Thanking God for ADD

If anyone knows my daughter Mahogani, they know that she is extremely ADD. Her focus is non existent, even on medicine. She has been on and off of medicine for 6 years.  Normally she is bubbly, happy, very loving child that will talk your ear off. On medicine, she is quiet, reserved, and is very stingy with her hugs and kisses. She has had an episode of tachicardia on the medicine. Tachicardia is when your heart races out of control. It can be very dangerous. That episode cause me to stop giving her the medicine for a long time. The fear of a heart attack was just too risky. We went to a cardiologist who cleared her to take the medicine, but I just couldn't do it.  In the end, her focus is horrible, a few minutes at that. Sometimes a few seconds.

 No learning was taking place at school off the medicine. No fault of the teachers. How could she focus?  So many exciting things happen at school. Students come in and out of the classrooms, transitions happen frequently, lizards come in the room, the teacher next door is laughing, the student next to her is being silly, the playground is right outside the door. I ended up giving in and putting her back on the medicine. I want her to learn. I know she can learn.

 One thing I could never understand is how my daughter could sit still and play on an electronic device for hours or play with her kitchen set all day long. This is both on and off of the ADD  medicine. She can be oblivious to anything that is going on around her because she is focused on what she is doing.  Nothing can get in her way. I didn't understand. How can she be focused on a doll or angry birds? But not be able to finish a simple math problem like 10+9? The doctor informed me that most people with ADD or ADHD have the ability to hyperfocus. Hyperfocus can also become a problem. At times when she is hyperfocused, she neglects to go to the bathroom, and has an accident. Yeah.. she is 12.  It can be equally frustrating. If I try to talk to her, she doesn't hear me, just like when she is unfocused.

Since starting homeschooling, I tried to do it without the medicine. I thought maybe with less distractions, more one on one time she would be fine. I thought I could see my happy baby girl and still get school work done. God works in mysterious ways and eveything always works out for the good.  Somehow, my baby girl who has the attention span of a few seconds, has become hyperfocused on her schoolwork. She can sit for hours working on it.  I have to tell her it's time to stop. I have to tell her that I can't go on anymore. She will do book reports at night time on her own, she will come up with projects, she will get on the computer and work on educational software.  Yesterday, I had to go to the doctor. I left a checklist of things to do. I went over the checklist of assignments with her. I told her daddy would help her as soon as he was up for the day. I didn't expect anything to get done. Even with my husband's help. When I got back home. She completed the checklist by HERSELF! No help from dad! She did it with proficiency! It is simply amazing and a miracle at that! I don't know why she is miraculously focused on her school work, but all I can do is thank God for it.

Curriculum Planning

Curriculum for 2012-2013 School Year

It is about that time to get ready for the school year! I'm very excited to be teaching my own children this year!!!

I put a lot of time and thought into researching curriculum for the girls over the summer. 

Here is what I have came up with... I'm creating my own!

10 reasons for creating my own curriculum

1) I'm CHEAP!!!!...  Who knew they were so expensive? They don't have coupons for those things!! No bogo sales!

2) My children are NOT a one size fit all. If, I bought something it would need to be customized for them anyways. As a teacher I never used the text book, so why start now! 

3) Ummmmm..... I've spent a ton of money on a degree in education. I think I am very well capable of coming up with something. I have to get my monies worth out of it.

4) I HATED what was going on in public school and don't want anything like that at home. 

5) I want to make sure that learning is fun, and cohesive. 

6) I guess you can say I like to be different. 

7) Last year while studying for National Board I learned so much about what "real"  reading and writing is. Unfortunately, most of it is not taught in text books or in school anymore. 

8) I like to kill two birds with one stone..... Why not do science/social studies and reading together?  You can even do math and reading.  Children should see reading as a life skill, not a subject. Can you tell my passion is reading!

9) I know this is selfish... put I want to make a garden! LOL Have you seen my pinterest page? I want to build this, create it, and teach all about plants while learning it myself.  

10) I want freedom as a teacher to design and teach what I want. I know what my children need, what interests them, and how to motivate them.  No more trapped in the box from public education! 

Wahooo!!! It felt good to say that!

So look forward to seeing more on what we will be learning!!! I'm off to actually write some lesson plans!