like all work and no fun.

The Good is that I have learned to focus more quickly in the morning and even if I haven't had time to make a lovely written/typed out plan for the week I can still pick up each book we use daily and do something from it.  We have been doing rote memorising of times tables on the lounge, and spelling, grammar and writing are happening about 3-4 days a week.  The boys also work independently on their maths.  That is a lot more consistent than I have been in the past where I could miss weeks without realising it.  It also certainly helps when I like what we are using so there is no angst in getting out the books to do something, no matter how small.

It is school holidays and I hadn't intended to take a break but we are slowing down a little.  The boys have finally decided to talk to the kids down the street that are about their age.  I want them to go out and play.  I need to get my head wrapped around more realistic expectations of working and homeschooling and trim those huge plans I had at the beginning of the year back so they are workable.  I also need to finish off my Cert 3 course.

So, it is time to take a breather, fine tune what can be realistically done over the next 3 months and get on with some studies of my own.  Actually I am feeling pretty good about a time out.  Let's hope I use it effectively.

Best wishes
Jen

Poetry Workshops Part 1

So... do you hate poetry like I do?  lol  I am really more a lay it out in logical order type of person and my drawing skills are horrible.

Anyway, I got chatting to a friend a few weeks ago and she encouraged me to do a poetry workshop for our kids together.

Over 3 or 4 days we looked at different ways words are used in poetry.  It was quite fun, especially the Dada method.  My friend had a bag of magnetic words which were piled onto a tray and we chose one at random each in turn.  Amazing how interesting the poems turned out.  Even though these poems are supposed to be devoid of meaning we would still look for it. 

It has been some time since we did this so I can't quite remember which was whose (I will correct this later when my friend reminds me. :-) ) but here are some pictures of our poetry.

I quite liked the last one and the second one. 

More to come, need to take photos of the boys' work.

Best wishes
Jen

Handwriting Improving, Yipee!

Hi,

Made myself a plan for improving the boys' handwriting.  It was really a big bug bear for me after their time in school.

It is sort of a mish mash of a few methods plus my own remembrances from school.

First stage - Magic C
Steps
1. Two lines of c shapes that start at 1 o'clock, bump the top line, curve around, bump the bottom line and come up again to 5 o'clock.
2.  Continue doing one line of magic c shapes and then one line of o.
3. Half a line of magic c and half a line of o and add in a full line of a, d, g and q one at a time.  We always do a half line of the basic shape and then use the other half of the line to review problem letters.


(I would get the children to circle the best 2 letters on each line in their opinion, and then I would tick above the good ones and double tick the awesome letters.  Sometimes I would make a note of a detail they might need to pay attention to next time, or add a smiley face!)

Finish off the magic c letters with a game.  Get them to draw a magic c then call out a letter to change it into.  This has really helped with making sure that g for instance has the circle part on the line instead of the tail touching the bottom line.  It also helped the shape of a to be more round instead of a bit like a tear drop.  I add this game in whenever we have had a break for a while to just get them back into handwriting.

Second stage - bump letters
Steps
1. Two lines of caterpillar humps, in clusters of 4 or 5.  Check for even bumps, right to the top and down to the line and symmetry.
2. Continue doing basic shape for one line and add in r, n, m, h, b and p in stages.
3. Keep adding in review letters for half or a full line as you see the need.  Individualise!

Third stage - i, l, u, t, y, j
Steps
1. Practice short and tall vertical lines that start at the top and travel neatly down to the bottom line.
2. Continue doing basic shape and add in other letters.
3. Keep adding in review letters for half or a full line as you see the need.  Individualise!

Fourth stage - zig zag letters: v, w, x, z
Steps
1. Practice / and \ at the appropriate angles for the above letters.  One line at a time.  Check for good start and finish places.
2. Continue doing the basic shapes, 1/2 line each and add in v, w, x and z in stages.
3. Keep adding in review letters for half or a full line as you see the need.  Individualise!

Fifth stage - e, f, s, k
Honestly, we aren't this far yet and I can't see a common starting point for these letters so we may just do one line at a time and practice, practice, practice.

Sixth stage - Frog jump letters (Handwriting without Tears terminology)
F, E, D, P, B, R, N, M

Seventh stage - Starting Corner letters (HWT too, I think?!)
H, K, L, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

Eighth stage - Centre Starter letters (HWT too, I think?!)
C, O, Q, G, S, A, I, T, J

The biggest thing  I try to remember with my boys is to not comment negatively on their handwriting in any other subject but I do comment very effusively when I see a beautifully formed a or g in their other writing.

It is working.  Little g now sits on the line more often than not and a is formed much more roundly instead of a tear drop shape.

Anyway, hope that helps someone.

Best wishes
Jen

Time trudges by and so do I!

Well, I have learned that it is not a good idea to pick up extra shifts regularly.  Working 4 nights a week for 3 weeks in a row was way too tiring.  The extra money will be helpful because due to tiredness I accidentally grazed a car in a parking lot.  Not so easy to see a low sports car when you are sitting up in a Tarago.  So that just shows it doesn't pay to do more work than you are physically capable of.  I know my limits.  Only 3 nights a week and I won't find myself trudging through life. :-)

Back on track now.  I hope!

BW
Jen

Daily List for School

In discussing how school worked and didn't work for the boys they mentioned that they liked having a daily list up to see so they knew what was coming next.

I have had this roll of Ikea paper for ages and not known what to do with it.  Now it sits up on top of the shelves we have in our school room. Behind this board is a small white board that we use for spelling and then behind that are boxes for each boy and various odds and sods.

I just roll up the paper for spelling and then drop it back down to keep crossing things off.  I must admit it helps me too as I plan out the day in large writing which is just right for my morning brain.

Best wishes
Jen

Let's Try This Again, Shall We?

So, we have started back at school again after the hiatus with my training and recovering.

It isn't going too bad now.  I have got a very serious plan together for Language Arts, I have made a list for the Maths books the boys are working through, and I am getting some headway with my Geography plans.

In this last week I saw some great headway made by my middle two with their handwriting and spelling.  They are getting back into their maths books but really need to focus better.  And work faster!

This week and last week were one day short due to the long weekend for Easter but due to the school holidays the homeschool group activity we go to on a Wednesday won't be on so I will catch up a bit then with a full day of work instead of a half day.

I met a new family last week with one boy.  He gets on really well with my second boy.  And we all had a great time visiting them.  What else could you want if you have a kitten, a tank full of frogs, Lego everywhere, Minecraft on a network and a Wii?  Boy Heaven!!

I am slowly getting used to the midnight finishes.  My body clock keeps resisting the change but I am staying consistent so that my driving home time is an alert time.  And the boys don't mind a little play time first thing in the morning while I sleep. 

Better get to bed now though, it is almost 12.20am.

Best wishes
Jen in Qld

Another Break but a Good Reason

Well, I had a break and then tried to get right back into the work but we had a few interuptions with our pamphlet delivering job.  Huge amount and it took most of 2 days to handle.  Then I had an immunology needle.  Yuk!  By the end of last week I had had enough and we went to Dreamworld for the most part of Friday. 

This week is going to be a bit light on for school work as I am doing 2 weeks of full time work training for my new job.  Yes, I got it!  So glad that someone was willing to give me, a mum with no formal qualifications of any type, and no recent work experience (7 years ago for a supermarket, and 17 years ago for an office), a go.  I think I will really like the company.  Great vibe there today.

It is going to be part time work at night for 3 nights a week.  They were able to make it so I can have the appropriate day off each week so I can still take the boys to a homeschooling group.  I can't wait to go to work tomorrow.  :-)  Now that is a good sign for a new job, isn't it?

Back to our normal program soon,

Best wishes
Jen

Week Five Wrap-up sort of!

To put it frankly not enough school happened this week.  I am a bit cranky about it.  On Monday I had two children in the middle stage of a cold so feeling miserable - no school day.  Then on Tuesday between getting my eldest to work and then me to a job interview in the middle of the day that was very long (no news yet) there was really very little time for school if I could even consider fitting it in.  On Wednesday our pamphlet delivering job took over, 16 and 11 in two different areas and another day of no school.  Thursday was ok but Friday was a dribble of a day as I am finding I really struggle with irregular meals and I have been having horrible sleep lately too, so the day just petered off.

I want this coming week to be better but it was supposed to be a break week and I am struggling mentally with the amount of work not done.

I need a proper break, a little change of scenery but with so much to do I don't know how to fit it in.

BW

Jen