Lesson Planning...

I am hip deep in sorting... I am making slow but steady progress on my full house sort out, and purge... (you can read more about it here!) I wish I had started this sooner, but isn't that always the way? I did get rid of two more bags today and I know I promised you before and after photos but since I am still mostly focused on the basement storage area and "overflow" of that storage area, there really isn't much to show.

I have also been popping into the school off and on all week trying desperately to get ready for the new school year. Our school is on the second floor of an old New England style high school. The first floor is now the town's library, and we share the second floor with a small church, a counselor, and an art studio... We have most of the floor at this point and each time a space opens up, they try to rent it... The classroom I will be in is the "new" one that I will be sharing with the art teacher... (You met her HERE) We just got "custody" of the room, so to speak... It had previously been used by the "Friends of the Library" and they graciously move out yesterday (even though it isn't really ours until Sept. 1st) so we can start setting up... There is soo much to do, I am so glad we do not start school until after Labor day...

Here is a peek at the building...

I swiped these photos from the school's web page...

Neither is "head on" but you get the idea...

Here is a link to the school's web page...

It hasn't been updated since last year, but I know at least one of you was curious...

Astute readers may spot Katy in some of the mission trip photos... No, she did not go to school here, but she did help chaperone a couple mission/fields trips.

There has also been some curiosity about what I will be teaching...

Well, I will be teaching Biology, with my old friend...

Apologia Biology

Both girls took this course and I am very familiar with it... Prepping this course feels like a stroll down memory lane...

I will also be teaching Advanced Biology,

And for that I chose Apologia Marine Biology

I am not as familiar with this course, but as I read more and more of the text I am getting really excited to teach it!

I will also be teaching Health, using Total Health

I used this one with Allison, so I am familiar with the course, but I am excited to get to do this on a class wide level... There were so many "group" type activities included in this that just didn't translate perfectly for homeschool... Don't get me wrong, if you homeschool and are looking for a high school health course I highly recommend this one, I just think it will be a lot of fun to do this with a class!

Part of this course is "sex education" and I am either the perfect or worse choice of teachers for this subject. The topic of sex does not bother or embarrass me... The girls and I have always been incredibly open about the topic and I don't even mind the "boy" parts of it... (No pun intended!) The curriculum calls for separating the girls and guys for that chapter, so my class is conveniently just before lunch... For three weeks in the spring I will have all boys while the girls eat an early lunch then all girls while the boys eat... I'm sure I will have a lot to share when that time comes.

Thanks for listening,