A bad homeschooling day.  A bad homeschooling day... it happens. It used to happen a lot!
When we first started homeschooling, I was unsure and nervous, so my daughter was as well. I would prepare a perfect lesson plan like a gift, only to have it rejected as boring. I learned to play things loose, go with the flow, have an idea of what we would cover but not be too married to how we would go about it. Things have been going well, and I guess I got cocky because today took me by surprise! My daughter has been struggling with spelling due to a learning disability. I've been letting it play out on its own, figuring I'd find a way to approach it sooner or later. We're heading into the spring of her 8th-grade year, and her spelling has NOT improved. So, I found a good workbook from Pearson Education, typed it up all pretty and neat as an item on our schedule for today, and sat down with Ella to try it out. Her hackles went up immediately! I tried to be low-key in my approach, like coming up on a bear in the woods... you know the idea; don't poke the bear. Well, she sniffed me out and knew right away that I was trying to teach her how to spell. The nerve! She flat-out refused to participate. In our early days of homeschooling, this would have led to an argument, a threat to send her back to school, and lots of tears. Today, I just closed the book and moved on to the next item on our schedule. Later, she apologized and hugged me. She said she just got it in her head that she couldn't do spelling today. It's hard for her, but over the last few years, our trust in each other has grown, and she knows what's hard for her now will be easier someday. I don't have to push because I know it will come when she's ready. Next week, spelling will appear again on our schedule. Let's hope for a better day. As always, for homeschooling ideas go to Blossom Learning. Happy homeschooling! |