Blog, She Wrote Homeschooling High School

It's that time of year! I know I've missed the rush of the biggest shopping days of the year, but I avoid that noise! So, I hope you'll find something useful in these ideas in all different sorts of categories. Link in the first comment! 🌲

I'm sorry I've been quiet over there! Such is the life of a retired homeschooling mom finding her way in the world post full time homeschooling. But I'm finding my way! Teaching for Outschool is the MOST fun and you'll find me subbing in classrooms soon.

Thank you for being a blog reader and a supporter of my micro business! What can you expect going forward? More blog posts! Remember those? And I'm available for consultations again.

See you in future FB page posts!

You must remember when I shared our experience with reading Little Women to teenage boys. It's an experience not to be missed.

Well! This new LEGO project needs our vote! Follow the first link in the comments and tell LEGO how much we NEED Orchard House to be made into a set.

How is this not necessary?

Little Women fans, unite!

Because you can never have enough books to read about math. Am I right?! Link in the comments!

ADHD is awesome. * Terms and conditions apply.

Happy ADHD Awareness Month!

Hey, Friends!

I've just posted over on Substack for the first time. I can't remember when I created an account, but today was the day for me to start posting. I'm strongly considering resurrecting my mentoring business for high school parents of out of the box, sick, and neurodivergent teens over there (no overhead for my business). Join me! The link to my post is in the comments. No worries! I'll still be posting here. :)

With school getting under way, what makes a great homeschool day for you? I made a list of 10 things and they remained the top 10 the whole time we homeschooled. What's on your list?

Chemistry is notoriously difficult. 😬

In fact, if your teen is not math savvy, then chemistry may be out of their reach for a high school credit.

I'm teaching Chemistry Simplified over on Outschool. This course is one I've written for teens who want to take chemistry, but aren't ready for traditional chemistry courses. 💙

We'll be learning the basic principles of chemistry and how they apply to our everyday lives. 💥

You know...things like:

💅 cosmetics

🧴 household products

🍪 foods

💊 medicines

🌎 and our environment

We'll discuss how "natural" substances are still chemicals and we'll talk about the reasons compounds behave the way they do.

This is the first semester of a year long course.

Use the code WOODIJULIR10 to get $10 off your registration. 💙

When you go to register, you'll have to pay an Outschool membership fee which is $40 at the lowest tier. The free credits you get with that are equal to the first month's membership fee and after you register, you can pause until it's time to register for the second semester. 💙

This class is written for out-of-the-box, sick, and neurodivergent teens.

We'll be keeping a scientific journal, but it can be analog or digital and the assignments are meant to be flexible.

This is going to be a fantastic semester and I hope to see your teen there!

There are three sections and we begin next week!

Any questions, just ask! 💙

POV: Collecting live specimens for making a slide and observing it under a microscope.

Classic for biology and microscopy! 🔬

Ask me how much time I've spent looking into a microscope between my biology degree and teaching science for over 30 years.

A lot! Tons of time! 💙

One thing I know about students is that it can be frustrating to look into a microscope expecting something amazing only to find it near impossible to find what your after!

So, join me for Microscopic Marvels LIVE: Explorations in Historical and Modern Microscopy over on .

We'll be learning the tricks of the trade including how to look at objects successfully, how to read research papers, write Drabstracts and formal lab reports, and we'll explore microscopy from the first microscopes all the way to microscopes used in research today.

In fact, you'll see a tour of a cutting edge research lab at the end of the course.

This class is perfect for a lab science and goes with any biology curriculum. You can use it on its own as an elective too.

Check the comments to find your way to Outschool to sign up!

📷 Our youngest at roughly 9th grade collecting specimens from a small creek.

Collecting vials, pipettes, microscope slides, cover slips, and specimens oh my! 🔬🧪🧫🥽

Who's ready for some biology labs?

Got a biology curriculum that needs labs?

Teaching biology but you'd prefer to skip the labs?

Microscopic Marvels: Explorations in Historical and Modern Microscopy is one of my favorite creations ever! 💙💙

We'll go on a journey starting with the earliest microscopes and end up with how scientists of all kinds use microscopes in research today. 🔬

Bonus! There is a first hand tour of a cleanroom at Princeton and I can't wait to share with you what we learned there! 🧑‍🔬

To join me for Microscopic Marvels LIVE, head to Outschool and register. 💙

Class starts in just over a week! 🔥

Those were the days! The Fantastic Four, circa 2008! They were 3,6,8, and 10. 💙💙

If you are leaving one of your babies at college this month, I see you! 💙

Take heart!

I remember vividly the day we left our oldest at college three states away while he was still dealing with Lyme.

But what an opportunity!

You and your family, and even your smaller homeschool will survive and thrive! 🙌👏

Be kind to yourself and remember that their siblings may need time to adjust as well.

You've got this! 🙌👊

PS- Don't forget to register your teen for my science Outschool classes! 💙

By the help of microscopes, there is nothing so small, as to escape our inquiry; hence there is a new visible world discovered to the understanding. - Robert Hooke 🔬

Microscopic Marvels: Explorations in Historical and Modern Microscopy LIVE is open for registration at Outschool! 🔬💙

We start with early microscopes and end with microscopes used in research today and bonus! I got a tour of a cleanroom from my husband, who is the director of The Micro/Nano Fabrication Center at Princeton University. 🖤🧡

So, I have video of the microscopes used to check on structures made at the nanometer scale and I can't wait to share them with your teens! 🔬🧬

This is a biology lab course taught for one semester and includes some biology instruction. Plus, you'll get a nice glimpse of some careers using microscopes! 💙

Click through the link in the comments to read more about the class and register. ⬆️

The first week of classes is in two weeks!

I hope to see your teen there! 💙