More thoughts on ‘batch’ work...

Lacie is my main responsibility to home-school.  But, I’m working with Anna and Angel in Brit Lit and Anna in Human Biology—all in addition to the Chemistry Co-op class.  Only the Chemistry class is highly structured.  I’ve taught the subject for 25 years and have ideas regarding pacing in Chemistry.  Anna’s Human Biology began last summer.  Recently, she has done several labs.  Right now, she is finishing her lab reports and working on Fluids and Electrolytes.  I have POGIL exercises for her once she finishes the enzyme lab.  

I’m working with Angel, Anna, and Lacie in ‘batches’.  Anna and Angel just finished Shakespeare plays, contemporary literature (Hogarth Shakespeare), and films based on the plays.  The assignments included reader guides to complete.  Now that the background material is complete, we spent time today making comparisons, and drawing up questions for their next papers: Do contemporary film or literature capture Shakespeare.  The girls are making character studies form the plays, lit, and films for comparison.  They need to study Elizabethan social structure and marriage as an economic contract versus modern society.  It is really a project.  We plan to study one more play, Romeo and Juliet, before moving on to Jane Austen.

Meanwhile, Anna, Angel, and I are writing a STEM grant—writing with a purpose!  We are tackling this in a big batch.  We’ve spent several hours.  The grant proposal should be ready next week for approval and then submission.  Anna had to learn a little Excel to assemble the budgets.  Angel is working on the abstract.  She and I will hone it next Tuesday.  

While I work with Anna and Angel, Lacie has a project.  Right now, she needs to finish her notes and study for the Theology and RC exams.  She worked nine or ten hours on notes.  Last week, she worked nine hours on a paper.  We plan to finish the History material and take the midterm next.  Lacie need to learn how to study.    We invested loads of time writing notes, converting the notes into quiz cards—all before studying for her exams.  

Lacie is also working in batches on WBE.  We’ll see how this plays out.  When we really begin Latin and Grammar, I do not want the distraction of vocabulary or WBE.  

Guess what?  Lacie is starting to take charge of her studies and plan her time.  She decided to work on Algebra over the weekend to stay on track.   Yeah!  We’ll keep trying to find a balance.