Self-Education Check In

[Nan in Mass]

I wouldn't bother with Teenproofing. Although the first bit was interesting and I kind of agreed with it, the rest had a tough-love stance that I know (from a few disasterous experiments) wouldn't work in our family. My family is much more in line with The Five Love Languages of Teenagers. That book I like very much and have employed with good success. I found Get Out of My Life But First Would You Take Sherry And Me To The Mall (or something like that) comforting (but not particulalry helpful) just because it described some of the realities of living with some teenagers, like the blind decisions and the yelling and the inconsistency. Of course, if you manage to do more of the Love Languages book, you get less of the Get Out of My Life book, at least in my experience. For study skills, Rough Collie's recommendation of That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week was very helpful. I am trying hard to get all those suggestions in place before my son starts classes at CC. I made a huge long list of things to start doing GRIN or teach him how to do. I also like the section on studying in Going Back to School - short and practical. I looked at a book called something like Don't Bother Me, I'm Learning, which was about what children learn from computers. I only took a quick look at it, but I'm not sure I'll learn anything new from it, so I'm not sure I'll get it out again to look at farther. At one time, I tried to look at the SuperStar student videos, but I didn't get past the first one. They might be more helpful later on, but I found the first one boring and unhelpful so I never investigated it more. I probably should have started in the middle, the way I usually do things. I have Study is Hard Work (and haven't managed to look at it yet). And I just finished skimming Writer's, Inc., which has helpful information on note-taking, paper-writing, reading, and test-taking. That one I recommend highly. It is definately the most useful of the writing books I've looked at, although I also like Powerful Paragraphs and Writing History. The rest were either too complicated to be useful to us, or too simple, or for some reason unreadable to me (like Composition in the Classical Tradition or whatever that one with the horrid court-room examples is - I've started that one numerous times and never gotten past the first chapter).

-Nan

[Vida Winter]

I have a good friend whose family volunteers regularly at the Tryon Palace (NC's original capitol seat), in period clothing. She sews all of her things authentically, by hand. Her oldest child is the chief costumer at Tryon, and has a degree in fiber arts. Anyway, I've sworn for the six years we've lived in this house (with columns, in georgian-style) that I needed to make antebellum garb for the family for our Christmas photo. :)

 

Lori, what a gift your friend must have. I can't imagine sewing those elaborate costumes by hand. It is a lot of fun but so time consuming. I'm making Regency period gowns for my daughters.

[MomtoCandJ]

Any suggestions on books for self education? I have a copy of the WEM from the library after reading half of Don Quixote I realized I had already read that in high school and proceeded to look at the other recommended books in the first section that I had read most of those too. So now I am looking at the Autobiography section of WEM and am wondering if there is any other self education books that are similar or one that is more subjects like science and math

[Tokyomarie]

Thanks, Nan. The tough-love stance doesn't get us far with ds. It was helpful to a point for oldest dd, not helpful at all for dd #2, and I've given up completely with ds. I looked at the "Crumpled Paper" book on Amazon & I think it might just be my next read for finding my own motivation for continuing to teach my son. We may, soon, finally be getting the real alphabet letters to officially classify him as something other than "challenging to teach." I really have reached the end of my own sanity in working with him. But, unless we go with one of those fancy price tag schools, I can't imagine finding a school that will actually be good for him at this stage. Maybe by college. Not now.

 

As for teaching my co-op class, I think I need to be on the lookout again. It has been awhile since I pulled out the materials I do have. I've never hit on just the right resource to hand the kids (gr. 7-10 audience) so I will probably piecemeal my curriculum together again, if I do that class.

[AngelBee]

 

The past week I've been reading about adoption and attachment, as we'll be adopting an older child this year. So my "self-education" didn't get too far this week.

 

:grouphug: How exciting! This is a topic close to my heart as we plan to adopt from foster care and Liberia in the future. :)

[Colleen in NS]

Any suggestions on books for self education? I have a copy of the WEM from the library after reading half of Don Quixote I realized I had already read that in high school and proceeded to look at the other recommended books in the first section that I had read most of those too. So now I am looking at the Autobiography section of WEM and am wondering if there is any other self education books that are similar or one that is more subjects like science and math

 

You could use the principles from WEM on other books that fall within WEM's genres. Have a look at the book lists in WTM rhetoric stage, and then branch out from there.

 

Adler's How to Read a Book has advice on reading through science and math, and I believe there is a book list in there, too.

 

These two books are great resources for principles to apply to other reading.

 

I don't know if this counts or not, but I bought Joe Satriani's Crystal Planet anthology for guitar several months ago and am working through it. :svengo: I then went and bought Journey's anthology too with all of Neal Schon's guitar parts for something a bit easier to work with when I get completely overwhelmed and scared with Joe's stuff. :eek:

 

I think it counts! My dh does this all the time - he is a guitar teacher!