Schedule - Daily, Weekly, or other rules/consequences

[Tracey in ME]

Checking high school work

We've had one graduate and now the next one is in 9th grade. I'm not looking for advice on what we should do...just "polling" on what you do and wondering what works best for you.

I know what the TM says but wondering what you have found to be most successful for your family. In high school (and high school only) are you requiring completing of the lesson plan on a daily basis or just on a weekly basis? In other words, most families usually have a "draw the line" measurement when everything must be done i.e. "You can't go to your friend's house until..." or "You can't watch a movie until..." or "This must be done before you can..." etc. What is YOUR measurement timeline? Do you go by MFW's daily list of requirements or do you just say it must all be done by the end of the week (barring some illness, emergency, etc.)? And even if you don't limit activities because of school requirements, what is your general timeline/expectation?

My 11th grade daughter must have everything completed by Friday afternoon. Otherwise, she is grounded for the weekend (no fun!).

[ilovemy4kids]

Because our schedule is nuts with cross country, football, boy scouts and american heritage girls, not to mention, National Home School Honor Society, and volunteering, we give them till Sunday evening to get the whole week done. If it isn't done by that time, the following week they don't get phone, internet or friend visiting privileges. Works for us and that way if say on Wednesday a friend wants to come over at 1:00 but the day's work isn't done, the friend can still come over. It just means the kids have to manage their time carefully for the rest of the week.

Sandra

[Tracey in ME]

Our schedule is a bit hectic these days, Sandra. I'm going to consider your idea. I like it! Thanks!

[Julie in MN]

I'm not looking for advice on what we should do...just "polling" on what you do and wondering what works best for you.

Well.... I hate to shock anyone, but I don't have a Friday deadline or a Sunday deadline. We don't do the manual "day one" on Monday anyways -- our school year starts on Tuesday, for instance.

I would say my method is eclectic, for several reasons. First of all, I'm schooling a youngest child, a way youngest, so I may be a bit lenient on my "last one in the nest." And not only that, but he's a student who doesn't really want to homeschool, so I don't like to make homeschool take over his whole life as if he's in solitary confinement forever. Instead, I want him to see that homeschool gives him way more flexibility and options. And also, I knew my son could check off that he'd read everything and still learn nothing, so I wanted to reduce the focus on check-off and increase the focus on learning - this is probably my biggest concern. Another big influence on my outlook comes from homeschooling my middle child who completely quit working, and I know that there is no amount of outside pressure or punishment that can make someone do something they don't choose to do. So I guess my main focus is to get my son to "choose" to do his schoolwork, from within himself.

Therefore, I take more of the role of mentor. I advise that my youngest ought to finish a certain amount of classwork, I ask questions and mark down exactly what he's done so far. I listen to his reasons why he should go to the gym or to a birthday party or whatever, even though he's not done with his schoolwork.

It's not to say that I have no rules. I make sure my son is up & starting by 8:30. I keep my own checklist so I can evaluate what he's accomplished. Often I may require a certain task be completed before he heads out, or even take a Saturday or holiday and make him do schoolwork all day. I may also do a task *with* him in order to plow through it more quickly. And I spend far more time reading and discussing with my son than most MFW families, because I just don't feel the more complex info goes in his brain at all if he just reads on his own - he's a boy, he's active, and he just doesn't care to delve into most books, so I choose things I feel are important, and he doesn't mind delving into those together.

So how's that for a vague answer? I should also add that he seems to be keeping up with all his college PSEO assignments so far. He's doing precalculus and Latin for college credit in 11th grade. When he was doing French at home, I can't tell you how much I tried to convince him that he needed to be more of a passionate learner in order to ever learn a language, so I was like a deer in headlights when he chose Latin , but he is doing it.

HTH,
Julie