Wow

[ereks mom]

There is nothing as fervent as the newly initiated.

 

I say just blow it off. In a few years he will be battle hardened by serving in the front lines of the public education system.

 

:iagree:

[mum]

Just wait a few years until he has some teaching experience. My dh teaches high school math in ps and his views and standards have certainly changed. We hs, and he does math with our kids at home, and both he and I see the pros and cons of both ways. I think that it would be better for all if we all could appreciate the good in each and really deeply realize that there is no one perfect way to educate.

[Dani n Monies Mom]

He said that ds needed to learn calculus now (he's 9) because earlier is better than later for learning calculus.

 

 

Calculus Without Tears is a homeschool math curriculum that is designed to teach calc starting in 4th grade. I don't think this is a bad suggestion at all, Dd actually enjoyed using it.:D

 

Ava

[Katiebug_1976]

I just got back from visiting my sister. Her dh is getting his degree in education to teach math. He is very anti home schooling. I just ignore most of his comments. He's always saying how messed up in math home school kids are. How parents just can't and shouldn't teach math because they "screw up" their kids. He knows. He's seen "lots and lots of home school kids where he works." He works as a math tutor at Sylvan. Yes, I can see how his experience makes him an expert able to form a blanket opinion about all home schoolers. :glare: I'm willing to bet he's met maybe two home schooled kids ever.

 

He knows my oldest does well in math. He tested above grade level. Yes, *I* know this is normal for a lot of home school kids. However, bil thinks that my ds is incredibly gifted in math. My ds simply is forming a very solid foundation in math. Anyway....

 

I get an email this morning from my sister. Her dh went on and on to her about how he's concerned about my ds because if his passion for math is not fostered it will be wasted and possibly lost like his was when he was a kid. (BTW, bil was public schooled)

 

He said he wished we lived closer to them so he could expose my ds to math people, and he could start teaching ds math himself. He said that ds needed to learn calculus now (he's 9) because earlier is better than later for learning calculus. Earlier is better than later because, "his mind is fresh and not tainted with all the crappy, detrimental ways they stick kids in a rut with the way calculus is normally taught." Then he added, "But, we are not around your nephew, so the opportunity will be missed, and it will become hard for him and he will lose his passionate interest."

 

My sister told me all this because she thinks her dh is being so sweet due to his concern for my ds. She totally misses all the offensive things he said.

 

Seriously? I don't think I'm even going to respond to the email. I'm not sure how I could nicely say, "Thank you very much but, 1) I didn't ask for his opinion and 2) I can manage my son's education without his expert knowledge."

 

Here's the funny part. When I mentioned the Liping Ma's book about math, and told him how great it was, and that as a future math teacher he might find it a good read, he blew me off and said, "Nah, I already know all there is to know about teaching kids math."

 

:001_huh: Um, ok. You know it all. Yes, how could I think otherwise? You're a senior in college with an education major. Yes, I'm sorry I suggested a book to you. How dare I suggest you might learn something new?

 

 

WOW!!! I have no words-WAIT, I have too many words, and probably not very nice so I'll just bite my tongue and say: Are you kidding???

[Alphabetika]

This is nothing short of bizarre.

 

:iagree:

 

 

I wonder if it's ever too late to learn some tact and good manners?:glare:

[Mom-ninja.]

Calculus Without Tears is a homeschool math curriculum that is designed to teach calc starting in 4th grade. I don't think this is a bad suggestion at all, Dd actually enjoyed using it.:D

 

Ava

 

I have never heard of this curriculum. How would you use it? As a supplement along with another program?

[nmoira]

Calculus Without Tears is a homeschool math curriculum that is designed to teach calc starting in 4th grade. I don't think this is a bad suggestion at all, Dd actually enjoyed using it.:D

 

Yes, there are lots of wonderful supplements available for elementary and middle school level students; there's certainly nothing wrong with using them, especially when you have the luxury of time with a math adept student. However, it's ridiculous to say that a 9yo *needs* to learn calculus.

[nmoira]

I have never heard of this curriculum. How would you use it? As a supplement along with another program?

 

It's available at Rainbow.

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

"Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories." -- John Wilmot (1647-1680).

 

 

 

Exactly!

 

True confessions... When I was a 20 year old Social Work student, I did an internship with the county's MHMR. I taught parenting to people whose children had mental health diagnoses or mental retardation. I was a 20 year old, perky college student with no kids but I knew it all.

 

I would pay a lot of money to go back in time and spit in my own eye. :(

[Laura in STL]

It would be interesting to see his reaction to the Liping Ma book, since it paints a pretty dismal picture of mathematics education in the United States in the elementary years. I'm not sure how anyone could argue that parents could confuse their children any more than those teachers could.

[Cindyg]

Here's the funny part. When I mentioned the Liping Ma's book about math, and told him how great it was, and that as a future math teacher he might find it a good read, he blew me off and said, "Nah, I already know all there is to know about teaching kids math."

 

Has he read the Life of Fred books? You really should recommend he read them (though he probably won't).

 

Listen, I would have been thrilled and my ds would have been thrilled if a loving uncle could have come to teach calculus as a 9YO. But that didn't happen for us, and it's not going to happen for your children.

 

I would tell dbil that you're sorry he can't come and do that, and thanks for the interest. (And, btw, what he is suggesting is homeschooling.)

 

He sounds young and inspired about his teaching career and the exciting stuff he's learning in his education classes in college. That's a good thing.

 

When he has children of his own, he'll probably homeschool them.

 

ETA: All those screwed up math failures he's meeting at Sylvan's -- surely most of them go to public school, no?

[Dawn in OH]

He said that ds needed to learn calculus now (he's 9) because earlier is better than later for learning calculus. Earlier is better than later because, "his mind is fresh and not tainted with all the crappy, detrimental ways they stick kids in a rut with the way calculus is normally taught."

 

 

Well gosh, now I know why I never could grasp calculus. It wasn't introduced to me until I was 16.

[Nestof3]

Just say "thanks, but no thanks -- we're fine." Seriously? People are just so much more intrusive than I remember them being when I was growing up.

 

FWIW, a good friend of mine teaches advanced calculus at a private school. He would have been an electrical engineer until he had a stroke that left him legally blind, but he did finish getting his masters after he recovered from the stroke and coma. So, now he teaches upper level math.

 

Anyway, he thinks it's great that I homeschool. He knows me, for one. He knows how much I value a great education. I've recommended children's math books to him because he has a young daughter. He appreciates these things because they are not books he comes in contact with when teaching high school students. He has also taught in a community college, and has just as many horror stories about public-schooled students who couldn't even take the square root of a number. He shared this with me when I was asking him for help with completing the square with quadratic equations. There was one step I was not understanding.

 

So, blow it off.

[dtonito3]

I wish I had the restrain you do. I agree that . "Thank you for you concern but this IS working fo rme and my family and we are sticking to it." Your 9 year old genious in math may just want to be a child before conquering the world of caculus... hummm what a thought.... a child be a child and keep the love of learning>>>>

 

God has a way of showing us how arrogant we are, so just wait and let time teach you bil the difference between opinion and reality.

[Twinmom]

Exactly!

 

True confessions... When I was a 20 year old Social Work student, I did an internship with the county's MHMR. I taught parenting to people whose children had mental health diagnoses or mental retardation. I was a 20 year old, perky college student with no kids but I knew it all.

 

I would pay a lot of money to go back in time and spit in my own eye. :(

 

I could tell almost exactly the same story...I'd be right there with you, but I'd consider whacking myself over the head with a 2 x 4! Social work school teaches you everything you need to know about parenting mentally ill children, don't ya know?!

 

Appreciate your brother's love for your son but completely blow off his advice. Be there to laugh with him someday when he realizes how silly he sounded.

:grouphug:

[Dani n Monies Mom]

Yes, there are lots of wonderful supplements available for elementary and middle school level students; there's certainly nothing wrong with using them, especially when you have the luxury of time with a math adept student. However, it's ridiculous to say that a 9yo *needs* to learn calculus.

 

:iagree:

 

Also, CWT can be used as a supplement or main program, you can even use it as a precalculus. It's not a fancy program, and it's deceptively simple but my dd enjoyed it.

 

Ava

[Garga]

 

I would tell dbil that you're sorry he can't come and do that, and thanks for the interest. (And, btw, what he is suggesting is homeschooling.)

 

 

Oh, wouldn't that be funny! To respond in an email by gushing about how wonderful it is that they finally are supporting your homeschool and how they want to hs your son as well. How happy you are that you can all agree now on all the great benefits of homeschooling. You just KNEW they would come around to your point of view one day.

 

 

I don't know if you should actually do that, but it would be funny....

[RanchGirl]

I didn't read all the rest of the posts, but to the OP -- I think you are very gracious and wise to just blow it off. The most I would reply is "Thanks for the compliments about ds, we had a great time visiting with you guys!"

 

He's young, thinks he knows it all, and your sister believes in him. Reality may settle in sooner than they know. Meanwhile, you are doing your own thing and doing it quite well, even in his lofty opinion <insert eye roll here> and with his backhanded compliments (sheesh). In the almighty words of the Penguins from Madagascar -- just smile and wave boys, smile and wave.