Chocolate Covered Boy Joy

Mid-Year Evaluation

2012-02-01T16:56:00.002-05:00

Since I don't have a bureaucracy breathing down my neck, I decided to give myself a teacher evaluation. So, how have I been doing since the fall? Here is what I have learned.

Lesson #1 Not enrolling the children in outside co-ops for the fall was a great decision. It gave us all some time to settle into our work after a long summer break. I had the time to really delve into our curriculum to see what worked and what didn't. If we jumped into co-ops right out of the gate in September, it may have taken us a lot longer to discover this. More importantly, sports schedules coupled with multiple co-op classes would have surely led to burnout for me. As spring approaches, and basketball season winds down (King Man plays for 2 leagues), I am ready to add in more outside cooperative classes.

Lion Heart can spell Stop and host of other words!

Lesson #2 Don't take it personal, especially not with a 5-year-old. I spent the entire month of August planning out a Montessori-inspired experience for Lion Heart. The first Monday of our homeschool and each day after I was met with resistance every step of the way. His actions told me what his words could not: "my creative spirit and exuberance would not be squelched by your lesson plans!" I was so angry and frustrated with him until I remembered that I unschooled King Man until age 7. More importantly, Lion Heart and King Man are two very different children, almost at opposite ends of the spectrum. So I set aside my plans, continued with his drumming and violin lessons, field trips, reading, lots of reading, and all was well. I re-introduced my "plans" after the new year and amazingly Lion Heart is more receptive. He now has a budding interest in spelling and teaching himself how to read. I'm going with his flow and loving it.

My #1 Goalie

Lesson #3 Surrender to what is. My life is not what it used to be. Because my husband is disabled, I sometimes feel like a single mom. In early morning moments of clarity, I am able to find peace and reasons to be grateful. I was able to combat my resentment about being the only activity-chauffeur with a simple change in attitude and mantra: I am blessed to be able to help my children cultivate their gifts. I make it work for me by doing my grocery shopping during soccer practice. I found a yoga class that meets the same time as King Man's drum class. Amazingly, after I surrendered, I began to meet more moms who wanted to share in the joys of cultivating the gifts of their children too. Translation: Carpools! I have a carpool for drumming on Fridays so that I can attend Lion Heart's basketball games. I've even found time to carpool two other children to basketball practice with King Man. I'm just paying it forward. Recently, we had a rare Saturday - no games, no music lessons, no NOTHING. How did I spend that time? I rolled up my yoga mat, tiptoed out the door, and headed off to a free yoga class. Surrendering has brought me great joy.

Lesson #4 Teach them to Learn how to learn: In my training as a tutor with Applied Scholastics, I learned the concept of teaching a child how to "learn how to learn." It dawned on me one morning as I became frustrated with not completing all of the lessons on King Man's daily schedule that I was missing the point. If King Man can "learn how to learn," he can teach himself anything that I missed. All of the tension and knots in my neck immediately disappeared. Instead of rushing from one assignment to the next, I now spend more time talking about how to approach learning, why it's important and how it relates to his life. The academic task are now secondary.

Saturday African History Class

Lesson #5 If a child doesn't have a sense of himself in the world, his education is meaningless. After Saturday morning sports and music lessons, my children participate in what I call "positive action culture school." The class, Blood is Thicker Than Water: African History and Politics, focuses on Africa and our historical connection and responsibility to the land and it's people. When I first told King Man that we would be taking a history class on Saturdays, his reaction was that of a child whose PS3 had just been dropped out of a window. While he still grumbles, he is learning a great deal more than I could ever teach him from someone who is living what he is teaching. That is a lesson in itself. I somehow know in my heart that what he is learning in class will make him a better husband, father and man in his community. He is learning how to make history.

Living History Books

Lesson #6 Take Your Time. I have to remind myself that I am not a school and our learning does not have to fit into a set number of weeks. The history that I have chosen is African-centered, meaning we learn about the world from the cultural and political perspective of African people throughout the diaspora. What this means in terms of curriculum is that living books have not been written to be consumed in a school year. We have to take our time to really understand what history means, why it's important and how it's relevant today. Now we take the time to discuss the topics that come up during our readings, instead of rushing to complete the unit. I still use Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool through High School by Rebecca Rupp to make sure we cover certain bases. But, my new philosophy is "grade level and above for math and language arts, organic learning for everything else."  It may take us a couple of years to get through the bound volumes of Grace Abounding and Journey of Liberation. But when we are done, it will be a solid foundation, not a rush job. This is a benefit of home education.

Lesson #7 Know when to fold 'em. As hard as it is to swallow, I may have to sell some curriculum that I have not used. I look at it every day and tell myself that King Man and Lion Heart have to finish it because I paid for it!  Un-used curriculum sitting on my shelf bugs me. But if it doesn't work, it just doesn't work. There's no way to get around it. So I've decided that the proceeds from the sale of the curriculum that doesn't work will go towards the curriculum that does. Yes, it took me 6 months to accept this reality.

Lesson #8 Chores are a part of homeschooling. I work part-time outside of the home so our "school day" has to end around 2pm.  This means I have to make lunch and dinner at the same time or we don't eat. Initially, I saw meal prep and as an intrusion on my homeschooling time. Now I see it as a very important part of life skills training for my children. A clean house and having healthy meals to eat are just as important as learning math, grammar and history. So we all chip in to make it happen in a timely manner.

Lesson #9 Switch it Up. Homeschooling, just like anything else, can become monotonous. When I start to feel bored and they start to misbehave (a sure sign of restlessness) I announce something that the boys love to hear: it's film school day. We utilize our Netflix membership to watch films on topics we've been studying. Recently, we watched Nubia: The Forgotten Kingdom after reading about Nubia in our Classical Africa text. Now the word Ta-Seti, which means "Land of the Bow" has so much more meaning for King Man. Film days also make it easier for Lion Heart to learn alongside his brother.

Lion Heart practicing Bow Pose or Dhanurasana

Lesson #10 Start with the Spiritual. This has become so vital to my being the best mom/teacher I can be. The days when I start off with yoga/meditation or exercise, I am much more effective the entire day. I also leave out the yoga mats so that upon rising, both boys can hit the mat. Afterwards each has to start the day giving thanks and reading a devotional. No matter how late we get started, if we begin with the spiritual, we are off to a positive and productive day.

Conclusion: I've done pretty darn good. I've learned some valuable lessons and I'm finding the time to take better care of myself. I'm working smarter and possibilities are opening up because my focus is on being grateful as opposed to lack. Most important of all, I've learned to relax.

Boys Knit

2011-12-24T08:55:00.000-05:00

Knitting 101 with Eliza-Jane (Kingman watching intently - his locs look great!)

12-year-old Eliza-Jane has been knitting since she was 5-years-old

A selection of beautiful yarn

Eliza-Jane instructing the class-"I'm not waiting to shine," reads her business cards

It was my friend Teresa who first taught me that boys can and should knit. Her children attended Waldorf Schools and participated in all kinds of art and handwork as a part of their education. So when the chance came for my son to take a knitting class taught by another homeschooler, I jumped at the chance. It helped that two other boys were also enrolled in the class. We are now hooked because we had awesome teachers! During class today Zion commented to one of the moms that he felt like an "old woman" knitting. She gently reminded him that the ancient practice of creating Kente Cloth in Ghana is done by the men of the village. Oh yes, African men use their hands to do good and purposeful work. Making your own scarf falls into that category. The next class we're making hats and Kingman is ready for the challenge. In the meantime, we're going to start researching male weavers and cloth makers from Africa.

Ghanian Kente Cloth Weaver

"Yarns for weaving come in a variety of forms and qualities. In the past yarns were either spun from locally grown cotton or unraveled from cotton and silk cloths imported from Europe and Asia. Today, factory made cotton, silk or spun rayon yarns are obtained from factories in Ghana and outside Ghana. Various colors of yarns may be combined in particular ways to reflect the symbolic significance of the cloth. Quality of yarns used in weaving a particular cloth reflects on the level of prestige associated with the cloth. Silk yarns are usually considered the most prestigious and are therefore the most highly valued. Silk cloth, in the past were reserved for royalty and the wealthy. An average width of a strip is 4 inches. Several strips are carefully arranged and hand-sewn together (some weavers use sewing machines in recent times) to obtain a desired size. Tradition has it that Kente is woven mainly by men. Women, in the past, played a significant role by spinning raw cotton into yarns, dying yarns into desired colors, sewing strips together to form large cloths and assisting in the marketing of the cloths. Today, factory spun yarns have replaced hand-spun yarns, and therefore, the woman's role is mainly in the area of sewing strips together and marketing the cloth."

source: http://kente.midwesttradegroup.com/history.html

Boys to Men: A Coach's Job

2011-12-05T01:02:00.002-05:00

LeBron James, the Fab-5 and Coach Dru

First Penn State Football, now Syracuse Basketball is in the news with another scandal involving sexual molestation and our sons. As the mother of an athlete who plays travel soccer and now AAU basketball, these stories trouble me deeply. Coaches are an important figure in the lives of young males, even more so for males who do not have a father or strong male figure in the home. So it was probably no accident that a mom from my son's soccer team recommended I check out the documentary More Than a Game. This was a moving, edge-of-the-seat exciting documentary about the life of LeBron James and the formation of the "Fab-5," a loving moniker for he and his four best friends. These young men grew up facing all kinds of adversity, but it was the game of basketball, more importantly, the coach that helped them find their way. Their victory wasn't just about the state championship or becoming the #1 basketball team in the country. The Fab-5 became a family and the coach like a father. That was the real victory, because without that sense of stability, nothing else would have been possible in their lives. What moved me most about the documentary was Coach Dru Joyce's realization that his mission was not just to win the game, but to transform these "boys into men." How profound! There are all kinds of lessons in this film. As I reflect on this photo of my son in a huddle during his first AAU game, I pray that his coaches have already come to that realization. If you have an athlete in your home, no matter the sport, this is a must see film.

Slam Jam Hoyas - KingMan in the electric blue Nikes

Teaching Gratefulness

2011-11-30T11:58:00.000-05:00

Kingman counting his profits after vending at a holiday party. Note the disappointed expression. His sales were not what he expected. A good time for a gratitude reminder you think?

At least once a month Kingman asks when are we getting a new car. Our blessed car was gifted to us and has over 250,000 miles on it. I gently remind Kingman that we are grateful to have a car that is paid for and still working when we drive past people standing at a rainy bus stop. Immediately, his perception changes to one of complete understanding. Apparently, taking these moments to redirect our children's perceptions can have lasting positive effects, according to Christine Carter, Ph.D, a sociologist and happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. Carter recently wrote about this topic on her blog in a post entitled Gratitude vs. Materialism. The article goes on to say that "materialistic folks tend to be dissatisfied with their lives, have low self-esteem, be less integrated into their community, find less meaning in life, and be less concerned about the welfare of others." For children this translates into being more likely to do poorly in school, be at greater risk for depression, unhappiness and anxiety and feeling less connected to their community. Who knew materialism could be this harmful?! Dr. Carter suggests that when we help our children learn to focus more on the positive, there is less time to focus on the negative. More importantly, according to Dr. Carter grateful children and teens are much happier. "They get higher grades, are more satisfied with their lives, are more integrated socially (e.g., they feel like they are a significant part of their communities), and they are more likely to experience flow in their activities. They show fewer signs of depression. Grateful teens also tend to feel less envy," she wrote. I used to have Kingman practice his cursive handwriting by writing in this Grateful journal. We'll be picking that practice up again starting today.

Reel Injuns

2011-11-24T17:15:00.001-05:00

Russell Means, American Indian Movement Leader featured in the film Reel Injuns

Every story is different based upon who tells it. Nothing is more true than the story of Thanksgiving. On this day, in addition to spending time with family and friends, we spend some time learning about the history of Native people. We watched the film Reel Injuns. Excellent would be putting it mildly. It's the story of how the image of Native people, mostly negative, has been created by Hollywood. It's a superb film timeline ending with what one of the narrators describes as "progress" in Native films created by Native people. Here is a list, complete with Netflix links, to some of the more positive First Nation People films, as recommended by Jesse Wente, film critic in Reel Injuns. (By the way, Netflix is a wonderful educational too!)

Atanarjuat

Smoke Signals

Whale Rider

Once We Were Warriors (Excellent!)

Skins
Ten Canoes

Rabbit Proof Fence (Outstanding!)

After the film was over, KingMan no doubt had a different perspective on terms such as "Indian Giver" and the "Red Skins." Films are an excellent way to teach and begin important discussions. Click this link for the Teacher's Guide for Reel Injuns.

“When you’re kids and you’re trying to play Cowboys and Indians, and if you’re an Indian kid – well, doesn’t that mean you’re going to lose all the time?”

Jesse Wente has been the weekly film critic for CBC Radio for nearly a decade. He also appears on Q, CBC Radio’s national arts and culture show, and is seen regularly on TVO’s Saturday Night at the Movies. Jesse is a programmer at the Toronto International Film Festival as well as the imagine NATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. He is also president of Native Earth Performing Arts, Canada’s oldest Aboriginal theatre company.

Putumayo Kids Presents: The World Culture Collection

2011-11-19T05:50:00.004-05:00

The over-sized coloring book.

The sticker book.

Inside view of the sticker book.

We are big on world culture in our homeschool and family life. We are blessed to live in a city melting pot, filled with cultural events. We are also big fans of Putumayo Kids. I discovered the African Playground CD at the library years ago and added many of the Playground series to our homeschool. We have already incorporated the World Playground Multicultural Activity Kit iinto our homeschool. So imagine how delighted I was to discover the World Culture Collection. The oversized coloring books are perfect for little hands and the sticker books, with reusable stickers, help cultivate creativity and storytelling skills in the little ones. The coloring books and sticker books are ideal for workboxes and perfect for Montessori Continent Boxes. We plan to purchase the entire collection!

LionHeart pasting a sticker and telling me a story.

All done and proud!

God-sister Sia-Li sketching an African Mask in the over-sized coloring book

Inspired, LionHeart sketches an African mask of his own.

Sia-Li and her masterpiece.

website: http://www.putumayokids.com/

World Culture products: http://ecard.putumayo.com/new_products/

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/putukids

Twitter page: www.twitter.com/putumayokids

U.S. Botanical Garden: A City Oasis

2011-11-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

This is our second time around with Sprouts Class: preschool botany at the United States Botanical Garden. Kingman participated in this class when he was a preschooler and now it's Lion Heart's turn. It's an amazing hour packed full of interesting botanical science. Each class begins with a craft, followed by a story, a tour of the botanical garden related to the theme of the day, and ends with another craft and snack.

During the month-long session we studied worms, fish and oxygenated water, pollinators, owls and deciduous trees. Though the class is for preschoolers, my preteen is learning a lot the second time around. In fact, he's the first one dressed and ready to go on Sprouts day. One rainy morning I contemplated out loud my desire to skip class because of the weather. No can do said Kingman. "Mom, we can't miss Sprouts class!"

Kingman participated in all of the classes, but if you bring older students they are free to explore the Botanical Gardens with the Junior Botanist Program.

Kingman is the designated photographer on Sprouts Day! He's so proud of his photographs.

Kingman and Lion Heart on the day we learned about owls.

Kingman takes his crafting very seriously.

Listening to Ms. Lee, the most awesome teacher ever! (She's been there since Kingman was a preschooler)

That's the Native American Museum in the background.

The beautiful garden.

Ms. Lee asked the children to notice the different colors in the garden.

I asked Kingman to snap shots of beautiful things that catch his eye.

Here is the lily pond where the fish (the subject of our first class) live.

More beauty that caught Kingman's eye.

Kingman couldn't resist snapping up the US Capitol. It sits right behind the US Botanical Gardens.

The babbling brook. I may have a photographer on my hands.

This is the rear of the US Botanical Gardens.

This the US Botanical Gardens' courtyard. During warm weather we have lunch in this courtyard.

Here's another shot of the deciduous trees with the Native American Museum in the background.

Amazingly, this is just the outside of the US Botanical Gardens. Inside is even more incredible!

For more information about Sprouts Class or to visit the museum, check out their website at www.usbg.gov.

On November 11, 2011, Sprout Class celebrates 10 years with a Sprouts Reunion at the US Botanical Gardens. Washington, D.C. is truly a homeschooler's paradise of free programming.

A Daily Dose of Art

2011-11-17T09:49:00.000-05:00

I just had to "Shout Out" this blog. Art Projects for Kids reminds me of a 5-ingredient recipe: it's so NOT intimidating. Organized and simple, most projects can be completed in under 30 minutes. Art sometimes gets the short end of the stick in our education plans, but this site helps me incorporate art almost daily. I print out all of the posts and store them in a 3-ring binder. Each day my children get to choose some art to create. I have lots of craft and art books, but this site is what we use most frequently because it's so simple. Yesterday, we decided to make tree silhouettes. Who knows, today it may be watercolors. Check the beauty we created with only 3 ingredients: white paper, black permanent markers and colored markers.

LionHeart hard at work.

KingMan choosing just the right colors.

Mom working hard too.


This is our Art Projects for Kids Binder ... simple projects only fingertips away!

Masterpieces! (L-R: LionHeart, KingMan and Mom's)

Raising Children of the World

2011-11-16T09:15:00.000-05:00

Learn how to "Tinikling" with dancers from the Philippines

Kingman has been blessed to attend camp at the Washington International School for the past 8 years. They've literally watched him grow. At camp Kingman made friends from all over the world, including Mexico, Afghanistan and Egypt. Because of this early exposure, Kingman wants to travel the world. He told me wants to see Africa, Brazil and even Iceland. My goal is to take him around the world when he graduates from high school. In the meantime, we are going to follow the advice from Christina Pilkington's blog Interest-Led Learning.

10 Ways to Take a Trip around the World without Leaving far From Home

by ChristinaPilkington on August 24, 2011 · 2 comments

No matter what your interests are, travel can enrich and expand those interests. If your child likes to cook, taking him to restaurants in other parts of your country or foreign countries may spark ideas for new culinary creations. If you like to play an instrument, it’s an incredible experience to hear musical performances in another country.

But what if you’re not able to travel far, or visit a foreign country? Can you still get the benefits of travel without straying too far from home? While I believe nothing can compare to the real thing, I think too often people forget how easy it is to get a flavor of world cultures right in their own backyard.
For some of you this will be easy. Those who live near a big city will have more opportunities than those living in remote or rural areas. But with the internet, there are so many ways you can bring the world right to your doorstep.

Check out these 10 Ways to Take a Trip around the World without Leaving far From Home

1. Visit ethnic neighborhoods in your region or state. I live very close to a big city, so there are dozens of ethnic neighborhoods within a 15 to 20 minute drive from my house. I could visit Chinatown, Greektown, Little Italy, as well as Mexican, Polish and South Asian neighborhoods. There are museums, restaurants, fairs and festivals, stores and much more to give you a flavor of those countries. If you live further away, consider taking a day or weekend trip to your nearest city and see what it has to offer.

2. Visit a different ethnic restaurant twice a month for the next year, or cook your own recipes from around the world. Look at the possibilities within your own or neighboring towns. I find I often get in a rut when eating out and gravitate towards the same places. Pick up your Yellow Pages and discover unexplored restaurants within a ten mile radius of your home. If eating out isn’t an option, check out different ethnic cookbooks at your library. Create your own culinary round-the-world experience this next year.

3. Home Exchange & Family Hosting Service for Home Educating Families If you can’t see the world, bring the world to you. The above site is specific for homeschooling families, but there are other sites that offer home exchange or hosting services. When families from other states or countries come to your city or town, you can offer to have them over for a meal or to take them on a tour. It’s a great way to meet others from around the world and hear what it’s like to live in their country. You can also trade homes with another family within a day’s drive if you like.

4. Around the World in 80 Treasures I loved this DVD series and its quirky host Dan Cruickshank. I received the series for a birthday present a few years back; my husband and I were soon addicted to watching the 10 episodes on the discs. Dan travels to 34 countries to see 80 of the world’s greatest treasures. Be careful to preview it first. There are a few questionable things you might not want your child to view depending on their age.

5. Songs Around the World You’ve got to check out the free video on Amazon for the song Stand by Me that’s included on this CD. The producer travels to different parts of the world and records musicians playing the same song. Then he dubs the music together to create a version of the song with all the musicians integrated seamlessly into one track.

6. Gimme Your Stuff I stumbled across this website and am so excited to participate. Basically, you decide to offer something that is unique to your area. It might be a food that ships easily, a book, newspaper, CD, stationary, or toys. Then you contact people from other countries and ask them for something you’re interested in as an exchange for what you have to offer. What an awesome way for kids (as well as adults!) to receive fun packages in the mail. As a warning, the last update on the site (it’s a blogspot blog) is from a few years ago, but there are links on the sidebar to the people willing to make exchanges. Some of them are not longer doing it, but I’ve contacted a few that are still interested.

7. TutorNation.com A great way to connect to other nationalities and ethnic groups is to speak their language. Even if you only know a few basic phrases, you’ll show your interest and your new foreign friends will appreciate it. You could hire a personal tutor and learn one language in depth for a year or so, or you can browse the many free language podcasts on the internet and sample five or six languages this next year.

8. Festivals.com Try to attend several new cultural fairs or festivals this year. It’s a great way to sample the food, music, language and customs of different countries while staying at home.

9. Google Earth I think this free software that you can download on your computer is one of the most exciting, interactive ways to travel the world virtually. You can fly to ancient Rome in 3D and see how it looked in 320 AD., you can discover other travelers’ favorite places, and you can take a virtual walk around national and cultural landmarks.

10. Postcrossing.com Would your child (or you!) like to receive postcards in the mail each week from different people around the world? I’m really excited to do this with my kids soon. Here’s how it works. You request an address from the website and then mail a postcard to that address. Then when you receive a postcard in the mail, you register the received postcard into the system. You can have up to 5 postcards travelling at a single time, but that number can go up. I’m envisioning pasting our received postcards around our world map on the kids’ bedroom wall.

(Reposted with permission)

Continuing the Work of his Great-Grandmother

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Grancy, Kingman (age 5) and Grandpa Steve at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC

This has been a trying few months for Kingman. His beloved great-grandmother, affectionately known as Grancy, passed away on November 7, 2011. Kingman always thought of himself as her "little protector," helping her down the stairs and looking out for her when we went out on the many field trips we did as a family. She was spirited, wise, strong and a voracious reader. Her bookshelf was a window into her beautiful soul revealing the depth and breath of her interests from Japanese Bonsai plants and watercolor painting to Southwest Indian Jewelry and her collection of Royal Doulton Character and Toby Jugs. She was an avid collector, first Indian coins from 1856-1909 and later Black History Commemorative Stamps.

In some ways I believe my grandmother laid the foundation for me to homeschool my children. She was a great believer of self-education. She taught herself so many things, including sign language in order to communicate with my sister, who is deaf. She was fiercely proud of our African and Native ancestry. Books about slavery, Africa and free blacks on the Eastern Store of Maryland (where we come from) filled her shelves. Without the aid of a computer, she located my grandfather’s relatives that he had not seen in more than 30 years. She also traced our family history back to the 1890s on the island of Barbados in the West Indies. And it is here that Kingman and I will carry on the tradition. My grandmother and his great-grandmother did the work of finding the first 7 generations. We plan to keep going and hopefully trace it back 7 more generations.

I will always be indebted to the legacy of information she has left behind, especially the gift of geneology. Because of Grancy, history as a subject will have so much more meaning for my sons. Revealing this history has helped us better understand who we are and strengthens us as we discover that we come from a long line of freedom fighters and self-educators.

When Kingman turns 13 he will go through an African Rites of Passage that will require him to recite his lineage back 10 generations. Thanks to our beloved Grancy, we already have a head start.