Week 4 - Check!

Well, I can hardly believe I'm already a month into school.

Four weeks down; only 33 more to go!

This year is shaping up to be very full, but I feel good about the work we are doing.  The Lord is helping me to keep up with my paperwork and with keeping track of each boy's work to make sure every is getting completed.  I don't feel like I have near as many holes in my plans for things to slip through this year.  I'm very grateful for the Spirit's empowering in this area.

I have worked out a grading system that I'm happy with.  It is not as detailed as I might decide to make it later, but it is a great springboard into record-keeping.  And since highschool starts next year, I really need to get a handle on that.  In addition to subject-matter scores, I am trying to track Attitude as well.  I thought that might help the boys gain control over their balky natures.  Time will tell.

We are covering a WIDE range of material.  Fridays are fun because, though they contain plenty of learning, they are full of different subjects than we cover the other 4 days.  It's a nice break in the routine.  Today, we were covering Beats and Time Signatures in Music Theory, as well as reading a book about the progression of the development of music styles, especially as relates to the black community.  We read about Michelangelo in Art Appreciation and looked at the Sistine Chapel mural and St. Peter's Cathedral and the Pieta statue.  SO AMAZING!  (The internet ROCKS for 'traveling' to see the sights!)  We talked about spiritual health being just as important (if not more so) as physical health.  We also talked about WHY good posture makes you healthier.  We read about the history of the Star Spangled Banner, which is the patriotic song we've been singing for the past month.  That was very interesting.   (We start with "My Country 'Tis of Thee" next week.)  We also checked science tests and did geography pages.

Our school week ended with our weekly trip to Pittsburg Public Library.  The boys pick out books and then they like to play games on the computers.  They don't get to do that at home generally, so they love that opportunity.  I catch up on grading/planning and pick out books for the following week (like books on contemporaries of Michelangelo).

Now we're getting ready to watch our 'Friday Night Movie', which is another weekly event.  Tonight, we are actually watching something that I like, My Fair Lady.  The younger 3 couldn't remember watching it.  So I said we should and they didn't even protest.  How exciting is that?  :)

I can hardly believe all we've crammed into today, much less the last 4 weeks in totality!

I really am enjoying teaching them this year.  They are all a little more mature.  They all protest a little less.  They are all doing good work most of the time.  And we are learning lots of interesting information.  I love to learn.  And I sure love these boys.  I'm glad we're on this adventure together even if I do want to scream and pull my hair here and there.

The most amazing thing to me is that I am actually persevering, most of the time, in making them clear off their work stations at the end of each day.  That is a major miracle in self-discipline there.  I always know it's a good idea to teach them to do that but have always run out of the mental fortitude necessary to accomplish a goal like that in previous years.

Thank you, Jesus, for all Your help this year.  I SO appreciate your empowering work in my life.  Please help me continue on this productive track.  I LOVE YOU!!!