What do you do for self education

[lulalu]

What do you do for self education to be able to teach classically without being classically taught?

 

How do I stay ahead?

 

In a few years we will reach Logic and I have not learned logic. Do you buy a program and work through it?

 

Read the great books?

 

Looking for all ideas thanks.

[KrissiK]

I study Latin. But that's just because I like it.

[MyLife]

I read a bunch of books. This summer, I am reading Uncovering the Logic of English and Deconstructing Penguins along with researching grammar and Latin programs. I also look for courses that will help me as a teacher. For example, Teaching the Classics from Center for Lit. I plan to work through it next summer.

 

ETA: Of course, reading The Well Trained Mind is helpful, too.

Edited June 7, 2017 by MyLife

[2_girls_mommy]

For logic, I just read through the program before my dd. For Latin, I have learned it thoroughly beside my dd, a little ahead, since it is so simple in the early years. 

 

I read a lot. And I go to convention workshops every year, as many as I can. I also pay attention to other teachers and how they organize. I have a preschooler again now. I have started taking her to library storytimes. I remember my first years through those with my older kids and I remember how I learned so much by observing how the teachers ran the hour and activities. I have been teaching in church for years now, and I learned so much about how to run my little preschool class from those early encounters with my own kids going to different classes. 

 

 

[fralala]

Well, let's just say I own The Well-Educated Mind.

 

And mostly I try to stay 1 chapter ahead of my kids in whatever resources we're using!

[CrunchyGirl]

First step is to evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses. So for example, I received an exceptionally poor math education. That's a tough thing to fix at almost 40. Thankfully my partner is great with math and we can afford to outsource starting with pre-algebra. Meanwhile language arts in general is my strong point. I did a crash course in diagramming a few years ago (I love it but let's face it, it'd been awhile!) I've also been utilizing Audible and Great Courses (mostly through Audible) to remediate my literature and history knowledge.I'm currently working through Latin Alive. I'm only a few weeks ahead of LegoMan at the moment but hope to increase my lead over the next month or two.

 

It's a never ending process!

[JenneinCA]

For my own self education I am learning Japanese and chess and how to play an alto recorder.

 

I do not and have not tried to stay ahead of the kids. It isn't possible for me. They are crazy smart and if motivated they can go very fast.

[lulalu]

Sounds like most don't read literature ahead? Are you able to dicuss and teach the literature this way? Or do you feel unprepared?

 

Do you feel prepared just staying a chapter ahead in foreign language and logic etc? I have no knowledge of logic. And I have several languages I know, but we will learn French and I have no knowledge there.

 

I guess I just have a hard time seeing how staying just a little ahead works. I spent years in school preparing for work. And I view this as my job. Or am I expecting too much from myself? It isn't like I have hours each day to study myself. Which is why I am thinking several years ahead.

[lulalu]

I've also been utilizing Audible and Great Courses (mostly through Audible) to remediate my literature and history knowledge.

Thank you for this resource! Looks like there is a lot there.

[fralala]

Sounds like most don't read literature ahead? Are you able to dicuss and teach the literature this way? Or do you feel unprepared?

 

Do you feel prepared just staying a chapter ahead in foreign language and logic etc? I have no knowledge of logic. And I have several languages I know, but we will learn French and I have no knowledge there.

 

I guess I just have a hard time seeing how staying just a little ahead works. I spent years in school preparing for work. And I view this as my job. Or am I expecting too much from myself? It isn't like I have hours each day to study myself. Which is why I am thinking several years ahead.

 

Hmm, those are good questions, and I'm not sure I have the answer. (Although the sad truth is that if I think about it, the job I formerly possessed-- which requires an advanced degree-- could easily be completed by someone with a solid high school education. Now, I was not an M.D. but I think this is not uncommon for those of us in the liberal arts. And I was being generous when I decided to not to insert junior before high school there.)

 

However, when it comes to the grammar stage, I do believe that what matters most is the teacher's depth of knowledge (not breadth) and ability to share it as challenging/fascinating/worthwhile and deep, since this will provide a foundation for the discoveries a child is able to make with lighter parental guidance down the road. I find that it benefits my children most when I study the materials we are focusing on deeply rather than worrying about what they'll be learning in the years to come. As my kids get older they are really participants in their own education, and don't actually need me to be the sole source of knowledge about everything (thank goodness). They even explain things to me (often just different ways of doing or seeing things, but sometimes concepts!) not infrequently, which is one of the best ways for them to understand.

 

I wish I could do a better job of explaining how it works for us, because this is the question many of my friends have about homeschooling: am I, unlike them, not hopeful that my children's knowledge will one day exceed my own current stash? Shouldn't I either outsource more or spend more time learning everything I can? I expect better answers will come. But until then there is absolutely nothing wrong with studying logic, which is actually pretty fun (and logical)-- I expect once you start reading about it you'll say, "oh, wait, I DID know something about logic, I just didn't realize that's what it was!!"

[EKS]

I worked well ahead in math, but not much else.  I found that with the humanities/social sciences, being an educated and reasonably intelligent adult and simply keeping up with what they were doing was enough to stay ahead of my kids.  My bachelor's degree is in biochemistry, so the sciences weren't a problem.

[ScoutTN]

Currently reading Teaching Science so that Stufents Learn Science by John D. Mays. He's the author of Novare's Physics text.

 

Hoping to review Teaching the Classics this summer.

 

Rereading Ivanhoe and Little Women to discuss with Dd this summer too.

[CadenceSophia]

If you haven't read Adler's How to Read a Book, I'd recommend starting there. Read a few good books well to really learn the method. I don't think that you need to read everything your kids are going to read in advance.

 

I agree that depth of knowledge is important. Pick the areas you most like to study and go deep. I think it is so valuable to have a parent with an interested, active mind. Self-education is an invaluable life skill. Learn more about it an model it. Personally I do put in at least 10h/week of self study partly because it's good for my sanity, partly because I am modeling the importance of life long learning, and partly because I want to be able to share things I am passionate about with my kids.

 

I don't think staying a lesson ahead is sufficient teacher preparation, but I don't think every subject requires you to be an expert. You can't teach foreign language by staying a lesson ahead. That's sort of silly thinking. But you can study and learn with your children, coming into class prepared, and guiding and modeling how to learn. In the end all education is self education. You can lead a horse to water, but eventually your children will need to take over the process.

[Lizzytra]

I recommend The Well Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer. I am only a few chapter in, but I am so thankful I purchased the book! The subtitle is: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had. And, it indeed walks you through the classical education process: Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric stages. My oldest will be high school age in a few years and my inspiration for going through this book is so that I will be better equipped to guide his education in his high school years. It is a very encouraging and inspiring book. Also, incredibly practical. I glanced through a copy I got through an inter library loan before I purchased my own copy. I highly recommend you check it out! 

[IsabelC]

I'm not going to learn anything that doesn't interest me (although, to be honest, most topics do interest me). If the kids need / want to do Advanced Whatever that I am clueless about, that's what tutors, classes, and online lessons are for. I'm always working on my university studies on and off, though, so they do see me modelling a learning lifestyle.

[lllll]

Nm

Edited July 5, 2017 by tentwelve

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Lately SWBs Facebook blurbs is about it lol

[nixpix5]

I always have some hobby going on. I have been learning Korean for a decade and I read a lot. I have been reading the classics for years and most I have read multiple times. I was in college a long time from undergrad through grad school. I kept all of my textbooks and class notes that I will refer back to when needed. I like to take workshops (writers workshops, various trainings for teachers etc). I read ahead in my childrens' textbooks and curriculum to orient to what is coming up for them. I do free online math study just to brush up on math I am rusty in.

 

The one thing I never took classes in while in college and have no experience with is computer programming/coding. I have been putting in a ton of time to teach myself javascript. I just hit the library for books and try to get through a little bit each night.

[Blossom'sGirl]

I watch Great Courses videos.  I am not comfortable teaching literature, so I listen in and read along with Circe Close Reads podcasts. My goal is that my sons would enjoy reading and not look at it like a a series of fill in the blanks worksheets.     I also try to keep reading on my own.  I don't necessarily read what they do.

 

For subjects, like logic, that I am not comfortable in, I will read ahead weekly and do the work with my ds.

 

 

[73349]

I <3 reading non-fiction, so I do that. My background is in education, so I already had some useful skills (e.g., estimating pacing for a curriculum) and background knowledge (easy to find intro books on psychology and child development if you have a good library system, if you haven't studied formally).

 

It's going to be a long time before DS can catch up with me in any of the main school subjects, because he's only 9; even when we start Japanese in a little over a year, I expect to be able to continue to out-pace him with a minimal head start because languages are a strong point for me.  If I'm wrong about Japanese, we'll get a tutor; but when we add Latin I'll work harder, because I already learned a fair amount of French, and there really shouldn't be a point where it's too hard to stay ahead. For some subjects in which I don't already have some education and don't really want to get ahead, I do outsource: chess and programming to DH, piano to a teacher, camping skills to a scout leader, swimming to a swim coach. I also buy school materials well in advance, so I can take my time over anything I really need to preview/review--I've done that a bit with Spanish, but elementary Spanish moves slowly anyway.

 

What are you curious enough about to invest some time in?

 

What is important enough to you to do even if you're not really curious about it?

 

[Porridge]

I decided to give myself a one month trial subscription to ClassicalU. I've been working through the Teaching the Great Books lectures (level 1) and really enjoy them. The ke tires are targeted to those teaching high school level children, but I find there are pearls I can apply now. I also hope to be better equipped to handle the upper level teaching as my kids age.

 

On the side I'm reading GK Chesterton - What's Wring with the World.

[Porridge]

I decided to give myself a one month trial subscription to ClassicalU. I've been working through the Teaching the Great Books lectures (level 1) and really enjoy them. The lectures are targeted to those teaching in a high school level classroom, but I find there are pearls I can apply now. I also hope to be better equipped to handle the upper level teaching as my kids age.

 

On the side I'm reading GK Chesterton - What's Wrong with the World.

 

edited because when I first typed it on my phone, there were too may typos!

Edited July 8, 2017 by JHLWTM

[MerryAtHope]

What do you do for self education to be able to teach classically without being classically taught?

 

How do I stay ahead?

 

In a few years we will reach Logic and I have not learned logic. Do you buy a program and work through it?

 

Read the great books?

 

Looking for all ideas thanks.

 

Sometimes I studied ahead--usually if it was an area of special interest to me. Sometimes I learned along with my student (reading with my life experience usually meant I understood things my kids didn't necessarily understand or grasp as readily, and we would work through things together with me explaining as needed). Sometimes I had my kids teach me what they were learning (Japanese language and culture for example. Sometimes it's nice for a student to have an interest in something and to be able to be the "expert" and tell what they know.)

[Kfamily]

I read ahead of my daughters...well, mostly my younger daughter now.

I also read with my student. My older daughter and I are reading the Greek Tragedies together (after reading The Iliad and The Odyssey) and then watching Elizabeth Vandiver's lectures together.

Sometimes I take online classses or attend one-time workshops. For example, last summer I took 3 or classes from the WTM summer workshop.

We watch documentaries together as a family.