Highschool

  I knew that teaching Highschool would be a challenge.  What I didn't realize is where the challenge would lie. 
   I thought it would be more along the lines of curriculum issues.  Was I going to be able to teach the skills needed to do the work?  I was so encouraged by Bradon's teacher, and there is a multitude of resources to help where skill sets are concerned.
  Nope the challenge is, and I guess always was with the student.  Not that the skills are not attained.  Not that work is misunderstood.  It's the actual "get your self down to work" part.  That's the challenge.  How do I get this young person to complete the task at hand?  There are no amount of incentives or punishments that motivate.  I've even resorted to yelling at moments in my frustration, which get us no where.
   Then miracles! I've seen progress! He's actually finished this report, and it's great.  I make some corrections, fixing run on sentences, spelling mistakes, giving suggestions on using new words.  Now suddenly he wants to rewrite the whole thing differently.  He does not want to make the corrections I gave, he'd like to start again with the same subject but different angle. 
   I gave him a deadline of having the good copy in by tomorrow.  I can not see how he has time to rewrite a report that took him two weeks  (or longer) to complete.  
   Why does he want to do that?  Is it because he doesn't like me correcting it?  It's not like that's anything new, I always correct his work.  Is it a form of perfectionism?  I'm confused. 
   This is the first time he will be handing in his work to someone else.  Is that it?  I don't get it.
   

Agenda

On the agenda today.
School
Clean fridge
Bake cookies and muffins
Decide whether or not I'm writing my own curriculum or finding one that works
Now I better get moving, 3 of the kids are done they're work, now I can make them do chores:)

Up To My Eyeballs

Wow, it was so much easier to post when I had instructions on what to write about!
My days have been filled with trying to get more school done, organizing chores and making sure they get done. 
Lately I feel like I'm settling more fights and dealing with more discipline issues up to my eyeballs!
It must be cabin fever, time for Spring!! Unfortunately the weather here is less than springy. 
I had a couple of sick days, now I'm waiting for the energy I had last week to kick back in again.  Josh and I were both amazed at the amount of organizing and cleaning I got into!  Must be all that working out finally paying off.  I have had a bit more energy, about a month after starting.  Last week though I had energy to spare! Which never happens to me!
Right now my goal is to get Unit 2 done! I have a future goal of getting us through Unit 3 and 4 by Sept.  so we can start Year 3.  Year 3 is the one Bradon needs for Grade 10 learning outcomes.  Funny I've never followed learning outcomes before, the only reason I am now is so he can be tracked for a Dogwood Diploma.  (For those of you not in BC a dogwood is the name that BC gave to it's highschool diploma.  Don't ask me why it's not just called "Diploma".  I guess we have to be special.) 
I need to find some other Canadian Tapestry of Grace users.  I need to pick their brains on what they did for Canadian History.  The end of Year 2, and most of Year 3 are basically US history.  So I won't follow the curriculum exactly.  For example when we do the week about Jamestown Colony I will find a similar Canadian parallel to use instead.  Some US History stories we will look at, I'll pick and choose as we go along. 
So that's my week so far.  How 'bout you?