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Activity, Change, Progress

Tina Robertson

Ancient Greek Theatre Mask – Easy Hands-on History

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Our Ancient Greece unit study had a huge stop/start gap because we packed and moved back from South America, but we are winding it down finally.

Ancient Greek Theatre Mask - Easy Hands-on History @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Before we do though, we added one more fun easy hands-on history activity, which is an Ancient Greek theatre mask.

Hands-on Ancient Greek Drama

Tiny looked through the book TOOLS OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS: A Kid’s Guide to the History & Science of Life in Ancient Greece (Build It Yourself), which has been a huge help in finding activities for middle and high school kids and not so babyish.

Too, it was a good time to time talk about Ancient Greece drama.

Quoting from the book, TOOLS OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS: A Kid’s Guide to the History & Science of Life in Ancient Greece (Build It Yourself), “Drama included performances of tragedies, which often told stories of the mythical past, and comedies, in which performers poked fun at politicians, famous people, and even the gods.”

Tiny decided to make an easy Ancient Greek mask focusing on comedy.

Easy Greek Mask 1

So we gathered up what we had at home. Look at this list of things to gather.

  • pencil
  • cardboard or paper plates
  • paints, chalk pastels, sharpies
  • scissors
  • DAS Air Hardening Modeling Clay
  • your choice of yarn or paper to curl for hair and/or sequins or whatever you have around the house to decorate your mask
  • the red tie ribbon came off a used gift bag

Tiny started by drawing an oval on the cardboard to give the mask a shape to work with.

Easy Greek Mask 2

Then he started flattening the clay and using the clay to mold the face. The clay dries pretty quick, which is one reason he loves this clay.

Too, you could paint it or use a sharpie or even use chalk pastels. If you decide to use paper plates, then one suggestion in the book said to glue the paper plates back to back. Then, make one side comedy and the other side tragedy.

Easy Greek Mask 3

After Tiny finished the face, he added chalk pastels and sharpies along with red cheeks to make his face comical.

Ancient Greek Theatre Mask - Easy Hands-on History @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Adding a red ribbon or two and he was ready for drama. Tiny really enjoyed this activity and it was a great way to learn a few facts like:

  • drama is a Greek word meaning “action”
  • tragedy is a play that usually depicts events from a mythical past and that often ends sadly
  • comedy is a play that makes the audience laugh by poking fun at politicians, famous people, and even the gods

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

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4 Reasons Your Homeschooled Child is Uninspired To Learn (and what to do)

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

4 Reasons Your Homeschooled Child is Uninspired To Learn (and what to do) @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

When you hear about the success (or so it seems anyway) of other homeschool families and their kids while your kid whines and won’t do anything other than what is absolutely necessary to get by for the day, it is the ultimate discouragement and makes you feel like a complete failure.

Today in sharing 4 reasons your homeschooled child is uninspired to learn, I am giving you some tried-and-trued tips that have worked for others that I supported when they got to a brick wall. Some kids too are just not excited about anything and that can be tough.

I hope this insight moves you to not give up on homeschool. You deserve to have a peaceful home without the fights, back talking and every day arguing.

Complacency can be a killer.

Children are no different than we are when it comes to being affected by their environment.

If they feel that their home learning environment is the same as public school, which they may be contented with, they may see no difference in how they are learning. Have you taken time to explore methods that work for your children or are you modeling public school?

Resentment sets in because a child may feel that public school was fine for him and he has very little motivation to change his day.

Homeschooling works when you embrace a life style change. Your child needs to know that homeschool and school at home are two very different concepts. See my article, The Great Homeschool Hoax – Public School At Home to be sure you are aware of the two very different educational models.

Forget strong-willed, the kid is a rebel.

There are many reasons that a child rebels and not all of them are necessarily signs that a child will go wayward. Children are affected by change or stress in their life. Childhood is all about constant change, so it’s not so easy to detect rebellion versus a silent cry for help.

However, if a child is outright rejecting your authority all the time and not just during school time, the problem more than likely is a discipline problem.

Let me say this again because it’s a subtle, but powerful detail to remember when you are having conflict. Here it is:Pay attention to what is going and to when you see rebellion. If it’s just during school time, it could be a struggle with their workload.

Are You Breeding Rebellion? (gulp)

Your child may be rebelling because he is drowning under the weight of a curriculum or approach that is not working for him. He doesn’t need discipline then, he needs relief, compassion and a champion to help him sort out what is not working for him.

However, if acting up or rebellion is most of the day and not just at school time and he is constantly arguing with you about everything, fighting with siblings and intentionally disrupting the entire day, then it could be rebelliousness. You will then need clear sanctions for his behavior.

If that is the case, it is better to put school aside or slow it down until you restore your relationship.

While you address the rebellion, which is stressful enough, keep school very light. It teaches your child too that while school is important, he is what matters most.

Grab some more tips in my article, 3 Wrongs Ways to Homeschool a Hot Headed Child.

Your “Ambitious” Planning Can Bite You Back.

Hiding my over planning insanity under the cover of “organized” for the year, I had to change. I too made the mistake of being over ambitious.

And no matter how many times we hear it, we forget it. Homeschooling is about finding what works for your child and not trying to make him somebody he is not.

Look at my points in my article, Homeschooling for the Love of Learning – Does it Really Work because ambitious homeschooling has a way of biting back.

In our enthusiasm we may be hurting our child because we could be setting curriculum goals, which may be impossible for a child to reach.

Helping many parents with planning, I know they want the best for their child. However, instead of teaching a child to love learning for intrinsic value, which is one of the greatest motivators to intelligence and by setting impossible goals, they set their child on the path to disappointment, burnout and exhaustion. It’s hard to come back from that.

Spending time reading aloud together (yes even with a teen in high school) can restore relationships. Check out my tips at Homeschooled Kids Who Read – Pastime Pleasure or Professional Prerequisite.

A child is either behind or advanced in grade level.

A child can advance by two grade levels or be totally bored with the curriculum. Learning is an ebb and flow and if we get too comfortable as parents with the same curriculum, we could be adding to a child’s lack of motivation for learning.

Homeschooling is about changes and if we are not challenging our children when they need it or delay the next concept or grade level to allow them to reach the next level when they’re ready, then we are fostering exasperation.

Grab some tips on finding a balance here at Helping our Homeschool Children Find their Inner Drive When We are Not Sure We Have It.

Setbacks are part of homeschooling and because homeschooling is parenting, it takes a thick skin to not view your child’s challenges as a personal assault.

Step back from school, do the core subjects until you find the problem. Identifying the problem is more than half the battle because then it gives you a starting point for a solution.

Has your child lost his love for learning? You are NOT alone.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

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Starting Homeschool in High School – Is It Too Late?

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Starting Homeschool in High School - Is It Too Late @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

It’s not my style to sugar-coat projects. Starting homeschool in high school is hard work, but it is never too late to bring your teen home.

Giving you practical and doable starting points, I hope you’re empowered to see that your child is worth every challenge you have ahead.

Look at these questions that need to be addressed right away so that you know how to move forward.

1. Do You Really Need the Cooperation of Your Teen?

Talk about a touchy subject, but it really has to be addressed first.

What we need to appreciate as parents is that we are influenced by our upbringing like whether or not we had overbearing parents, whether or not we had a choice to go to college and whether or not we were negatively influenced as teens.

Teens are not adults though at times they can make adult like decisions. I have helped new homeschoolers who had teens in school that did get negatively influenced by other teens.

Too, some teens are just plain tired of the grind of public school schedule and know that their time is better used at home where they can dive into what interests them.

Then other teens and parents feel that what is offered at home couldn’t possibly compare to what is offered in public school and are apprehensive about homeschooling, but need a break. I have much to say on this too, but need to save this for another thread so I can keep this manageable for you today.

The point here is: Who is Going to Be in Charge?

The most successful families have been those who guided their teens, but tried to work together with them too.

Never thinking that the teen is elevated to the “third” parent in a situation, but showing yourself as a parent who is interested in the way they learn best allays some of the stress.

Simply put, a teen’s future cannot be completely left up to him and his inexperience. Many times it calls for being the parent and sometimes not so much the friend. However, it never is wise to berate teens or not listen to their needs.

Do Homeschool Benefits Outweigh the Challenges?

Everyone, including teens, wants to be heard. Sensible parents listen to their teens input because it is valuable and you want to be the kind of person your teen respects and listens to, but realize the final decision is made by the parent.

Moving forward, it’s not necessary that you and your teen agree, but it is necessary that he realizes that you will listen to him, but you have the final say.

Besides, there is a reason you brought your teen home, whether it was physical, moral, spiritual or academic.

2. Is it Necessary to Lesson Plan Right Away?

As you can see before you even think academics, your relationship needs to be addressed. However, right behind that, the next weighty thing on your mind is academics.

No fear, you can do this. First, start by getting a copy of your teen’s transcript before you leave public school. It’s less hassle that way, but you can get it afterwards too.

Most public schools want to transfer the transcript to the next school, but just let them know you’re homeschooling and need a copy too as the parent.

After you get the transcript, you will know how many credits your teen has and that is your starting point.

Look here at my helpful article, Homeschool High School–How to Log Hours for High School because in most states, you are the one that determines how many credits your teen needs to complete graduation.

Base the total number of credits needed for graduation on the direction you and your teen chooses.

For example, if your teen is college bound, be sure your teen has enough credits, which are closer to 24 to 26.

If you are looking for your teen to graduate with a high school diploma and looking to start a career, then 19 to 22 may be just fine.

I often say, work backwards to plan. This means start with your end goal in mind, whether college or career and work backwards by deciding the number of credits.

 3. Are All Subjects Equal?

Next, before you choose curriculum or an online school, you need to be clear in your mind as to what subjects your teen needs.

You don’t want to pay for something you don’t need and also, you don’t want to neglect something you should be covering.

For example, if your teen is college bound, he may need one or two more English credits that the college requires. Maybe he needs to take a foreign language. Fill in the rest of the transcript by make a list of what subjects to cover.

If your teen is looking for a career in computers, he may need more computer courses.

Look carefully at the subjects because if your teen is working toward a career, does he really need one more credit in a subject that will be a waste of his time?

I have a few more helps for you, review my articles Homeschool High School The Must Cover Subjects Part 1, and Homeschool High School The Must Cover Subjects Part 2.

I promise, scrutinizing those 3 questions will kick off your teen’s high school years on the right foot.

With the articles I have here and too by you posting your questions here, I will help you every bit of the way.

Take it slow by taking tiny steps, but know you will be making monumental and meaningful changes that are worth every effort.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

I gotcha covered. Arm yourself with more information.

How Does my High School Homeschooled Kid Get a Diploma If I Do This Myself and
Grab my free High School Planning Form Here.

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3 Things To Remember When Homeschool Unit Studies Get Complicated

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

3 Things To Remember When Homeschool Unit Studies Get Complicated @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Homeschool unit studies are a natural and relaxed way to learn. However, it is easy to get off track and create obstacles instead of keeping them simple. I know, why do we that?

Look at these 3 things to remember when homeschool unit studies get complicated.

1. Slow Down Momma!

I have the tendency to over plan, not just because I love to plan, but because we find so many fascinating topics to cover.

Pushing quickly through each unit study, we find ourselves at times exhausted. Reminding myself that our unit study topics fit my kids and so should the time we spend on them gets me refocused.

Determine what is a good pace for you and your kids because each unit study is different. Take a cue from your kids and slow down if they are immersed in a topic.

2. Steal Ideas From Other Homeschool Approaches.

When I first started unit studies, I had my boys writing about everything we learned.

Soon I realized that our time spent together was not about talking or interacting with each other about what we’re learning, but about writing everything down on paper.

Should Exploration and Discovery Cost?

Who was I impressing with all the mounting writing reports we had?

Adopting the narration technique from the Charlotte Mason approach was the wonderful gem we needed to add to our learning day.

See my tips at 3 Unexpected Benefits of Homeschool Narration and Narration – Telling Back or Testing.

And though conversations are exhausting with little kids because of their desire to soak up new things, teens are equally challenging because they want to let you know what they know. Let them while they want to talk.

It makes for some great debate at home. Of course, pick your times carefully to “discuss” because teens are almost always ready to question anything and there will be times you are mentally exhausted.

With all that being said, I would never trade our time together talking and recalling all that we learned.

Narration is a way for your kids to each share what they remember and when they do, all of your kids get the benefit of what each child is sharing. It’s mastery learning at its best.

3. Crafty, I am not.

No, I don’t long for or pine to stay tucked away in a room someplace and do crafts. I have friends like that and they make beautiful crafts and did I mention they are very creative? I am moved by different reasons to create or craft.

Crafty and hands-on are not necessarily synonymous as I have learned. Letting go of the thought that we have to do crafts with each unit study helped me to make unit studies adaptable for our family.

The difference between a craft and hands-on project is that hands-on learning is about making a learning connection between doing and reading.

Here is the clincher though and that is that kids that are motivated by the act or live for crafts and kids that want a practical purpose for a project both benefit.

Because I had always associated hands-on learning with a craft, I had put obstacles in the way of learning.

Oh sure, we love to have fun too and I realize now that having fun is a great way to learn. Letting go of public school mentality that learning has to be austere, severe and dry helped too.

Hands-on is a win-win because it doesn’t mean you have to do a craft, just find a hands-on project that your kids like.

I am so passionate about hands-on learning that I created an article, 365 Days of Hands-on Activities – One For EVERY Day of the Year. Grab an idea or two from there for your next homeschool unit study.

Embracing unit studies and making them fit the way my kids learn has allowed us to learn more thoroughly instead of constantly reviewing.

The key has always been getting back to simplicity when I find myself over complicating them.

Has that happened to you?

Have you seen my Ultimate Unit Study Planner? It is my way of tracking what we have learned.

Ultimate Unit Study Planner Store @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus 600x

Also, you may like to read these tips.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


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12 Ways for a Homeschooled Teen to Earn Money – A Budding Entrepreneur?

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I’m sharing 12 ways for a homeschooled teen to earn money. Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter.

Long before they are of age to start working, kids want their own money.

And whether they count bricks at a construction site as a kid like my entrepreneur husband did or just want some spending money, kids are looking for creative ways to earn their own bucks.

12 Ways for a Homeschooled Teen to Earn Money – A Budding Entrepreneur @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

I am sharing some of the things we have thought of to put some money in kids’ pockets.

Have You Seen My Husbands Book, Entrepreneur Born or Made?

I am so PROUD of him because he created this book as a manual for my boys. I know you’ll love it.

The First Signs of an Entrepreneur

Though, I have always wanted my boys to care for the elderly regardless of whether they got paid or not, there are some elderly people that set aside funds each month to pay for the “little” things like buying groceries or cleaning their house.

So, look at these 12 ways a homeschooled teen can earn money.

My mother in law just recently told me about wanting to find somebody to vacuum her house regularly.

1. Running errands for the elderly.

If we lived closer, we would do it no charge of course, but the thought got the creative juices flowing for my boys.

2. Garage sales.

If you live in a neighborhood that allows you to have garage sales a little more regularly than twice a year, then garage sales are a great way for your kids to help you clear out clutter and for them to earn a few dollars.

3. Pet walking/pet setting.

Pet setting for a friend going on a trip or walking a pet while a friend is at work is a great activity for kids too.

4. Vet office.

Kelley’s daughter started working at a vet office helping out and cleaning after the pets until she worked up to a full working professional.

5. Babysitting.

An oldie, but goodie is babysitting.

Nowadays, they even have free CPR classes and babysitting classes, unlike they did when I babysat.

6. Yardwork.

Most people, not just elderly would like reliable help for their yard at different times of the years.

Even raking leaves is hard work and people will pay to have leaves bagged.

Having all the boys I have, I didn’t realize how easy I have it when something needs to be moved.

7. Moving small furniture or hanging pictures.

They seem to consult with each other about what is the best way to move furniture longer than the actual process of moving a piece of furniture. 

That is okay, however, because they are learning to think of creative ways of moving furniture to make it easier for them.

So that is why I say small pieces or projects to move as they learn safety.

Also, picture hanging and getting on ladders is something teens can do since a lot of women, including myself, don’t like getting on ladders.

8. Washing and detailing cars.

This is also a great way to earn money.

If the teen has supplies, he can “travel” (meaning I don’t mind taking them to where my teens need to go to wash a car), be mobile and bring a personal service to a person.

People are busy and like being at their home and will pay for a washing service to come to them.

9. Washing the outside windows of professional buildings.

My husband has encouraged my boys to create their own business, like he did at their age by washing windows in professional buildings.

There are still many locally owned business today and they may get cleaning services for the inside but maybe not the outside windows.

Making a trip once or twice a month on a regular route to clean outside windows is a great teen business.

The best part is that your teen can make his own hours and do them after school.

It doesn’t matter if nobody is there or not at the business and its probably better because some businesses want cleaning done after hours anyway.

10. Make and sell crafts.

Though my boys are not always the crafty loving type of kids, they see this as a great business for some teens.

Teens can make jewelry or duct tape wallets and sell on line. Look at some ideas for duct tape crafting here.

11. Setting up instagram, email or printers for older folks.

Many folks, like my parents want to see what we are doing by having instagram or need help setting up a printer or even help managing an email account.

Things that are very easy for us and our kids are not so easy for older folks.

What older person wouldn’t like a well-behaved and respectful teen (cute probably too – okay, okay) set up some of these apps for them on their devices?

12. Selling New Products Purchased Freely

Then one more way to make income that I think is very creative is something I learned from a dear friend.

She would save coupons and buy products, like soap or toothpaste with her coupon that were 100% free.

And then turn around and sell those new items in a garage sale or flea market booth.

The garage sale was better and a lot of time, she would find flea market booths that would give her a free booth for a month or two as an introductory offer and she would sell items she got free with her coupons.

Many times, the products were small trial size, but it didn’t matter because she would still make a 100% profit.

I was impressed then and I am still impressed today.

Coupon cutting along with online apps save money in the store.

The best thing is to buy the size where the coupon buys it for free, but a discount works too.. Just show the app on your smart phone and you get a discount.

What ways has your homeschooled teen earn money?

Also, look at these other tips:

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.