I relate to your daily plan. We do morning basket and independent work (math/language/writing) in the morning, then lunch, exercise, then our unit study, it took me SO many years to figure this out!! This is my 20th year homeschooling!!!!
I love the idea of front-loading the school year and doing more history in the winter. We practically go into hibernation over winter because it gets so cold here!!! So that idea would work really well for our family. Thanks Hana
Yes, I think that's where the idea came from: the winter is a time for 'rest' in the field, so there's more time at home, hence a time for reading and discussing because that's the root of education. In fact, a lot of time, children didn't go to school in the fall during harvest time because they were needed at home, historically speaking ;) But could go to school in the winter, barring a blizzard. I've also heard of some families taking spring off because the weather is good and starting school in the summer when it's too hot to be out. There's so many ways to do it when we depart from the conventional method. -Hana
I really think breaking up the subject likes that promote a love of learning and a sense of excitement truly!!! History/ geography wrapped up with hot coco or tea and or warm soup ..... Science in the spring when you can not just study but see it ...... Just seems to give everyone something to continue to look forward to each season!! The amazing kits and projects you have just puts the icing on the cake!!!
Hey Kristy! You've said it perfectly. Back in our old house, we used to have the fire place going a lot in the 'winter'. We would cozy up and read. On the rare occasion it would rain, we really took in the experience. The only thing with rain around here, is that it only lasts for a little bit and then the sun comes out, so we don't totally get that winter feel around here, but we try! The projects are definitely the icing on the cake, I do hope the kids end up with fond homeschooling memories :) -Hana
I just want to say that I am SO glad I found your channel! My oldest is 4, and I have been looking all over for homeschool info and inspo, and I just adore everything on your channel. So much awesome information. So thank you so much, and I look forward to more videos :)
Welcome Sara!! I'm so glad you are here :) I admire you looking into educational options for your kids while they are still young; they are fortunate to have you :) -Hana
We are exactly the same, far better about being properly studious in the fall and winter....then come Feb or March I have a LOT of other things to plan and do (we have a small “homestead” and a large garden which requires unbelievable amounts of planning) and the kids are full to the brim with spring fever and there starts to be very little consistency by the time June rolls around. Works out ok though, we have some studies over the summer as well.
I was just going to ask about your schedule on another video on how you do everything but decided to search to see if you already had a video explaining and here it is lol! We pretty much do the same thing with getting the smaller stuff done first before lunch then focusing on history or science in the afternoon. I love your idea to take a break and include a kindergarten unit! I only have two girls but even so I find my 3rd grader's lessons over run time for me to really focus on my younger daughter and her current pre-k lessons or one on one reading time. It's a big part due to the lack of time management on my part I admit but I hope to implement your idea the rest of this school year and next year. I love your videos so much and can't wait to see more!
Thank you so much for making these videos, your soothing voice and variety of clips has been a go-to lately and they have been really helpful for the beginning of my journey homeschooling one preschooler. Coming from a Montessori background and learning about Waldorf from you has been great, Mahalo! :)
So here's a question for ya'! ...Do you ever find that a lot of "important things" *anomalies* lol disrupt you being consistent with your school schedule? For me, it seems like other family members, events, etc are always keeping us from following my entire routine each day. I have a hard time putting my foot down about it. Does that make sense?
Oh gosh, that's the hardest. Even without those outside distractions, there are internal hurdles like appointments, sick days, classes, guests, etc. I've purged our schedule of as many outside obligations as possible so I can focus on achieving our goals which are more easily achieved at home. When it comes to family, there are times we (and I mean I) need to stick more closely to our homeschool schedule (that would be September through January), and other times we are more flexible (April-June). What's more difficult than a week day interruption is a weekend interruption/commitment. The weekend is my planning time and if I can't get that in, it throws off the whole of the next week. -Hana
right... same here. Because of my husband's work schedule, we take Tuesday and Sunday off school to have down time with him. So that means I do homeschool on Saturday. I've had a real hard time family members thinking I can just drop everything to do whatever is going on and the next thing I know we have skipped 3 days of school. I get so frustrated because I think sometimes people don't take it seriously, like the teaching isn't very important or it can wait for whatever they need etc While just one person's interruption might not be a big deal when you consider all the people who think they are the only ones... it just takes over my week! I did better when I lived in a remote area :)
For me, literally every time we got a schedule going , just as soon as we get into the groove (a few days in) something happens...usually the kids get a cold (everyone has a fever etc) or my husband suddenly has to change his work schedule for a week or two etc. Everytime! And as soon as I give up and let things go suddenly everything becomes predictable LoL....I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t bother with a formal schedule at all, just a general rhythm tied in with the seasons. It works well.
We do the same. I just never realized it but, that's exactly what we do!, lol! Thanks for sharing! It's just because of my work schedule, the hours differ. We generally do work mid mornings when I'm home or mid afternoon evening when I'm working.
Looks like we are both experiencing the same rhythms and schooling the same way. Don't you feel that you get the most out of yourself, kids, day and year that way? Do you work from home? -Hana
Thanks a lot for. Your channel; still I'm little confused, I'm interested in waldorf education but how to apply , I mean the main block lesson and so on. So if you could help with resources or book it will be great
Part of the confusion is that I share my own ideas mixed in with Waldorf practices. I have a few videos on it, but mostly I share what's worked for us.
Hello! I do not have a video on that part of my lesson planning. I use Excel spreadsheets, but I think there are programs specifically designed for lesson planning or at least ones that might be easier than the way I do it. I have been doing it this way for years, so my kids and I are very familiar with it. I had some other methods over the years, but this one has really worked for us. I can definitely do a general tutorial on how to use Excel for lesson planning. -Hana
In my experience, having a toddler while homeschooling is one of the most challenging things. So if your year is harder than you expect, know that it will get easier :)
As salamu alai kum sister I started home schooling but my spoken English is not good enough to teach my child so my child also not learning proper English.you speak so beautifully how I can improve my English at home please give me some suggestions.
Wa'alaykum Asalam Nazneen! I have friends who only speak Arabic or Urdu to their children and their children naturally pick up perfect English by interacting with their community and friends, etc. What's great about homeschooling is that you can learn alongside with your children. I like Susan Wise Bauer's material because it is all scripted. There are passages you read aloud to your children and questions you ask them. Then it provides answers as well. It's fabulous for all types of homeschoolers.
Jazakallahumma khair.. Your vedios inspire and helps me a lot.. I just have decided to homeschool my kids. But I need to study and prepare a lot before starting. I have a doubt.. Just to know more.. What if we teach only one main subject one day in detail?
Jazakom Allaho khyran for such a wonderful video. I have started recently to follow your posts and elhamdolelah I am learning a lot from them. So, I have a question regarding the main lesson and the morning schedule. In the morning, you do heavy stuff like new math concepts or reading/grammar and in the afternoon you just do history and science?
I'm so glad you are benefiting from my posts! That's wonderful to hear. Yes, the plan is 'head' learning in the morning, like math and grammar followed by history or science. Or sometimes it's all our daily work first, then our main lesson after...our daily work varies, but it can include seerah, Qur'an, grammar with stories of the companions of the Prophet, occasionally spelling, grammar review, mental math and daily math review. Sometimes we just do one page of math and one page of grammar from a workbook and then spend the day doing projects. What we don't usually do is start off the day with me reading aloud (that's for after lunch), or doing new math learning in the afternoon...but there are always exceptions to the schedule...I hope I didn't confuse you! I'm just trying to show our schedule and our exceptions. -Hana
That was really helpful. JAK :). So, one more question. I noticed that your kids are part of a charter school. How do you balance between the requirements of the charter school and the way you want to teach them, especially for younger ages, I found this really challenging ( I have a first grader).
I teach almost exactly the same whether I'm with a charter or not (I've been with charters, independent, private and county schools). I leave the work of 'meeting the standards' to our teacher. We have a very good relationship and she understands what we are doing, and likewise I know what she needs from us, so we show her what's going to work in terms of the school requirements.
hi you are doing an excellent work, I am from India and parent of two kids I have done few training courses also regarding Waldorf education I am very keen on starting my own school in India I need your help pls let me know how can I contact u thanks
I relate to your daily plan. We do morning basket and independent work (math/language/writing) in the morning, then lunch, exercise, then our unit study, it took me SO many years to figure this out!! This is my 20th year homeschooling!!!!
I love the idea of front-loading the school year and doing more history in the winter. We practically go into hibernation over winter because it gets so cold here!!! So that idea would work really well for our family. Thanks Hana
Yes, I think that's where the idea came from: the winter is a time for 'rest' in the field, so there's more time at home, hence a time for reading and discussing because that's the root of education. In fact, a lot of time, children didn't go to school in the fall during harvest time because they were needed at home, historically speaking ;) But could go to school in the winter, barring a blizzard. I've also heard of some families taking spring off because the weather is good and starting school in the summer when it's too hot to be out. There's so many ways to do it when we depart from the conventional method.
-Hana
I’m so grateful to you. I’m planning for the fall and you’ve been so helpful to watch.
I really think breaking up the subject likes that promote a love of learning and a sense of excitement truly!!! History/ geography wrapped up with hot coco or tea and or warm soup ..... Science in the spring when you can not just study but see it ...... Just seems to give everyone something to continue to look forward to each season!! The amazing kits and projects you have just puts the icing on the cake!!!
Hey Kristy! You've said it perfectly. Back in our old house, we used to have the fire place going a lot in the 'winter'. We would cozy up and read. On the rare occasion it would rain, we really took in the experience. The only thing with rain around here, is that it only lasts for a little bit and then the sun comes out, so we don't totally get that winter feel around here, but we try! The projects are definitely the icing on the cake, I do hope the kids end up with fond homeschooling memories :)
-Hana
I love your organizing/curriculum ideas! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experience! It really helps!!
Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to tell me :)
-Hana
I just want to say that I am SO glad I found your channel! My oldest is 4, and I have been looking all over for homeschool info and inspo, and I just adore everything on your channel. So much awesome information. So thank you so much, and I look forward to more videos :)
Welcome Sara!! I'm so glad you are here :) I admire you looking into educational options for your kids while they are still young; they are fortunate to have you :)
-Hana
We are exactly the same, far better about being properly studious in the fall and winter....then come Feb or March I have a LOT of other things to plan and do (we have a small “homestead” and a large garden which requires unbelievable amounts of planning) and the kids are full to the brim with spring fever and there starts to be very little consistency by the time June rolls around. Works out ok though, we have some studies over the summer as well.
Your videos are so informative and inspiring! Thank you for sharing. ❤
starting homeschool in September with my 10 and 9-year-old and your videos are soo helpful. thanks for sharing!!!
Welcome to homeschooling Mina! I'm glad to see you're off to head start finding out what you can about homeschooling. Well done!
-Hana
I was just going to ask about your schedule on another video on how you do everything but decided to search to see if you already had a video explaining and here it is lol! We pretty much do the same thing with getting the smaller stuff done first before lunch then focusing on history or science in the afternoon. I love your idea to take a break and include a kindergarten unit! I only have two girls but even so I find my 3rd grader's lessons over run time for me to really focus on my younger daughter and her current pre-k lessons or one on one reading time. It's a big part due to the lack of time management on my part I admit but I hope to implement your idea the rest of this school year and next year. I love your videos so much and can't wait to see more!
Thank you so much for making these videos, your soothing voice and variety of clips has been a go-to lately and they have been really helpful for the beginning of my journey homeschooling one preschooler. Coming from a Montessori background and learning about Waldorf from you has been great, Mahalo! :)
Hello! And welcome to my channel and your homeschooling journey. I'm thrilled I can help you along the way :)
So here's a question for ya'! ...Do you ever find that a lot of "important things" *anomalies* lol disrupt you being consistent with your school schedule? For me, it seems like other family members, events, etc are always keeping us from following my entire routine each day. I have a hard time putting my foot down about it. Does that make sense?
Oh gosh, that's the hardest. Even without those outside distractions, there are internal hurdles like appointments, sick days, classes, guests, etc. I've purged our schedule of as many outside obligations as possible so I can focus on achieving our goals which are more easily achieved at home. When it comes to family, there are times we (and I mean I) need to stick more closely to our homeschool schedule (that would be September through January), and other times we are more flexible (April-June). What's more difficult than a week day interruption is a weekend interruption/commitment. The weekend is my planning time and if I can't get that in, it throws off the whole of the next week.
-Hana
right... same here. Because of my husband's work schedule, we take Tuesday and Sunday off school to have down time with him. So that means I do homeschool on Saturday. I've had a real hard time family members thinking I can just drop everything to do whatever is going on and the next thing I know we have skipped 3 days of school. I get so frustrated because I think sometimes people don't take it seriously, like the teaching isn't very important or it can wait for whatever they need etc While just one person's interruption might not be a big deal when you consider all the people who think they are the only ones... it just takes over my week! I did better when I lived in a remote area :)
Yes exactly! Everyone thinks they are the only one, but really there are many and it adds up to missing three days of school like you said.
For me, literally every time we got a schedule going , just as soon as we get into the groove (a few days in) something happens...usually the kids get a cold (everyone has a fever etc) or my husband suddenly has to change his work schedule for a week or two etc. Everytime! And as soon as I give up and let things go suddenly everything becomes predictable LoL....I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t bother with a formal schedule at all, just a general rhythm tied in with the seasons. It works well.
We do the same. I just never realized it but, that's exactly what we do!, lol! Thanks for sharing! It's just because of my work schedule, the hours differ. We generally do work mid mornings when I'm home or mid afternoon evening when I'm working.
Looks like we are both experiencing the same rhythms and schooling the same way. Don't you feel that you get the most out of yourself, kids, day and year that way? Do you work from home?
-Hana
Yes, I do! No, I am an Occupational Therapist, I work outside the home. If I could I would rather stay home.
Im never able to stick with a consistent schedule. i love seeing what others do.
Yeah, consistency isn't my best strength. But I'm consistently inconsistent. So there's that ;)
I love TJED!!!! It was so inspiring.
Thanks a lot for. Your channel; still I'm little confused, I'm interested in waldorf education but how to apply , I mean the main block lesson and so on. So if you could help with resources or book it will be great
Part of the confusion is that I share my own ideas mixed in with Waldorf practices. I have a few videos on it, but mostly I share what's worked for us.
Thank you for this. Very helpful, were starting Grade One this year.
Welcome to homeschooling, Ingrid! I'm glad this was helpful :)
-Hana
ingrid rita bustamante we're
Hi Hana. What were your lesson blocks for 1st grade. Waldorf is confusing to me and I'm planning to try it.
Jazak Allahu khairan sister .
:)
Lovely
May Allah bless you and your children ameen.
Do you have a video on how you type up your lessons and organize them?
Hello! I do not have a video on that part of my lesson planning. I use Excel spreadsheets, but I think there are programs specifically designed for lesson planning or at least ones that might be easier than the way I do it. I have been doing it this way for years, so my kids and I are very familiar with it. I had some other methods over the years, but this one has really worked for us. I can definitely do a general tutorial on how to use Excel for lesson planning.
-Hana
That would be wonderful. This is my first year homeschooling and I need to get organized :)
How old are your children?
I have 3 boy's they are 7, 4 and my youngest is 2 next month
In my experience, having a toddler while homeschooling is one of the most challenging things. So if your year is harder than you expect, know that it will get easier :)
As salamu alai kum sister I started home schooling but my spoken English is not good enough to teach my child so my child also not learning proper English.you speak so beautifully how I can improve my English at home please give me some suggestions.
Wa'alaykum Asalam Nazneen! I have friends who only speak Arabic or Urdu to their children and their children naturally pick up perfect English by interacting with their community and friends, etc. What's great about homeschooling is that you can learn alongside with your children. I like Susan Wise Bauer's material because it is all scripted. There are passages you read aloud to your children and questions you ask them. Then it provides answers as well. It's fabulous for all types of homeschoolers.
Jazakallahumma khair.. Your vedios inspire and helps me a lot.. I just have decided to homeschool my kids. But I need to study and prepare a lot before starting. I have a doubt.. Just to know more.. What if we teach only one main subject one day in detail?
Jazakom Allaho khyran for such a wonderful video. I have started recently to follow your posts and elhamdolelah I am learning a lot from them. So, I have a question regarding the main lesson and the morning schedule. In the morning, you do heavy stuff like new math concepts or reading/grammar and in the afternoon you just do history and science?
I'm so glad you are benefiting from my posts! That's wonderful to hear. Yes, the plan is 'head' learning in the morning, like math and grammar followed by history or science. Or sometimes it's all our daily work first, then our main lesson after...our daily work varies, but it can include seerah, Qur'an, grammar with stories of the companions of the Prophet, occasionally spelling, grammar review, mental math and daily math review. Sometimes we just do one page of math and one page of grammar from a workbook and then spend the day doing projects. What we don't usually do is start off the day with me reading aloud (that's for after lunch), or doing new math learning in the afternoon...but there are always exceptions to the schedule...I hope I didn't confuse you! I'm just trying to show our schedule and our exceptions.
-Hana
That was really helpful. JAK :). So, one more question. I noticed that your kids are part of a charter school. How do you balance between the requirements of the charter school and the way you want to teach them, especially for younger ages, I found this really challenging ( I have a first grader).
I teach almost exactly the same whether I'm with a charter or not (I've been with charters, independent, private and county schools). I leave the work of 'meeting the standards' to our teacher. We have a very good relationship and she understands what we are doing, and likewise I know what she needs from us, so we show her what's going to work in terms of the school requirements.
hi you are doing an excellent work, I am from India and parent of two kids I have done few training courses also regarding Waldorf education I am very keen on starting my own school in India I need your help pls let me know how can I contact u
thanks
So helpful! Jazaks! :D
ممكن الترجمه بالعربي لأن كلامك مهم
So you're Muslim and you're working from there standards in homeschool setting?