“What are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m coding. I’m modifying the template on my ‘test’ blog.”
Sophie shows me what she’s doing. “Are you writing the code from scratch?” I ask.
“Sometimes. Other times I’m making changes to other people’s code.”
I don’t mind Sophie spending hours coding. I can see she’s learning a lot while enjoying herself. But I do have a problem: I haven’t got many notes in my records book for this week, and I can’t make any unless Sophie keeps me updated on exactly what she’s doing.
And then I have an idea which will save me from having to ask over and over again: “What did you do today?” Why not let Sophie add her own notes to our shared Evernote notebooks?
Sophie likes this idea, and soon our notebook is bulging with annotated screenshots of Sophie’s ‘test’ blog. Circles, arrows and words highlight exactly what she’s learning.
So what’s all this got to do with an awesome teacher? Well, this latest Evernote homeschool records tip is part of the ‘Other Stuff’ of this week’s podcast!
In episode 53, I talk about:
- Preparing our house for the bushfire season
- Why it’s good to ask for forgiveness even if you’re not sure it’s all your fault
- How to strew suggestions and what to do when they seem to be rejected
- How to use Evernote to share the responsibility of record keeping with children who are working on their own
- How we can thank and encourage people who help us
And, of course, I tell you about the awesome teacher!
I also share:
- A blog and podcast that might help you improve your blogs
- A book, some videos and an updated Pinterest board!
Podcast Notes
Book
365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life by John Kralik
Exercise
Blog
Podcast
Problogger: Blog Tips to Help You Make Money Blogging31 Days to Building a Better Blog
Videos
My Youtube Channel: Sue Elvis
Should We Encourage Our Kids’ Ideas Even When They Seem Impractical?
Not Just for Kids: Why Learning is for Everyone
Real Life Maths
Follow Sue’s board unschool maths on Pinterest.
Music
60’s Quiz Show by Podington Bear, (CC BY-NC 3.0)
Image: Me and the awesome teacher! Thank you for listening to my podcast!
Another delightful listen Sue. I love the idea of expressing our gratitude to others…I feel inspired to share to others how much they mean to me. I think I'll start with you! Thank you for being a kind, gentle, understanding voice to this mom. I appreciate all you do!
Amy,
Your comment has made my day. Thank you so much for your kind words. Isn't it amazing how we can spread so much joy with a few words of appreciation? I'd like to thank you too. Your comments always encourage me to keep podcasting and blogging. I smile every time I see you have visited my blog. THANK YOU!
Thank you also for listening to this week's podcast!
Another great podcast, Sue – thanks for all your support and kind words, both on my blog and on home schooling!
Wendy,
I love being friends with you! It's a real pleasure hopping over to your blog to share the homeschooling adventures of your beautiful family. I usually come away with a big smile on my face because I like your sense of humour very much! I do appreciate you stopping by to encourage me with your kind words. Thank you!
So glad to hear the podcast was okay. The other day Sophie said, "Do you think people would think you're weird if they knew you spend an hour each week in your bedroom talking to yourself?" Yes, it does sound strange. I guess I am weird! But that's okay. Good to know I'm not really talking to myself. Friends are listening!
So much I could comment on here, but I'll choose a couple of things.
Every time you have mentioned Fitness Blender I have thought to myself "those workouts sound really hard, there is no way I could do them with my back injury". Well, I took the time to go and look at the website and found a low impact fat burning session. I scanned through it and discovered that most of the exercises would be suitable for me as long as I'm careful. I'm going to give it a go! 🙂
On gratitude – it's a beautiful thing that the parent took the time and effort to give Andy a meaningful gift. Time, effort, perhaps that is what puts people off? Also, lack of proper etiquette? Last week we had our last homeschool group meeting for the year and I was very surprised (pleasantly!) when I, along with the other co-ordinator, was presented with a card, a huge toblerone and a speech of thanks for the work we had done throughout the year. The gifts are a lovely token but to me, it's the words that were really touching. Yes, it's very important to take the time to thank people.
I like your call to action idea too.
I had to come back to tell you I completed the workout! Now I know how unfit I really am, it was an easy, low impact workout and I was puffed, sore and sweating by the end, but… my back is ok and I'm going to try and do it a couple of times a week and work up to something harder.
Thank you for inspiring me! 🙂
Kelly,
Oh wow! You did a Fitness Blender workout? I'm so pleased you found something your back can cope with. Most of the routines can be adapted. Sometimes Kelli and Daniel will do the same routine, one doing the low impact version, changing jumps, for example, to steps. Oh yes, work up slowly! I bet the sore muscles will feel better after a few more workouts. Keeping working out!
Kelly, we often don't get thanked for the work we do. I tell my kids that we do the work anyway. We don't do it for the reward of thanks. But it really can make a difference when people take the time to express their gratitude. It's encouraging and makes us feel we're putting effort into the right areas. Without any feedback, we don't know if we are doing what we're supposed to be doing. Perhaps people wish we would go away and do something else, but they're too polite to tell us!
Anyway, I'm so glad your efforts were recognised. Thanking people spreads joy. I bet you smiled widely as you listened to the speech of thanks. Maybe you'll be encouraged to continue co-ordinating the group for another year.
Talking of thanks… I'd like to thank you for being such a faithful supporter of my blog and podcast. You must have spent hours reading my posts and listening to me speak. And then you leave comments too. I do appreciate it. Thank you!!