Do you like/even notice when people list their curriculum in their sig?

[Mimm]

My problem is that the powers that be don't give me enough letters in my signature. That's part of the reason I haven't updated mine with the curricula we're using and still have the link to my blog--it takes me time to figure out what to write & what to abbreviate.

 

Ah, I was unaware we were limited on characters. I guess that makes sense. Still, even after being here for over a month, I still don't know what some of these acronyms are, and I wish I did. :)

[Impish]

This thread reminded me that I need to change my sig line :blushing:

[Mimm]

So would your solution be to use the actual terms (daughter, husband,) or to use their names? I don't think either of those is necessarily better. I don't see dh as any more impersonal than husband, and it would be difficult to keep up with the names of everyone's spouses and children. Some people also don't use the actual names of their family members on the internet. I have always assumed that is where the convention started, and not in an attempt to type faster.

 

Yes, I call my husband, my husband. I have my kids in my sig so I can call them by name if I like. My sig is very short so it's not like people have to look through a lot of information. In places I don't use their names I just say "my nine year old" or something. I don't really expect people to understand, I know this is a pet peeve I am very very alone in. :) It just seems nicer and more respectful to me than DH, DS or DD.

[Momma H]

Just changed mine! I like the siggies. I also like to jump to blogs if I like what someone says. I feel like I know a lot of you who have no idea I exist!:lol:

[angela in ohio]

Yes, I call my husband, my husband. I have my kids in my sig so I can call them by name if I like. My sig is very short so it's not like people have to look through a lot of information. In places I don't use their names I just say "my nine year old" or something. I don't really expect people to understand, I know this is a pet peeve I am very very alone in. :) It just seems nicer and more respectful to me than DH, DS or DD.

 

I guess it's all in the intention you assume. I don't assume that anyone is choosing to disrespect their husbands or children when they type it. I actually know some of the ladies here in person, and I know they are loving mothers and wives. If you assume that it is meant to disrespect, then you are definitely better off choosing not to use it. :001_smile:

[Laura Corin]

I tended to notice when I was receiving advice from someone: I'd look at their siggy to see if we might be on the same wavelength.

 

Laura

[eternalknot]

Just a trivial question: Do you pay any attention to what people list as the curriculum they have chosen for their child(ren) or does it just gloss right by your eyes?

 

 

 

I tend to pay attention to signatures of people I strongly agree with, or strongly disagree with. It's as though I'm looking for more shared links or more uncommon ground so I know how to mentally process their posts and perspectives.

 

I'll admit to the social sin of stereotyping :D e.g., users of x-curriculum tend to be y-thinkers, et cetera. It's fodder for how much weight I give a poster's perspective, even in non-curricula-related posts.

 

It's one reason why I don't have a signature at all, much less a laundry list of my curricula. I'm okay with the hypocrisy in that LOL.

[shanvan]

I guess it's all in the intention you assume. I don't assume that anyone is choosing to disrespect their husbands or children when they type it. I actually know some of the ladies here in person, and I know they are loving mothers and wives. If you assume that it is meant to disrespect, then you are definitely better off choosing not to use it. :001_smile:

 

:iagree: And, I'm going to weigh in with a different perspective. My husband has asked me not to use any real names in the interest of maintaining anonymity. He is just very cautious about what we put on the net about our kids. He hasn't made an issue of the photo I have for my avatar, though he is not really thrilled with it.

 

I will also add that I have never listed curriculum choices because in real life I have had so many new homeschoolers jump into whatever curriculum I am using just because either I sound like I know what I am doing, or because they like the skills my kids have. They often haven't thought of their own particular needs or lifestyles. I've also had to explain many times that I don't use a certain curriculum as written and explaining how I tweak it is just too much to get into. So then, if I list something or say I use a particular curriculum I'm afraid I will give the false impression that I use it exactly as written. There is less chance of this happening on this board, but in real life I just kept running into this issue.

 

For example, one mother found out I used a certain reading curriculum without listening to all the modifications I use. She then ordered it and proceeded to make her daughter's reading experience torturous by insisting that she do every single assignment and activity listed exactly as planned by the teacher's guide. The education we give our children extends so far beyond the books or programs we use to include our parenting/discipline styles, personal interests and hobbies we share with our children, whether or not we read aloud with them, etc. So, I am much more cautious about recommending curricula now than I was in the past.

 

That's my long winded reason for why I have not listed curricula in my signature! Maybe I think too much? :confused1: I'm reconsidering just because I like some of the things said in this thread.

 

Shannon

[Heather in WI]

I notice and I pay attention. I have read responses to a post and then see the signature and they are advising 5th grade writing and their oldest is 4 y/o old :001_huh:

 

 

You can tell a lot about a person from the curriculum they choose; there are certain key programs that let me know that I will homeschool very much like or very differently from other homeschoolers. ;)

 

I DO like it very, very, very much when people list their dc's ages. I want to know if the person giving me advice about curriculum has one 4 yo or has many older children. :D

 

:iagree:

 

I trust someone who has been homeschooling for many years who uses TWTM recommended curricula/methods more than someone who hasn't started yet and has a four and a one year old.

 

I tend to skip over curricula advice posts from those with empty signatures unless I "know" them.

Edited September 14, 2010 by Heather in WI

[Joy at Home]

Yes, I love siggies with curriculum! I like to know what everyone's using. It feeds my curious nature and gives me stuff to look up and buy unecessarily, so that I can turn around and sell it here:)

[creekland]

Previously I hadn't even really noticed signatures, but I just went and made one due to this thread... one ought to be able to tell I'm artistically challenged!

[Daisy]

It just depends on what mood I'm in. If I have the time, I enjoy reading everyone's sig and even popping in on their blogs to find out more about them.

 

And I've finally used a picture for an avatar. LOL. Forever I had pictures of daisies. Guess it was time to show the gray hair. :lol:

[Mimm]

I guess it's all in the intention you assume. I don't assume that anyone is choosing to disrespect their husbands or children when they type it. I actually know some of the ladies here in person, and I know they are loving mothers and wives. If you assume that it is meant to disrespect, then you are definitely better off choosing not to use it. :001_smile:

 

Oh I certainly don't assume people mean anything negative by it. It's so ubiquitous you know? I'm probably the only person on the entire internet that feels this way. :)

 

Edit: Also, please note that my posts only talk about what I prefer to do and not about other people at all. I never said anything about what other people might be implying. If I assumed everyone who used DH didn't like their husbands, I would have to assume that everyone didn't like their husbands. I'm talking my own preferences and why I have them.

Edited September 14, 2010 by Mimm

[MSNative]

It just depends on what mood I'm in. If I have the time, I enjoy reading everyone's sig and even popping in on their blogs to find out more about them.

 

 

I do this, too. There are some great blogs out there.

[Rivka]

The sig can give you a quick snapshot view of someone's homeschooling style. If someone is using ten different curricula with their five-year-old, or all their programs are religious, that gives me a rough idea of whether our styles are similar.

 

I like to see children's ages, locations, and especially blog links in the signature.

 

Something I kind of wonder about is when people label their kids in their sig. You know, like "the artistic one," "the engineer," "the literary one." Sometimes the children are very young. I grew up in a family where everyone had their role/pigeonhole, and I came to think of those roles as very restrictive. (I got a 1500 on my SATs, but I was not "the smart one" in the family. And my sister "the troublemaker" - I still see that affecting her relationships in the family 30 years later.) I know that people are probably doing this is a lighthearted way, and I'm probably taking it too seriously, but I do sometimes wonder about defining your children so early.

[Heather in WI]

I got a 1500 on my SATs, but I was not "the smart one" in the family. And my sister "the troublemaker" - I still see that affecting her relationships in the family 30 years later.) I know that people are probably doing this is a lighthearted way, and I'm probably taking it too seriously, but I do sometimes wonder about defining your children so early.

 

My vent: I graduated magna cum laude with a psychology and honors degree, have been happily married for 12 years, and dh and I own our own business and home.

 

My brother got his GED, has been unemployed more than he has worked the past 12 years, just got his medical marijuana license, and has a home life straight out of a Jerry Springer episode.

 

My parents still refer to him as the smart one and no matter what I do, I'm the drama queen.

 

This makes me feel: :001_huh::glare::confused::willy_nilly::blink::(

[Chris in VA]

I like seeing curriculum.

I sometimes look to see if a person is using a Christian curriculum before giving any advice that might contain something spiritual along those lines--but I certainly know there are Christians using secular materials and vice versa.

 

This is weird, but I feel a kinship with the Saxon Math users. :D

[TheCoffeeChick]

LOL! A few avatars really stand out to me, and yours is one of them. In a good way, of course. :D

 

I sure hope it's in a good way! ;)

 

 

 

I know it sounds petty, but I REALLY, REALLY don't like when people change their avatars. I tend to associate people with their pictures rather than their names. :tongue_smilie: Guess I get confused easily. Although, I am guilty of changing mine. :blush: (<-- That's the closest I could find to a hypocritical smiley.) But once I figured out that I had a hard time identifying others when they changed theirs, I stopped changing mine.

 

Oh, and I added one of my favorite quotes to my siggy since so many people enjoy them, but I can't put all our curriculum, I hit the character limit before I can list it all. I stick mostly to what is recommended in WTM though.

[Parrothead]

I like reading what is in people's sig lines. I like seeing what curriulum they are using. Especially when a post starts off with something like, "I don't know what to do about my grammar curriculum..." But the name of the curriculum is not mentioned.

 

As for my avatar, I've changed it a few times, but people here seem to prefer the parrot.

[skueppers]

I appreciate the curriculum lists. I don't notice ages so much. I took my older two's ages out of my sig because if I post a question, I want advice based on their actual ability levels, not on what "most" x year olds should/should not be doing.

 

Now that's interesting -- I actually think the age, in combination with the curriculum, is useful.

 

If I have a 5-year-old doing the same curriculum as your 5-year-old, our experiences might have more in common with each other's than they would with people whose 3-year-olds or 7-year-olds are working in the same curriculum.

[Luckymama]

Signature curriculum lists were so valuable to me as a preparing-to-homeschool newbie! I was able to look at the actual curriculum website next to a post to see exactly WHAT people were talking about.

 

If one person used one subject I liked, then I'd pay more attention to the other subjects listed in the signature line(s). Conversely, if they raved about something I found to not be the right fit for us, I might stay away from another curriculum listed.

 

I like ages listed because I like to check out what migth be next for dd, but I totally understand patchfire's point-of-view. I've received a few comments about the choices for my kiddo. We left her old school because of comments like that :tongue_smilie:

[Miss Sherry]

I notice and I pay attention. I have read responses to a post and then see the signature and they are advising 5th grade writing and their oldest is 4 y/o old :001_huh:

 

There are several people I no longer bother reading their responses b/c they can't comment about teaching anyone older than 4 IMHO.

 

But if I see someone with a lot of things I like and use I will go look up the other stuff they have listed and sometimes I really like it :-)

 

so yes, everyone list your kids ages and curriculum so I can continue to weed out the people whose opinion doesn't matter yet. And I mean this in the nicest way :tongue_smilie: I wouldn't have dreamed on commenting on older students when my oldest was only 4 or 5. It's like a 22 y/o mom with a baby advising a 40 y/o mom with 8 kids how to parent.

If I listed all of the children I am currently homeschooling in my sig line it would only be my daughter who just turned 15 years old.

However, I have been homeschooling since my 24 year old was 5.

Could it be that the lady with the 4 year old has older children she is not listing in her sig line ? I wouldn't be surprised.

[cjbeach]

NO ! It increases my Amazon Wish List!!! ;)

[patchfire]

Now that's interesting -- I actually think the age, in combination with the curriculum, is useful.

 

If I have a 5-year-old doing the same curriculum as your 5-year-old, our experiences might have more in common with each other's than they would with people whose 3-year-olds or 7-year-olds are working in the same curriculum.

 

I don't particularly want to open myself up for well-meaning but essentially useless advice about how the plans I have are not good for my kids because of their chronological age. It's not hard to find out their ages - they're listed on my blog, which is linked in my sig - but because I have a kid that's working well above grade level in a couple of areas, I get better advice without the age in there.

[Starr]

I agree. I know most boardies by their avatars even if it isn't a picture of them. I guess I see it as a reflection or a glimpse of more of their character and personality.

 

I am so glad you love the real "Moi" :D

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I do like it:D I guess I should update mine;)

[creekland]

I notice and I pay attention. I have read responses to a post and then see the signature and they are advising 5th grade writing and their oldest is 4 y/o old :001_huh:

 

There are several people I no longer bother reading their responses b/c they can't comment about teaching anyone older than 4 IMHO.

 

But if I see someone with a lot of things I like and use I will go look up the other stuff they have listed and sometimes I really like it :-)

 

so yes, everyone list your kids ages and curriculum so I can continue to weed out the people whose opinion doesn't matter yet. And I mean this in the nicest way :tongue_smilie: I wouldn't have dreamed on commenting on older students when my oldest was only 4 or 5. It's like a 22 y/o mom with a baby advising a 40 y/o mom with 8 kids how to parent.

 

Be careful with this. I was teaching multitudes of high schoolers math/science about a decade before mine got to be that age. They just weren't MY children. It doesn't mean my experience wouldn't apply. I can't say everyone is that way, but if they appear to be offering legit reasonable advice, chances are, they have experience from somewhere.

[chubbyhugs]

I pay attention to the ages and curriculum listed because I like to see what is working for other homeschooling families. Once I take the time to find out how to make the avatar "thingy" and the signature "thingy" work I'll add them on. I feel disconnected somehow from the forum even though I started lurking in the old Well Trained Mind forum (eight years ago, I think), and then decided this year to join the new forum because of doing high school level stuff with dd14. Additionally, I have tons of academic stuff, amassed during these 9 years, I need to sell. Haven't gotten around to organizing that either, though I'm working on it. I just don't set aside that much time to be connected on the computer.

[nono]

I'm afraid if I did put my chosen curriculum in my sig line, one of two things might happen:

 

1. It would still be there 5 years from now, but I would change my kids' ages, making it look like I'm the world's worst teacher

 

or

 

2. I'd jinx all my choices. (I'm part-Irish and my dh is Cantonese. That should explain it!) :tongue_smilie:

[FO4UR]

I only stop to look at currics if a post really strikes me.

 

My siggy is purposely generic and serves as a reminder to myself as I read about all these fantastic currics.:coolgleamA:

[Imprimis]

I usually don't pay too much attention to curriculum choices. I do, however, notice ages and gender of kids, as well as quotes used.

 

I, too, remember people from their avatars, and can become temporarily confused :glare: ;) when avatars are changed.

[kpnick in nc]

I learned about Elemental Science by seeing it in others' sigs (after I had bought another 1st Grade science curriculum, of course :tongue_smilie:).

[serabi]

As someone still deciding what to use, I like the sigs. They give me ideas :tongue_smilie:

[Crissy]

I look for childen's ages and blog links. I don't tend to read lists of curricula.

 

(but I did change my avatar to myself instead of a cup of coffee :D)

[EKS]

If the post makes me interested, I am very happy to see ages of the children and the resources being used. I find it very helpful. In fact, when people don't list those things, I find it a bit disconcerting because a piece of the picture is missing.

 

As for the avatars, I don't care if it is the person's picture or not, but it does bother me when people change them as I come to associate a person with the avatar, visual rememberer that I am.

Edited September 14, 2010 by EKS

[Jean in Newcastle]

I look for childen's ages and blog links. I don't tend to read lists of curricula.

 

(but I did change my avatar to myself instead of a cup of coffee :D)

 

But Crissy - how will I know it is you?:D

[FO4UR]

I look for childen's ages and blog links. I don't tend to read lists of curricula.

 

(but I did change my avatar to myself instead of a cup of coffee :D)

 

Very pretty picture! But....which cup of coffee are you???:001_huh::lol:

[Crissy]

But Crissy - how will I know it is you?:D

 

Well, I am still highly caffeinated if that helps at all. ;)

[Crissy]

Very pretty picture! But....which cup of coffee are you???:001_huh::lol:

 

The one that said, "Crissy" on the top. ;)

[~Tara~]

I could probably take or leave the curriculum in the signatures. I do notice them, but as someone else said, usually because something in their post prompted me to take a look. And for the reasons others stated, helps me to get a feel for where they're coming from. Same pertains to children's ages. I almost always look for that, especially when an issue rings a bell with me.

 

I *do* like seeing what others are using, and also have been prompted to check a few things out because I saw it in a signature. Often it's because I continued to see it in multiple signatures so I had to figure out what all the fuss was about. :)

 

I do like avatars though. I like putting a face to a name. Though, that doesn't mean I remember everything/everyone. :~p

[lionfamily1999]

The one that said, "Crissy" on the top. ;)

:lol:

[LauraGB]

Late to the game, but another vote for "like". I love to see what everyone's doing, especially on the k-8 board. I do like to see ages as well, but mostly just here on the general board, since so much is less about academics and more about family stuff and I find it helpful there.

[Paintedlady]

Yes, I love siggies with curriculum! I like to know what everyone's using. It feeds my curious nature and gives me stuff to look up and buy unecessarily, so that I can turn around and sell it here:)

 

:iagree: :lol:

[Farrar]

I think they're a sort of coded way to see what sort of person the poster is - especially if they're religious or secular. However, you can also see if someone is more eclectic/relaxed or more formal.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

I notice and I pay attention. I have read responses to a post and then see the signature and they are advising 5th grade writing and their oldest is 4 y/o old :001_huh:

 

There are several people I no longer bother reading their responses b/c they can't comment about teaching anyone older than 4 IMHO.

 

But if I see someone with a lot of things I like and use I will go look up the other stuff they have listed and sometimes I really like it :-)

 

so yes, everyone list your kids ages and curriculum so I can continue to weed out the people whose opinion doesn't matter yet. And I mean this in the nicest way :tongue_smilie: I wouldn't have dreamed on commenting on older students when my oldest was only 4 or 5. It's like a 22 y/o mom with a baby advising a 40 y/o mom with 8 kids how to parent.

 

I (respectfully) disagree.

Especially since just recently there was a post about a (I think) 10 year old's writing, and I did comment, with my 4.5 long years of experience of a parent.

Just because I only have a 4.5 year old daughter doesn't mean I haven't been around/taught/cared for other children, of varying ages.

 

In the same vein, I have taken advice from parents of infants (and not-even parents yet!!) and given advice to parents with children much older than mine. You don't necessarily have to have the same exact experience as someone else to give valuable advice.

 

But... in answer to the original post... I love when people list their curriculum, children, and ages in their signatures. Especially if they have a blog linked also. If I see that they are using similar curriculums to me (or curriculums I have been considering) I am very likely to check out the blog.

(And yet, I have my blogs listed and no curriculum. :lol: In my defense, I did just recently make all the final decisions about what to use!! :D

[JenneinCA]

I really like having the curriculum used in the signature. It helps me see if this person has first hand knowledge of the issues I am dealing with.

 

I don't have my curriculum listed because it doesn't fit. Each of my kids is using different things and I couldn't figure out what to leave out. We have three different math programs going on, two spelling, three writing, plus geography, science and everything else.

[Tree House Academy]

It depends. If I posted something about a certain program and people respond, I will often look at what they are using and try to get some ideas for myself. Or...if someone is asking for help with a certain curriculum, I will usually glance at their siggy to see the ages of their kids and what all they are using so I may be able to help more in the answer. That is about it, though. For instance, in this thread, no - I didn't pay attention to anyone's siggy.

[MamaT]

I actually pay more attention to the number of kids, ages, and location. If a post is specifically about curriculum, then I'll look.

 

I didn't list mine because there are four children using all different things and it would just be too much!

[ElizabethB]

Be careful with this. I was teaching multitudes of high schoolers math/science about a decade before mine got to be that age. They just weren't MY children. It doesn't mean my experience wouldn't apply. I can't say everyone is that way, but if they appear to be offering legit reasonable advice, chances are, they have experience from somewhere.

 

:iagree:

 

But, that is also why I list my remedial students!

 

I have also done math tutoring, mainly adults and older children trying to get through algebra, but also an occasional elementary student with random things like fractions or graphs, whatever they are struggling with.

 

It took me a while to figure out how to teach lower elementary level math well, I tell people only half jokingly that I should have practiced on other people's children for math, too.

Edited September 15, 2010 by ElizabethB

[cjbeach]

I like reading what is in people's sig lines. I like seeing what curriulum they are using. Especially when a post starts off with something like, "I don't know what to do about my grammar curriculum..." But the name of the curriculum is not mentioned.

 

As for my avatar, I've changed it a few times, but people here seem to prefer the parrot.

But I expected your location to be South (even further South than me) in say...the Keys, listening to Jimmy with a margarita in your hand. If you change your avatar and don't have a Hawaiian shirt on I will be very confused. ;)