school update

Well we are on week 3 now of our preschool at home. Ethan asks to do school every day and seems to enjoy every assignment. I've been a bit behind on planning ahead this week because of a sinus/bronchitis yucko sickness that Jude and I both shared. So my motivation and keeping on top of things mode has lacked, but we are on the mend.

I just realized today that I actually like teaching! For those that don't know I have a B.A. degree in Elementary Education. I taught for a year and tutored for 2. I always get asked if I will teach again whenever I go back to work and my answer has always been-NO WAY! (okay I don't shout it but I don't think I could be paid enough to do that again) So back to the "I like teaching part"...I love to teach and plan lessons (especially when I can go at the pace that Ethan needs to without having to balance 10 more children's paces and their needs) but the managing a classroom and parents of the children in my classroom were not my favorite part of teaching. But since I don't have to necessarily manage Ethan (except for our occasional shepherding a heart moment...or if it was yesterday a big moment), I just get to teach and plan fun lessons. And I am actually loving it...especially since I have a kid that thinks everything is so fun.

So on with the update...Ethan has learned the sounds of his letters, recognizing lower case and upper case letters, doing basic shapes and patterns and separating into categories for math, drawing lines and curves for writing, rhyming, a little bit of computer skills/phonics on starfall.com (thanks to beulah land), working on our five senses, lots of coloring, cutting, pasting, and painting. The curriculum has been nice because any manipulative's that I would need, I can find most in my home already...or improvise.

I think the hardest thing is not having a school room where all the school stuff stays and is set up and ready to go. It takes a little while to clear Ethan's "car lot" off the table, get our books and supplies off of our school shelf and get started. But it all works out.