High School Life Skills Course

The following is a sponsored post in collaboration with Thrive Academics and MommyMaestra. All opinions are my own.

Like most parents, I like to think that I'm doing everything I can to prepare my kids for adulthood. That's my intention anyway. But with my oldest starting her senior year and my middle kid going into 10th grade, I feel a certain amount of panic and wonder if I'm covering everything. I had a chance to view a demo of Voyage and it is everything I could want in an online course teaching really important life skills.

Quick Overview

Program: Thrive Academics
Class: Voyage
Religious Perspective: Secular
Format: Online
Grades: 9th - 12th
Price: $60

Teaching Teens Life Skills

Over and over, I have written about how important it is for us to take time to teach those life skills that are usually overlooked in schools. In fact, you may remember me sharing a free download last year that is a check list of life skills. I felt being stuck at home was a great time to work on them! 

Seriously, so many teens are graduating and heading into the world without knowing really important skills such as: 

• how to create and manage a budget, 
• how to plan for a career,
• how to compare insurance companies, 
• how to book appointments, 
• how to file taxes,
• how to read a map (without technology!)
• how to establish good credit,
• what to look for in health insurance,
• how to apply for a job, 
• what to do if their car breaks down,
• how to manage their time,
• how to TRAVEL through an airport, train station, etc.,
• and SO MUCH MORE!
  
  

A Focus on Life Prep

I love that Voyage is a course that carefully focuses on guiding young adults through important skills. The program has forced my 15yo son to stop and think carefully about what HE enjoys doing and how he might translate that into a career. 

Here's how it works...

There are five modules in total: 

1. Who Am I
2. Career Planning
3. College Planning
4. Financial Responsibility
5. Everyday Living

Each module has a series of lessons covering different concepts. Some of the modules have a lot more lessons than others. For example, Financial Responsibility is pretty large, but totally appropriate in length and topics.

Students log in and begin the course by setting up their own profile in the Who Am I module. They are first shown a "map" of their area. It includes their "house" and several other buildings that they enter to learn more about certain skills or to complete specific activities.

Next, they are asked to put together their virtual "room" (which looks like a teen bedroom) with items that represent the things they enjoy most. For example, if they like playing music, they can add a guitar; or if they are budding photographers, they can add a camera. If they love reading, they can add books. Or if they love sports, maybe they have a pair of running shoes on the floor or trophies on display. You get the idea.

Teens have to think carefully about who they are and what make them them by identifying their strengths, skills, and interests. 

In Career Planning, the students are directed to an interest profiler. After taking a short quiz, it makes recommendations of possible careers based on their responses. Students can click on each one to learn more about it.

College Planning teaches students how to think about and prepare for college. They'll learn how to research colleges, apply to schools, learn about financial aid, what to do after they're accepted and what to expect from campus life. This is an especially valuable module for homeschooled students, in my opinion!

Financial Responsibility is a big module. I love it. Kids learn about the different types of bank accounts and how to open one. They also learn how to balance their account, why it's important to have a savings account and how much to save, and learn about interest and retirement. They'll learn about credit cards and credit scores and how to maintain good credit. They'll learn about taxes, paying bills, and finally about student loans. 

These are SUCH IMPORTANT skills to teach and pass on to our children! It baffles me that all high school students aren't taught these in school. They are so important for success in adulthood.

The final module is Everyday Living and it touches on big things such as personal health, housing, drivers license, and good communication skills. 

Even if I had sat down and made a checklist myself of all the life skills I thought my kids needed to learn, I would have forgotten a good chunk of this. 

When I asked my son if and what he liked about it, he said he liked the idea and concept of how it was presented. He also enjoyed that the program gives him lots of resources that he can print out and keep. 

A High School Elective

My son in only through Module 3, but I'm planning to have him finish it when we start back to school in a couple of weeks. I'll then add it to his high school transcript as an elective, which is what I think all teens should do! Personally, I think colleges would really appreciate seeing this on their transcripts.

Your Free Download

Remember my comment about a checklist? Well, Thrive Academy is offering a free Adulting Checklist that helps high school students prepare for life after they graduate. This is available in an eBook format and I HIGHLY recommend downloading it. It's a valuable resource for parents (like me!!) who are trying to get it all done, but need something in front of them with everything laid out.

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Skills Learned During the Pandemic

So much has been going on in my house even though we hardly go anywhere these days. And I find myself busier than ever with three kids at home. I was wondering why I can't find time to breathe around here and started noticing how much I've been doing for the kids. And I thought to myself, "Why aren't they doing some of this stuff?" Then I realized that it's because they don't know how to do a lot of it.

That's got to change.

Part of homeschooling  raising children is teaching them how to survive on their own and manage their own households when they are ready to leave home. I was telling my kids yesterday how by the time I was 12, my 'Buelita (great grandmother) who we lived with, had taught me how to do SO much stuff around the house. And I enjoyed it! Wash dishes by hand? Loved it! Iron? Yay! Set the table? No problem.

I think the only time my kids have picked up an iron has been to press their Perler beads.

So I decided that's it. It's time for them to start learning self-sufficiency. And I started putting together this list. I asked my friends on Facebook their opinions and they had a ton. So before long, my little list had become four pages long.

And I want to share them with you realize that your kids could use some direction, too. :)

Right now they are English only, but I'm working on the Spanish translation in 5-minute chunks when I can actually sit at my computer without someone interrupting me. Hopefully, I will find more time over the weekend to get it done.

In the meantime, here's a link to the BILINGUAL version that you can download for free.

Download this File Here

Interested in more free (bilingual) downloads like these? Get them delivered to your inbox every month when you sign up for my newsletter!

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Hang in there, my friends! This social distancing/stay at home business is HARD, but so important! Two of our friends and their families have been stricken with Coronavirus and they've told us how terrible it is. Some of what I read tells me that Latinos and Blacks are especially hard hit and dying of the disease. This breaks my heart. Stay at home, dear friends.

Abrazo.

Presentations and Vacations...

You haven't heard too much from me this week because all of our energy was focused on preparing for my daughter's 4-H presentation today. To be quite honest, we dragged our feet on this one. Once summer hit and we officially finished school, we've been enjoying the break. Which means that we procrastinated.

I almost decided to just pull her out of this year's event, but I'm so glad we didn't. This week involved a lot of work, made even more difficult by the arrival of 'Buelita (who is a wanted and much-loved distraction), as well as a summer camp here in town which my children attended each morning. Throw in our local library's official summer reading kick-off, and - well, you get the picture.

But I was proud, proud, proud this morning when she stood before the judges and gave a fantastic presentation, complete with 4 posters/boards on the topic: The Lives of Hummingbirds.

She spent hours the last couple of weeks typing up her notes, taking and printing pictures, coloring in range maps and flowers and hummingbirds, cutting out pictures and framing them, labeling her work and then gluing it all down. Finally, last night we had her practice her presentation in front of a bunch of my husband's co-workers (all of whom are bird people), and she passed the "test" with flying colors.

But the main reason I am so glad we did push forward and get it done in time, was the look on my daughter's face this afternoon when she received her ribbon from the District. Priceless.

My daughter is still in the "Cloverbud" class, whose members participate in a non-competetive version of the presentations (older kids compete for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd). So after their presentations, all the children receive a ribbon in recognition of her hard work. Bravo, m'ija!!

And although I know that many of you are waiting for me to discuss curricula, and share resources to maybe help you prepare for this next coming school year, my family and I are going to take some time off to celebrate. And so next week, MommyMaestra will be "Off on Vacation." I can't wait to tell you all about it.

I hope you all take the time to relax and enjoy each other this summer. Even small breaks are valuable moments of time in which we all can bond with our familias and re-energize before another school year.

What is your familia doing this summer just for fun?

Hasta pronto!

~xo

Monica

Father's Day Celebration

I hope that everyone enjoyed the weekend. We celebrated Father's Day with handmade presents from the kids and a handmade meal from me. The kids spent the day watching movies with their dad, and then "helped" him tinker on the tractor he is rebuilding.

In the afternoon, my daughter came in joyously celebrating our first bell pepper from the garden (aren't they supposed to be bigger than this?) and then found another, which she left on the plant. Our little jardín is a true labor of love - the key word here being "labor." We have a tendency to forget to water on a regular basis and sometimes the weeds battle for victory. But despite our neglect, our little garden struggles along and faithfully produces a little of this and a little more of that each year. We are about to be up to our eyeballs in tomates y papas. And so, we celebrate.

How about you? Are you planting a garden this year?

Wishing you all a bountiful summer.

Con mucho cariño...

Where are all the Latino Engineers?

Mommy Maestra is dedicating this entire week to Latino students who are interested in STEM careers. Parents, I hope you will find encouragement and resources to help your child pursue his or her dreams.


According to a 2008 report by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Latinos account for 13.1 percent of the U.S. labor force over 16 years of age – but they only account for a mere 5.8 percent of the engineering workforce.

So I guess the question of the day is: Where are all the Latino engineers?

Why is it that our children are not pursuing careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) fields? Our girls, especially, seem to be almost nonexistent in these fields.

Is your child interested in math or science? If so, what are you doing about it? If not, why aren’t they? (And, again, what are you doing about it?)

As a science lover, parent, and teacher, here’s what I think about all of this:

In order for a child to take an interest in science or math, they first have to be exposed to it in a positive manner. ¿Qué dices? Your daughter shrieks in fear when she hears the word “math?” Your son hides in the closet when you pull out the science textbook? Then they haven’t been taught right. A good teacher engages the student and she makes learning fun. A teacher shows examples of math and science at work in every day things…and makes it mysterious and exciting.

Sitting at a desk reading about the water cycle is about as exciting as staring at a rock (unless it is a Petoskey stone, of course!). But creating a cloud in a bottle – ay, mama, watch out!

Hands-on activities are essential to learning. They ignite passion and spark the imagination. Pretty soon, it is not so much "How does…?” but “I wonder what will happen if…?” Don’t throw out those textbooks. But if your kid’s teacher isn’t backing up the lessons with activities and experiments, then get your gloves on, Papi, and find out what your child is supposed to be learning! You’ll be amazed at the number of experiments available online that can easily by carried out using common household materials.

A child who is not provided with opportunities to explore their ideas, will soon forget or simply abandon them. Once an interest is observed, it has to be nurtured.

Little Maria wants to know: What kind of nest material do birds use? Get out your binoculars (optional), put on your walking shoes, grab a local field guide (borrowed from the library, of course!) and get outside during a nice spring day. You can go to a nearby park, the local botanic gardens, or just look around your own backyard. Search in bushes, trees, under eaves, inside barns, and under bridges. For added fun, take a camera to record your results, or have Maria bring along a journal to record her discoveries. Call all your amigos and find out who has birds hanging around their place. Then arrange a visit. (¡Ay, no! It’s Maria’s mami calling again asking some crazy science questions!)

I’ll tell you right now that the single most influential factor on a child’s pursuit of a career (STEM or otherwise) is PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT.

But how can a parent encourage their children and provide them with opportunities? Especially if that parent does not understand the child’s interest. Here’s a good question: "How do I support and encourage my child to develop her/his talents or interests when I don't have any idea about this subject?"

It's true that parents have to do their research. They need to actively look for programs, contests, and other opportunities. It may be as simple as investing in a subscription to a science magazine, finding fun websites that support learning about a particular subject, monthly trips to the bookstore, signing them up for a local event, or even a library card.

Hey, try asking your child to teach you. I now know how much a person can learn once they are responsible for teaching it. Don't be afraid to say to your child, "Teach me…. and make it FUN!" Now THAT'S a challenge!

But the reality is that a parent doesn't have to know about the subject - although it certainly helps! All you really have to do is be there. Urge them to follow their dreams. ALL THE TIME. Encouraging and praising your child's interests and accomplishments does more than handing them a book or video. Alone, a child can feel hopeless and alone. But with the love of family, your child can make it all the way to the moon...and back.


Con mucho cariño…

Do You Teach Your Children to Listen?

Photo by vagawi

How many of you watched tonight's State of the Union Address?

I did. Unfortunately, it was a little too late for my young children to stay up for - especially after an exciting day that included a field trip. But had they been a little bit older, I would have encouraged them to stay up late and watch.

Why? Because I am a firm believer in listening. Doesn't matter if you agree with the person speaking or not. How will you know if you agree or disagree with someone if you don't stop to listen? They might surprise you. You might find you have more in common than you thought. Or they may simply strengthen your convictions. You might find that you misunderstood them the first time - or that they misunderstood you!

Either way, communication is an invaluable tool in our society. Without it, we are lost.

This is something I want to teach my children. It is great to talk and stand up for what you believe in. (My kids don't have any trouble in this area.) But it is even more important to listen. We can learn so much in doing so. Listening can help us avoid misunderstandings. It can teach us something we didn't know. And if you listen right, you'll hear what isn't said.

Do you spend time teaching your children or students to listen?