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Posted

I'm starting an anti-thread. This is sort of like anti-matter. Don't post here. It doesn't exist in our visible half of the universe.

 

The title of the thread is "Why I don't belong here".

 

I just think probably everyone feels like they don't really belong here, and perhaps if we all post our why-I-don't-belong-on-TWTM-board posts in anti-matter instead of here, then we will all feel better, and maybe the anti-ness will anti us all into a cohesive group.

 

Nan, who doesn't feel like she belongs here either and is using her normal silly backwards logic to try to cheer everyone, including herself, up

 

(Not that I don't think is isn't a good idea to talk about these things from time to time...)

Posted
I'm starting an anti-thread. This is sort of like anti-matter. Don't post here. It doesn't exist in our visible half of the universe.

 

The title of the thread is "Why I don't belong here".

 

I just think probably everyone feels like they don't really belong here, and perhaps if we all post our why-I-don't-belong-on-TWTM-board posts in anti-matter instead of here, then we will all feel better, and maybe the anti-ness will anti us all into a cohesive group.

 

Nan, who doesn't feel like she belongs here either and is using her normal silly backwards logic to try to cheer everyone, including herself, up

 

(Not that I don't think is isn't a good idea to talk about these things from time to time...)

 

I don't belong here because I'm not even homeschooling anymore. :o

Posted

I don't belong here because I don't do nearly enough memory work, and copywork and dictation to call myself a classical homeschooler. We don't study Greek at all - EVER - in our homeschooling journey and the mean magistra only makes the poor students study Latin until they've completed 2 years at high school level. We probably also don't cover enough art and music appreciation over the years and Lord only knows there must be *something* wrong with our higher level maths...... And I'm certain that we must have a plethora of other failings, as well, which I will ruminate deeply upon.....

 

Regena

Posted

I don't belong here because: I use A World of Adventure; I don't care about the 4-year history cycle; I don't expect any of my children to take Trig, Calculus, or Physics in high school; I use American School for high school; and our school day usually ends at lunchtime. :)

Posted

Hi, my name is Mandy and I am not a classical homeschooler.

 

1. None of my kids will never study Greek.

 

2. My oldest is the only one studying Latin.

 

3. After we study modern history next year, I plan to spend a whole year on just American history.

 

4. My kids don't do nearly enough writing.

 

5. We used MUS for Alg1, Geometry, and now Alg2.

 

6. My 14yo ds is still doing spelling!

 

7. My 16yo is such an underachiever that I consider some days a success if he does 2 of the 3 R's!

 

Mandy

Posted

I don't belong here because I've never done narrations or dictation, my eldest never did copywork (okay, we pulled her out of ps at 8, so she's done dictation). Also, we did Easy Grammar for 2 grades, I don't make my 7 yo do any writing for FLL and none of my kids do much with history before gr. 3. Also, it took my eldest 4 years to get through Latin Primer 1 because of her intense lollygagging and dilly dallying in almost every subject. She did that in ps, too. Not because the work is hard, but just because.

 

Also, this week I've been totally addicted to this board because I've been sick, which means my kids have taken the week off school (but they're also ill). I did manage to abstain from posting on the humanistic thread as much as I enjoy lively discussions. Next week we'll have to get back to work!

Posted

Ok I love this thread :D I just spent all day with an untold number of Boy Scouts helping them raise money for summer camp and I was the only adult. I needed a good laugh and y'all sure did provide it ;)

 

There is a myriad of reason why I do not belong here yet I read here just about every day for years, sometimes more than once a day. Hmmm that sounds like an addiction :eek: maybe I should join a support group ...... but no wait this is a support group ;)

Posted

Wow, talk about timing, I was just thinking this last night ~ I really don't belong here, I never really did,and now I really don't.

There are many reasons, too boring to post, but I am so thankful for this thread, because this is my favorite board, even if I don't belong : )

Posted

I always figured I should get a hint that I don't belong by the sound of those crickets chirping within the yawning silence that follows one of my posts. Someone called it being a thread killer -- the person who writes that dreaded last post to which NO ONE will reply!

 

Perhaps I don't belong here because I'm not homeschooling for academic excellence that can be measured in SAT scores and AP credits, but to instill a love of learning and to equip my kids with the skills they need to pursue anything they want to do in life.

 

Academic snobbery is unnecessary. My father was a Harvard trained physicist, a university professor who knew Latin, Russian, French and Spanish, played french horn in the symphony, played piano all around town, was well read -- he wasn't a snob at all. His refrain until his death was that you go to school to get an education -- not to get a job, not to get into some prestigious university, but to learn and think, simply for the sake of expanding your mind.

 

Like Nan says, the WTM provides the outline for how to develop in our kids the skills for learning -- the rest of it is open to our unique interpretations.

 

Hmmm. This could be another thread killer -- I'm being too serious!

Posted

Nan. This is so perfect. 'Cause I was feeling frustrated lately. And I think not feeling I belong here, but not liking anywhere else was at the heart of it...Laura's earlier post hit me at a bad time. Laura, I'm sorry if I misunderstood you or was unclear, I was frustrated and you were the catalyst for my venting...I took no offense, nor meant any, and hope you accept my apology if I came across irritable. I was. I'm sorry. (Hope this was an okay spot to say so...)

 

So here is my exorcism. Why I don't belong:

 

1. I don't do Greek or Latin.

 

2. Sporadic dictation/copywork.

 

3. Semi four yr cycle.

 

4. Lean towards unschooling.

 

5. Academic rigor (it was a good phrase, I'm sticking with it) is only of secondary importance to me in schooling...or third..maybe fourth. A high paying job does not equal success for my dd. I wouldn't know a SAT if it stood up and slapped me.

 

6. I don't really schedule for each year, just keep forging ahead.

 

7. I believe in delayed math.

 

8. While I love SOTW and other SWB/JB publications I don't follow them to the letter.

 

9. I am Christian but do not like Christian based curriculum (for the most part) and will not discuss my Christianity unless face to face or in private conversation with someone.

 

 

I feel woefully inadequate because of all of the above when I come here. So why do I come? Because TWTM still inspires me and is my spine for homeschooling. Because the ideas I have gleaned here have guided and molded my thinking. Because there is a HUGE variety of people to pull ideas from. And maybe, just maybe, I can give some encouragement once in awhile.

Posted
I always figured I should get a hint that I don't belong by the sound of those crickets chirping within the yawning silence that follows one of my posts. Someone called it being a thread killer -- the person who writes that dreaded last post to which NO ONE will reply!

Hmmm. This could be another thread killer -- I'm being too serious!

 

What's wrong with being serious? I didn't even start to learn to laugh at myself until I was 16. Serious is good, and I'm not kidding. And I'm with you on the school for education, etc.

Posted

JennW, good to know that I'm not the only "thread-killer" on this board! ;) In addition, I don't belong here because, even after all the recent anti-TT posts, TT Geometry looks like a really attractive option for next year.

Posted

I don't belong here because I do belong here but since everyone else here doesn't belong here then I guess I don't after all.

 

Hey, remember the Monty Python Scene:

"You are all individuals!"

"I'm not!"

Posted

First, I have to ask where is here? Do any of us really belong anywhere? Shouldn't we all be at home reading Latin to our children?

 

I have been trying all day to think why I don't belong here. I really think that we all belong here. We have experience to share, and we all value a rigorous education. If we didn't, we would be somewhere else. Most of my IRL friends either don't homeschool or are unschoolers. I really have no one else. :(

 

Here is my confession:

My ds did not take math this year. He hates math. He has suffered through pre-calc, and I allowed him to not take any math his senior year. He is taking his fourth year of Japanese and is taking Italian I at the cc (he has also taken a year of French and a semester of Spanish). Doesn't that help justify my place in the "rigorous" crowd?

 

Oh and one more thing:

I only made him do one semester of Henle. :o He hasn't had and Latin since then. We aren't REAL classical homeschoolers, are we?

 

I'll go hide my head in shame - wait. This isn't really a thread. This is an anti-thread. Thanks Nan! Please don't tell anyone that I never did Spievogel, and I don't like Jane Austen (and I am copying from Laura R, she reminded me of Jane).

Posted

Okay, I don't belong, because my oldest child is only 9 and about to start 5th grade. I'm just a sponge soaking up the knowledge you guys so graciously share.

 

I will stay because I have a lot to learn from all y'all. I'm feeling southern again. :)

Posted

Hmm...why don't I belong?

 

I was so gung ho about the classical approach when I began using it in 1999. We dropped Latin a few years ago although my 8th grader is taking it for HS credit. I never finished SOTW although my 6th grader is using it at her classical school. I'm outsourcing everything next year and I don't care! :) In fact, I'm glad. I have an underachiever and an overachiever and I'm happy to split them apart for a time. Heck, technically I don't even have a high schooler, so why am I on this board?! Plus, my house is a mess and I've never read an entire Jane Austen book.

Posted
I don't belong here because I do belong here but since everyone else here doesn't belong here then I guess I don't after all.

 

Hey, remember the Monty Python Scene:

"You are all individuals!"

"I'm not!"

 

I love Monty Python.

 

Completely off topic - you have to love a movie that gives a Latin lesson. Sorry but I just pulled this from the imdb. Will somebody tell me if it correct?

 

Centurion: What's this, then? "Romanes eunt domus"? People called Romanes, they go, the house?

Brian: It says, "Romans go home. "

Centurion: No it doesn't ! What's the latin for "Roman"? Come on, come on !

Brian: Er, "Romanus" !

Centurion: Vocative plural of "Romanus" is?

Brian: Er, er, "Romani" !

Centurion: [Writes "Romani" over Brian's graffiti] "Eunt"? What is "eunt"? Conjugate the verb, "to go" !

Brian: Er, "Ire". Er, "eo", "is", "it", "imus", "itis", "eunt".

Centurion: So, "eunt" is...?

Brian: Third person plural present indicative, "they go".

Centurion: But, "Romans, go home" is an order. So you must use...?

[He twists Brian's ear]

Brian: Aaagh ! The imperative !

Centurion: Which is...?

Brian: Aaaagh ! Er, er, "i" !

Centurion: How many Romans?

Brian: Aaaaagh ! Plural, plural, er, "ite" !

Centurion: [Writes "ite"] "Domus"? Nominative? "Go home" is motion towards, isn't it?

Brian: Dative !

[the Centurion holds a sword to his throat]

Brian: Aaagh ! Not the dative, not the dative ! Er, er, accusative, "Domum" !

Centurion: But "Domus" takes the locative, which is...?

Brian: Er, "Domum" !

Centurion: [Writes "Domum"] Understand? Now, write it out a hundred times.

Brian: Yes sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caesar, sir.

Posted

and I have never met one who homeschools. I feel like the only one who does it. Oh well, we've been doing it alone for 6 years, I guess another 6 won't hurt.:D

 

Elmeryl

Posted

I have two reasons for not belonging here:

 

1. I no longer homeschool (our youngest son graduated from our homeschool almost 3 years ago.

 

2. We were not classical homeschoolers.

 

 

But I'm stayin' anyway!

Posted

I don't belong here because I've never belonged anywhere ;) and I'm the original thread-killer, crickets don't churp they croak (as in die) when I post and generally the only way I'm going to get a reply to anything I post is if someone wants to start a fight with me. I honestly get maybe one or two posts to any post I start and that's it.

 

Otherwise, I don't belong here because (gasp!! Here it comes...) I've never even read the WTM and I've never used it. I don't believe Latin and Music are essential learning tools at all and I don't follow a "trivium". I am almost completely an eclectic relaxed unschooler and I like it that way. ;)

 

There... I said it... I'm so anti-belonging that I actually do belong, which is scary. ;)

Posted

because I do not have any children! :o

 

But I love classical education and all that is a part of it...

and I work daily with classical homeschoolers so all of this is of great value and importance to me.

Posted

I don't belong here because:

 

1. We are Latin dropouts - only did LC one year and Henle another.

 

2. One year we did Winston Grammar, and we have not done grammar or diagramming every year.

 

3. We are not looking for a really rigorous chemistry course.

 

I have learned a lot here though. And I still want to stay.:D

 

Veronica

Posted
Yeah, but you better stay because we edge people surely, surely need your flaming sword of moderation.

 

Ha! Well, this week, it's been in hiding around here, because... well, it's been some awful week. Not without redeeming qualities, and yesterday was fantastic, but the week itself? Blech.

 

I need to remember to use that thing. Or hand it off so somebody can wave it my way.

Posted

We have lots of families here who homeschool who are African American. We have at least one I know of who is Egyptian. We have Middle Eastern homeschoolers. We have quite a bit of variety here, in this backwater. Maybe it's because of the university here and that we're in the middle of the country. I would think in a large place like NJ, you'd have way more variety than us! Go figure,

 

Regena

Posted

Well, I sometimes feel I don't belong either-- we're not yet in high school (next year, gulp!), but some things are going great, while others seem to fall by the wayside. But I've been with the WTM program for eight years, and can't see giving up now! Four more years... how quickly the time flies!

Posted

I think the problem is that nobody fits into labels very well.

 

Myrtle says she's not doing TWTM and not doing classical, and yet we need her and Charon's expertese (sorry about spelling) on math. They are providing guidance on rigourous, classical math.

 

Tina in Ouray and Plaid Dad don't seem to be doing TWTM because it isn't classical enough (forgive me if I'm wrong) but we need their guidance for logic and Latin, and for other definitions of classical.

 

Jane in NC is more science oriented than TWTM, but we need her input on doing science classically.

 

Ellie isn't doing TWTM but she has a vast experience with the legalities of homeschooling.

 

I AM doing TWTM more closely, but am not rigorous or academically minded.

 

Lisa NY was doing TWTM fairly but her oldest is in public high school now.

 

Abbyej isn't doing TWTM because her children are academically gifted, but she herself was homeschooled and is generous with her very sensible advice.

 

Someone on the curriculum board (don't want to mangle her name so I'll skip it) has the energy to do research, especially about French programs, and offers the results of her hard work to us all, but she has very young children and isn't really doing much academic work yet.

 

And so on and so forth. So many valuable people. And these are only the ones I thought of off the top of my head!

 

If you rolled us all into one, then we would be rigorous WTMers. LOL

 

-Nan

 

PS I think we all have to remember that SWB and JW offered us the best curriculums they could find that weren't too expensive, weren't too hard for your average bear, and were easily available at the time they wrote the book. Many of the board posters' modifications are because options now exist. That's a huge function of this board - to help keep TWTM updated and to help us all personalize our choices. Don't I remember SWB saying she wasn't going to do any more updates of her book because the board was doing a fine job at that? (If I misremembered, please forgive me SWB.)

 

progress.gif

 

 

Posted

And a few more reasons to not belong here --

 

** He wasn't hsed all the way through. Pulled him out at the end of 6th grade. I read TWTM and remember my ps education (way back in the 50'-60's) was similar but he was not getting any of that at his school. So, I loosely incorporated TWTM for 6 years. He didn't like some of it but now, in college, he thanks me weekly.

 

** Never did Latin or Greek. Never even considered it.

 

** We didn't follow the 4-yr. cycle. We did 2 yrs. of World History, one year of AP US History, then one year of 20th Century World History.

 

** He never wrote a paper longer than 3 pages.

 

Give this old brain time and I can probably think of a few more.

Posted
Myrtle says she's not doing TWTM and not doing classical, and yet we need her and Charon's expertese (sorry about spelling) on math. They are providing guidance on rigourous, classical math.

 

Weellll...:o I did some form of Latin nearly every year until this year and that was because the algebra was sucking up a huge amount of time and I needed to remediate some basic reading comprehension issues as well. I don't know what label to put on our home school but our ultimate goal is reading fluency in Latin for all of the kids with Attic Greek thrown in as well. (And somebody is over my shoulder telling me that this sounds defensive and that at any rate it doesn't count why I do, but I do with the kids :D ) However, Henle, Wheelock, Athenaze, Hansen and Quinn, Mastronarde are the grammars on my shelf. I have several dozen Latin and Greek texts in translation such as Hesiod, Pindar, Euripedes, Sophocles, Aristophanes, Aeschylus, Xenophon, all of Aristotle, all of Plato, Thucydides, Herodotus, Ovid, Pliny, Plutarch, Virgil, Lucretius...most of these I have read in their entirety, or at least large chunks, in order to "stay ahead of the kids." Remember, my oldest is in sixth grade in algebra and the other younger ones are in the first and second grade! Whether we actually achieve fluency or not, that is my goal for the kid by the time they turn 18. I also have many more general treatments of ancient history and education by Victor Davis Hanson, Bruce Thorton, Edith Hamilton, Will Durant, Tracy Lee Simmons, etc which have inspired me.

 

The kind of math that we are after is "useless" pure math rather than math methods in the sciences as it is currently taught. More specifically, we've adopted Plato's definition of knowledge as "justified true belief" and made our ultimate goal in math education the ability to justify mathematical assertions. I'm not sure that it can be considered "classical" since the fields of math in which we are pursuing this approach didn't even exist in the days of the Romans or Greeks, but this is just our interpretation of how the ancients might approach math if they were alive today. You know, "What would Plato do?"

 

Historically speaking, the more I read the more I am convinced and the more it seems obvious to me, that Euclid's Elements were foundational to any mathematical discussion, it's the style of argumentation used at least until the 18th century. So if you have any desire to read Archimedes or Newton's Principia, the Elements seems a good place to start.

 

I think we've strayed from WTM in the science department because I'm using a boxed curriculum for that, but it remains to be seen if I can't incorporate more WTM-style grammar stage science with my two younger ones next year along with their boxed curriculum. And we really are not doing history as faithfully as perhaps we ought to be either.

Posted

It is like lots of facets of a whole. So many of you are extremely "classical" (at least what I think of as classical) in one area that you can't do the general TWTM sort of education. At least, that is how I see it. And we need your expertise in your extreme area.

Posted

I can't tell you what a relief this thread has been and what a smile it has brought to my Sunday morning. I love this board and now I feel a whole lot better about being part of it...so you're all stuck with me!!:p

 

I don't belong because:

 

1. I never intended to do Latin or Greek and I use Rosetta Stone for Spanish and I know I'm just checking the box on that one...(heck around here you need spanish just to order at micky d's!)

 

2. Although I'm very attracted to TWTM and TWEM particularly in the history and lit departments, my ds is not. So after working very hard from 2nd through 6th grades writing my own history curricula, which, if I may say were fabulous, and boring my son to tears :o, I switched to Sonlight for 2 years, then BJUP for 2 years and now Notgrass for American.

 

3. I use Apologia for Science and we love it. (Yeah, I know we are all a mixed bag on whether it is rigorous or not)

 

4. I don't spend nearly enough time on art appreciation or music appreciation even though ds is a classically trained pianist.

 

5. I didn't do enough vocab or grammar to fit in either.

 

Now for the funny part......we are going to go back to write-your-own history for next year.....Ancients for one semester followed by Ren/Ref for the second, at DS's request! go figure! :rolleyes:

 

Love you gals and Guys too!

Posted

A few days ago I asked my ds how he liked college. He said that he liked it much better than homeschooling. He felt like he was learning a lot. He didn't feel like he learned much during his homeschool years. Man, just beat me up with a stick is how I felt!!

 

However, my ds is doing well. He is on the dean's list. Hopefully I did something right.

Posted
And have your children been able to succeed in life? 'Cause I'm thinking the been there, done that moms have first pecking rights somewhere like this and can help us all......

 

Regena

Yes, they're succeeding in life (in college anyway -- and that's enough for now). I know that I have something to contribute here, but I have to confess that I'm really here for all that I still gain from all of you.
Posted

... I always seem to be a "day late and a dollar short" in finding the best threads (or "anti-threads"! lol) and responding so far down the line that no one sees my response! ; )

 

That's okay. I'm an introvert anyways; this lets me feel like I'm participating without the scary part of people actually talking to me. (lol!)

 

::clink:: Here's to the best non-group to not be a part of that I've ever found! Cheers! Lori D.

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