August Reflection: Part Two

Today, I will be looking at some of our strengths and weaknesses. This is probably the hardest part of reflection, especially the weaknesses. I am sure it will surprise you that we don't like pointing out our flaws. *grin* But, it is good for the soul and can be very effective in supporting progress throughout the year. So, here we go!

Strengths:

1.) The girls have been doing very well on getting up each morning. This may not seem like a strength but the feeling of success on any given day is reinforced when you start it on time! I confess that I am the weakest link on this front. (I will talk about that more below.) 

2.) The curriculum has been working very well for the girls. It has enough "off book" activities that they remain engaged. I will be carefully monitoring this year to determine their effectiveness in three areas: the girl's level of interaction, their excitement while learning the material, and the quality of their finished tasks. This will help me gauge whether or not to continue with the same curriculum for next year.

3.)  Our schedule has been working well for us as I stated here so I won't go into that again. You are welcome! :)

4.)  We have been to stay on point in our lesson plans for the most part. Even with sick days as well as holidays from having family over, we are actually ahead in most areas. The only area we are working a little behind in is Science. This will be easy to catch up and my goal is to be on track with everything by Wednesday of next week.

5.) I am making extracurricular activities more of a priority this year. As a result, the girls have really improved in their Art skills as well as Computer skills.

Weaknesses:

Now let me just insert a note about weaknesses. You will note that all of these will be a reflection on me: the teacher/Mommy/Principal. I am well aware and often intimidated by the fact that our girls will only be as consistent as what I am! They will grow as a direct result of my influence and time. That, my friends, can be a scary thought! Without further ado, areas that I need to work on!

1.)  I have been less consistent on starting times. This was mainly due to the fact that I was sick for about two weeks. A part of this sickness was insomnia which made for rough mornings. This is getting better but I will confess, I am soooooo not a morning person. Because of this, our Bible devotions have been skipped a few times. This cannot become a habit! So, I will be working hard to get us back into a good routine. I am a firm believer that if we start our day with God, the rest of the day will be more productive.

2.)  I have not thought through the days with my Sunshine enough. For example, I am beginning to feel that her projects are getting repetitive. I need to be looking for new activities and focus areas to make sure she doesn't get bored. I also want to find projects and activities on Pinterest that will maintain her interest and will have little impact on the wallet. :)

3.) I have got to improve my time management. This year I have added a student, started a Teacher Resource store, and started a blog! I love all of these things but I am needing to figure out how best to juggle them all without neglecting what is most important: my family. 

So, that will wrap up part two of August's reflection. You can read Part One here. Tomorrow, I will be showing pictures and recapping what the girls have accomplished so far this year.