Are we done yet?

It's getting closer to the end of May. Almost all of my sons outside classes are done. He has one more theater/chorus class tomorrow and then the presentation on Friday, then he is all done. I will be glad though. I won't have to drive him all over the place (but I'll still have to drive my grown daughter to wherever she needs to go...sigh!). Now he can spend all his time on finishing up his studies. I guess the extras that I had planned can be done once he finishes all his regular book work. It's no big deal. He'll still be learning something even if it's not done in coordination with his textbooks. I wish he would do things a little more systematic, but he just isn't that type of kid. He does learn and he is smart. Maybe he's not Mr. Genius, but he is a smart kid. And he's turned into a normal kid. Something I never thought I'd see. It must be the blonde hair. lol! Anyway, his learning style is not what I had planned but if it fits him and it works, then I'm okay with that. You see, he doesn't like me to "interfere". He is quite happy doing all his work on his own without me "butting in". He's at an age now where he really doesn't need my help anyway and if he does have a question he comes and asks me or he looks it up. I plan on giving him the exit test for the Texas TAKS test once he finishes all his textbook work. Although he's only in 9th grade, if he does well on the TAKS test, then I'll know that he is up to standard according to the Texas Education Agency which I could care less about anyway, but it's one way to judge how well your child is doing. I do plan on taking what find out from this test and using it to plan my next years curriculum. Any gaps that I find will be filled and any subjects that he knows well enough, I can skip over. I'm trying to get him to think outside the box when it comes to outside activities (a professional baseball game, a visit to a gardening site, motor cross racing, etc.) so I need to start thinking outside the box when it comes to his curriculum (which in turn would get him to thinking outside the box too!). I need to be a little more forceful when it comes to getting him to do things that he doesn't want to do. I really feel that by doing stuff that may not interest you, can help you to learn about those things and also develop a little respect for the people who do those things for a living. For example, gardening and landscaping. You add math and science to the mix along with physical education. You develop a respect for the people who do this sort of thing for a living. It could also lead to a love of doing this sort of thing for yourself. Education is where you find it. You can get most of your education from books but you need to experience some of that education personally by doing things. Book learning is good and a person needs it, but if you only learn from a book, how can you experience life too?