Patti's Homeschool Mentoring

Testimonial from a mom who participates in our Mom School

Dear Patti,

My son and I have come on and off to your TJED program for the last 3 years (I think!) You've always welcome us back with warm arms and we thank you for that.

We love your house. It is a treasure of knowledge: from the materials that you use, to the people you surround yourself with, to you and your willingness to share what you know with all of us.

As a fairly novice homeschooler I am always looking for insights from the “expert-moms” and I know I can count on you for advices.

I use to think that homeschooling meant being a teacher to my son with strict schedule and boring lessons. You taught me to take my time and to have fun with it.

You also taught me something that I lacked big time: patience! You might not know it but as I watched you every week interact with all the children, I grew more confident in my ability to be a mentor to my son and therefore I became more patient.

You are truly a mentor, to the children and to us moms. You radiate around kids as they do around you.  We love you and your family.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you give and for your love of learning and teaching.

 

Magali Willar.

Homeschooler Mom

October 2011

 

TJEd Inspired Mom School 2nd, 4th and 5th Thursday’s of Each Month September through January 2011-2012 Schedule

TJEd Inspired Mom School

Leadership Education

2^nd, 4^th and 5^th Thursday’s of Each Month

September through January Schedule

 

Our motto's... Classics as Mentors, Inspire not Require....

Read it, think it, write it, discuss it and present it, then you own it!  

2^nd Thursday Schedule:

12-12:45: Arrive with full bellies.

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1-2pm: Love of Learners & Core: Classic Book Read Aloud Circle & Charlotte Mason Language Arts using GEO Book.  With Ms. Patti

1-2pm: Scholars: Shakespeare, Taming of the Shrew & Latin Study Groups with Ms. Miranda _____________________________________________________________________________________

2:00-2:15 Break

2:15-3:30: Love of Learners: GEO Bee Study Group with Ms. Kelly

2:15-3:30: Core Group: Circle Time & Movement with Ms. Patti

2:15-3:30: Scholars: Art; Clay Wheel Work with Ms. Jessica.  Bring your wheels!

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3:30-4:30: All Students: Snack; See List _____________________________________________________________________________________

4:30-5:30: Love of Learners & Core: Geo Bee Inspired, Handwork Circle; Knitting, Felting World Map, Lap Books,  Clay & Lego World Maps with Ms. Patti,  Ms. Miranda, Ms. Jessica & Ms. Kelly.  See supply list.  We’re going to set up stations with the different activities, and have one adult Mentor at each station. 

4:30-5:30: Scholars: US Government: Classic Read Aloud & Colloquium, The Law by, Bastiat with Mr. Jerry.  Students will need their Common Books each week and if they’d like to follow along with the read aloud, a copy of the book.   www. http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html

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 5:30-6pm Everyone, Clean Up. 

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 4^th Thursday Schedule:

12-12:45: Arrive with full bellies.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

1-2pm: Love of Learners & Core: Classic Book Read Aloud Circle & Charlotte Mason Language Arts using GEO Book.  With Ms. Patti

1-2pm: Scholars: Shakespeare, Taming of the Shrew & Latin Study Groups with Ms. Miranda _____________________________________________________________________________________

2-2:15 All Students: Break

2:15-3:30: Love of Learners:  Art; Clay Wheel Work with Ms. Jessica.  Bring your wheels!

2:15-3:30: Core Group: Circle Time & Movement with Ms. Patti

2:15-3:30: Scholars: Fine Art with Ms. Miranda.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

3:30-4:30: All Students: Snack; See List _____________________________________________________________________________________

4:30-5:30: Love of Learners & Core: Geo Bee Handwork Circle; Knitting, Felting World Map, Lap Books, Clay & Lego World Maps with Ms. Patti,  Ms. Miranda, Ms. Jessica & Ms. Kelly.   See supply list.  We’re going to set up stations with the different activities, and have one adult Mentor at each station. 

4:30-5:30: Scholars: US Government: Classic Read Aloud & Colloquium, The Law by, Bastiat with Mr. Jerry.  Students will need their Common Books.  www. http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 5:30-6pm Everyone, Clean Up. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

5^th Thursday’s through January

Thursday 9/29

12-12:45: Arrive with full bellies. _____________________________________________________________________________________

1-2pm: Love of Learners & Core: Classic Poetry, Book Read Aloud Circle & Charlotte Mason Language Arts using GEO Book.  With Ms. Patti

1-2pm: Scholars: Classic Poetry & Latin Study Groups with Ms. Miranda _____________________________________________________________________________________

2-2:30 All Students: Break

3:30-5:30 Core, Love of Learners & Scholars: A TJEd Mentor Workshop:

 Cooking and Health Workshop with Integrative Health Coach, Miranda B. Norris

www. http://mirandasartofliving.squarespace.com/

This event is open to the public.

Bring Snacks to Share

5:30-6pm Everyone, Clean Up

*There are no 5^th Thursday’s in October & November.

**Thursday 12/29, No TJEd Winter Break

Notes: We decided to break up the Love of Learning Study Groups, focusing on the GEO Bee for the first semester and Science after Winter Break.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 Supply List:

Art, Clay Wheel Work.  We’re purchasing about $120.00 worth of supplies.   

Shakespeare Study: The Taming of the Shrew books were $2.50 each.

Handwork Circle:  We’re purchasing Muslin to make our Tapestry World Maps, Felt and embroidery needles.  Estimated cost $50.00.    

We’re over-estimating the cost to be around $175.00

Aslo, we’re asking each family to bring in as many Legos as they can afford.  We are going to attempt to create a world & US map.  You can purchase boxes on e-bay, nothing fancy-just the basics.  Sorry, they won’t be returned but will be well loved and used by your kids at my house. 

We have 14 families @ $12.50 per family. 

I will pre-pay for all of the supplies.  You can pay in full when we get started or pay it out weekly.  Just let me know what is best for you. 

_____________________________________________________________________

 Weekly Snack List:

This is a food a list of what families will bring each week.  If you are not going to be here, please let me know so I can supply your item.  If you haven’t told me what you are bringing please e-mail me today.  We could use some more fruit, someone to do plates and cups and a healthy, sweetened by nature (honey, agave, and maple or rice syrup) cookie, brownie, cake etc…

Patti –Lemonade & Fill in for absent families.

Jessica- Apples and Mellon

Kim- x2 Baby Carrots & Veggie Dish

Marta -Raw Dish

Kelli S. – x 2 Cheese

Kelly O.- Whole Grain Crackers

Miranda- Hard Boiled Eggs & something

Magali -Hummus Dip

Christie-x2 Veggie Chips

Heather –Celery and Peanut Butter

Sheryl-Nuts

Melissa ?

Sarah B.-?

Christine?

Michelle?

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Our TJEd Inspired Mom School has openings in the Scholar Study Group (Middle & High School).  

Our Love of Learning and Core Study Groups are full (Elementary & Pre-K).  

A Testimonial from Michele A MOM of Four That Have Mentored and Who's Children I Have Worked With...

Dear Patti,

     I cannot convey to you with enough enthusiasm the

positive impact you have had on me and my children's lives through

participating in your TJED program. Your leadership, mentoring and love for all

of my children has made me a better mom, teacher and mentor. 

     The way you have nurtured and educated each of my

four children and myself has added so much more richness to our home school

time at home. I am not worried about pounding facts anymore but, instead, am

letting them experience the joy of learning. You have showed me that every

corner has not only a life experience but also a learning experience. My

children have also benefited from your love of teaching by embracing new

experiences without fear. They forge ahead now just to see what will happen

versus being afraid of making a mistake.

     The result of being part of your program for over two years is apparent in the

love and excitement my children have shown for "typical" boring material like the

Laws of Motion, Inertia, knitting, felting and especially art and literature. Your style

of teaching has grown my children and allowed them the down time to enjoy the world

around them.

     I think what my daughter stated (my other three boys agreed with her) as we were

driving to your house after a four month hiatus from your Thursday Coop says it all. She said,

"Mommy, I feel like we are going home."   Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Sincerely,

Michele, SW FLorida

 

Kindergarten question: What subjects do you cover with them on a normal day. What curriculum do you prefer at this age?

Handwork and Family Read... we are knitting while reading

Kindergarten is what we call the Core Phase, and focusing on character development is key!  Lots of family work & real life lessons, surrounded by a love of learning, modeled by elders and the great classic books, the best mentors through the ages!  After 20 years of studying education & alternative education, with one grown child who had early academics (teach your baby to read program, college prep elementary school, etc...) and now, a teen who had delayed academics with a Waldorf inspired beginning and an intention on honoring natures phases of development since then; 

  I am able to say without a doubt that academics should not be the focus of a home school at this age!   Simple Homeschool has a good article explaining the phases: http://simplehomeschool.net/the-4-phases-of-learning-in-leadership-education/ 

Young mind at work

 

  Also see:  Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning for in depth description of child development phases.  www.TJEd.org. 

  We are not in a hurry around here, I have seen with my own eyes, in different kinds of families, that even children who are unschooled, who never learn what is traditionally taught in elementary school, pick it up in a short period of time when it is developmentally appropriate. 

 Our teen is in love with learning, and is self directed in her intense studies, and at 14 she has caught up and in some subjects has passed her peers academically who are in a classroom type home school.  

 So our unintentional (big life lesson) experiment with these two different types of education, taught us much about walking a different learning path, with confidence that the end outcome will be what we really want!  

 Beginning with the end in mind: I want a whole child, who's seven intelligences (whole brain) have been developed, so she can overcome any obstacle and is self reliant in all areas of life, and not just specialized to perform academically or for a job.  I want her heart & soul to guide her so that she knows instantly right from wrong, good from evil, and can see through propaganda, to what is true.

 I want her core foundation to be based on service!  The missing link in most traditional education settings and the foundation to all future self directed, scholarly learning.  Already,  we see honoring the phases of learning and development is  bringing her much inner peace & joy! 

Family Work!

  Here is Dr. Raymond Moore's site and an article titled: Delayed Academics: Key to Preventing Learning Problems

http://www.excellenceineducation.com/better_late_than_early.php

 

 

A Waldorf Inspired- Core Phase Learning Playroom 

 

Favorite Kindergarten Curriculum's to use loosely and based on the child's interest:

 Waldorf Inspired, Oak Meadow: http://www.oakmeadow.com/ 

Literature Based: 5 In a Row: http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/index.html

Charlotte Mason Classical Liberal Arts: http://www.amblesideonline.org/

 

Our TJEd Mommy School aka: KidSchool or Home School Co-op in Action!

 

"In short, something truly amazing is happening. It is happening quietly, usually in small groups in unconnected neighborhoods. It is uncoordinated and mostly unorganized. Yet I believe it will shape the 21st Century. In the year 2100, it may well stand out as one of the most important trends of the century. It is quiet, it is spreading, and it is real: Mothers are seeing a need and filling it—themselves." ~~Rachel DeMille

Every Thursday we host a Mommy School

(home school co-op) in our home.

This blog post was inspired by the joy and fellowship

found inside our weekly gatherings,

and by the following essay, which goes right to the heart of the matter: 

What Homeschoolers Want Most:  http://www.tjed.org/2010/12/homeschoolers-want/

We have seventeen families participating in our Mommy School, and the children are separated into three groups: Scholar & Transition to Scholar (high-school age) Love of Learners (elementary through middle school ages) and Core (six and under). 

The common thread of our SW Florida TJEd inspired Mommy School, is that each family values, on some level, A Classical Liberal Arts Education and that we honor the Phases of Learning as described in the book:

Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning 

by, Oliver and Rachel DeMille.

The Phases are:  

Core, Love of Learning, Scholar, Depth, Mission, & Impact

for a quick understanding of the Phases: http://www.tjed.org/?s=phases+of+learning 

Love this photo... Mommy School in Action! The key to a successful Mommy School is to have mentors that have a passion for what they are inspiring!  

***********

"Mom Schools meet according to the needs of the students, and most Mom Schools tend to focus on one or a few areas of expertise. A network of such schools in an area provides a much deeper academic offering than the traditional co-ops. I call them Mom Schools because of the hundred or so I know, only a few are initiated by Dad. But in many of them Dad is partially or very closely involved." ~Rachel DeMille, A Thomas Jefferson Home Companion

Our teens are a mixed phase crowd: We have a couple Scholars and the rest are in Transition or Practice Scholar Phase. On this day, they met for their Deeper Thinking Study Group where they rotate through reading Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors and discussing it. They practice and play a Latin game, are discussing the book The One Minute Philosopher and from time to time play Chess. This group is Mentored by one our moms.

 

Meet Ms. Miranda http://mirandasartofliving.squarespace.com/ 

She is our Deeper Thinking Study Group Mentor, Art Teacher and our resident Health Coach. She is the mother of three children , all of whom attend on Thursday.  Miranda plays a big role in our Mommy School where she alternates from Study Group Mentor to Cooking and Nutrition Class Instructor, I can pretty much throw her into any group and she pops the learning!  Today she filled in for our Art Teacher and facilitated the Scholar's Graphic Novel, Art Class.  

 With sketch books in hand, the students worked on understanding the format of a story board. 

From time to time, if we don't have a mom or dad who can Mentor a class, or study group, we go outside our family circle and hire someone. We all pitch in to pay for that person.

Ms. Vivian Hadding is a local artist and home school mom, we hired. 
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1441553613

 

My husband is a part of our Mommy School, he works from our home and stops early on Thursdays to Mentor an American History Study Group, a topic he has much passion for!

Yes, they meet in our bedroom... by the end of a Thursday every room in the house has been used!

Mr. Jerry reads to the students, followed by a lively discussion.  

 Their learning is mostly conversational.

 

Keeping the learning simple and effective!  They read, narrate back, write essay's on the topic, discuss and from time to time present and/or debate in this group.

******

The Call of Community

"Many home schooling parents intrinsically know that their children need a community of other home schoolers.  A community of like-minded people.  A community of people who "get" them."  

"When we decided to start home schooling we really didn't know that it would make our children different somehow.  We wanted something different for our children, but we did not equate that if we offered something different, it would actually make them different."

The New Commonwealth School pg: 16

 

This is our Love of Learning Science Study Group. It is Mentored by Ms. Michelle one of our moms. She has two children attending on Thursday.  You'll see a big age span amongst the participants, as our Core Phase (pre-K ages) usually join in during Science.

Each mom in the group brings with them their unique talents and passions. Ms. Michelle has two children that she is homeschooling, five altogether, and works from home as an editor.  

Every week, Michelle, along with her passion for learning,

brings science to life with fun experiment demonstrations for our

Love of Learning- Liberty Kids and our Core Phase- Acorn home schooler's.

Look at the faces of our littlest participants... so curious! :-)   The lessons are short and sweet and the little children leave when they have seen or done enough.

 

Some of our kids love to present what they have learned (public speaking and additional learning practice) some don't, they have the choice. This is my grand niece, she is a few weeks shy of turning five and has been coming to my Mommy School since she was in diapers. She LOVES playing at school, and eats up everything we have to offer on Thursday's!

Creating Lap Books (hand made, authored by each student, personalized science text book). Each week after the experiment, we create a page in our books. Then we have the opportunity to read what we have learned. At the end of the semester,  we take our books home, to be placed on our shelves, so we can visit with them and continue our learning over and over again.

***** 

 Our TJEd Mommy School does not replace in home education, but is set up to accentuate what the students are already learning in their home schools.  We come together, parents and children, and decide what we want to learn in a group setting, then we look to our families in attendance, or the outside community for a Mentor, someone who would study the subject for fun is best!  

The study groups enable us to bring the learning to life in different, and at times, more effective ways. We get inspired by the people who have passions for what they are Mentoring, and the inspiration is contagious!  It  encourages everyone to help, we are challenged by other points of view, and we (children and adults) get to inspire the others around us.  

We base each study group, as much as possible, from a classic book.  We keep our lessons simple, mostly conversational, and relevant to the students life, and try to avoid Conveyor Belt educational patterns.    We break up the day with movement, the older kids take a walk, the younger ones play outside, as well as inside and, we eat together, each family brings a healthy snack to share.   

The Mommy School gives the children practice at growing up in a community with their primary role models or trusted adults close by, who can redirect and inspire good character development as needed.  

 The parents get much needed support and company in their home schooling endeavors!

 

We call the kids in the Love of Learning Phase-Liberty Kids at our Mommy School.

This is a Liberty Kids- Classic Book Language Arts- Learning Circle and is Mentored by Ms. Patti (that's been my nickname for twenty years now!)  Both pre-K and elementary ages sit through the reading and discuss it with us. I follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy, with a bunch of Waldorf methods sprinkled in, to bring the books to life. 

We read a classic book, discuss it, pull vocabulary words from the days reading and use and define them. From time to time, we take the words and create a story using them.

Each week we take an emotional (preferably)  passage from the reading and copy it. The older kids (when they are ready), don't copy, instead, they listen and write what they hear. They check their own work for structure and punctuation, and correct any mistakes, conditioning them for Scholar- self directed learning.

We draw a picture about the story in our language arts lap book, on the same page as our copy work. Narration plays a big role in our circle, each week we start our gathering taking turns re-telling the story and insights learned. 

We also try and bring some of the books we read to life;  we may do handwork, for instance we made log cabins using wood carving tools when we read the Little House series, we cook, reenact and for the current book The Tale of Despereaux we are creating, out of clay, a diorama of the castle and the characters from the story.

When it is dry, it will be available to play with.

When we do the Language Arts exercises, some pre-k'ers stay, some go off and play. For those in the pre- writing stage- they draw a picture based on the story and dictate to a mom what it is, we write it for them while they watch. When they are ready, we take a word or two and have them trace the words, they also practice writing them underneath.

I always have other moms with me to help and to redirect any behavior issues.  

They are encourage to share their wisdom with the group too!

Example of a Language Arts Lap Book

A Waldorf Inspired Wood Working Hand-Work Circle, creating logs for log cabins.  All ages participate and if a child is not ready to use pocket knives and wood working tools, they let us know, and can watch or practice on soap with a plastic knife.  

When it is time to learn a new skill, we look first to the other kids in the house to Mentor!

For our Core Phase group, whom we call Acorns, I run a Waldorf inspired, short and sweet circle time. We read a classic book, do some singing, finger plays, and movement (YOGA). We do a little journaling, where we draw a picture and dictation, based on the story... the older ones practice copying my writing. We may do some handwork or Waldorf type art.

It is important that the learning activity be natural, so we avoid pre-fab, cookie cutter-popular pre-school and elementary school arts and crafts activities.

Instead, we turn to resources like, water color painting, conte, felt, wax, sewing, knitting, and clay.

The idea when working with Core Phase children is to keep the children moving,  up and down... Contraction (academics short and sweet) and then expansion (movement & play).

For more information on Waldorf inspired art and crafts: http://www.openwaldorf.com/art.html

Talk about passion! Cooking Class with Mentor and Health Coach Miranda a woman who loves what she does!!!  http://mirandasartofliving.squarespace.com/

And, what would a Mommy School be without that -all important-in the background- kind of support? Ms. Christie is that for me. We have been homeschooling  together for fourteen year. Her son and my daughter have grown up together.  She is my go to person!  With help from other moms, she runs the kitchen, sets up the food, does the clean up, helps with the children, and fills in wherever we need her.  

She keeps the space running and knows where everything is so she can acclimate a new family if I am busy and makes sure the kids put everything away in the right place.  

   

We try and host a Mentor Lecture for our Mommy School participants a few times a year. We invite leaders, and inspiring members of our community to come and speak.

This is a photo of Lawrence Reed, President of the Foundation for Economic Education with the children.  Larry has come two years in a row to speak to our families. http://fee.org/people/lawrence-w-reed/ 

The first year, he gave a talk entitled: My Favorite President, Grover Cleveland. The second year, he spoke about Adam Smith,Philosopher and the man considered the, "father of economics". The talk was based on Smith's classic book: The Wealth of Nations.

Parents and students attend the lectures. The parents are encouraged, and come prepared to model group discussions, and to inspire the students into the discussion if needed.

Life Skills practice is a part of our Mommy School. We used drills, saws and muscle to create an Earth Box Organic Garden.

Learning to grow food here in SW Florida has been a challenge.  We've had to overcome the sand problem.  Here is the fruit of our labor!

We are always asking, "who in our group is connected to whom in our community?"  One of our daddies is connected to the fire department.  One day they showed up right outside our front door for a "come to us",  kind of  field trip!  

*****

"The most exciting thing about Mom Schools may be that they promise not only a better education for the rising generation, but they are also educating the parent’s generation in neighborhood after neighborhood across the globe. It is inevitable that this will impact our freedoms, our prosperity, and our future." ~~Rachel DeMille www.TJEd.org

The beauty of multiple age learning is how the older students model for the younger ones! 

Personally, I find that one of the added joys of creating a Mommy School in our home, is that my entire family has attended.

In this photo, my grand niece, my two nephews and the little guy is my grandson ♥♥♥♥

Our Mommy School on Thursday exhausts me, and some weeks I dread it... but always, I mean always, when it is over, and the last family leaves at 6pm,  I realize I am exhausted in a most soulful and very good way!  

I am blessed to be a part of each one of these families lives!

 Every one of them, adults and children, are here because they want to be, and they each bring their  positive energy, so full of inspiration for all of us!!! 

My daughter, niece, nephews and grandsons are equally blessed to have this wonderful community to grow up in!!! ♥

This Friday morning I woke to find this on my chalk board...

Warming my heart and creating  :-) BIG SMILES :-) 

((HUGS)) to whomever wrote it yesterday!

 ~~~:-)p