Your self-education goals

[tristangrace]

Have you formalized goals for your self-education? Do you have a schedule? Accountability?

 

I've identified two books I want to read before the end of the summer, but that's as explicit as it gets for me so far. I'm interested in hearing what others do.

 

Susan

[runningirl71]

I started learning Latin this summer on my own. I was looking to teach Henle to my daughter either next year or the year after so I thought I should go through the program first. I LOVE it! I get up a 1/2 hour earlier in the morning and do it then. I tend to be pretty disciplined with stuff like this-my accountability is that I have to teach it to my daughter some day-and I can usually concentrate better in the morning. I get too distracted during the day and too tired at night to put in the effort.

 

I also wanted to read Deconstructing Penguins this summer. I simply made myself sit down for 15 minutes to 1/2 hour a day to do this. To read through a book-unless it is highly technical or scholarly-isn't as tough as studying Latin so I can do this throughout the day when I have a little time here or there.

 

My main thing is just telling myself to sit down and DO it. Don't worry about what the house looks like, or that the yard needs to be weeded. 1/2 hour a day isn't much time to take out for self education and it seems to be what I can handle right now! HTH!

[Myrtle]

Have you formalized goals for your self-education? Do you have a schedule? Accountability?

 

I've identified two books I want to read before the end of the summer, but that's as explicit as it gets for me so far. I'm interested in hearing what others do.

 

Susan

 

 

There are areas such as math and Greek where I really can not hold myself to one book because I just let the ideas take me whereever they take me.

 

For example, I'll start off in a chapter in Greek, then I want to pick up books I have written in Greek to see if I can understand more now that I've done the lesson, then I end up getting out my dictionary to look up words, then I end up learning some grammar out of order because I need to to understood the book I picked up and son on.

 

The same thing happens in math.

[Myrtle]

I started learning Latin this summer on my own. I was looking to teach Henle to my daughter either next year or the year after so I thought I should go through the program first. I LOVE it! I get up a 1/2 hour earlier in the morning and do it then. I tend to be pretty disciplined with stuff like this-my accountability is that I have to teach it to my daughter some day-and I can usually concentrate better in the morning. I get too distracted during the day and too tired at night to put in the effort.

 

 

What unit are you on? I've had good intentions of working through Henle as well.

[Jen500]

There are areas such as math and Greek where I really can not hold myself to one book because I just let the ideas take me whereever they take me.

 

For example, I'll start off in a chapter in Greek, then I want to pick up books I have written in Greek to see if I can understand more now that I've done the lesson, then I end up getting out my dictionary to look up words, then I end up learning some grammar out of order because I need to to understood the book I picked up and son on.

 

The same thing happens in math.

Myrtle, I'm the same way with math! I think it's fun. I'm still working on Liping Ma's book. That gets me side-tracked a lot. I recently started Wheelock's Latin on my own.

[runningirl71]

What unit are you on? I've had good intentions of working through Henle as well.

 

I'm only on Unit 1! I just started a couple of weeks ago! :)

[LisaNY]

I've been studying Latin for a few years. It is slow-going, due to scheduling constraints. I homeschool and work p/t from home, among the other usual things we moms/wives do. :001_smile:

 

I am also reading some of the WEM-scheduled books, along with others that I read for our history studies throughout the year.

 

I just picked up The Lively Art of Writing and plan to make a run through that, if time allows this summer.

[Cedarmom]

I am trying to work ahead of my son in Latin. I don't have very specific goals. I try and have one great book going, and be reading a christian worldview book. I try and journal the books I read, but I am very lax on that. This summer's plan is to read Total Truth by Nancy Pearcy(christian) finish space Triligy by C.S. Lewis (more good books than great) and work in Lingua Latina. In the school year I will read great books with my son, and continue Latin. My goal for Latin, long term, (at the rate Im going-10yrs) I want to read the Aeneid in Latin.

[Michelle in MO]

girls' grammar books on my own this summer. As far as accountability? Well, it's different when you're doing it on your own! :blush:

 

I worked through all of Henle I with my girls; it took us over two years, but I counted it as two years of h.s. Latin. Someday I'd like to do it over again on my own, without complaints from the girls about all the Latin verb forms. Or, I might work on Wheelock's. If I do Henle again, I'm going to combine it with a Latin reading program, because it gets a little dry all by itself.

[Plaid Dad]

I have short-term goals and long-term goals. Probably the biggest long-term goal is being able to teach all of my dd's subjects through high school, including those subjects I never studied, or never learned well due to poor teaching or lack of interest on my part.

 

I set short-term goals several times a year, and most of those are chosen to move me closer to a long-term goal, e.g., re-learning algebra or increasing my Latin and Greek knowledge.

 

Some of the goals are "just for me" things, like taking a nature drawing class (short term), which I did this Spring, or learning Italian so that I can read Dante in the original (long term), which I haven't even started. :)

[Jenny in Atl]

To be able to spell. :tongue_smilie:

Besides that, I'm studying Latin with my kiddos. Reading, reading, and more reading. Looking forward to re-learning higher maths, and high school level Chemistry/Physics. All those things that scared the heck out of me when I was in school.

[HollyinNNV]

Have you formalized goals for your self-education? Do you have a schedule? Accountability?

 

I've identified two books I want to read before the end of the summer, but that's as explicit as it gets for me so far. I'm interested in hearing what others do.

 

Susan

 

I'm trying to learn this concerto

 

 

as well as Rachel Barton Pine does. (I should be practicing right now.)

 

If you are wondering why Rachel sits when she plays, you should check out this description of her on Wikipedia. She's been through quite a remarkable experience and I find her quite inspiring. (OK-I'm gonna go practice.)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Barton_Pine

[Colleen]

Have you formalized goals for your self-education?

 

No.

 

Do you have a schedule?

 

No.

 

Accountability?

 

Guess.;)

 

Honestly, at this point in life, my self-education revolves primarily around my boys' education. Latin has been new to me. I'm having to re-learn algebra ~ sad, I know, but true. I learn a good deal as I teach my boys, despite the fact that I am what society considers well-educated. I hope to start studying Spanish soon. I dip into all manner of things here and there, but no, I don't have any formalized goals.

[cathmom]

A couple of years ago, I made up literature lists for high school for my oldest child, one British and one American. I put some things on there I haven't actually read myself. I decided that this school year, I am going to read through the British lit list, at the same time as my oldest is taking a survey course on British lit at college. That way we can discuss British lit to keep in touch!

[hswarden]

My goals are not even formalized at all, but I think the ones I've had a long time are sitting like post-its on my mind. This summer I started with one set of goals (preparing for teaching next year) and ended up with others entirely. The thing, the only thing that really works for me is to enforce a 1 hour study hall sometime of the day, and make everybody in the house honor it, including myself.

[tristangrace]

Thanks much for the responses so far. Sounds like there are a lot of self-starters here! I never seem to have enough follow-through to distribute amongst my ideas for reading/study, so I am particularly interested to hear if anyone has developed any "support" or "accountability" for working toward her goals.

 

Susan

 

(HollyinNNV--I think it was just last week when I was remembering the circumstances of the El Rachel Barton Pine was in. My six-year-old daughter was asking if anyone ever got stuck on in the doors on the train, and I had to present the facts without freaking her out! I was glad to read in the wikipedia article that they've made safety improvements since.)

[elegantlion]

I have a written plan for my self-ed. I'm using a lot of Drew's suggestions in LCC for adult learners. I'm also working on Latin very informally. My son is very math and science oriented. Those were not my skills in school, so I plan on reviewing those subjects about a year or two ahead of him.

 

I am also working on writing a book. I've gotten a lot of the creative part written. I am now reading books on how to correct and tweak the mechanics. I'm on "Revision and Self-Editing" this month.

[HollyinNNV]

(HollyinNNV--I think it was just last week when I was remembering the circumstances of the El Rachel Barton Pine was in. My six-year-old daughter was asking if anyone ever got stuck on in the doors on the train, and I had to present the facts without freaking her out! I was glad to read in the wikipedia article that they've made safety improvements since.)

 

Susan,

I can't believe Rachel lived through the accident! It is a miracle!

Holly

[Beth in SW WA]

My focus is history-related reading. I'm also reading tons of classics that I should have read in high school and college. I have learned more during this last year of hs'ing than I did in high school -- specifically related to history and lit. I'm loving it.

 

The hive spurs me on! Thanks gang! :)

[Cindy in Indy]

and it has helped me stay accountable. I'm reading the great books my son will read this year for Omnibus I. I had to force myself to read some of the "chapters" in Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid (would rather do other things), so I put those assignments on my daily list. Since I like to check things off, putting it on my list motivates me. There were sections of the great books that I really enjoyed, but most days I did it like an assignment. I can tell my summer reading is stretching my mind and giving me an appetite for the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. TV seems "yuck" to me now.

 

I'm also working on Henle - I'm still in Unit 1. I study one lesson/week. I enjoy this!

 

I'm also preparing to teach Apologia Chemistry in our co-op this fall. I enjoy this the most! (You can probably tell I'm the math and science-y type.:tongue_smilie:)

 

HTH,

Cindy

[angela in ohio]

I have two strands - my own education and what I need to teach dc.

 

In the first, I am reading through a list of novels, using WEM and IttC. This area also includes my personal Bible study and my readings about education. I also like to read church history - mostly biographies.

 

In the second, there are two areas. One is short-term. For this, this year for example, I have been working through Foerster's Algebra, a list of literature that dc will read and I haven't yet, a study of the Gospels, Latin, and Greek. These are for this coming year. For the long-term, I read American history (A Patriot's History, Auto. of Ben Franklin, etc.) for when I teach it to dc again, and I have started on a few of the books from Omnibus I.

 

I plan out a schedule for myself just like I do for teaching dc.