Friday, September 6, 2013

The Walker Academy of Rockets and Excellence

     Welcome to the Walker Academy of Rockets and Excellence!  We officially opened our doors Monday, August 26th 2013 with a full enrollment of two students!  We have two full time faculty/administrators and four school pets.
     Our school name was chosen by the students. We are most certinally aiming for excellence and are working towards the rockets. So far homeschooling has been a great experience.  We are still working out schedules and the "rhythm" of school at home.  We knew it would be an adjustment and are giving ourselves plenty of time to adjust.
     So far we have discovered two really great facts about homeschooling.  First, any concern that the kids would not have enough social interaction was blown out of the water within the first week. We are part of a weekly homeschool history group that has 12 or more kids in attendance each week.  The ages range from two to 13 and there are plenty of kids to learn and play with.  In addition our students are also involved in dance class, piano class, church groups with the possibility of a drama group and martial arts class.  In the first two weeks of Walker Academy our students have learned, played and socialized with more kids of diverse ages than they have all summer.  The trick, we've discovered is not a lack of socialization for homeschoolers but making sure that all the activities that are available don't overrun school and family time!
     The second great fact we've discovered is that since school is at home learning happens all the time. Learning numbers is really fun when you're entering the time on the microwave for your oatmeal.  Literature discussions like comparing and contrasting personal attributes of book characters like, Harry Potter, Worm Tail, Ralph Moody of "Little Britches" and Edmund from "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" can happen impromptu at the park in the middle of the day.  We've learned that there are some subjects that have to be taught one on one but there are far more subjects that can be learned together regardless of age or academic ability.
     Now, some of you may be wondering about WARE's new headmistress and teacher, Mrs. Walker.  She has spent the past summer in several intensive courses preparing for her new role.  She will be the first to admit the new role has been stressful at times. The academy which also serves as the family dwelling is not as tidy as it was when the students attended public school.  Dinner was burned twice and now there is a constant stream of toys AND school supplies that need to be corralled on a daily basis.
     However, Mrs. Walker also recalls last year when both student attended an excellent public school in the area.  The house was a good deal cleaner, laundry was mostly done in a timely manner and dinner was rarely burned.  There was ample time for  part time employment in Mrs. Walker's profession. Shopping was no longer harried and she could wheel the cart freely throughout the store with out four extra sets of feet and hands hanging on the basket or dropping mystery items in the cart.
      Yes, she did enjoy the new found freedom how ever as the year went on Mrs.Walker found her home very quiet and still during the day. Sometimes it felt very empty and she was thankful for the pets that kept her company. She noticed a little burst of joy in the carpool line as she saw her two students waiting in the school lobby.  She was so glad to see them. She loved hearing about their day and the neat things they were learning at school. When she really thought about it Mrs. Walker knew the majority of her children's day she would never really know about, participate in or even see.  The school teachers and administrators were kind and wonderful but even they could only really offer a sample of the learning and growing that were taking place in the from of a conference or holiday assemblies. Weekly folders sent home with crayon drawings, completed worksheets, and essays on Egypt or dogs only offered the end of some learning never the actual process.
     So, yes there have been some who believe that Mrs. Walker is some kind of saint to want to be with her children all day.  There are even those who feel that she is too overprotective or could make better use of her time by attending to full time employment in her chosen profession.  She is fairly confident that the closest she has ever been to sainthood was the few times she placed a spider outside of the house instead of squashing it with her shoe.  As for the other comments, Mrs. Walker has long felt the pull of schooling at home.  Really, she says, she has been called to it. One can only ignore their  life's calling for so long.
    In light of all this Mrs. Walker and Associate Vice Headmaster, Mr. Walker are very pleased with WARE and will be sharing all of our learning adventures here on the blog.
First Day of Walker Academy of Rockets and Excellence

History Group, settling of the west.
Even cowboys and little ladies need a refreshing swing.

Studying native american tribes.



1 comment:

  1. Oh I would have loved to hear the impromptu literary discussion comparing Harry Potter, Wormtail, Little Britches and Edmond!! What fun....and I can't wait to read more of the WARE adventures.

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