Have your academic standards changed since finding these boards?

[jld]

Have they gone up or down? Do you feel more or less stressed? How do you think your homeschooling experience would have been without the WTM forums?

[Guest Katia]

At first, I felt more stressed. I saw all the things others were doing that I didn't do, but then I remembered all the research I had done before I started homeschooling and that what we were doing was working for 'us'. Then, I was able to filter the information I was reading to find what would be helpful to our family and what I needed to ignore.

 

Yes, in the mean time I made some silly purchases (like vocabulary programs which IMHO are a waste of time and money), but we quickly saw that those things didn't work for us.

 

I love to read that others have such high standards towards academics as it gives me hope and something to strive towards, but I also have to realize that my kids are not other's kids and my standards are not other's standards.

 

The best advice I've received from this board is in regards to high school diplomas and college applications, essays and interviews. Actually, just the whole high school into college experience was easier from having a really good understanding of what I was facing.....and I learned it all on these boards!

[Oakblossoms]

Well when we first started I read John Holt and TWTM. That was the first edition of TWTM. I found John Holt to be a better fit for us at the time. We have definitely changed over the years from unschoolers (who occasionally used unit studies and math curriculum) towards TWTM. We have been adding some Waldorf stuff in this year for the creativity.

 

I think the stress went up at first. But, we seem to be finding our balance. But, I did just post about loosing interest (on my part). I think I'm just experiencing a bit of burn-out. It's been getting nice in Washington and I think my body just wants to get out and go camping.

[jld]

Katia, I'm intrigued by what you've said about vocab programs. We've never done them, but I've had some guilt over that. Maybe I shouldn't? I'll need to search the boards here to see what more you may have written about this!:)

 

Hausunterricht, I think it's cool that you were inspired by both unschooling and TWTM, and have made both part of your homeschooling journey. It would be fun to hear more of your story . . . :)

[angela in ohio]

My standards haven't changed, but I have received support here that I couldn't get otherwise, which helps me be less stressed. It's been a lonely road IRL homeschooling the way we do. :001_smile: Early on, the old boards gave me balance when every HS book I read told us to relax our high standards. And now there is a different mix on the boards, but I still can read certain posters and know that we aren't alone in our classical journey. :001_smile:

[Guest Katia]

Katia, I'm intrigued by what you've said about vocab programs. We've never done them, but I've had some guilt over that. Maybe I shouldn't? I'll need to search the boards here to see what more you may have written about this!:)

 

Hausunterricht, I think it's cool that you were inspired by both unschooling and TWTM, and have made both part of your homeschooling journey. It would be fun to hear more of your story . . . :)

 

LOL, I'm not sure if I ever have said anything else about it on here! It was just the first example that popped into my head; I remember reading on here how important it was to 'do' a vocabulary program and which were the best....so against what I'd read in CM and Beechick and totally believed, I ordered Vocabulary for the High School Student. What a waste of time and money! I agree with CM and Beechick that the best way to learn vocabulary is to read widely and read a lot.

 

And I laugh every time I read how much someone loves Rod and Staff English. We always used Learning Language Arts Through Literature (you know, that program that on these boards is called 'not rigorous enough'), but I thought why not give R&S a try? Both my dd's understood everything in the R&S books but hated them. They were so dry and boring. Before, my dds would write for 'fun' all the time, but when using R&S when they were done with English; they were DONE. No more fun stories, plays, etc. It just.....dried them up. They didn't even want to READ anymore! We happily went back to LLATL with no extra grammar, no extra spelling, no extra anything.....and their English ACT scores with essay were 34 and 35 (out of a perfect 36). Not rigorous enough, eh? :lol::lol:

 

And I could go on and on. You just have to do what works for your family/kids and not worry what someone else thinks about it. I have found that the programs 'everyone else' thinks are sub-par somehow, were actually wonderful programs for 'my' family. But then, we are a weird family and we know it.:D

[Daisy]

No, I just feel like I've found my people. :D

[StartingOver]

I used the 1999 WTM for years, so I am excited this time around to try the newer curriculum. I think things are more relaxed now. There was something to prove when homeschoolers were RARER.

LOL.

 

As for vocabulary programs, they never worked for us. I have always just looked through books we were reading before the kids and made vocabulary list. Then had the kids define them before reading the chapter, or section. It worked well the first time around, I have no desire to change it this time.

 

The same with Geography, I never had a curriculum. We just mapped whatever we came across in our reading or history.

Edited May 26, 2010 by alatexan68

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

No, I just feel like I've found my people. :D

 

WSS!

 

My academic standards are not any higher, because I have always been wound incredibly tight about this whole homeschooling gig.

 

Certainly, my academic standards are better and more developed since I've come here to learn. I believe my curriculum choices and teaching methods have also improved.

[Heather in AL]

...they've gone up.

 

I found these boards during my 'how to homeschool' information seeking days when I was trying to convince ds that I was capable of homeschooling our kids.

 

In the four or five months following me finding these boards (and reading all the posts on the K-8, High School, and General boards), I realized that the goals I had in mind could be raised realistically. The support and information found (given) here is incredible and led me to believe that not only could I educate my children, but I could set the bar higher than I previously thought, and they could reach (and exceed) those expectations.

 

As for the stress level.... heh... the stress of "can I really do this" vanished, but a different type of 'stress' appeared.... I come here every day (multiple times per day) to read about new curriculua, online classes, crockpots, grocery carts, gardening, etc, etc. ;)

 

I can honestly say that these forums have been a lifesaver for me. I am positive that our homeschooling would not have turned out the way it has, as I have found **so much** support and information here that I'm sure I never would have found elsewhere. I'll forever be thankful for the WTM boards!!!

[Jean in Newcastle]

No - though it has made it easier. I was writing my own curriculum at first and I was so surprised when I first read TWTM and saw that someone else was using a 4 year cycle of history too! It's made it so much easier not to be reinventing the wheel by accident. . .

[jld]

Jean, how interesting that you already had the idea for a 4 year history cycle? How did you know about that?

 

Jana and Katia, thank you so much for ideas about vocab study! I'd love to hear more about this. Maybe I'll have to start another thread!:)

 

Thanks to everyone for all the replies. Please, keep them coming! I, too, feel I have learned so much here that I just don't find elsewhere. I think we're all truly grateful for these forums!:)

Edited May 26, 2010 by jld

[elegantlion]

Yes, they have. I found this board about the time we decided to switch from the "first homeschool curriculum I found" to what I considered a better more intentional approach towards education.

 

I found the information here to go beyond "yes, your plan so great, go for it" or "we've had the curriculum for a week, we love it, and everyone should try it!"

 

I started hearing names of publishers that were new to me, seeing real help being available, people discussing & debating issues and curricula. There were people willing to answer my 500 questions about Latin, and science, and math etc.

 

I now hold myself to a higher teaching standard and that flows down to a higher standard for ds.

[cathmom]

I would say that my standards have not changed. I definitely lean towards a different approach than many of you, but I find WTM very inspirational and plan to stick closer to it for my younger children.

 

What this board really helps me with is finding interesting books for me to read! Just tonight somebody recommended a book called "Losing Our Language" and when I searched for it on my library computer, I found a brand new book called "Losing Our Cool" all about the evils of A/C, so now I will be reading both of those books!

[jld]

Cathmom, would you be willing to talk about your approach? I'm sure we could all learn something from a mom of 7!:)

[Jean in Newcastle]

Jean, how interesting that you already had the idea for a 4 year history cycle? How did you know about that?

 

Jana and Katia, thank you so much for ideas about vocab study! I'd love to hear more about this. Maybe I'll have to start another thread!:)

 

Thanks to everyone for all the replies. Please, keep them coming! I, too, feel I have learned so much here that I just don't find elsewhere. I think we're all truly grateful for these forums!:)

 

Well, I had read some things from Charlotte Mason that made me already lean towards teaching history in chronological order. As I started to map it out, 4 years seemed to be a good fit. I had started to write my own history when I found TWTM and that sort of confirmed it. The SOTW books had not been written yet so I did continue and planned out our history for grades 1 - 4 (sort of TOG style but not as elaborate).

[Joker]

I think I've always had high standards, but I stress more because of this forum. I wonder if I'm doing enough, doing the best, etc. - I just question myself more. I started out thinking it would be too overwhelming to follow TWTM but the longer I homeschool the more I seem to implement the processes. There are days I am so glad I found this place and there are days that I stay far away because I am questioning my decisions too much.

[cathmom]

Well, I belong to the totally inactive Classical Unschooling social group, if that's a clue LOL. I really believe in individualized education. My reasons for homeschooling were reinforced by having a set of identical twins and seeing how differently they develop! If identical twins who have the same genes and live in the same environment develop differently, how can 30 children who only have their age in common hope to learn the exact same thing at the exact same time? That's one of the beauties of WTM because it does not dictate what each child should learn and there's plenty of room for individualization.

 

At the same time, I do not believe in total unschooling. Some children, especially those with learning disabilities, will not just learn to read from being read to or even learn to speak well just by being in the environment. In addition, children need exposure to different topics to even begin to develop an interest in them.

 

I don't believe in a strict separation of work and play. I don't agree with the poem in FLL that begins "Work while you work; play while you play, this is the way to be happy each day." I think it's better if your work seems like play because you love it so much! I think one of the real opportunities of homeschooling is to raise children so that as adults they will not settle for anything less than a fulfilling life, doing what they love.

 

That's pretty much my philosophy.

[Guest hrogero]

We use the vocabulary cards in the back of the IEW book, which we laminate. They also have 4 tests a year (already made) and a final vocabulary test!

[Rosie_0801]

It has certainly expanded my ideas of what is possible. It's much easier to feel positive about one's crazy ideas when other people are doing far crazier things!

 

Rosie

[lllll]

..

[Peela]

Mmm, I think I was pretty stressed for quite a while but it might have been more new homeschooler stress than to do with finding the boards. I think my standard went way up for quite a while, but not necessarily our actual reality, and over time I have settled to a more realistic standard for us. As the teen years have come on I feel my kids have needed an even more individualised program. I am glad for the years of grammar and Latin (and one is still doing grammar, and the other is just finishing up Latin) but we never got as far as I would have expected...and its ok, because we did more than we would have otherwise.

I have no regrets...I have spent a lot of time on the boards over the years but they have been an immense support to me.

[TeaTotaler]

:iagree: Angela expressed my thoughts exactly!

 

My standards haven't changed, but I have received support here that I couldn't get otherwise, which helps me be less stressed. It's been a lonely road IRL homeschooling the way we do. :001_smile: Early on, the old boards gave me balance when every HS book I read told us to relax our high standards. And now there is a different mix on the boards, but I still can read certain posters and know that we aren't alone in our classical journey. :001_smile:

[justamouse]

LOL, I'm not sure if I ever have said anything else about it on here! It was just the first example that popped into my head; I remember reading on here how important it was to 'do' a vocabulary program and which were the best....so against what I'd read in CM and Beechick and totally believed, I ordered Vocabulary for the High School Student. What a waste of time and money! I agree with CM and Beechick that the best way to learn vocabulary is to read widely and read a lot.

 

And I laugh every time I read how much someone loves Rod and Staff English. We always used Learning Language Arts Through Literature (you know, that program that on these boards is called 'not rigorous enough'), but I thought why not give R&S a try? Both my dd's understood everything in the R&S books but hated them. They were so dry and boring. Before, my dds would write for 'fun' all the time, but when using R&S when they were done with English; they were DONE. No more fun stories, plays, etc. It just.....dried them up. They didn't even want to READ anymore! We happily went back to LLATL with no extra grammar, no extra spelling, no extra anything.....and their English ACT scores with essay were 34 and 35 (out of a perfect 36). Not rigorous enough, eh? :lol::lol:

 

And I could go on and on. You just have to do what works for your family/kids and not worry what someone else thinks about it. I have found that the programs 'everyone else' thinks are sub-par somehow, were actually wonderful programs for 'my' family. But then, we are a weird family and we know it.:D

 

 

[thread hijack] Ohh thank you!! My kids are DRAGGING though R&S as much as *I* love it, I know this is wrong for them. LLATL is exactly what I was looking for.[/hijack]

[creekland]

My standards haven't changed at all, but this forum has been great for finding curricula ideas when I wasn't sure what I wanted to use.

 

I came in late as my boys started hs in 9th, 7th, and 5th. Next year my oldest is going to college. Finding college info on here has been REALLY helpful.

 

All that said, my standards didn't change. I knew the goal I wanted to achieve and my boys are achieving it.

[Laura Corin]

I don't think my standards have changed. I think that my stress level is lower, just because I hear of other people having similar struggles to mine and get some great tips.

 

Laura

[Orthodox6]

(see below)

 

 

Have they gone up or down? No change.

 

Do you feel more or less stressed? No change.

 

How do you think your homeschooling experience would have been without the WTM forums? Identical.

 

The WTM boards have been a very useful source of information regarding curricula with which I previously was unfamiliar. People are quick to share their experiences and views, which is quite helpful.

 

[FaithManor]

No, but the boards have given me a lot of support for our classical homeschooling. We knew this would be our approach before we began the journey, but we also knew that we would be going it alone. Our homeschooling friends, all doing a fine job with their kids, basically brought traditional school home to their living rooms. That's fine, I'm not making any judgments here at all. We just knew that we would be different.

 

IRL, we've tended to be criticized for being too strict, too challenging, too....whatever. Over time that has changed to "Well, I can understand why you do it your way because, after all, you are homeschooling geniuses." Of course, our kids may be very bright, but not geniuses, so again, I think that it is meant to be somewhat disparaging. So, this board is the only place that I really discuss how and why we do what we do. My parents are very supportive but they don't really understand.

 

I spent almost three years out of the WTM loop while we restored/remodeled this church we are living in, moved, spruced up the other house, and finally sold that property. It was a crazy time and I really missed the Hive because it was the place I could go to for advice, encouragement, and support for our academic standards, plus a really good laugh usually. But, I spent much of my time camping out in an unfinished structure without internet access!

 

Faith, of FaithManor, a little homestead centered around a 112 year old brick and stone church building in the heartland of the stench, of the armpit, of the economic crisis - oh yeah, that's called Michigan!

[Ester Maria]

I don't think my standards have changed, especially since they're necessarily different than those of people from these boards as I'm homeschooling in the spirit of another culture, in the tradition of another educational system and approach. However, I did find a lot of support and interesting people to talk to here.

[RahRah]

My standards were high to begin with. I just didn't have the information to implement them. WTM and these boards gave me that. Even now, I keep coming back to these boards because I still find useful book rec's sometimes. Or ideas.

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

For me, I had in mind something like WTM before actually finding and reading WTM - but wasn't sure how to pull it all together.....finding this forum and reading WTM reinforced that my standards were very doable and gave me a framework to make it happen. I have learned so much from these boards and find them incredibly helpful, especially now when I'm in full-on planning mode and feeling the "stress" of doing it right. I'm calmer now, after quite a few great posts with advice on planning, but still have that nagging "did I pick the right" resources for the year - LOL - I hope I did!

[Greta]

Have they gone up or down? Do you feel more or less stressed? How do you think your homeschooling experience would have been without the WTM forums?

 

When I first considered homeschooling, I was very drawn to academic rigor and the Classical method. Hubby wasn't all that thrilled with the idea of homeschooling, not convinced it would be better for her academically. So I did a pretty rigorous pre-k with my dd to prove that I could handle educating her responsibly.

 

But then we found a local homeschooling group to join. Absolutely the most lovely, wonderful people, very dear and treasured friends. But VERY different ideas about homeschooling. I allowed myself to put my Classical educational ideals aside and try out their uber-relaxed approach. Two years went by, and my daughter had made no noticeable progress since our rigorous pre-k. I realized this would not do, and I remembered the Classical model that had so inspired me in the beginning.

 

These boards were a HUGE help in getting back on track, because I don't know any Classical homeschoolers in real life. It means so much to me to be able to come here and read inspiration and curriculum reviews. If things had gone on in the direction they were heading, I have no doubt that dh would have been demanding that dd go to public school, and she would have been so far behind that it would have been a set-up for disaster.

 

She's finishing up 4th grade now and I'm buying curricula for 5th this fall. Sadly, I still feel like we are trying to catch up! But we are getting there, and these boards are no small part of why.

[Heather in AL]

...they've gone up.

 

I found these boards during my 'how to homeschool' information seeking days when I was trying to convince ds that I was capable of homeschooling our kids.

 

In the four or five months following me finding these boards (and reading all the posts on the K-8, High School, and General boards), I realized that the goals I had in mind could be raised realistically. The support and information found (given) here is incredible and led me to believe that not only could I educate my children, but I could set the bar higher than I previously thought, and they could reach (and exceed) those expectations.

*snip*

I can honestly say that these forums have been a lifesaver for me. I am positive that our homeschooling would not have turned out the way it has, as I have found **so much** support and information here that I'm sure I never would have found elsewhere. I'll forever be thankful for the WTM boards!!!

 

I have been thinking about my reply (quoted in part above), and I wanted to clarify. I don't think it's that my standards have gone up, as it was always my intention to hs for excellence, but with the help and wealth of information I found on these boards, I was able to not only achieve my goals, but raise the bar beyond what I thought we could do.