Ramping Up!

While I know that many homeschoolers eschew the “back to school” routine because it is philosophically opposed to what homeschooling is about: living a lifestyle of lifelong learning, recognizing that education doesn’t begin and end annually in September and June, understanding that education occurs constantly (or at least it should), etc. Yet, the structure of a “school year” lends itself quite nicely to planning, especially planning for days of work and days of rest (i.e., God worked and then He rested). That is why, as a Co-Coordinator for the CHOOSE CT homeschool support group, I mark the “beginning” of a “school year” each autumn. That said, in order for our group website to be prepared for work (and for use by our member families) each September, I need to make sure that the information presented there is up-to-date in August, a task that is currently underway.

Another task that has been added to the preparation list: scheduling my daughter’s high school classes. This year I am using Home School, Inc., a free online planning tool that allows me to put all her assignments for every course on a calendar that can be accessed either monthly or daily. I figure the fact that she has to log into the computer every morning to see her tasks will keep her more personally accountable for her work, plus it will prepare her for using the online assignment systems that many colleges and universities have installed in the past few years. Another advantage: Katherine the Great can notify me, through the system, of assignments that are completed and ready for evaluation. I have high expectations for this tool; hopefully, I won’t be disappointed. Maybe I will post an evaluation after my daughter and I have used it for a while.

So, what goes on at your house in August --- ramping up for fall or winding down from summer?