Hootenanny Afternoons

Our day is generally pretty predictable. The kidlets have settled into a normal routine, and they know what to expect, and what is expected of them, when they walk up our tiny porch every morning. They know that every day we will pray, say the pledge, and then scoot of to math. They know that every day (upon coming in from recess) they will hear "Candle's lit, voices off" and they should have their writer's notebooks/folders out with fancy schmancy pens in hand (these are used ONLY for writing. We are serious).

That being said, in our content area studies--particularly science and history--I strive to leave a bit of wiggle room. Much of what we do is project-based, and the kids choose what they want to focus their attention on and how they want to display their studies/research. This means that I am pretty consistently conferencing with individuals about the course of their work, rather than providing large group instruction.

Today was one of those project-y afternoons where everyone was working on very different things. Usually that means that there is a constant buzz in the room. I am flitting around from table to table--conferencing, checking in, providing additional resources, etc. Here are a couple of glorious things that were taking place today (each and every one is a student's idea!):

-A compare and contrast diagram of the food eaten in the United States compared with Africa.
-A travel log chronicling the adventures and battles in Ancient Rome.
-A first hand journal written in the perspective of someone living during the Black Death.
-A poem about the Boston Tea Party or Paul Revere's ride (she is still deciding :)  )
-A country study on Sudan that highlights the culture and various statistics. (I have a buddy who is newly obsessed with the Almanac.)


This also emphasizes the reality that my kiddos are all studying different time periods (one curriculum with different levels). I am definitely not crazy about it, since it usually makes the group entirely disjointed. But today the hootenanny felt pretty normal...and the best way to approach meeting the needs of six little guys with extremely different abilities and interests. God is good!