By Destiny Madaje, SciTech Institute STEM Resources Manager

This Week’s To-Do:

• Finish math worksheets from last week for LB and LG.
• Read out loud Ocean Encyclopedia with art activity for both.
  • *ASU Open Door Tempe this Saturday, ocean puppet-making activities and “Ask a Biologist” confirmed at 3 pm.
• Chemistry experiment, re: chemical reactions for LG
  • *N̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶m̶i̶n̶d̶,̶ ̶i̶n̶c̶o̶m̶p̶l̶e̶t̶e̶ ̶m̶a̶t̶e̶r̶i̶a̶l̶s̶.̶ ̶A̶m̶a̶z̶o̶n̶ ̶E̶T̶A̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶n̶e̶x̶t̶ ̶w̶e̶e̶k̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶m̶a̶t̶e̶r̶i̶a̶l̶s̶.̶ ̶M̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶n̶e̶x̶t̶ ̶w̶e̶e̶k̶.̶
  • *The library has a chemistry activity TOMORROW, 12 pm. Lunch in the library instead of at home – PB sandwiches, again.
• F̶i̶n̶d̶ ̶v̶i̶d̶e̶o̶s̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶L̶B̶’̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶f̶a̶t̶u̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶a̶x̶o̶l̶o̶t̶l̶s̶.̶
  • * Free admission until Friday, 4 pm at the science museum – wetland ecosystem exhibit. Even better!
• Get real with the math worksheets. Expect not to finish all this week because of everything else.

The above is a small snippet of what our homeschooling schedule with two kids looks like. A little bit of general structure, a lot bit of serendipitous spontaneity, and almost always, a dash of military-style strategic scheduling, all in the name of that universal homeschool goal: effectively teach our kids without going bat-crazy.

There are so many things to consider in this short, bulleted to-do list: curriculum, content presentation, evaluation, cost, time, and while we’re at it, the, “Can I squeeze in the read-aloud during toothbrush time?” scheduling considerations, among other things.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg—one small section of a homeschool planner the size of an OSHA binder (lovingly titled “THE BINDER” in big, rainbow letters). Lesson plans, worksheet copies, evaluation reflections, transcripts, brainstorm pages, also have their space and place. My favorite section is the Contacts: a list of smart people, because Google isn’t always necessarily the answer to everything. 

My children’s favorite tool in this education arsenal is the Field Trip section and for that, I have SciTech Institute’s STEAM Community Calendar to thank. I’ve  been using it since its inception many years ago and it’s my go-to for event searching to supplement whichever topic the kids are currently into. It’s Arizona’s largest online STEAM calendar, packed with an inclusive lineup of science, tech, engineering, arts, and math events.

Searching for an event is so easy with the filters on hand: by age group, location, type, organizer, and topic. My printed calendar would be filled with possible events to attend because on any given day, the SciTech Community Calendar would have dozens of events posted. It also helps that the majority of these posted events are free!

Destiny’s sons with “THE BINDER” (and bunny)

My sons LB and LG are now in their later teens, 17 and 18. Some aspects of “THE BINDER” no longer see much action these days as they transition to vocational college courses. No more lesson plans or worksheets, but still a lot of scheduling and brainstorming plans. The Field Trip section has remained dormant for a while after I got the one-two punch from them:

 “Mom, we don’t have to put EVERYTHING in “THE BINDER,” you know,” AND

 “We can just look it up on our phones right now.”

My beloved Contacts section? It now lives in my phone’s contact list.

For those homeschooling families just starting this journey, whether you are the “all my resources are in my phone” or the OSHA binder type, I highly recommend the SciTech Institute STEAM Community Calendar. It is a valuable resource that can help you accomplish your child’s learning goals as well as your own.

I now click the “Teens” filter with bittersweet nostalgia, remembering when I used to select “Kids,” then “Pre-Teens.” The “Adults” filter is not that far away; not necessarily for my about-to-be-adult children, but for myself. Very soon, our homeschool journey will be over and I would have to apply a little bit of general structure, a lot bit of serendipitous spontaneity, and almost always, a dash of military-style strategic planning to reach the goal that every homeschool parent has after accomplishing this selfless educational endeavor: get a life. 

Thankfully, the SciTech Calendar’s ‘Adult’ events are ready and waiting—because learning doesn’t stop just because the homeschool chapter ends.

You can discover a world of STEAM events at your fingertips with SciTech Institute’s community calendar—Arizona’s #1 go-to source for STEM Events: scitechinstitute.org/calendar/