Dave Pommier
I am a homeschooling dad with a wife and two boys. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing, so I feel compelled to write it all down. In my spare time, I work as a manager for the local health district, drink too much coffee, and am an overenthusiastic martial artist.
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Author Archives: Blokeschool
Handwriting
I hate to admit it, but it physically pains me to watch my children write. For the most part, I hold a Steiner education responsible for this. For three formative years, all their writing was done with big chunky coloured … Continue reading
Codes and ciphers
I had a book when I was a kid which was all about how to be a spy. Characters in trenchcoats, hats and dark glasses lurked furtively on every page. They would give tips like ‘you can bend down to … Continue reading
Posted in English, Experimentation, Teaching and learning
Tagged bloke, homeschool, learning in context, morse code, self determination
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What do they teach kids in schools these days?
So after a four year hiatus where the boys went to school, we have gone back to homeschooling again. They are in the last half of year 5 and year 3. Getting them formally registered for homeschool has proven to … Continue reading
Posted in Teaching and learning
Tagged assessment, bloke, curriculum, homeschool, planning, registration
5 Comments
Sea bins and storm petrels
So a local group were organising a beach clean up the other day. In one form or another, this is a reasonably common thing to do, organising a group of people to spend a day cleaning up a certain area. … Continue reading
The return of Bloke School
I was surprised to find that it has been four years since we last homeschooled the boys. There is no denying that sending them off to school brought us a number of advantages. I was able to fairly quickly shore … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged bloke, confidence, homeschool, life experience, negotiation, parenting, philosophy, self determination
6 Comments
The end of Bloke School?
When my friends decided to return their kids to school, my eldest boy was angry and upset. His (probably legitimate) complaint was that we would never see them again. This is not the first friend he has lost. His great … Continue reading
Space is big
We have been studying astronomy this semester. A lot of what we have been looking at has been inside the solar system. Brief descriptions of the planets, the nature of eclipses, seasons, moon phases, that style of thing. One thing … Continue reading
Mathseeds
Just before the end of last year, I stumbled onto Mathseeds. I have found this to be a great program for young kids. This year it has formed the backbone of our maths curriculum. I spent most of last year using Miquon maths … Continue reading
When its time to stop homeschooling
I was a bit saddened and a bit disappointed to hear that after a year and a half of homeschooling, a friend of mine is sending her kids back to school. Like the decision to start homeschooling, there are lots of … Continue reading
Posted in Life experiences, Teaching and learning
Tagged bloke, cost, flexibility, homeschool, parenting, planning, why homeschool
8 Comments
Are monsters real?
We have been reading a lot of mythological stories from Ancient Greece lately. I have always found them to be great adventure stories, and have read countless translations and retellings over the years. In all the magic, nobility and high … Continue reading
Posted in History, Teaching and learning
Tagged ancient greece, bloke, history, homeschool, imagination, mythology, philosophy
6 Comments
