Create-A-Way

Wow!

Lemon Geodes

Oh, the joy of simple science! This delightful project will fill your home with wonder, and the best part? You might even make a bit of mess along the way, all in the name of learning!

Ingredients:
- Fresh Lemons
- Alum Powder
- White Liquid Glue
- Boiling Water
- Purple Gel Food Coloring
- Bowl/Cup deep enough to submerge the lemon peel

Directions:
1. Prepare the 'Geode': Start by hollowing out the lemon halves completely, leaving just the white pith. A gentle touch will help keep the peels intact, so dry them carefully with a paper towel.
2. Seed the Peel: Paint the entire inside of the lemon peel with white glue. While the glue is still wet, sprinkle a hearty amount of dry Alum powder over it. Allow this to dry fully overnight; it’s like getting your canvas ready for art!
3. Make Supersaturated Solution: Now, in a separate bowl, mix 2 cups of boiling water with 3/4 cup of Alum powder. Stir until the Alum fully dissolves, and the liquid is clear. Add 30–40 drops of purple food coloring and give it a gentle stir before letting it cool for about 30 minutes.
4. Grow: Take your seeded lemon peel and gently place it into the cup of solution, ensuring it’s fully submerged. Use a spoon to gently hold it down if it happens to float; we want it fully immersed!
5. Wait: Now comes the hardest part—patience! Set it aside and let it sit undisturbed for 24 to 48 hours.

Take a moment today to gather your little ones and create something beautiful together. You’re making more than just geodes; you’re crafting memories that will sparkle for a lifetime. What’s your favorite childhood craft?

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I just wanted to let you know about a law that was passed in 2021 called the Dexter Mosely Act. This act authorizes homeschool students in grades 6-12 to participate in extracurricular activities in their local public school system. There are some requirements, so please read through if you are interested, but we will be taking part in this and we are very thankful for it!

Public School Activities (Dexter Mosely Act) – Georgia Home Education Association  PUBLIC SCHOOL ACTIVITIES (DEXTER MOSELY ACT)In 2021, the Georgia legislature passed the Dexter Mosely Act which authorizes homeschool students in grades 6 through 12 to participate in extracurricular and interscholastic (E/I) activities, including sports, in their local public school system. In or...

What a great day for the last Healing Ways market of the season! People loved the sugar-free caramel from The Fruit Monk!! Thank you for a great year, Athentic Brewing Company!!

“I’m recording this. My dad says if you yell at me, we can sue the district.”

That wasn’t spoken by a lawyer. Or an angry parent. That was spoken by a seven-year-old boy in my second-grade class, holding an iPhone 14 up to my face.

He didn’t look angry. He looked bored. He looked like he was ordering a sandwich.

I lowered my hand. I wasn’t going to yell. I was just trying to ask him to please, for the third time, stop throwing erasers at the girl with special needs sitting in the front row.

I smiled at him. A sad, tired smile. "You don't need to record, Tyler. I'm done."

And I meant it. My name is Mrs. Halloway. For 38 years, I have taught in the public school system of a mid-sized town in Pennsylvania. I have survived budget cuts, four different superintendents, a pandemic, and the shift from chalkboard to SmartBoard.

But today, I packed my final box. I walked out of Room 2B for the last time.

When I started teaching in 1986, this job was a vocation. It felt holy. We weren’t paid well—teachers never are—but we were trusted. When a child got in trouble, the parent asked, “What did my child do?” Today, the email usually starts with, “What did you do to upset my child?”

I remember the days of parent-teacher conferences where we shared coffee and concerns. Parents brought homemade cookies. We were partners. We were a village raising a child together.

Now? I am a service provider. The parents are the customers. And the customer is always right.

Even when their child is throwing a chair. Even when their child hasn’t turned in homework in three weeks. Even when their child is sleeping in class because they were up until 3:00 AM playing video games.

"Mrs. Halloway, you're failing him? That will ruin his self-esteem." No, I’m not failing him. I’m telling you he cannot read. And instead of reading with him, you’re threatening my tenure.

It wasn't one big thing that broke me. It was the thousand little cuts.

It was the morning I spent 20 minutes teaching 7-year-olds how to hide in a closet and stay silent in case a "bad man with a gun" came into the building. Have you ever tried to explain to a weeping first-grader why they have to be quiet so they don't die? I have. And then I’m expected to teach Math five minutes later like nothing happened.

It was the day a parent emailed the principal because I took away a student's iPad during a lesson. "He needs it for his anxiety," she said. He was watching YouTube pranks.

It was the loneliness. Teachers used to eat lunch together in the faculty room, laughing, venting, sharing resources. Now? We sit alone in our classrooms with the lights off, frantically entering data into compliance software, documenting every behavior incident just to protect ourselves from a lawsuit.

We are exhausted. Not tired. Soul-tired.

The children... I love them. I really do. That hasn't changed. But they are suffering, and nobody wants to admit why.

They are growing up in a world that is too loud, too fast, and too mean. They can swipe a screen before they can tie their shoes. They know how to mimic a TikTok dance, but they don't know how to apologize when they hurt a friend. They are over-stimulated, sleep-deprived, and filled with an anxiety they don't have the words to explain.

So they act out. They scream. They check out. And society looks at the teachers and says, "Fix them."

Fix the behavior. Fix the reading gap. Fix the social skills. Fix the trauma. Do it in a room with 30 kids. With no aide. With textbooks held together by tape. And do it with a smile, or we will put you on an "Improvement Plan."

I remember when my classroom was a sanctuary. We had a "Reading Rug" where we traveled to Narnia and Hogwarts. We learned that it’s okay to fail, as long as you try again. We learned that being kind was more important than being the fastest.

Now, my value is determined by a standardized test score. I had an administrator tell me last year, "Mrs. Halloway, you spend too much time on social-emotional learning. We need to focus on the data points."

Data points. They aren't children anymore. They are data points.

I kept going because of the moments that still glimmered in the dust. The boy who whispered, "I love you, Mrs. H," when he thought no one was listening. The girl who finally, finally understood subtraction and looked at me like she’d just won the lottery. The drawing of a stick-figure me with the words, You are the best techer.

I held onto those scraps of love. But love doesn't pay the medical bills for stress-induced high blood pressure. Love doesn't stop a chair from flying across the room.

So today, I purged the room. I took down the posters that said READ and DREAM. I threw away the stress balls and the sticker charts.

I found a box of letters from the 90s. "Dear Mrs. Halloway, thank you for believing in me when I was a troublemaker. I'm a dad now, and I tell my kids about you."

I sat on the floor and wept. Because back then, I was allowed to be a teacher. Now, I feel like a warden, a secretary, and a punching bag.

There was no retirement party. The budget is too tight for cake. Just a generic email from the district office: Please return your keys and badge by 4:00 PM.

I left my red pens. I left my rocking chair. But I took my memories. I took the memory of every child who felt safe in my room when the world outside was scary. They can't take that from me.

I don’t know what I’ll do next. Maybe I’ll work at a bookstore. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere where people don't yell at me for trying to help.

But I want you to know something. If you are reading this, and you have a child in school: Please. Look at the person standing at the front of that classroom.

They aren't doing it for the money. God knows they aren't doing it for the money. They aren't doing it for the "summers off" (which are mostly spent taking continuing education classes and buying supplies with their own credit cards).

They are doing it because they believe in your child. They are the only ones standing between your child and a system that wants to turn them into a statistic.

They are tired. They are breaking. And they are quitting in droves.

If we don't start treating teachers like human beings—like the professionals and caretakers they are—there won't be anyone left to unlock the door. There won't be anyone left to dry the tears. There won't be anyone left to say, "You can do this. I believe in you."

So, to the teachers still standing in the gap: I see you. To the parents: Please, work with us. Not against us. And to the children: I am so sorry we couldn't make the world softer for you.

We tried. I really, truly tried.

Who would be interested in an engineering club for teens? Right here in Athens!!

This is a great article about deschooling by my friend, The Lifeschooler!

New post on my website!!!

Deschooling is crucial especially if you are new to homeschooling!

Check it out at: https://thelifeschooler.wordpress.com/2025/11/30/deschooling-what-is-it/

IG FRIENDS-LINK IN BIO 🫶

Did you know???

Even though I teach independently online with Couch Academy...

I also teach on Outschool! Outschool is a live, online learning platform, great for group or individual learning.

https://outschool.com/teachers/Kimberly-Couch?signup=true&usid=BDsYRVX0

But did you also know???

Outschool now has approved programs from:

Georgia Promise
Arizona ESA
CHOOSE ACT
Arkansas EFA
Florida Scholarship
Idaho EPP
MOScholars
New Hampshire EFA
OH ACE
South Carolina ESTF
Utah FA
VA LAG
Louisiana GATOR
Wyoming ESA
West Virginia Hope
OpenEd
Lake and Peninsula School District

This means...

If you are a part of any of these programs, then your child is qualified to use them to take any of my 37 classes on Outschool!

Check them out here ⤵️

https://outschool.com/teachers/Kimberly-Couch?signup=true&usid=BDsYRVX0

Kimberly Couch, M.Ed. - Outschool Teacher Art Teacher | 36 upcoming classes | 1 class available by request

🌼 The Lost Art of the Dandelion Crown: A Step-by-Step Guide 🌼

We’ve all seen these whimsical crowns, but do you actually know how to make one that stays together? I found this incredible guide that breaks down the "secret" weaving technique perfectly. Whether you're celebrating Pride, enjoying a sunny day at the park, or just want to channel your inner forest fairy, here is the real tested method to making a flower crown that won't fall apart.

🌿 WHAT YOU NEED:

Dandelions (or Daisies/Clover): Look for ones with long, thick, flexible stems.

Patience: It takes about 5 minutes to get the rhythm!

🛠 THE TECHNIQUE (The "Loop & Lock"): Based on the vintage diagram below, here is the fail-safe method:

The Base: Start with two flowers. Hold one stem horizontally (this is your "base" stem).

The Placement: Take the second flower and place it vertically behind the flower head of the first one.

The Loop (The Critical Step): Take the stem of the second flower, wrap it over the top of the first stem, then loop it underneath and pull it through to the back.

The Lock: Pull the stem tight so it lays horizontally alongside the first stem. Now you have a bundle of two stems.

Repeat: Place the next flower vertically behind the bundle, wrap over and under, and pull the stem flat to join the growing bundle.

The Finish: Once it's long enough to fit your head, bring the two ends together. You can use a piece of grass, string, or a final flower stem to tie the loop closed.

✨ PRO-TIPS FOR SUCCESS:

Pick Fresh: Dandelions wilt fast! Make these fresh on the spot for the best look.

Watch the Sap: Dandelion stems have a milky white sap that can stain hands and clothes slightly brown—totally worth it, but don't wear your best white silk dress while making one!

Keep it Tight: Keep your thumb on the "knot" as you add each new flower to keep the chain from getting loose.

Save this image so you don't forget the weaving pattern next time you're outside! 👇

I wanted to get the word out there about something I recently discovered, a little late for my son, but hoping it can help someone in their homeschool journey.

CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) is a program that offers exams for the purpose of testing out of introductory college courses, therefore saving time and money! Highschool homeschoolers, this one is for YOU!!

Check out CLEP here! ⤵️

Earn College Credit with CLEP – CLEP | College Board Register to take a CLEP exam and receive college credit at 2,900 colleges.