Term One Reflections

 

The wheels fell off my plan fairly early. Bee changed his mind about the Work Ready course - he became quite anxious about doing it. So we have left that for another time when he is ready.

Starting home-school I knew that the more formal the learning feels to Bee, the more resistant he is to engaging. He likes to be on the floor and our style is conversational. The more relaxed Bee is the more he is likely to take initiative. For example when we started our study of nouns, he took the white board and started taking notes before I even had a chance to ask him. 

On the days Bee is only mildly avoidant I find that we can sit somewhere and watch YouTube videos. We have subscribed to around 40 educational channels (some of which are listed on our Resource page). I have also started curating some playlists based on topics Bee has expressed interest in. 

When Bee and I travel together we always listen to podcasts. We enjoy comedy podcasts with an educational element, such as The Dollop. 

Bee has been enjoying playing pool, and spends a lot of time practicing his angles. He also enjoys playing and creating levels in Geometry Dash.

I'm finding it takes Bee longer than I realised to process some information, especially if it is related to choice. I am learning to give him the information and then to follow up a couple of days later. Pushing too hard just leads to shutdowns and/or meltdowns. Too much choice is overwhelming, so I am trying to balance these instances as best I can.

We are still experimenting with ADHD medication. Bee is overwhelmed by large amounts of text and/or data. He has communicated that he often forgets what he has just read and loses his place on a page. He has mentioned sometimes words get jumbled, speaking with his OT this could just be because he loses his place whilst trying to read. 

Moving forward I will be looking at ways to provide smaller chunks of text. For example  I have some sample comprehension activities from my teacher studies I created that we can use as a starting point. If having these smaller chunks of text help reduce Bee's demand load it will hopefully be a way to build on his reading skills.

Learning new concepts seems to draw the most demand avoidance with Bee. He is prepared to do a math worksheet or some spelling words, but its harder to engage him when teaching new concepts. Mostly this centres around maths, and it maybe that I need to experiment with various lesson videos and hopefully find the right fit. When he was do DE they used the mathspace program, Bee did not like the presenters voice and that would be all he could focus on. 

More Planning and Preparations

 

It's getting closer. I'm a little nervous as Bee seems to have it in his head that it's going to be more of the same. School evokes memories of sitting in a classroom and being told repeatedly to just keep reading the instruction's until he "gets it". School feels like being saddled to a lap top all day. School unfortunately made learning feel like a chore.

I have made a plan for Maths and English and then to be flexible with the other learning area's. I've drawn up my term plan in Excel outlining our lessons for the term - Maths, English, ATO Work Ready modules and allied health appointments. Bee has a paediatric appointment before school starts so we are hoping to finally get some medication to help with his ADHD. Bee will read the same page over and over as he often forgets what he has read by the time he gets to the bottom of the page. Large amounts of text cause anxiety. I'm hoping that with the right treatment Bee can see more success.

I intend to record each day's activities in a physical diary. Bee will often relay large amounts of information to me when we are driving to and from appointments. He shares insights and information on current interests, whether it be current affairs, history, politics or popular culture. 

Quite often Bee will spontaneously start an art project when he's had enough of Maths or English, hence why the term plan is focused on the core subjects. Leaving room for interest led learning will hopefully lead to a more positive experience of what education can be.  

Preparation & Planning

One thing I am feeling some apprehension about is curriculum. Knowing that Bee isn't at his year level for Maths and English I am working hard to be prepared for this year. 

I am currently (re)acquainting myself with the Western Australian Year 7-10 Syllabus. I am looking at the ABLE section of the WA Curriculum and using the SCSA scope and sequence for each subject area and looking for where Bee is roughly at. 

I already have a number of resources on hand, so I will plan around what I already have before buying anything more. I will be doing my best to keep track of the resources we use  - viewable on the "Resources" tab at the top of the page.

I'm hoping to buy an iPad to set up in the new year that will have our curated list of  YouTube channels and various apps for learning, recording and supports. The problem we faced with DE was the amount of time required sitting in front of the computer each day. I want to provide a variety resources, tools, platforms to suit Bee's learning and interests. Our reasoning for home-schooling was to have more flexibility in providing this.

I have begun drafting a basic term planner. It is beneficial for us with allied health appointments to follow school term dates. Bee is interested in the Australian taxation system and what he needs to know for when he starts work, so I think we will start the year with the ATO online Work Ready course and perhaps also the MyFuture careers profile. 

I must admit it is overwhelming and exciting all at the same time, and I'm looking forward to the opportunities this year may present us on this journey. 

Distance Education

 

Bee started distance education in 2022. Mainstream school was no longer feasible, Bee's attendance rate was at 38% and his mental health was in rapid decline. Getting him to school each morning was a monumental task and I was having to pick him up early most days.

Once Bee commenced his distanced education (online through a private school) it became more and more apparent just how much assistance he required. During Term 3 he was put into a consolidated program which was tailored to his abilities and capacity.

By the end of 2022 we were starting to get the hang of how this new style of education worked and the flexibility it provided us. Bee was still school-resistant, so I had to find a way to provide him with some choice as to what each week looks like. Drawing inspiration from an inclusive education course I had  attended several years ago, I came up with this card system:

Depending on how many appointments Bee might have each week we plan our week out with the cards. He can choose one yellow card (general activity) each week to break up the four core subjects he is encouraged to engage in. As each lesson/activity is completed the card goes into the "Done" box  - this way he has a visual reminder of what he has left to do and what has been achieved. 

Any resources I make are colour coded to match these cards (i.e. English is blue, Maths is red, etc). this helps both of us with organisation. I expect to continue this system in some variation or another as we start home-schooling next year.