The importance of discussing WHY you’re homeschooling your kids with them
Yesterday while I was tending to a plumbing problem my kids were doing their homeschooling. My older son was in my line of sight quietly reading in his bedroom. He looked up from Lord of the Flies to ask me when I read the book (he knew from a prior conversation that I’d read it). I said it was about three years ago, or maybe four. He asked why I didn’t read it in school. I called my eleven-year-old upstairs and said I had something to explain they should know. My kids have never been to school and they don’t really know how it all works, ranging from the daily goings on of the students and the big picture issues.
The (unnecessary) stress of picking preschools
With all of the unsolicited advice a new parent gets, I would have thought that the sheer panic and guilt over preschool would have been mentioned some place. I still remember all of the friendly warnings about sleepless nights and colicky babies. I have in my possession notes from friends and family with tips on how to calm my fussy newborn, why they prefer cloth diapers to disposables and the best place in the neighborhood to take a “Mommy & Me” yoga class.
What my favorite teacher means to me
To me, teachers — whether they’re in a public, private, or home setting — are absolutely invaluable. I’ve always admired those who choose to enter the profession or opt to teach their own children. Teaching seems to be much more than standing in front of a classroom and dispensing logic — great teachers genuinely get to know and care for their students in the process, and students in turn for their teachers. So I thought that since it’s World Teacher’s Day it would be most appropriate to celebrate a few of my favorite teachers — and a few of yours.
A middle school teacher’s thoughts about teenagers and Banned Books Week
On top of using banned books as enticement to read, I find them an amazing conversation starter. In discussing why a book was banned, conversations about politics and societies and freedom of speech and value systems and personal freedom and religion and appropriateness spring up in classrooms where before there were only crickets. I always walk away from these conversations impressed by the thoughtfulness of adolescents.
All you need to entertain your kids are marshmallows, sticks, and a free hour or two
With fall and winter weather on the way, I start to collect ideas for indoor projects that will keep my kids busy for longer then five minutes. This simple activity is perfect and the materials are readily available and cheap. You simply need toothpicks, mini-marshmallows, and willing hands!
Tips for taking a nature walk with your kids — anywhere
Luckily, you don’t have to live in the middle of nowhere to appreciate a good nature walk — you just have to pay attention to the nature around you. Taking your kid on a nature walk is a great way for both of you to learn more about the place where you live, and it also encourages a sense of curiosity that’s going to serve your tyke well later in life. And if you’re a stay-at-home-mom like mine was, nature walks beat the pants off of sitting around the house.
Using Harry Potter to teach your little wizards
My realistic dream job would be to edit a collection of “Teaching with Harry Potter” schoolbooks in France. The world created by J.K. Rowling can be used to teach almost every subject to almost any age.
Preschools and learning environments inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach
Jenny at Let the Children Play has been running a three-part series about Reggio-inspired preschools. This caught my eye for a few reasons: 1) I’d never heard of Reggio-inspired anything, 2) I’m always interested in different kinds of preschools, and 3) some of these are just really amazing to behold.