Blog
I Used To Think That Online Education Was The Enemy—But I Was Wrong
I Used To Think That Online Education Was The Enemy—But I Was Wrong: A public school enthusiast turned online homeschooling devotee Confession: I am a former public school teacher, and I loved it. Back in my days of teaching in the public school system, we had...
Using History to Teach Critical Thinking Skills
One of the most important tools we can give our students is the ability to think critically. In this age of unlimited social media sharing, fake news, and hidden agendas, it has never been more important to be able to look at information and its source and determine...
A Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Drafting Project
Frank Lloyd Wright called it “organic architecture.” In the early 20th century, Wright developed his style of architecture which emphasized integration with the landscape, use of natural materials, and open, flowing space that connected inside and outside. The first...
Solving the Puzzle: How to Use Annotation to Your Advantage While Studying A Foreign Language
Over the past several months, there has been a wealth of information provided on how to use annotation to better your literary analysis skills. For more information on that topic, check out these blogs from Excelsior Classes English teachers Jess Woods and Jenny...
Letter to a Homeschool Mom
Dear Homeschool Mom, I know that this time of year can be hard. The excitement and newness of the school year has given way to exhaustion and routine. The questions tumble through your mind: Am I doing the right thing for my children? If God wants me to homeschool,...
Longer Literary Works to Read Before High School Graduation
Reading is imperative! Joseph Addison, a 17th century English poet and playwright, said that, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” It is a truth that is universal, spanning time and space. Studying novels and longer pieces of work (like plays) is an...
Why Should I Outsource History?
AS HOMESCHOOL PARENTS, WE HAVE A LOT OF DECISIONS TO MAKE REGARDING CURRICULUM AND CLASSES. Do I teach a subject myself, or do I outsource it? This a big question to answer. There are a number of subjects that many parents find difficult to teach. Math and science,...
Some Fascinating Tidbits of Information about Spanish-Speaking Countries
Projects are one way to teach culture and language in the foreign language classroom. In my Spanish 1 class, students had to do a Spanish-speaking country wiki project, and one of the things they were asked to do was to find a few facts about the country they were...
How to Immerse Yourself in Foreign Language Using Technology
We all agree that one of the best ways to learn a foreign language is to completely immerse yourself in the country where that language is spoken, right? After all, the goal of an immersion program is that you eat, sleep, breath, and otherwise operate in the target...
What One English Teacher Did When She Realized Her Kid Hated Reading
Imagine with me… You love literature. You have beautiful dreams of sharing read aloud books with your children and purchasing lovely editions of the classics that they gobble up as greedily as nachos on Friday night. You can’t wait to introduce them to all your...
Bugs, Bugs, and MORE Bugs
How do you feel about bugs? I have a confession… I HATE bugs. Really. I can’t stand them. You might ask: how can a science teacher not like bugs? I don’t know if I’ve always disliked creepy crawlies. In fact, I’m not sure where it all started. But I do love to...
What’s in a Lab Report?
What Should be in a Lab Report? You’re a high school student and have just performed a lab at home. You collected the equipment, read and followed the procedure, and jotted down the results. Now what? Well, it is important to learn how to master the typed lab...
