TEACHER TO MANAGER: HOMESCHOOLING HIGH SCHOOLERS

 TEACHER TO MANAGER: 

HOMESCHOOLING HIGH SCHOOLERS

Homeschooling in High School is so different from the younger grades. I love that high school is so much more independent, especially when they are taking a few Dual Enrollment classes at our local community college. My teens are learning adult soft skills as they manage their time using checklists I and their professors give them.

That said, I am more of a manager than a teacher at this stage. I have to be so much more intentional about meeting with them and staying involved.

We have instituted a weekly meeting with mom. It was through our weekly meeting that I realized in high school homeschool I've gone from being their day to day teacher to essentially their manager. A good manager checks in often to monitor quality of work and maintain good relationships. A good manager doesn't do the work for you, but they give you tools and encouragement to do your work well.

This meeting is to make space for them to learn how to discuss and summarize what they are studying. I have caught items they forgot to do or didn't schedule correctly. I encourage them to look ahead and start planning for the next thing.

The transition of homeschooling high schoolers is a hard one at times. The first few years of high school were actually a little heartbreaking. I miss the snuggling on the couch and reading picture books together. I miss being THE teacher they came to with questions. I had to mourn that stage of homeschooling before I could move on. But they grow up, and this is the natural next step. Now, they teach ME about what they are studying. We have even deeper discussions about history and the Bible. They are also taking math class that is way beyond what I took in high school.

My job isn't to help with the content but the context. How do they communicate with their professor? How are they feeling about the workload and dealing with the stress?

It is ok and even healthy to mourn what was, but now I am thankful and prayerful of how to be a good manager of my homeschooling high schoolers.

Financial Reality Check: Personal Finance and Budgeting Workbook for Beginners/Teens

Financial Reality Check:
Personal Finance and Budgeting Work for Beginners/Teens

 Financial Reality Check is the practical personal finance book I wanted for my own sons and couldn't find, so I created it!

This finance curriculum gives junior and senior high school students the opportunity to experience some of the financial challenges they will face with independent living. The goal of this eye-opening personal finance experience is to give students a glimpse into what costs they can expect and to help them learn to take responsibility for personal financial decisions with the use of a Monthly Budget.

Students begin the book by taking personal inventories to help them chose from a list of entry level positions in 16 career fields. Job options also include information regarding the education level needed to obtain that position and if health benefits are provided. 

Students will then identify their tax bracket and calculate their monthly take home pay. 

Using their monthly take home pay students will work through several Expense Chapters where they make decisions about how to live independently while staying within their budget. For example, at the Housing Chapter they will be given several options including renting or buying, then must weigh the pros and cons of each. 

The reality check helps students become more aware of the true costs of living, including the many hidden costs they may not have considered, like renter’s insurance, mortgage rates, and utilities. They'll complete similar exercises in domains such as food, transportation, pets, maintenance, etc.

Some Skills Learned:

• Identify how personal strengths and interests determine career choice
• Identify how career choice, education, skills, entrepreneurship, and unexpected life events affect income
• Identify tax bracket, gross versus net income, and employee health benefits
• Calculating single and multi digit fractions, along with addition/subtraction needed in monthly budgeting
• Responsibility for personal financial decisions with the use of a Monthly Budget
• Identify the relationship between spending practices and achieving financial goals.

Discussing Current Events With Your Teen

Our High School History curriculum (Sonlight) asks the student learn about 2 to 3 current events a week.

Before we begin that process we must learn about bias and credibility. 

Today we went over AllSides Media Bias Chart (below), then Ad Fontes Media Bia (which also rates credibility, bias doesn’t dictate credibility, but is important to be aware of).

I have asked my sons to look up one U.S event and one World Event each week. They will read an online article in a center, left leaning, and right leaning reliable news source about that event. After reading about the event in three different sources they talk to me about the event.

I hope this will not only broaden their perspective of what is happening outside of the United States, but also make them more critical thinkers when consuming news.

Below I have typed their instructions for each week.

CURRENT EVENT 

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

1. Use Ad Fontes Media Bias to find credible sources

2. Pick an event from a Center Reliable News Source 

*One from U.S.A

*One from the World News

3.Using the All Sides Media Bias Chart: Read an ONLINE WRITTEN article about the event from: 

*Center Credible Source  

*Left Leaning Credible  Source

*Right Leaning Credible Source

>All Sides Media chart does not rate accuracy or credibility. A publication can be accurate, yet biased. Unless otherwise noted, these bias ratings are based on online written content, not TV, radio, or broadcast content.<

Note that sometimes different sources will not cover all events, which can also reveal bias.  

4. Talk to Parent at weekly meeting about what you learned

STAND BACK

STAND BACK

My teenagers opened a checking account today. I gave them instructions before walking in on what to say to the teller, then stood back. 

Once one boy was unsure of an answer, looking at me, but I didn't jump in to answer and I let him fumble a bit until he got to the right answer. Once he had to ask the bank worker to clarify what they were asking.  

They needed me for a signature, but I did not speak except for a few times when the bank worker asked me direct questions.

Stand back. 

Don't jump in.

Let your teens fumble. 

They've got this, and if they don't, they will learn.

Friendly Driver's Education

 

Friendly Driver's Education

Paying for Driver's Education for twin boys was cost prohibitive for our family. I have purchased Friendly Driver's Education for our boys and am supplementing with videos from YouTube (Syllabus and link below).

We are enjoying the scope and sequence of this book. Just like Friendly Biology, the information is relevant but readable. The graphics are well laid out with helpful review questions at the end of each chapter. I practically like that they have to learn how a car work before they jump into the actual driving.  

I developed an independent study syllabus to go along the Friendly Driver's Education textbook. My boys are responsible for scheduling driving lessons with us to complete their 40 hours of driving. 

Driving Lessons- Our state, Indiana, requires 40 hours of driving with a licensed driver before they can get their license  We are using the log provided and have purchased several traffic cones for parking and driving drills. We are using Driving Skills Checklist as guide for our driving lessons together.

Student Driver magnets are a must!

Friendly Driver’s Education Syllabus

You as the student are responsible for finishing this syllabus. Lessons 1-20 must be completed by your 16th birthday. If you need to do a practical or driving lesson, it is your job to schedule it with mom or dad.

		Video
1	Chapter 1: Read pages 1-5 Key and Starter
2	Chapter 1: Read pages 6-11 Ignition Switch and Battery	Understanding the Car Gauges  Dashboard Lights
3	Chapter 1: pages 12-14 Ch 1 Review Questions
4	Chapter 2: Read pages 15-20 Fuel Tank and Engine	Under the Hood
5	Practical Lesson- Fill Gas Tank and/or Check Car Fluids
6	Chapter 2: Read pages 21-24 Brake System	How to use Turn signal, lights, and horn
7	Chapter 2: Read pages 25-27  Ch 2 Review Questions
8	Chapter 3: Read pages 29-32 Transmission	Staying Centered in your lane Staying Centered in the Lane (UK, optional) Video 2
8	Chapter 3: Read pages 33-35 Automatic Transmission & Emergency Brake	How to drive an Automatic car
9	Chapter 3: pages 37-39 Ch 3 Review Questions	Road Signs
10	Chapter 4: Read pages 41-46  Steering and Cooling System (stop at Exhaust Systems)	How to Back up Safely using Mirrors  Using Mirrors
11	Chapter 4: Read pages 46-52 Alternator and Exhaust Systems (beginning at Exhaust Systems)
12	Chapter 4: pages 53-55 Ch 4 Review Questions
13	Chapter 5: Read pages 57-62 The Lighting System
14	Chapter 5: pages 63-65 ch 5 Review Questions
15	Chapter 6: pages 67-70 Preparing to take your written exam
16	Chapter 6: pages 71-73 ch 6 Review Questions
17	Chapter 7: pages 75-82  Getting behind the wheel	Driving Class 101  How to Steer
18	Chapter 7: pages 83-85 ch 7 Review Questions	Driving Class 102
19	Chapter 8: pages 87-94 Starting the Engine and Making the First Drive	Driving Class 103
20	Chapter 8: pages 95-97 ch 8 Review Questions Get Driver’s Permit from Indiana DMV	Parking Tips for New Drivers Where to park
21	Driving Lesson in parking lot- beginner skills Parking Lot Drills, will need traffic cones Begin Driver’s Log-	Parking Space Tutorial & Parking in Reverse
22	Chapter 9: pages 99-105 (stop at Navigating turns)	Driving Class 104 Make a U Turn Make a Right Turn Left Turns
23	Chapter 9: 105-110 (begin at Navigating turns)	Parallel Parking in 3 easy steps
24	Chapter 9: pages 111-113 ch 9 Review Questions	Three Point Turn 3 point turn
25	Driving Lesson- navigating turns - beginner skills	How to Change Lanes Passing Rules
26	Chapter 10: pages 115-122 (stop at entering or exiting a highway)	Merging onto Highway
27	Chapter 10: pages 122-127 (stop at entering or exiting a highway)	Merging onto High way part1
28	Chapter 10: pages 128-130 Ch 10 Review Questions	Merging onto Highway part 2
29	Driving Lesson- Merging onto Highway (if ready)
30	Chapter 11: pages 131-135 Round-abouts and one-way streets	Top Ten Driving Mistakes
31	Chapter 11: pages 136-141 Rural Roads	Driving Downhill
32	Chapter 11: pages 142-144 ch 11 Review Questions
33	Driving lesson- one way streets, rural roads
34	Chapter 12: pages 145-152 Stopping for emergency vehicles and signs	Driving Tips
35	Chapter 12: pages 153-155 ch 12 Review Questions	Using a Roundabout  Roundabout Rules Traffic Circles
36	Driving Lesson
37	Chapter 13: pages 157-164 Stopping Distance and safe driving	Traffic Stop, Part 1 Traffic Stop, Part 2
38	Chapter 13:  pages 165-167 Review Questions
39	Driving Lesson
40	Chapter 14:  pages 169-179
41	Chapter 14: pages 180-182  ch 14 Review Questions
42	Driving Lesson
43	Chapter 15: pages 183-185 The Driving test
44	Chapter 15: pages 186-188
45	Driving Lesson
46	Chapter 16: pages 189- 198 Car maintenance Part 1
47	Chapter 16: pages 199-201 ch 16 Review Questions
48	Driving Lesson- fill up tank of gas, check fluids
49	Chapter 17: pages 203-207 (stop at dealing with dead battery)
50	Chapter 17: 208-214 (start at dealing with dead battery)
51	Chapter 17 pages 215-217 ch 17 Review Questions	Charging a Battery with Jumper Cables
52	Driving Lesson-
53	Practical Lesson- Learn to jump start a dead battery
54	Chapter 18: pages 219- 224 (stop at dealing with minor collision) Changing a flat
55	Chapter 18: pages 224-228 (start at dealing with minor collision
56	Chapter 18: pages 228-230  ch 18 Review Questions
57	Driving Lesson
58	Practical Lesson change a tire
59	Chapter 19: pages 231-238 Automobile Insurance
60	Chapter 19: pages 239-241  ch 19 Review Questions
61	Driving Lesson
62	Practical Lesson Research automobile Insurance
	Chapter 20: pages 243-252  Purchasing a vehicle
	Chapter 20: pages 252-254 ch 20 Review Questions
	Driving Lesson
	Chapter 21: pages 255
	YOUR STATE'S DRIVER’S MANUAL- starts studying for written exam