Husband sums it up/Sandra's response
Sally Brooks
Julie, so glad your last 18 months has been more than you expected.
Mine have too! My dh, mom and dad talk about our last 12 months
pretty much weekly.
I did want to add an offshoot to Sandra's comment about school kids
deciding something was 'stupid', even if the subject was near to
heart for another kid and being made to feel little for loving the
subject (paraphrased of course). A few weeks ago, my 11yo dd was
considering going to summer school with her school buddies just to
basically hang out and be with them. Then one mentioned that my dd
would have to take reading and math along with the fun classes, and
math in middle school was HARD. When she shared this conversation
with me I could honestly see the angst on this kids face. It made me
cry inside, you see, because her dad and I were both math teachers,
him in hs and I in ms. I told her that the middle school math in
summer school was really not that hard. She said that I would say
that because I had taught it. I told her fair enough, but let me
tell you about the math I taught in middle school last summer (a
month before they fired me). The kids were given a materials list
(toothpicks, 10 cents apiece and clay, some amount per square inch)
and were instructed to build a building yea high. They were also
given a budget to come in under. They only had two days to do this,
although many really got into it and would really have benefitted
from more TIME to make mistakes and explore, we had to move on
(different thread). I then asked my dd if this didn't sound like
much of what she did this whole year on her own. She said yes, but
she thought there would be multiplication tables involved and I
didn't TEACH that to her this year (she looked ready to cry this
time). I told her that that wasn't something she communicated to me
she wanted to LEARN. Then I listed the 'mathy' things she did do,
Zoombinis (for unlimited hours and is better at it than me!),
Backyard baseball (studying statistics to build strong teams), Math
Shop (obvious), building her treehouse, planning and having yard
sales to buy stereo equipment, cooking with me, helping me plan and
buy for the family meals, sewing 9 block quilts and arranging the
squares so they are visually appealing and so on. I then told her
that the math she DID do this year may not have been with paper and
pencil like her peers, but it WAS math that she would never forget,
enjoyed, wasn't afraid of and that put her ahead of her peers, maybe
not now, but down the road when they're still afraid of math, she
won't have any problems. I also told her if she wanted to practice
her multiplication tables, I would do that with her too. So far she
hasn't. Just ticks me off that these turkeys scared my baby like
that!
Mine have too! My dh, mom and dad talk about our last 12 months
pretty much weekly.
I did want to add an offshoot to Sandra's comment about school kids
deciding something was 'stupid', even if the subject was near to
heart for another kid and being made to feel little for loving the
subject (paraphrased of course). A few weeks ago, my 11yo dd was
considering going to summer school with her school buddies just to
basically hang out and be with them. Then one mentioned that my dd
would have to take reading and math along with the fun classes, and
math in middle school was HARD. When she shared this conversation
with me I could honestly see the angst on this kids face. It made me
cry inside, you see, because her dad and I were both math teachers,
him in hs and I in ms. I told her that the middle school math in
summer school was really not that hard. She said that I would say
that because I had taught it. I told her fair enough, but let me
tell you about the math I taught in middle school last summer (a
month before they fired me). The kids were given a materials list
(toothpicks, 10 cents apiece and clay, some amount per square inch)
and were instructed to build a building yea high. They were also
given a budget to come in under. They only had two days to do this,
although many really got into it and would really have benefitted
from more TIME to make mistakes and explore, we had to move on
(different thread). I then asked my dd if this didn't sound like
much of what she did this whole year on her own. She said yes, but
she thought there would be multiplication tables involved and I
didn't TEACH that to her this year (she looked ready to cry this
time). I told her that that wasn't something she communicated to me
she wanted to LEARN. Then I listed the 'mathy' things she did do,
Zoombinis (for unlimited hours and is better at it than me!),
Backyard baseball (studying statistics to build strong teams), Math
Shop (obvious), building her treehouse, planning and having yard
sales to buy stereo equipment, cooking with me, helping me plan and
buy for the family meals, sewing 9 block quilts and arranging the
squares so they are visually appealing and so on. I then told her
that the math she DID do this year may not have been with paper and
pencil like her peers, but it WAS math that she would never forget,
enjoyed, wasn't afraid of and that put her ahead of her peers, maybe
not now, but down the road when they're still afraid of math, she
won't have any problems. I also told her if she wanted to practice
her multiplication tables, I would do that with her too. So far she
hasn't. Just ticks me off that these turkeys scared my baby like
that!
Julie Bogart
--- In [email protected], "Sally Brooks" <brooksclan4@s...>
wrote:
Just ticks me off that these turkeys scared my baby like
experienced can address this.
One of the things I saw with my kids is that their "schooled" peers *intimidate* them.
When schooled kids discuss their grades, projects, tests and "hard" classes, my kids
immediately see themselves as not capable of that kind of work (or at least show some
concern that they might not be).
My daughter went to school part time partly (I think) to test the theory - to see if she could
keep up with her peers in a school setting. Turned out she did great! But I still hear her
saying that "so-and-so" is "really smart" because she's getting all As in her honors classes.
Grrrr.
My son is convinced he can't "cut it" but he also cares about that a lot less than his sister.
What I don't like is when I hear the schooled kids repeat the propaganda - "You mean you
haven't studied ___________ in homeschool? But you have to to go to college" or
"_____________ is really important. You can't learn that at home."
Grrrr.
Any thoughts?
Julie B
wrote:
Just ticks me off that these turkeys scared my baby like
> that!Oh Sally, you touched a raw nerve here with me. I hope some of you who are more
experienced can address this.
One of the things I saw with my kids is that their "schooled" peers *intimidate* them.
When schooled kids discuss their grades, projects, tests and "hard" classes, my kids
immediately see themselves as not capable of that kind of work (or at least show some
concern that they might not be).
My daughter went to school part time partly (I think) to test the theory - to see if she could
keep up with her peers in a school setting. Turned out she did great! But I still hear her
saying that "so-and-so" is "really smart" because she's getting all As in her honors classes.
Grrrr.
My son is convinced he can't "cut it" but he also cares about that a lot less than his sister.
What I don't like is when I hear the schooled kids repeat the propaganda - "You mean you
haven't studied ___________ in homeschool? But you have to to go to college" or
"_____________ is really important. You can't learn that at home."
Grrrr.
Any thoughts?
Julie B
[email protected]
In a message dated 6/17/2004 10:08:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
julie@... writes:
What I don't like is when I hear the schooled kids repeat the propaganda -
"You mean you
haven't studied ___________ in homeschool? But you have to to go to college"
or
"_____________ is really important. You can't learn that at home."
Grrrr.
Any thoughts?
<<<<<
Be patient.
Cameron heard all that too. Thought he was stupid and was doomed to be a
failure for the rest of his life.
Now those same kids who were needling him for "goofing off" are now DYING to
be in his shoes. They've pretty much blown off school----to the point that
they probably CAN'T get into college! Meanwhile he's blossomed into someone
he's happy---no THRILLED! to be.
In fact, last weekend he bought himself a sarong! I'm tickled PINK that he's
comfortable enough with himself to do something so "daring" <g>
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
julie@... writes:
What I don't like is when I hear the schooled kids repeat the propaganda -
"You mean you
haven't studied ___________ in homeschool? But you have to to go to college"
or
"_____________ is really important. You can't learn that at home."
Grrrr.
Any thoughts?
<<<<<
Be patient.
Cameron heard all that too. Thought he was stupid and was doomed to be a
failure for the rest of his life.
Now those same kids who were needling him for "goofing off" are now DYING to
be in his shoes. They've pretty much blown off school----to the point that
they probably CAN'T get into college! Meanwhile he's blossomed into someone
he's happy---no THRILLED! to be.
In fact, last weekend he bought himself a sarong! I'm tickled PINK that he's
comfortable enough with himself to do something so "daring" <g>
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Robyn Coburn
<<<In fact, last weekend he bought himself a sarong! I'm tickled PINK that
he's
comfortable enough with himself to do something so "daring" <g>>>>
My husband wears a kakoi (at least that's how it sounds when he says it)
around the house and outside, which is basically an African version of a
sarong for men. It is a very soft woven cotton with some striping woven in
to the fabric. He was so pleased to find a mail order vendor online and now
has several new ones. His old one was from when he used to live in Africa
15+ years ago.
I had an old boyfriend quite a few years ago in Australia whose preferred
casual wear was also a sarong. He was a writer, screen printer, musician
hippy type artist and the sarong was just perfect for him. I have to say he
didn't generally wear it down the pub, but pretty much any place else, and
while doing his art work.
Robyn L. Coburn
---
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he's
comfortable enough with himself to do something so "daring" <g>>>>
My husband wears a kakoi (at least that's how it sounds when he says it)
around the house and outside, which is basically an African version of a
sarong for men. It is a very soft woven cotton with some striping woven in
to the fabric. He was so pleased to find a mail order vendor online and now
has several new ones. His old one was from when he used to live in Africa
15+ years ago.
I had an old boyfriend quite a few years ago in Australia whose preferred
casual wear was also a sarong. He was a writer, screen printer, musician
hippy type artist and the sarong was just perfect for him. I have to say he
didn't generally wear it down the pub, but pretty much any place else, and
while doing his art work.
Robyn L. Coburn
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.707 / Virus Database: 463 - Release Date: 6/15/2004
Lee Roversi
>In fact, last weekend he bought himself a sarong! I'm tickled PINK thathe's
comfortable enough with himself to do something so "daring" <g>
Send him over to Kauai . . . he would fit right in! Pretty much standard
casual wear - at least with those most comfortable with themselves . .
.very comfy after-surf wear!
Aloha, Lee
NORTH COUNTRY FARMS
~an eco-tourism destination~
P.O. Box 723
Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii 96754
808-828-1513phone & voice mail
808-828-0805fax
www.northcountryfarms.com