Q+4=3Q-6

I always "knew" I was a mediocre student. I was never "advanced enough" to participate in programs like G.A.T.E (Gifted And Talented Education) and AP classes. At the library, the Dewey Decimal System might as well have been a foreign spy language as far as I was concerned. It took me two years to get through Algebra 1 in high school, and even then I didn't pass! I found creative writing difficult and it became one of those things I believed was only for the "gifted kids." In other words- not me.

As I grew older, my behavior went downhill and I stepped into the roles of "class clown" and later "rebel" because that's were I felt like I fit best. After all, I wasn't sporty, my family couldn't afford the trendy clothes, and I wasn't a "smart kid." What was left? Sounds like a pity party, right? My reasoning was flawed, to be sure. Fortunately, my perspective began to change when my sophomore science teacher saw my potential. He recommended me for a one-day event for "Future Leaders" that you were only invited to if a teacher submitted your name specifically. This one vote of confidence completely changed the trajectory of my life. I wish I could tell him how profoundly it impacted me.

My behavior and aspirations improved after that but it wasn't until after I had graduated from high school and was a few months into my new job that I started to break free from believing the lie that I was just "mediocre". I began to realize the standards I felt trapped by in school were not the same standards of the outside world. People began to ask me to do things- and I did them well! So well, in fact, that I was quickly promoted several times over. I started to realize that I am intelligent. I am capable. I am able. I really can do the things I set my mind to!

After this initial epiphany, the world seemed to open up. Education took on a whole new definition. No longer was it a prison that I was confined to until graduation- instead it was an opportunity and a gift. I suddenly felt empowered and confident in taking on the role of leader in many of the organizations I had joined. I was making connections with people I respected and admired and was no longer intimidated by them and their "superiority". Instead, I saw that we were just "differently abled" and all our abilities worked together to compliment each other.

I wish that kind of realization happened for everyone. The truth is that we all have things we excel at. The trick is finding the right tools and mentors who will take the time to help us explore those things. Take the math problem in the title of this post. At one time I would have told you "Math is hard" and "I can't do that." Defeated-sounding statements, right? Well, you won't hear those words from me anymore! Because of the learning we're doing this year, I know that I can, and my kids can, learn and excel in subjects that once eluded us! Sure, my blog posts are coming a little later in the day now, but it's a small price to pay for helping them reach that "a-ha moment" and having that same moment, myself!

Since we began this adventure I've been asked, "How are you going to teach that subject if you don't have a degree?" Because of my earlier experiences I may have been daunted by this question. Fortunately for me, there are people who do have degrees, and the passion for teaching, who have put together curriculum specifically designed to be easily understood. This makes learning just about anything you want attainable and user-friendly, which empowers us all.

To learn more about the available options, you can visit your state's local homeschool conference. We went to the one presented by the Washington Homeschool Organization. It's a big convention that happens once a year where you can take classes, meet with other homeschoolers, and browse the booths. People present everything from ways to learn with Minecraft, to standardized co-ops, to Amish plain books with minimal pictures. Even if you attend a school and just need a little extra help, resources are available for you. Math was the more difficult subject for me, so I decided to focus on finding a curriculum for that subject first. Math-U-See by Demme Learning was what the kids and I ended up agreeing on. 

This is my daughter doing her work with our dog, Jasper, affectionately known as "The Little Professor."

This particular curriculum is very logical and you only move on to the next lesson or book when you're well versed in the previous one. That way every student has a firm grasp of the basics before they move on to the more abstract problems. For us, this makes EVERYTHING easier to understand. I'm actually finding math to be fun and it's a joy to watch my kids "get-it" without frustration and tears. We have the ability to work on each lesson until it "clicks" instead of racing through everything to keep up with the lesson plan. I feel confident that they are learning and that I'm doing just fine teaching them. It's exciting!

Here's a snapshot of what we're working with in case you're interested. If not, you can skip to the pictures below.

Student:
- 1 Textbook per subject  (Example: Algebra)
* Lessons are broken into short sections (Example: A, B, C, D, E, F) and an optional extra page if everything else in that lesson was understood easily and the student is ready for something a big more tricky before taking their test.

- CD with a teacher teaching each lesson on screen. You choose the lesson from a scene selection list.

- Manipulative blocks that can be used with every lesson so the student is able to watch the lesson, use the manipulatives to actually see what that problem looks like with real objects before writing down their answer. This reinforces everything they're learning and helps it "stick." As you move on to fractions and decimals, you get a new set of manipulatives that accompany the first set.

Teacher (me):
- 1 teacher book containing a short section on how to teach each lesson and the answers for all the lessons and tests.

- 1 test book containing a short test for each lesson and unit.

- Phone number for support if you have gone through everything and still don't completely understand how they came to the answer in the teacher book.

That's it! And so far, I'm happy to report that everything is going great!

Along with all our travels to new regions, we've started visiting galleries to check out different kinds of art. Jackson Hole has quite a few galleries, so last weekend we started exploring them.  At one we even met a featured artist! Here are a some examples of what we saw.

"Femme au Chapeau" 1962 by Pablo Picasso.

"Edudes 1945" by Pablo Picasso

 I love this series! It's what the rain looks like when it's crossing the valley in front of our house. This painting is HUGE!

These two are right up my alley! Vintage Yellowstone and Tetons.

The kids were able to look up information about paintings at a digital kiosk in one of the galleries.

 This mixed-media collage by Kaoru Mansour called "Bottle Brush #116" is beautiful!

I'm a sucker for Norman Rockwell. The detail in his paintings is amazing! Here are a few pieces we saw at Heather James Fine Art. You can find more information on their website here. I was really excited to find out they were still on display!!

"Girl Scouts" Life Magazine Cover 1924

 "Two Old Men and Dog (Checkers)" 1950
Those expressions look like me and my husband playing games!

This one is called "Pregnant Woman Drinking Tea" 1958 but I must be missing some cultural reference from the time because nothing about her says "pregnant" to me. Do you see a bump?

Dodge Brothers Motor Cars ad "Couple's 25th Wedding Anniversary" 1925

These two speak to me. I know, I'm a sap. I just love them.

"The Violinist and his Assistant" by J.C. Leyendecker

 Oh, the details!

The weather has continued to surprise us. We spent part of Monday evening in the furnace room because of a tornado warning. The temperatures have also plummeted and the snow has made an appearance. In celebration, the younger two made a mini snowman while the older one became the fire master.

With the current national weather, I hope everyone is safe and sound! Have a great week!

- Jen

P.S. The answer to the title is "5"- the amount of people in our family. :-)

The Innerworkings of "Away"

Thanks to you, our blog has now reached over 2,100 hits and we haven't even left yet! That's amazing! Thank you all!

Things are winding down for the school year here. I've just scheduled the end of the year testing for our youngest. This is our first year homeschooling, so we're still figuring things out. Which test is best? Which tests are approved for our state? How are they administered? Fortunately we have a bunch of experienced families who are happy to give advice and point us in the right direction.

This past week, our youngest and I took a tour of one of the larger wastewater treatment facilities in the area, the South Treatment Plant in Renton, WA.

http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/About/System/South.aspx

It didn't smell half as bad as I thought it might and they have a garden next door called "Waterworks Garden". It features trails, native plants, wildlife, and public art. I love the idea of something unpleasant working to make something beautiful.

Here's a picture of our youngest by a pond at the treatment facility. He really liked the art pieces.

My husband and I saw "The Blue Man Group" once in Las Vegas. In part of their slideshow they said that all trash, sewage, and everything else unpleasant, goes to the same place once it leaves our sight- "Away".... which is all too true in most peoples minds. Sad. Well, my son and I were able explore part of "Away" and it was really cool. The tour guide started with a presentation of how our sewage system works and how different countries around the world handle their sanitation. The kids were given different kinds of "trash" and they sorted it according to how it would be disposed of. Did you know that we (North America) have a pretty good handle on how to treat our human waste, but all the chemicals and misc. items that go down the gutters in the street just flow directly out to the oceans? It's scary how much pollution we really create. It's time to find a solution for our pollution!

I won't go into the gritty details of what we saw and how the sewage is separated and treated, but it is really interesting. I'll just give you a few main points:
- City water is only in your house for seconds before moving on.

- Because there is so much water, sewage is diluted and doesn't even remotely resemble what you see in your toilet when it arrives at the treatment plant.

- The sewage is filtered and then goes through three or four stages before it reaches the point where it is treated and then flows out into the ocean to be naturally recycled (evaporation, rain, etc.)

The infrastructure of a system like this is a marvel. Really!  There are a ton of jobs that make this facility run effectively.

Our youngest was especially impressed with the control room and the lab.

After the tour, we visited the local big brand store for trailer organization items. I've spent several days planning the most efficient way to pack our trailer. I'd like to bring everything we need without the worry of tripping over obstacles or the fear of items being thrown everywhere while in transit. Once I get everything in place, I'll show you some of the tricks I've employed.

Our daughter was considering writing this weeks post, but life got in the way. You'll hear from her soon, I promise.  In the meantime, 35 days to go....

- Jen