How do you teach State History so it’s not boring? And do successful homeschoolers ever completely flop teaching something?
Hi Lee, I would like to know if you can give any information on teaching Washington State History without making it boring. I have a book and an old version of switched on school house that isn’t up to date, because it for 2000-01 school year. I want to make the study interesting not boring.
~Homeschool Mom
Hi there,
I completely failed at teaching State History. Really. I never made it into something that wasn’t boring.
Did you know that State history is NOT a requirement for homeschoolers in Washington State? You don’t have to cover that at all…. boy, I wish I would have known that!
If you want to cover Washington State history anyway, you can do as little as just a research report or a mapping project. As far as Switched on Schoolhouse goes, I don’t think it matters what year it was created, because you’re looking more at the history and geography of the state, rather than current events.
But all in all, I’m completely NO HELP here, except to say you don’t have to teach it I’m pretty sure my readers will have some ideas though.
EVERYONE: Can you please help us struggling homeschoolers with some interesting ways to teach State History?
Isn’t it wonderful that I’m willing to admit my failures, though? LOL!
Do you enjoy these daily doses of high school homeschool wisdom? Sign up to get them delivered viaemailorreader!
Hi everyone….Matt here. One of Lee’s Facebook friends asked whether I had any tips for mom’s raising teen boys. Although I’ve never been a mom, I have raised teen boys. With that obvious shortcoming, I humbly offer the following 5 ideas:
Be aware of the dynamic going on. Your son is changing from dependence to leadership. He is learning to lead a family both by watching his dad, but also by “practicing” on his mom. This can lead to some very awkward situations for both.
Demand respect, but not agreement (and sometimes not even obedience). Let dad deal with respect issues, man-to-man.
Major in the majors. You’re son may view every conflict/disagreement as a fight to the death. You shouldn’t. Resign yourself to losing a few such “battles.”
Reframe your attitude. Instead of “power struggle”, practice “power judo”, i.e., redirect inappropriate expressions into concrete actions where teen boy can take and feel ownership. For example, Teen resists Math assignment -> Potential Power Struggle -> Mom performs “power-judo” move No. 17: “Yes. So, when would you like to finish that assignment?” -> Teen takes ownership and completes assignment on his own schedule…(at least in theory).
Take them for a walk. No agenda, just walk quietly beside them. Something magical can happen when you walk side-by-side with your son. Once they recognize you are not going to nag them, they may eventually break the silence. Otherwise, just enjoy the scenery and practice your deep breathing.
Nothing earth-shaking, just some inside tips from someone who was once a teen boy himself.
Let me demonstrate how to think through the process using the interest of the child and incorporating that into delight-directed learning.
A homeschool boy loves the show “Warriors” on The History Channel and just can’t get enough. He read the hosts biography and has a desire to imitate his hero. His mother wrote to me, looking for ways to translate this interest into “school.” Here are the suggestions I gave her.
Dear [Gold Care Club Mom,]
I don’t think there has been a program written like that yet, so you’ll have to do it yourself!
But first, let’s think about it. My son studied economics during every year of high school. Beautiful Feet has their “History of Horses” program. Let’s just assume that it CAN be done, and then brainstorm together.
Idea #1 How about the history of weapons? There are certain “history of war” books that will provide a timeline of every war. During each war, there could be some research, written reports, study the science of the times (tie it in to the history of science, for example, so that he studies that.) He could draw each weapon as well. Consider looking at the Teaching Company Lectures, because I believe they have some of the history of science topics.
Idea #2 Purchase a time period based curriculum (Sonlight, The Well Trained Mind, or Tapestry of Grace, for example.) Instead of using their curriculum as written, substitute their writing suggestions for a more personalized assignment. Spend additional research on your child’s interests, instead of the assigned research. That would provide a little more structure than idea #2.
Idea #3 Model your high school after your son’s hero. You and I both know that the hero’s resume’ is not what was required of him. It was who he IS. But to hold up your son to this ideal would really help in the long run. By following this hero, your child will be motivates to learn math, science, etc. Let’s look at his hero for a moment:
Terry Schappert: Terry began his military career 17 years ago with the 82nd Airborne Division. While assigned to a recon squad, he completed Ranger School. After serving in the Persian Gulf War, he moved on to his ultimate challenge, becoming a Green Beret.
This requires strong preparation in PE.
Since completing the Special Forces Qualification Course, Terry has been deployed on training and combat missions all over the world, most recently in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition to his military credentials; Terry is a licensed paramedic,
Biology and advanced biology are necessary for a paramedic. Some experience with blood and/or hospitals are a help. He might consider being a hospital volunteer. Paramedics also need math, so they don’t kill someone by giving the wrong dose of a drug or the wrong volume of IV fluids. Again, I’m a nurse, so trust me on this one.
has extensive martial arts training,
Excellent PE! Marial arts can provide not only PE, but also a passionate interest that could last for 4-years, with the ability to develop leadership as his skills improve.
speaks several languages,
Ask your son what language he wants to speak, then follow that.
and holds a degree in anthropology.
Anthropology is a branch of social science (social studies.) He would need to develop his history and comparative governments (US Government, etc.) as well as economics. Anthropology requires a strong background in statistics, a branch of math.
Terry is the eyes and ears of the viewer, as he travels the globe to discover exactly what it takes to be a warrior.
Great opportunity to discover geography. That might be a good “right now” course. We used Runkle’s “Wonderful World of Geography” and my boys memorized the location of every country in the world (no kidding.) It was great, because then as they learned more about history and current events, they could understand where they took place. And as your son watches his hero on TV, he will know exactly where these places are located.
And by the way, the history channel is a GREAT way to get history!
So go for it! Call me next Wednesday if you can, and we’ll talk about it more.
This is just an example of the great consulting that is available for free to my Gold Care Club members. Members get a special email address to send me their toughest questions. They even get 20 minutes of free phone consulting every week where we can talk over their concerns. It is a great deal for parents who are homeschooling high school. Interested? A free month of the Gold Care Club is available for families who purchase my “Easy Truth About Homeschool Transcripts” e-book. I will soon be offering the Gold Care Club to families who do not wish to purchase the ebook. Stand by for details coming soon!
When we were homeschooling, I found a family that had boys the same age as my boys. Almost every week, we would meet together. The boys would play board games together, or other activities. Many times they played educational games, but not always. Sometimes it was just goofing off! At the same time, I would sit and have coffee with the other mom. What a joy! Sipping coffee, tasting a brownie, stitching some needlepoint, we would talk about the woes of homeschooling and parenting teenage boys. What a rejuvenating experience! And real, TRUE socialization for the boys!
Homeschooling is hard work. Make sure you plan some rejuvenating time for fun. Fun can be just for fun, or educational fun – either one is relaxing! Making time for fun is one of the keys to helping your children love homeschooling. It can create a cushion of enjoyment for them, while at the same time give you the moral support that you need. A one-on-one relationship with another homeschooling parent can be more helpful than knowing dozens of homeschooling parents in a crowd. When you meet with another parent individually, they are more likely to share their struggles. When you see other parents in groups, sometimes they only feel comfortable sharing their successes.
Make time for fun. You’ll be more productive because of it!
Michael Phelps has ADD – did you know that? His mother was able to take what could have been a detriment, and turned it into a huge advantage. I love this article titled “Michael Phelps’ Mom on How to Raise an ADHD Superstar.” It states that “Behind almost every ADHD success story is a devoted parent (or two).” Read the article from ADDitudemag.com
Did you read about my newsletter article about the boy homeschool graduate with learning disabilities? He went on to earn ELEVEN graduate degrees! Here is the article in USA Today.
I encourage you to find the Superhero within your own child! My husband has written a series of articles about finding the superhero your own homeschooled children. Read more!
Did you know that you can consult with me for free? This month you can call me on my toll free number, on Wednesdays between 1:00 and 2:00 pm, Pacific Time, and consult for up to 10 minutes for free. You missed me today, but call me next week! It’s fun – and free!
I’ve been having a lot of conversations with mothers recently about 17 year old boys. I just want to encourage everyone that it gets SO much better eventually! I was delighted about 3 months ago when I realized my 20 year old had matured to the pleasant, sweet, kind person that I had raised. Funny story – I was telling him that we had a bit of conflict with his 18 year old brother, and he said “Really? Gee, Mom, I never had any conflict with you and Dad!” Seriously, it was all I could do to not laugh out loud! We had plenty of conflict! He just doesn’t remember it! At that point I decided that we must have done something right when he was a teen. So hang in there – teenage attitudes may be rotten now, but one day they’ll grow up and become adults, and all your hard work will pay off.
We just completed a major redesign of our website that goes live today. My techie husband, who has worked very hard making everything beautiful, would much appreciate it if you would poke around the new site and let us know what you think. There is even a new “Contact Us” button on the site that you could test to give us some feedback! Thanks!
As I mentioned before, we’ve been reading the book “Love and Respect.” I keep wondering, though…. How do you show respect for a young adult who sometimes does, well, dumb things. I’ve decided that I need to have a boundary for my 18 year old men. My husband and I try to only intervene if we believe the boys are doing something that is “life-threateningly” dumb, that is, doing something that could negatively alter the course of their life. If they are just doing something that isn’t up to our “expected standards of responsibility” (i.e., dumb) then perhaps it’s just a demonstration of independence, or a personal preference that we wouldn’t make ourselves.
When our men turned 18, we want them to make choices for themselves based on the instructions they have received over their lifetime. We try to show respect for the men in our household and only intervene when we believe it is necessary for their future well-being.
I hope that helps someone! Need a monthly dose of homeschool encouragement? Subscribe to my free monthly newsletter, The HomeScholar Record!
Have you ever notice that everyone else’s children seem perfect? They are smarter, nicer, more musical or athletic, right? We all know that nobody is perfect, but why do other kids seem more perfect than our own?
Rarely do mothers and fathers share failures and short-comings of their kids. Usually they share successes and strengths! I often share my children’s strengths – does that mean they are perfect? No Way!
This past month I have really been faced with “to err is human” in an up-close and personal way. Both of my young men (now 18 and 20) received their first traffic tickets. Both of them – two weeks apart. Each was driving about 20 mph over the limit. Each is faced with a huge ticket and a visit to traffic court. Both are considering how they will compensate financially if their insurance rates go up.
Apparently, I’m not perfect either. I taught them both to drive! And look at what happened! I’m trying hard not to feel like a failure in this area. I try to remember that I give instruction, but they make choices like adults make choices. But still, you would think that homeschooling would come with some sort of guarantee. Shouldn’t it?
Take heart. Nobody is perfect!
Blessings,
Lee
If you’d like to encourage me in my time of need, please consider joining my community at MyBlogLog! Thanks!
In our Sunday School class on “Love and Respect” I learned a new strategy for dealing with teenage boys! Women tend to relate best face-to-face while talking. The book suggests that men relate best shoulder-to-shoulder without necessarily using words. If you are struggling with your teenage son, try to spend some quiet time doing nothing, saying nothing, and accomplishing nothing. Just be by his side, whether in the car or doing another activity he is interested in. Chances are, he will interpret that outing in a positive way.
In my own life, I have seen how that strategy can work. When I have a difficult subject to discuss with my boys, it goes over best if we are NOT talking face to face. It helps if we are on a walk, or in the car, and are both looking forward rather than at each other. It’s almost as if these guys feel threatened when we look them in the eye. Like a pack of wolves, they can perceive eye contact as a threat and fight back.
If you are struggling with your boys and desperate for ideas, it may be worth a try. Shoulder-to-shoulder, avoid eye contact. Let me know if it works!
Charlotte Mason would have loved my pond. Only a half-mile from our house, the pond has river otter, blue heron, and other fabulous Northwest wildlife. When we moved here, I thought I would spend hours at the pond with my children, doing nature studies. A short distance from Puget Sound, I fantasized about oceanography units and marine biology studies…..I dreamed of examining algae under a microscope and I was positively giddy about the ducklings.Except…..it didn’t happen. It’s one thing to focus on “delight-driven” studies, but what about driving “non-delightful” studies? My boys would whine and complain the whole time we did nature studies. They loved physical exertion, and didn’t mind getting out for a bike ride or a swim, but they didn’t want to just “sit there and look at stuff.” All they wanted was books and bikes. Sigh! What’s a Charlotte-Masony Mom to do?
I finally had to conclude that the “delight” in delight-driven was about them, not me. I had to let go of the fabulous nature studies and focus on the ways my children learned instead. “Let them have books!” I decided.
Now that the kids are in college, my husband and I frequently walk to the pond, and walk to the beach, and enjoy our nature studies together. And he doesn’t whine… usually….
Blessings,
Lee
–
The HomeScholar www.TheHomeScholar.com
Help spread the good news about homeschooling high school. Please add my button to your blog and website. Get the code from the the upper right corner of this blog. Thank you!!
I’m pretty sure my readers will have some ideas though.
Filed under: 
Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
