One of the down sides of non-Mom-led schooling....

This school year we embarked on a new adventure: on-line school.  We researched several different options --- Potter's School, K12 Virtual Academy, Kolbe Academy, Connections Academy, and a few others --- before we found, and decided on, TTUISD.  TTUISD is a K through 12th on-line distance learning program run by Texas Tech University; the elementary grades are print-based, not on-line, and middle school is about half & half, while high school offers either one.

TTUISD is different from other on-line programs, in that there are no on-line lectures to attend; no video lectures to watch; no peer interaction. For many, that's a definite negative. However, the other side of that is, there are no due dates, no "you must participate in this lecture at this time" sorts of deadlines. For us, with a fluctuating time difference (we can be as few as 2 hours, or as many as 4 hours, ahead of Texas), internet service that can drop on a whim, and a travel schedule that is random and spontaneous, we saw this lack of deadlines as a plus; in fact, this was the single biggest reason we chose TTUISD over the other programs.

A semester in, I am glad we did. The flexibility has been wonderful.

What's been less than wonderful is the adjustment to a lack of a different kind of flexibility: the ability for Mom to skip any assignment that doesn't make sense, seems pointless, is redundant, etc.  Now, most of the work the boys have been assigned has been good stuff; challenging stuff. The Writer has learned to work Power Point, making several very detailed slide shows for Geography.  He's learned to research, gathering facts from various sources, filling in charts, and then using that information to write summaries and brief essays.

His health class had an extensive project, mandated by the state of Texas, about parenthood/teen parenthood.  At first glance, I felt this was a bit.....unnecessary. But as I read through the questions that his teacher composed to round out the instruction, I was impressed. She didn't just focus on statistics and she gave next to zero commentary on whether a teen ought to avoid pregnancy via abstinence or protected sex; as a Christian, I appreciated, greatly, that the content was not weighted in either direction. Instead, the content of this unit focused on the numerous natural consequences of teen pregnancy; things like budgeting for a baby, determining paternity, paying child support, and even various decisions a parent has to make throughout the life of a child, from newborn to high school graduate, which I think really helped drive home the fact that a baby is a life long thing. A project that I at first wanted him to skip, but proved to be well-written and worthwhile.

Science and math haven't had too many outside projects, though both are well done courses. English, however, has had several. Writing is a big part of his English course, and it's been....interesting. His current project is one I would skip, if it were up to me.  He's read Romeo & Juliet, and over the course of reading it he's answered multiple quizzes to show he understands the plot, understands the language, understands the significance of various quotes in the play, etc. In other words, the unit on Romeo & Juliet was thorough. Very. So the final project for this unit seems redundant and unnecessary:  compile a sound track for the play.

Not only does he have to choose 2 songs to accompany every Act of the play, as well as an introductory song and a concluding song, but he also has to tell where each song fits --- Act, Scene & Lines. Then he has to write an "8 to 10 sentence paragraph" explaining what is happening in this scene in the play, what is happening in the song, and how the song & scene fit together. For every song. He also has to include the lyrics, and make a cover-art for the album.

I understand that the teacher is wanting to make double, triple sure that the students really understand Romeo & Juliet. I understand that she's trying to relate it to something that clicks with most teenagers -- music. I get it; I really do. But my son is not most teenagers, and he does not listen to music much at all.

If we were still actually home schooling, I would have him write me an essay about Romeo & Juliet, showing that he understands the plot, themes, etc. I would not make him tie it to modern music, particularly not with his perfectionist bent.  His father and I have helped him decide on songs, and he is now writing up his required paragraphs. He keeps balking, though, because a line here or there in the song doesn't fit 100% with the story of the chosen scene in the play. He wants the lyrics to be a perfect match; I understand this, I'm the same way.

When I chose what song to play at my wedding, my gift to my husband, I skipped over songs that held sentimental value because they did not *perfectly* describe us. I listened to every single wedding tape I could find at a local bookstore, painstakingly listening to every lyric of every song until I found one that said exactly what I wanted to say. Trouble is, I've lost that tape and have no idea what song I played for my husband, at our wedding. No idea whatsoever.

Now my son is doing the same thing with this play project. He wants the lyrics to be perfect. The problem is, there aren't 12 songs out there written exactly for Romeo & Juliet, so no song is going to fit exactly. They just won't. It's his job to take the song lyrics and the scene and explain how they do fit, not worry about how they don't.

Six songs in, he's getting it, but this is not an easy project for him, at all. I wish I could just let him skip it. I really do. He understands the play, very well. He writes beautifully, so he really doesn't need the writing practice. In fact, he's having to write more poorly than normal, because of the sentence requirement. He likes to write lengthy sentences, and for this assignment he is having to chop them up into smaller ones. His teacher sort of hyper-focuses on whether or not the students meet the technical requirements of any given writing assignment, so while he could write perfectly legitimate and thorough paragraphs for each song, if they are not exactly "8 to 10 sentences" and in one paragraph, he'll lose points. A lot of points. He is pouring as much effort into that sentence count as he is into the content of his paper, which saddens me. Greatly.

If I could, I'd ditch the whole project and not require it. But I can't. I'm only the mom now, not the teacher, which means my job shifts from deciding what he does to ensuring he does his best at whatever he's been assigned, even the mundane and redundant.

A down-side, for sure. Not a big enough con to have us switch programs, but something to be aware of if on-line school is something you are considering.