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Tina Robertson

Finishing Strong – Homeschool Link Up Party {Homeschooling Middle & High School Years} #12. 05/21/2014

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Finishing Strong Homeschool Link Up Party

Thank you for joining us this week at Finishing Strong – the link-up that focuses on middle & high school students.

Finishing Strong Link Up Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Our favorite posts from last week:

Finishing Strong ~ Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years

Heidi from Starts at Eight enjoyed reading 5 Tips for Using Eight Grade as a High School Prep Year from Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

The following quote really struck a chord with Heidi: “I really wish that I had tailored Brianna’s high school classes more to her interests instead of getting so boxed in with what would be expected from a traditional school setting. I lost sight of not following a broken model, which caused more frustration than there had to be for her high school years.”

As we are struggling through the end of our first child’s freshman year, I have to wonder if I am gong about it, or at least some of it wrong.

Besides this, Kris brings up some great points about things you can consider and be sure to have in order during your child’s 8th grade year.

Her other favorite post was How to Get Your Kids to Hate History from fellow co-host Education Possible.

Heidi shares, “I have loved so many in this series of posts that iHN members did. To take the angle of how to get your kids to hate something is both funny at times and eye opening as well.”

Megan reminds us all to step outside the textbook, step beyond all books as well and include hands on activites and related field trips, even watch a time period movie. These and many more great tips for teaching/learning/loving history are included in this post.

As Susan from Education Possible helps her son prepare for his first year of homeschool high school, she really enjoys reading all of the helpful posts in the Finishing Strong link-up.

Last week she loved the Measuring the Speed of Light with Chocolate from Tea Time with Annie Kate.

She said, “With fun and informative projects like this we look forward to continuing our “hands-on” approach as we begin homeschooling high school!”

She also enjoyed Teaching High School Subjects – You Have Options! from Sweetness and Light.

Susan shared that her son wants to include a variety of learning options for his first year of high school, including online, in-person, co-op and courses taught at home. She appreciated seeing that this is a plan that has worked well for other families too.

Follow Me Linky Party Finishing Strong

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Easy Details to Remember & Even Easier Guidelines.

      • The link up party goes live at 5:00 a.m. CST each Wednesday and stays open until the following Tuesday at 11:55 p.m.
      • Each week we will pick our favorite links as features and share them.
      • You can link up to 3 posts. Please do not link up advertising posts, or other link ups, or parties. I will remove them. Homeschool related reviews are permitted and of course all topics related to homeschooling middle to high school students.
      • Grab a button to add to your post after you link up and if you were featured, grab an “I was featured” button.
      • By linking up with us, you agree for us to share your images and give you credit of course.
      • That’s it! Glad to have you here and let’s party!
Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus


4 Signs You May Need to Attend a Homeschool Convention

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

If burnout starts as a ripple in early January then by May it can be a full blown tidal wave of weariness.  So by sharing 4 signs that you may need to attend a homeschool convention, I hope to motivate you to make plans to set aside time for yourself.

Look at a few symptoms of burnout.

1. Your curriculum has lost that loving feeling. When compliments about your curriculum that you had in the beginning of the year turn to criticism you know then it may be time to switch your curriculum.

2.  You rise up early in the morning only to see if the little yellow school bus still comes down your road. Better yet, you have a teen that drives now and he could easily drop the kids off at public school and you wouldn’t even have to get out of bed.

3.  Your list of reasons why you are homeschooling is buried way down in the bottom of a drawer someplace. And that is where you want to keep it.

4. You want to send your kids away to summer camp – for the year.

Guess what?  I have those kinds of years days too though I think it gets easier to conquer burnout because now I can see it coming.

Homeschool Conventions – Refuel, Recharge & Recover

Stress is not all together bad either because it means that you have set high standards for you and your kids during the year.  But now your energy level may be low and its time for you to be energized.

The spirit at a homeschool convention is contagious and uplifting.  Just something about being in a place where you don’t feel you have to slay every negative idea about the path you have decided to take is fortifying.  Oh sure, you have all kinds of people that attend homeschool conventions from persons that are very conservative to secular homeschoolers, but somehow you still feel that is where you belong.

Regularly throughout my homeschool journey, I have taken time out to attend a homeschool convention.

I can’t imagine not attending one.  I don’t know if it’s the smell of new books, so many chatty and friendly homeschool moms or the very knowledgeable and thorough speakers that draws me in each year.  It’s all of it!

Great Homeschool Conventions  has the last convention of the year coming up June 12-14 in Ontario, California.

Do you think they left sunny California for last so that we can pine over wanting to go to such a beautiful state?
This is a sponsored post and I am proud that Great Homeschool Convention chose to partner with me this year this year because I LOVE their convention philosophy and because their conventions are well – GREAT!

Here are some details about the California homeschool convention  next month June 12-14 in Ontario, California.

  • Location: Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California.  The California Homeschool Convention will offer the largest Homeschool Curriculum Exhibit Hall in California, boasting 100’s of homeschoolers favorite companies.
  • Recordings:  Hundreds of encouraging and informational workshops on many parenting and homeschooling hot topics will be offered.  Because you can’t always be at all of the sessions you want to, audio CDs will be offered for sale at the Convention only.
  • Where to stay?  Discounted hotel rates available thanks to partnering hotels in the area.  Rooms for $89 and $99 are available.  You know this is a big deal especially for California because everything tends to be a bit more expensive.

Whether you choose to enjoy the peace of the day and go by yourself or go with a couple of girlfriends, make it a romantic vacation with your sweetie or family vacation, be sure you get to the convention.

You don’t want to miss this last Great Homeschool Convention  in California!

Guess what? If you are like me and love long term planning, then pencil in the dates for 2015 too!

Will you be going?

Hugs and love ya,

2012Tinasignature

Begin building your free 7 Step Homeschool Planner below. You’ll never go back to downloading one planner that may fit your needs this year, but not the next.

7 Easy Steps – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color” Begin building your planner.

Step 1. Choose a Pretty Front/Back Cover

Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers

Step 3. Choose Goals/Objectives

Step 4. Choose Lesson Planning Pages Right For You!

Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You! Not a kazillion other people

Step 5b. Choose MORE Unique Forms JUST for You!

Step 5c. Choose MORE MORE Unique Forms Just for You!

Step 6. Personalize It

Step 7. Bind it! Love it!

Homemade Compass Simple Geography Project Equals Huge Wow Factor

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

A homemade compass is such an easy geography project that gives a huge wow factor for kids of any age. Also, grab more tips on my How to Homeschool High School page.Too, look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

Too, the longer I homeschool, the more specific my list becomes of what my curriculum has to include, which is easy hands on activities for multiple ages of kids.

Homemade Compass Simple Geography Project Equals Huge Wow Factor

That is one reason I jumped at the chance of using North Star Geography because of simple activities like making a home made compass.

Home Made Compass A Simple Geography Project 1

I don’t care how many times we do this simple hands on project, both of my boys like it. 

What I like about the activities too in North Star Geography is that Mr. Awesome and Tiny can gather the supplies and do this on their own.

how to make a home made compasshow to make a home made compass 2

All they needed me from me is to take their picture to remind them to write down what they learned.

Simple Homemade Compass

A simple list of items to do this easy geography activity includes:

  • a lid or bowl of some sort with water in it.
  • a needle, straight pin or paper clip
  • something that will float like a cork or a leaf
  • the much needed magnet

The key is rubbing the paperclip against the magnet to magnetize it and then placing it on the leaf to see it rotate north/south.

The boys already know which direction our house is facing or north/south though it would be helpful for younger kids to place a compass beside them. 

Homemade Compass Simple Geography Projects Equals Huge Wow Factors

We didn’t include one because the boys thought they were too old for that didn’t need one.

More Fun Homeschool Geography Resources

Homeschool High School Geography Resources and Books

Geography for high school should still be fun and hands-on. It can take years to find the right resources. However, I’ve gathered up some of my favorite books and resources.

After a few minutes the homemade contraption finds it ways to a north/south position.

Geography doesn’t have to be over the top even for your middle and high school students. Keep on providing opportunities for them to add in hands-on activities through to high school. 

And of course I am loving the fact that North Star Geography gives me the chance to be hands off as the educator by providing simple ideas that my boys can do on their own. 

Do we really need one more curriculum that requires intensive teacher prep?

When You Don’t Know Where to Begin in Homeschooling. The 3 R’s for New Homeschoolers. Part 3

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

3 Rs of Homeschooling Part 3 Research

Half-hearted homeschooling, I can’t even type the words without already feeling a bit of energy draining from my fingertips.  Keeping the same resolve to homeschool throughout your journey is crucial to being able to weather any storms that will come your way.

Homeschool Delusions

How you rise to meet those challenges is more significant than you may realize.  Though I don’t usually like to make blanket statements about homeschoolers, in my experience I have found that by nature we come with a bit more resolve as we start to homeschool.  Maybe we are more armed in the beginning because we have had to overcome any naysayers.

But somewhere along the way, doubt sets in and then we question our resolve to homeschool.

Reasons and research, which are the first two R’s combined with our fortitude or resolve to homeschool stands as an almost impenetrable barrier to giving up our homeschool journey.

To think that we can control our lives, our schedules, our children or even our own negative thoughts is a mistake.  It happens to all of us.  Learning along the way that I can control sometimes very little about my journey helps me to put a plan in place.

Combat the Control Hoax

You can’t control what flies overhead in your journey, but you can only control what you allow to land permanently or how it affects you.  Think about that though for a minute because that is powerful.

Thinking that is counter balance always helps me to not stroll down pity party road too.  For example, I don’t think life just happens and then just roll with anything that comes up in my life.  We do decide what people and what circumstances we allow to take up permanent residence in our lives.  That is a force to be reckoned with and it allows us to not just go with the flow when we need to avoid the flow.

Our resolve helps us to resist a willy-nilly approach to homeschooling and allowing things that we have no control over to fester and take up our time.

Resolve means to make up one’s mind and it has the connotation as if we took a formal vote.  One can’t have an opinion on something unless they researched it and have strong reasons to make that decision.

Reinforce Your Homeschool Resolve

Look at these things that will feed your resolve to stick with homeschooling.

  • Avoid isolation.  I don’t care if you are homeschooling in a boat floating in the South Pacific, (sounds good actually) live in a frozen tundra for most of the year or live only among where you see more cows than people, you need encouragement, support and inspiration.  Attending a co-op may not be an option, but reading blogs, reading books and attending on-line homeschool conventions may be.
  • Schedule it.  As moms we tend to put our needs in everything secondary to our children’s need.  There is nothing wrong with this as long as we don’t neglect our needs.  There is a difference.  Finding time to refresh your resolve is not easy so it has to be scheduled in.  My time is early in the morning.  Whether you choose to read blogs, read books, pray, step away from the computer, sit down at the computer, exercise or all of this, you need time to dwell on the reasons you homeschool.
  • Change it up.  Homeschooling has many seasons and sometimes you don’t have to change it up because changes, like moving, a pregnancy or unexpected illness comes to you.  I am not talking about those kinds of changes, but changes like varying our routine, our methods and the people we choose to let in our immediate homeschool circle, adds spice to our everyday.

When You Don’t Know Where to Begin in Homeschooling. The 3 R’s for New Homeschoolers. Part 3

I hope even one tidbit of any of these three posts helps to re-energize you with a dogged determination to keep homeschooling.  Whether you are weak at times in reasons, research or resolve, the other two R’s will help to jump start you back to your resolution.  Take time to form these 3 pillars in your homeschool and you won’t be so easily swayed as you enter and end different seasons in your homeschooling.

Hugs and love ya,

2012Tinasignature

Did you miss my other two posts in this series?

When You Don’t Know Where to Begin in Homeschooling The 3 R’s for New Homeschoolers Part 1

When You Don’t Know Where to Begin in Homeschooling. The 3 R’s for New Homeschoolers. Part 2

Grab some helpful books about homeschooling!

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study

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

Today, I want to share some free copywork Cattle a Texas poem about our home. And look at History of the Texas Cowboy, Cattle Drives, and Chisholm Trail for fun ideas.

Talking with Tiny about our pending move to South America, I decided to find a poem about Texas so he understands that we are not going to forget it. 

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study

Excited as we are about the move, you can imagine the whole host of emotions the kids go through. 

Excited one day and then a bit of trepidation the next.  So I turned that into a mini lesson and copywork about our home.

Next, look at these fun books to add to your unit study.

BOOKS FOR TEXAS ABOUT KIDS

10 Resources for Learning About the Lone Star State & Texas Cattle Drives

Add a few of these resources to learn about the great state of Texas.

Also, look at this poem about Texas.

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem

The Texas poem was written in 1932 by Berta Hart Nance called “Cattle”.  Here is the whole thing that has such beautiful imagery and language.

CATTLE

By Berta Hart Nance

Other states were carved or born

Texas grew from hide and horn.

Other states are long and wide,

Texas is a shaggy hide.

Dripping blood and crumpled hair

Some fat giant flung it there,

Laid the head where valleys drain

Stretched its rump along the plain.

Other soil is full of stone

Texans plow up cattle bones.

Herds are buried on the trail

Underneath the powdered shale,

Herds that stiffened like the snow

Where the icy northers go.

Other states have built their halls

Humming tunes along the walls,

Texans watched the mortar stirred

While they kept the lowing herd.

Stamped on Texan wall and roof

Gleams the sharp and crescent hoof,

High above the hum and stir

Jingle bridle-rein and spur.

Other states were made or born

…Texas grew from hide and horn.

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study

To go along with this poem, I thought I would teach Tiny how to make a simple Texas chili and you know spend a bit more time together.

Tx Unit 1Tx Unit 2

Too, we have had some cold weather that is almost unheard of in May so that called for home made Texas chili.  Well, I should say part home made. 

Any good Texan would make their beans from scratch, but canned beans are fine after we had a long day selling furniture in our house.

Easy Texas Homemade Chili

Here are some things we put in our chili:

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of sirloin meat.  We are meat eaters.  Love the stuff.  This is a twist on our chili because we don’t use ground beef when we make it.
  • 1 onion, 1 jalapeno if I have it, some bacon for flavoring which makes any chili come alive.
  • About 1 tablespoon of cumino, 2 or 3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, salt and pepper to taste.
  • 4 or 5 cans of pinto beans, though we use home made when we have them.
  • 1 can or 2 cans of Rotel Tomatoes, a bit of beef broth or beef bouillon.
Tx Unit 3Tx Unit 4

Tiny and I share a love of cheese and a multiple assortment of delicious toppings over our chili when its cooked.

I like to add sour cream, tortilla strips,  avocado and the best recipe for home made salsa by Pioneer Woman.  I make that stuff by the bucket loads around here.

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study

Trying to keep our school work light, this mix of homeschool lessons has been something I have not done before. 

I am finding it very gratifying to plan so spur of the moment and school on the wild and free side.  Sometimes you just a need a break from all the well laid out plans and sharing a bowl of hot Texas chili helps things too.

Free Copywork Cattle A Texas Poem For a Fun Unit Study

HOW TO GET THE FREE POEM COPYWORK

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That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

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Cattle by Berta Hart Nance Collage