Change of view

Both of my children have different learning styles and different needs. Sometimes they are super independent and eager to learn and other times they need to be held by the hand each step of the way. Today was no exception. As Monday normally rolls around and routines get back into some kind of rhythm... my youngest declared she was not getting out of bed today. When I asked why, her only response was "because I am not doing school. " So that was the first battle of the day... eventually she got out of bed and asked what was on the plan.
I have a mental picture of where I want them to be with their work by the end of the day... and I usually guide them toward my goal. This was not one of those days. Neither of the kids were in a mood to "study" under the terms I suggested, and both wanted to do what the other was doing. Thus we changed the flow of learning, we had a switch up day. The paperwork kid decided today was computer learning, and the computer learning wanted paperwork. With all the kinks in the how to get to the goal out of the system we spent a majority of the day on Math.. math of all sorts.
Multiplication and large place value concepts for one child, and addition and subtraction concepts for the other. I will be very thankful when the basics are out of the way, I no longer like having to sit and go through all of this every 2 years. (The personal excitement of teaching is dwindling.. like the air out of an old balloon. Yes I still will always love learning, but this is why I steered clear from the large classroom setting.)
I want to be at the point in learning where they are ready to just get the topic and go from there... to rely on me only for key points.. not for all the steps.
So as rolls usually dictate, by the end of the afternoon. They had gone back to what works for them. The paperwork child went back to paperwork, and the computer learner went back to computer. Both in the end got the basics and had two methods by which to learn them.
When the kids are at the point in their "homework" as they term anything school related that is not fun... and are about to give up... I try to give them breaks and get them to look at the problem with a new light. Literally change rooms, open windows... change the atmosphere in order to change the approach.
Life is like that... sometimes you have to step out on the patio in order to enjoy the freshness of the clean living room.