The following post is from Jennifer Burke, a lifelong educator: If I wasn’t there when they were born, I might question whether our sons were truly brothers. I think most moms feel this way - their kids couldn't be more different, even if they had "ordered them" as opposites. When Adam was little, I understood…
The following post is from Jennifer Burke, a lifelong educator: Most students know exactly how many days until summer vacation. Students who are intrinsically motivated interpret this as pressure to buckle down and work even harder. I’m guessing that none of those students live at your house. You’re in good company – students like that…
The following post is from Jennifer, a lifelong educator: Many schools make spring conferences optional for parents, but I believe they are just as important as the ones you schedule in the fall. As a teacher, I view the fall conference as the one in which I am trying to glean background information from you, the parent, about…
The following post is from Jennifer Burke, a lifelong educator: As we look ahead to a few more months of school, does your child’s homework feel more like your homework? Are there too many arguments at your house over school assignments? As a teacher and a parent, I have to admit that the very word…
I'm joining the Day in a Life series from Simple Homeschool to give you a peek into our day! Here's what Wednesday, 2/1 looked like in our house: Please note that this was a very productive day, both because of my early wakeup and because I was keeping track of what I was getting…
I've mentioned before that I had three teachers in junior high and high school who each contributed to my success with their negativity rather than their encouragement. Instead of building me up, like teachers are supposed to, they really did the opposite, both to my face and behind my back. Lately, I've been thinking a…
The following post is from Jason & Jennifer Bruce of New Season Design: The back-to-school season comes with all sorts of different emotions... excitement, fear, anticipation, eagerness, anxiety. And those emotions aren't just for the kids! It's hard for many parents to make the back-to-school transition. There are lunches to pack, homework to oversee, and…
The following is a guest post from Amanda of Not Just Cute: All parents should homeschool their children. What I just wrote may surprise some people, particularly given the fact that I have taught in the public school system and have my own son registered to begin kindergarten this fall at our local public school. But I’ll…
These days, there are tons of ways you can keep track of your book collection, from online library systems to detailed Excel spreadsheets. But if you -- like Monique, who emailed me this printable suggestion -- would rather just keep a simple written list, then this printable is for you! You can fill it…
I am just beginning this whole adventure known as homeschooling as our oldest starts kindergarten this year. While I am hardly an expert when it comes to organizing homeschooling schedules, supplies or records, I did want to share the system I'm currently using because it's working really well for us so far. (Yes, we started…