JoviOval Time: What it looks like... kinda.

Remember those idyllic moments I mentioned happening 'bout every 23 days around here? You know, the 'glowing hour' surrounding what we call 'JoviOval' time...?

Well, the other 22 days go something like this.


I don't know about you, but this picture  mentioned in this context makes me LAUGH!


Sometime before 10am, I call to my kids, giving a 10-20 minute warning. They've already been doing school on their own since 8:30 or so, hopefully. During those minutes, I take a shower or make my coffee or eat breakfast, gather my stuff and finally sit in My Spot in the circle-ish, perhaps more ovate, sitting area of the schoolroom.

Usually, at least some of the kids are sitting there waiting when I come in. Other times, they run over immediately. Occasionally, they have to be called another time. Almost always there's a scuffle over who sits where... we are all still in training. :)

From there, for the next hour and a half or so, we're able to get a lot of things in that might otherwise slip through the cracks. Wait, that DID slip through the cracks. Many years ago, we started out with just memory work and our read-alouds, but with travel and moving there were lots of cracks! Plus, things have morphed as we've added students and subjects over the years to come by what we now have an official name for and everything!

During JoviOval time we SING and dance... uh, just kidding. We mostly stick to singing, though we could dance. ;) We read the Bible and poetry. The kids tell their memory work and practice recitations. In between stuff, usually everyone scuffles over seating arrangements. Again. Sometimes they tackle [ahem..] bother each other. Yes, in fact, they do.

Just keepin' it real. ;)


In fact, here's a real life of one our moments...
me reading aloud, people milling about,  someone grabs the camera... yeah. It's like that. :)

We also do Helpful Together Things which smooths having lots of students at different levels. I read aloud from a science, geography, literature or history book for EVERYBODY. We do French and Spanish together. And a bunch of other stuff. You'll see. In my next post, I'll put up the list of what we're doing this term.

After we finish the official 'all together' stuff, some students skedaddle and we move on to the subjects that need at least my partial attention. That'd be mostly math, but can include Latin and/or grammar, among other things.

We've had to change lots of stuff to make 'JoviOval' time work. Matter of fact, I make changes every term. Some things I hope to do seem to get put off for an entire term even though they're on the list. Sometimes, it's all a flop because of moodiness or unpreparedness. Which is why habits contribute so much to atmosphere. It definitely doesn't just happen. No magic here. I have to make it happen, and all of us have to keep working to ensure that it continues. :)

Please don't forget that nothing really worthwhile will just up and happen overnight. One doesn't accomplish one's goals without some trial and error. It wasn't 'til last year that I really started to feel really quite happy with our 'together time'.

Key point: Take one thing at a time.

Also in my next post, in the Spirit of Newness (yes, I am in fact stretching the New Year theme out THIS LONG), along with our schedule, I'll share what's new in JoviOval time for this term/year, what's being tossed and why.

If you want to be really inspired, or need help with ideas for beginning a Morning/Circle Time, definitely have a browse over at Cindy's. She's got 30 days of MT! If you're interested in an all-out-AO-ambler's outlook and of her sundry daily experiences gathering her chicks into an egg-shaped formation and of some multi-age combinations, you'll want to read my next couple of posts, too. AND there's the linky, too! Only my friend Brandy has shared so far. She has a habit of posting about her Circle Time each term, so you could see her older posts as well.

Have you blogged about your Morning Time/Circle Time? Do you wanna? Help us out!
Please post and share your experiences in the linky below!

:)