Tomorrow begins our last week of school.
Now before I hear any whining from you folks with a month or more to go, please realize that we began our year in mid-August. I had never started that early before, but we did like the locals do. The public schools end at the end of the month. I am doing CATs the week after Memorial Day, so we still have that, and it’ll formally finish us up at the same time that they do. This is our last week of stuff in the syllabus.
Thank goodness.
Last week was a very bad week. It was so bad that Bill suggested we take a week off. Had we even two weeks left, I would have, but with one week to go, delaying the end even more was depressing than suffering through. My students and I were in agreement: we wanted the school year to end. We simply disagreed on how best to accomplish that. I thought if I cut all unnecessary work and even reduced the number of problems in core assignments, we could quickly be done. My children felt that we should just move into summer vacation with nary a backward glance at those remaining worksheets.
Both sides dug in their heels, and by Friday I was exhausted from the battle. Bill told the kids they’d be sent off to school if they didn’t start treating their teacher better. And honestly, I was all ready to sign them up, but only if they could start right away.
Fortunately, I just needed a weekend to breathe. Yesterday, I stopped at the store and bought three bags of candy with which to bribe reward my students for speedy, accurate and tear-free work. I’ve promised them a special trip on Wednesday if they can get the whole week’s worth done by 10 am that day (totally do-able), and I’ve promised them a mid-week movie night on the last day.
We will get through this. And maybe we’ll even like each other when it’s all over.
Reit This Way 
I hope that you make it through the week with all your hair!I have to admit though, when I read posts like this, I worry that we have made a wrong decision to homeschool. I told one of my friends (who homeschools) that I was afraid I might go insane if I homeschooled. She said, “Hey, look at it this way — you might go insane even if you don’t homeschool.” Ahhh…yes. It is nice to have supportive friends. LOLGood luck!
Angie, you must realize that I’m moving for the 4th time in 4 years in less than 5 weeks. That stress is certainly contributing to my madness. Kids are kids, and they feed off all this negative energy. I must be calmer.
M,All will be well again. I understand the need to finish before you move. It adds loads of stress. I have one moving into high school next year and the Seton load (in Math, particularly) is a burden . . . so I stress over putting him into a local high school. Then, reading this book on home schooling by Kimberly Hahn and friend, I read some good reasons not to put him into a local high school (avoid all the “I needs” like prom, clothes, iphones, etc.). It has been wonderful avoiding all the “I needs” the past three years. Oh, and the fundraisers. We get orders this month, but the move is still another year away. Next summer. I’ll be pushing to the finish line as well.God bless you!
We officially have about 6 weeks left, but have already started putting books on the shelf and throwing completed workbooks in the trash. Even our CAT results have been filed away.I love this time of year, we finish up something so the next day is shorter, and then the next…
Our CAT test arrived this weekend, first time for us. Ah, yes, PCSing…when you’re all settled in your new place I’ll need to pick your brain about Seton and other homeschooling stuff for the area. Good luck with the week!
We have two weeks left, and like you we had a horrible week last week. So I took the weeny way out. We took off today. I called an impromptu field trip and we went to the zoo (We have been studying camouflage and animal habitats lately).We all feel much better. I don’t know how it will translate to our work tomorrow, but it was worth losing a day just to relax and enjoy our time together.Now if we could have been done for good Wed. morning, I might have reconsidered our plan…
You mean I’m not the only one who has weeks/ days like these? I think my students and their teacher (me) are burnt out and NEEEEEEEEEEED a summer break. Like you, we too will be finished in just a matter of days. I will pray that your week goes smoothly and painlessly – and that your summer break is filled with fun and a good amount of relaxation.
I so need to read posts like this, and I’m only home schooling one. In first grade. But the Seaton load is about to drive me (and my kids) up the wall. We got our CAT’s in as well, and I wasn’t going to do them yet, but reading this makes me think I should. We have about three weeks left. I need to sit and figure out what is needed and what is not. Not every worksheet needs to be done. As long as the material is understood. I am very ready for a summer break. So are my kids. Especially since hubby will be working two jobs soon….Good luck on the move. Four times in four years in a lot. We’ve moved five times by the time we had been married for seven years. I thought that was a lot. I swear packing with little kids was next to impossible. Do you have someone doing the packing for you? I know the Army used to move DH when he was in.
Thanks for reminding me of that, Michelle! We had a stint when we did a lot of moving, and it was really hard. And, we didn’t even have very many kids and weren’t homeschooling. I’ll keep you in my prayers!