From Our House to Yours
A ‘Day in the Life’ Waking Up to Teach Resurrection to Reformation and World History
Homeschooling with multiple Heart of Dakota guides looks different in different homes! However, as I’m asked about this often, I’m doing a series describing a ‘day in the life’ of our family using Resurrection to Reformation (RTR) and World History (WH). Since it is easier to describe my day in segments, I began with how our ‘day’ actually starts the night before with homework. In this post, I’ll continue on with our ‘day’ by describing waking up to teach RTR and WH. While your days might look different, I hope this will still give you some ideas how you could most enjoy your own homeschooling! Often times, just a change or two can make all the difference!
First Things First
I love waking up to do my women’s devotional! My sons know how much I love Joyce Meyer, so they gave me her book Trusting God as a gift for Christmas. It is just perfect for this time of life for me! I spend about 15-30 minutes reading and journaling about my devotional. When I was a mom of babies and toddlers, I spent 5-10 minutes on devotions. If the baby had a bad night, I didn’t get my devotions done. So, as I share I love this time, know that you may be in a different stage of life, and that is okay. However, also know, spending time with God each day first thing in the morning – even if it is for 5 minutes – will be the best time spent all day. If you miss it, try not to feel guilty all day, rather talk with God throughout your day. He will love that time you spend with Him too!
What are the kids doing while I am doing my devotional?
While I am doing my devotional, the kids are doing their independent work. We set a time to get up for each of them. This time is based on how much work they have, how much of a morning person they are, and how much they can do on their own. Once my children reach high school, they usually get up earlier. They have more work to do, so getting up earlier leaves more free time in the afternoons and evenings. This is the case with Riley, my 10th grader in World History. Though he is not as much of a morning person, he chooses to get up at 6 AM. My oldest son doing online college gets up to do Geometry with him. They came up with this plan. (Though I love math, I’m apparently not so patient at teaching it.) Then, Riley does Spanish and Literature Study. Emmett, my 6th grader in RTR, gets up at 7 and hits snooze. Then, he really gets up at 7:10 AM to do his Bible Quiet Time.
Where is everyone while doing this?
You may wonder where everyone is while they are doing all of this. Well, I am in my bedroom, doing my devotional, thoroughly enjoying my first cup of coffee. Riley is partly in his bedroom and partly downstairs at the dining room table – his choice. He has proven himself to be responsible. Emmett is in his bedroom. This helps him stay on task, as he is just down the hall from me.
My Meeting Time with Wyatt
At 7:15 AM, I start my first meeting time in my room. I actually begin with Wyatt, my college-aged son. Though I am not teaching him anymore, I still love to talk with him about his college and the day ahead. We stay connected this way. We make plans for the day together. Appointments, HOD work, errands, and activities get coordinated quickly, as we figure out who is driving where and when. This is an informal time where we share many things. It is precious time to me.
My First Teacher-Directed Meeting Time with Emmett
Around 7:30 AM, I start my first teacher-directed meeting time with Emmett. First, we correct his Bible Quiet Time Hidden Treasures workbook. I ask him if he said his prayer, practiced his Scripture memory work, and sang with his CD. Every 4th day of each unit, I have him say all of his Scripture memory work for me. Then, we do the top right rotating box. Two times a week this is his parent-led Bible Study of Boyhood and Beyond, From Boy to Man, and What Is God’s Design for My Body? (completed in the year in that order). Once a week we do the RTR Poetry Study. Finally, once a week we do the RTR Looking at Pictures Charlotte Mason-inspired picture study. These are perfect subjects to enjoy in our pj’s in the comfort and privacy of my room! I check off all work as we correct it in the RTR guide. Then, Emmett goes to his room to get ready and study his dictation.
My First Teacher-Directed Meeting Time with Riley
Around 7:50 AM, I start my first teacher-directed meeting time with Riley. First, we correct his Bible Study’s written work. He reads his answers aloud to me from The Most Important Thing…, while I look at the answer key. Then, he has the option to show me his prayer journal or ‘flash’ it if he wants to keep it private. Last, depending on the WH plans, he says his Bible memory work for me or I ask if he sang his Selah hymn. Next, we go through his Literature Study box. We go through the Introduction question(s), he flashes me his annotations, and shows me his Common Place Book. Then, I have him read aloud his literature journal response, while I check off each question in his WH guide as he addresses it. Next, we correct his Spanish. He reads aloud his workbook answers, while I follow along in the answer key. Last, we go through his Living Library literary analysis sheet. Riley then heads off to do his Biology and chores independently.
My Second Teacher-Directed Meeting Time with Emmett
Around 8:10 AM, I have gotten coffee #2! Emmett and I do his dictation in my room. He has already made his bed, showered, and studied for his dictation, so this goes fairly quickly. As soon as we finish his dictation, we check it off in his guide. Then, we look at his Independent History, Rotating History/Shakespeare, and Reading About History boxes. He has until around 9:10 AM to do these, and we number them 1, 2, 3 in the guide in the order he wants to do them. He does these downstairs at his desk or on the couch in the living room. From 9:10 to 9:30 AM, he does his morning chores.
Exercise, Getting Ready, Praise Music, and Breakfast
As Wyatt, Riley, and Emmett are doing their independent work, getting ready for the day, and doing their chores, I have time to do things too! From around 8:20 to 8:50 AM, I exercise. Then from 8:50 to 9:10 AM, I get ready for the day and make breakfast. Around 9:10 AM, Emmett starts a Christian praise music playlist. About this time, everyone is on to their chores, and I’m getting breakfast to the table. I love this time! Christian music playing, everyone doing their thing, and all of us working together to do our part. People are humming, whistling, singing – we are happy while we work. I think the praise music sets the tone. Our homeschool days are quite cheerful! Not perfect. We still get cranky sometimes. We might oversleep sometimes. But the majority of the days follow this plan. So, we start our days feeling ‘ahead’ in our homeschooling.
In Closing
If you have little ones, these ideas might not all work. Little ones are less predictable and less independent. However, they have much less time they are homeschooling too. So, there is not the need to be quite as planned nor to homeschool as early. If you have some older children, you may enjoy trying these ideas with them. I love starting our day with a plan that still has us in our pj’s and cheerfully spending time together. I’ve also found I like to plan time to correct things that have been completed in our morning meeting times. Hope this helps you see one way of approaching homeschooling in the morning!
In Christ,
Julie