Home School Wk 3

Am I smarter than an 8^th grader? I am not sure. This week was better than last week. Through this home school process I know I will see many ups and downs and we, my daughter and I, will experience many frustrations. I think she did a good job this week and I see that she is trying. My daughter is a complex person as we are all complex. As part of this process I must continue to express to her that she is the way she is and that is how she is meant to be. I don’t expect her to be like me because she is not me. Her father I believe has fallen into the trap of comparing himself as a kid to her as a kid. He liked to play sports so he thinks she should like to play sports. I do not bad mouth him but I do tell my daughter it’s ok if she does not like to play sports. As a child I loved to read and loved putting puzzles together. My daughter does not like to read or like to put puzzles together. That is ok with me.

This week we studied scientific notation in math. At first she had trouble but after taking a step back she got it. I learned my daughter forgot fractions. I explained her that some math has to be remembered. So, I had to go back to some of the basics. I taught my daughter the beauty of Excel, at least the adding function. So much better than a calculator. I introduced her to taking notes. Note taking is so important in teaching and learning. I am encouraging her to broaden her thinking. I do not accept answers like “I like The Hunger Games because it was good.” I am developing her thought to give me more specific reasons why. I will say it’s like pulling teeth out of my head without any pain meds! In history we learned about President Jackson. In the beginning of the chapter Jackson seemed like a President for the people. People related to Jackson. Then we learned about the treatment of the Indians. Jackson did not look so great after his refusal to stand up for the Indians. I guess at the time people in their thought of just taking over someone’s land was right may have made Jackson popular. I asked my daughter how she would feel if someone just came and took over her room. She said she would not think it’s a big deal, but that is a smart ass 13 year old answer!  It’s so crazy that the problems in history affect the people of today like recession, the economy and inflation.

So, am I smarter than an 8^th grader? When it comes to book smarts probably not. For, once we complete scientific notation and learning about history, I will probably forget these concepts again. I will say I am having fun learning and teaching my daughter. Sometimes I think she hates me because we keep on practicing until she is a master. When it comes to real world experience yes I am smarter than an 8^th grader, but with my help she may catch up to me soon. That’s a good thing!

Over and out 🙂