Digests from the KALEIDOSCAPES MONTHLY TOPIC
(HOMESCHOOLING) DISCUSSION BOARD
These are the original digests from Kaleidoscapes' MONTHLY TOPIC discussion boards.
They were hosted by two amazing gals: Giovanna Gomez and Cerelle Woods Simmons.
The boards are no longer available (thus, links to them won't work); you can, however, still
find many of the same wonderful folks who posted on the boards at Network 54.
Finally, there are no banners or pop-up ads throughout these digests.
Hopefully you will consider shopping through our Amazon links occasionally.
(Thanks!)Back to the Digest Index
Mentoring Digest (part 1)
MESSAGE: Finding mentors -- it's getting easier the longer I homeschool AUTHOR: Ann in NC DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 5:45 a.m. This is a great topic! I find that I'm doing a much better job of helping my kids find mentors now that I'm in my 10th year of homeschooling. For someone who feels VERY SHY about asking other people to help her, the first few years were difficult for me. I knew what a child wanted to learn, but didn't want to just go ask the pet store owner to let the kid help there. But now I've got a better network of people around me who are familiar with homeschooling. I still don't feel particularly comfortable walking into a pet store and asking that they take on my daughter. BUT I am able to ask my homeschool group, or other friends, or church groups, if anyone knows much about animals and would like to help my daughter. And there is almost always SOMEONE who has a farm, or whose neighbor has a pet store, etc. One of my regrets with my eldest (now in college) is that I was able to pay people to tutor her in the subjects she didn't feel particularly drawn to -- so a friend who is an engineer worked on geometry with her, and another friend who writes for the newspaper worked with her with her writing. But for the biology that she loves, she was quite capable of sitting with a book for hours and reading it all. So I never helped her establish a relationship with another biology mentor. And that was a disadvantage to her. I'm going to try to do a better job with the next kids. (Did you ever hear the expression that kids should be like pancakes -- make all your mistakes on the first one and throw it out? HA HA... just KIDDING!!!) I'm anxious to hear how people found mentors for their children, but, also, how they found their own mentors. Ann ======================================== MESSAGE: What do you ask a mentor to do for your child? AUTHOR: Lee DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 6:19 a.m. Response To: Finding mentors -- it's getting easier the longer I homeschool Author: Ann in NC Date: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 5:45 a.m. I have in mind somebody for my son who is into Native American history but I don't really know how to approach the man and exactly what to ask him to do or let my son do. I'm not really sure what the fellow is doing now. I know he was in charge of finding out about Nat.Am. burial sites or something like that along a proposed highway expansion project area. I think that is now done though. Anyway, what DO I ask him? Any advice will be GREATLY appreciated here. Once I get this one figured out, I ought to be able to find mentors for the rest of the kids. ======================================== MESSAGE: mentoring for leadership AUTHOR: VickiC DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 7:30 a.m. Take a look at the article Homeschooling: the Hope of America by Dr. Oliver DeMille. Makes some important points about mentoring students for leadership. ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Finding mentors -- it's getting easier the longer I homeschool AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 7:39 a.m. Response To: Finding mentors -- it's getting easier the longer I homeschool Author: Ann in NC Date: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 5:45 a.m. Ann, Thanks for getting this month's topic underway with such a wonderful post. I used to feel shy about making those connections, too, but as we go along, I find that I'm usually not the one who has to make them. One thing we've discovered is the old "six degrees of separation" rule: somebody we know knows somebody else, who knows somebody ELSE, and as if by magic, those mentors start crawling out of the woodworks. At other times, they've just popped up out of nowhere, like Mary Poppins -- the PERFECT PERSON one of my kids needed to take them the next step. Eerie! The first time I got real brave and directly asked someone to consider apprenticing one of my kids, I felt p-r-e-t-t-y weird about being so bold. But I knew this person already had a good opinion of my daughter, and he was in a great position to help her. He thought it was a wonderful idea, and he let her come down to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's on-line services office every Friday -- Ariel really was his "girl Friday." As a result, she was already on the ground floor when they started up full Internet access for their customers, and soon she was designing Web pages for all the non-profit organizations in the area. The next thing we knew, she was being invited to speak at a national think-tank symposium for journalists! Eventually, her volunteer position turned into a paying job -- one of the ways she earned money for college. My other daughter had a mentor at the museum who knew she loved to cook and wanted to be a chef. "Let's see what we can find for you in the cooking field," she said...and in a few weeks time, Laurel had been hired as an assistant chef at our favorite coffee bar. They had never hired anyone that young (15) before, so there was some red tape and government paperwork to complete, but they were willing to do it because of the high recommendation this woman had given Laurel. And I HAVE to tell this story: There has been quite a bit of turnover at the coffee bar lately, and someone recently suggested to Laurel's boss that perhaps he needed to hire OLDER people (it's mostly a college-age bunch). He said, "I don't think that's the problem. I've got a 16-year-old working in the kitchen who outperforms all my other employees." Ann, I loved this part of your post: "I'm going to try to do a better job with the next kids. (Did you ever hear the expression that kids should be like pancakes -- make all your mistakes on the first one and throw it out? HA HA... just KIDDING!!!" LOL! I once knew a homeschooling mother of 5, who said the exact same thing. (Her oldest was already grown and married.) Of course, I'd never throw my oldest out, but I sure made a bunch of mistakes on that one! I'm just grateful she loves me anyway... Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Apprenticeships AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 7:51 a.m. Would love to hear how you have been able to find apprenceship opportunities for your children. How do you go about approaching someone and what should your child expect? Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: Very insighful! AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 8:09 a.m. Response To: mentoring for leadership Author: VickiC Date: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 7:30 a.m. > Take a look at the article Homeschooling: the Hope > of America by Dr. Oliver DeMille. Makes some important points > about mentoring students for leadership. This was a great article! Here is the URL for it http://www.homeschoolnewslink.com/articles/vol3iss6/demille.htm When posting a link we need to also include the URL in the body of the message so that when we archive this board the URL will also be included. Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: Start by asking for information AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 8:13 a.m. Response To: What do you ask a mentor to do for your child? Author: Lee Date: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 6:19 a.m. Hi, Lee! > I have in mind somebody for my son who is into Native > American history but I don't really know how to approach > the man and exactly what to ask him to do or let my son > do. You know, you could probably start with something as simple as, "My son is really interested in your field. Do you have any advice for him?" You NEVER know what will happen next. He may simply recommend a couple of books. But he could invite all of you to the next big pow-wow. Or he might suggest that your son come out to an archaelogical site. There may be a local society that meets regularly, and he may tell you about that. You might not get much the first time you ask, but if he keeps seeing your son at various functions, a longstanding alliance could blossom. People who excel in their field were often interested in it as children, so they tend to have a lot of empathy for kids with the same leanings as their own. They identify with them! It often doesn't take much finagling on your part to get them interested in helping out. Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Like everything else, INTEREST is the key AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 8:33 a.m. Response To: Apprenticeships Author: Giovanna Date: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 7:51 a.m. What we've found is that the child's interest is what opens all the doors. Sounds simple...and it IS! But think about it -- say you have a 10-year-old who has been "into" archaeology for 4 years. That kid is going to know more about archaeology than most adults, and people will take notice! Word spreads. The kid chats about archaeology with the hygienist while he's getting his teeth cleaned, and the next thing you know, the hygienist has mentioned it to the dentist, and the dentist says, "Well, my sister's an archaeologist. You should meet her!" Next thing you know, the kid's out on a dig -- the youngest (and possibly the most enthusiastic) worker on the site. Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Instilling a good work ethic in our children AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 11:59 a.m. Response To: Re: Finding mentors -- it's getting easier the longer I homeschool Author: Cerelle Date: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 7:39 a.m. > And I HAVE to tell this story: There has been quite > a bit of turnover at the coffee bar lately, and someone > recently suggested to Laurel's boss that perhaps he needed > to hire OLDER people (it's mostly a college-age bunch). > He said, "I don't think that's the problem. I've got > a 16-year-old working in the kitchen who outperforms all > my other employees." This is so wonderful to see! A 16 year old outperforming all other employees. Hmmm........... Does homeschooling instill a good work ethic in children? Would children that have the freedom to pursue their interests become more responsible than their average peer? I must be honest with you. Most 16 years olds I know do not outperform their fellow employees. Most 16 year olds I know call in sick when they are not really sick and arrive to work late. As a matter of fact I'm seeing more and more senior citizens at our local McDonald's and not as many teens. Most 16 year olds do not last at their jobs very long. They get very bored, very fast. Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Instilling a good work ethic in our children AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 12:37 p.m. Response To: Instilling a good work ethic in our children Author: Giovanna Date: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 11:59 a.m. > Hmmm........... Does homeschooling > instill a good work ethic in children? Would children that > have the freedom to pursue their interests become more responsible > than their average peer? Absolutely. Like...DUH!!! I've always noticed this, even when the kids were much younger. They'd be involved in something (dance class, theater, whatever) because they truly WANTED to be there. I would imagine the other kids wanted to be there, too, but they'd be so burned out and restless after being in school all day, they weren't able to give the class their full attention. While these other kids were goofing off, not paying attention, etc., I saw my guys being totally tuned in and working hard to improve. Any time I happened to witness one of mine NOT being very engaged in the activity, I'd ask them if they wanted to find something else they might like better. I never saw the point in wasting their time and mine by having them stick with something that bored or disappointed them in some way. > Most 16 year olds > I know call in sick when they are not really sick and arrive > to work late. As a matter of fact I'm seeing more and more > senior citizens at our local McDonald's and not as many > teens. Most 16 year olds do not last at their jobs very > long. They get very bored, very fast. I'm afraid I was one of those "bad" teenage employees, myself! I never had a chance to find out what kind of work I might enjoy. The message I always got was, "Get a job, any job, preferably one you can walk to." I'm not blaming my parents; they didn't know any better, either. They thought teens were supposed to work at boring, uninteresting, dead-end jobs. That was called "paying your dues." Even now, I'm surprised by how many parents think it's perfectly OK to encourage their teens to get one of the usual "teenager jobs" -- sacking groceries, frying burgers, lawn care -- without even bothering to find out if there's something more rewarding and well-suited to their child's personality and abilities. I'm not knocking any of those occupations, but they're no-brainers -- NOT because it doesn't require brains to work at them, but because it doesn't require any real thinking to come up with the idea. A job is IMPORTANT. It should be more than a way to make a buck. It should be satisfying enough that a person can take real pride in his or her work. When I worked (grudgingly, I'm afraid) at McDonald's, there was a girl there who LOVED the job. She was on her way to being a manager, and she put her whole heart and soul into her work. But I wasn't at all cut out for it, and I hated and resented every single minute I was on the clock. The key to a good work ethic (IMHO) is finding the right work for the right individual. And yes, we homeschoolers DO have an edge here. Most of us have trained our children to believe that work should be intrinsically satisfying, and THEY WON'T SETTLE for anything less. Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Apprenticeships AUTHOR: sharon DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 2:09 p.m. Response To: Apprenticeships Author: Giovanna Date: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 7:51 a.m. I have a brother in law that has his PhD. in the sciences and one of our sons have a keen interest in what makes things work. They have been conversing over the e-mail with questions Joseph has had...during their last discussion his Uncle said that during the summer months they have a program at the facility he works in for high school students and he'd be glad to make arrangements for Joseph when time comes. Well, our son is only 12, but his Uncle sees his interest, and has told him that he's very fortunate to have the mind he does. It has given Joseph something to look forward to and work toward. So, in the mean time, our boy is learning about whatever that interests him and having a really good time. sharon > Would love to hear how you have been able to find apprenceship > opportunities for your children. How do you go about approaching > someone and what should your child expect? > Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: A Child's Interests... AUTHOR: Jody DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 3:01 p.m. I was just speaking with another homeschool friend/mom who told about her insight to her nephew's interests. She noticed how he really loved volcanoes so for his birthday, she bought a book on volcanoes (which he insisted that his parents read every night--over and over again). She then found a volcano kit which required adult help and both parents and child are having a great time learning about volcanoes and building volcano models. This family does not homeschool, but is now realizing how "exploiting" a child's interests can educate to the hilt. Is not this true education? Wanting to learn or needing to learn because "I need this skill to do....fix the lawn mower." ?? Jody ======================================== MESSAGE: Experience! AUTHOR: Debra DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 6:43 p.m. I like the idea of mentors. One of the easiest ways to find a mentor is to "volunteer" somewhere in whatever you are interested in. Of course family and friends would be a good source of mentors. I guess I would just call up and ask someone if my child could come volunteer for a month (or more) so they could learn about the business. If you go to a big church a bet there are a LOT of mentors to choose from. Just throwing out some thoughts. ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Instilling a good work ethic in our children AUTHOR: Lesley DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 7:59 p.m. Response To: Re: Instilling a good work ethic in our children Author: Cerelle Date: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 12:37 p.m. Well said, Cerelle. I was one of those McDonald's girls too...a job that I'm afraid brought out my violent side (no I didn't actually hurt anyone, but I declared that I wanted to almost daily!) Not long ago I finally convinced my dh to follow his interests in his career- and he's already quite successful. Our son will be encouraged in this from the beginning. It really does matter that you care about what you are doing in a job. Lesley > Absolutely. Like...DUH!!! I've always noticed this, > even when the kids were much younger. They'd be involved > in something (dance class, theater, whatever) because they > truly WANTED to be there. I would imagine the other kids > wanted to be there, too, but they'd be so burned out and > restless after being in school all day, they weren't able > to give the class their full attention. While these other > kids were goofing off, not paying attention, etc., I saw > my guys being totally tuned in and working hard to improve. > > Any time I happened to witness one of mine NOT being > very engaged in the activity, I'd ask them if they wanted > to find something else they might like better. I never saw > the point in wasting their time and mine by having them > stick with something that bored or disappointed them in > some way. > I'm afraid I was one of those "bad" teenage > employees, myself! I never had a chance to find out what > kind of work I might enjoy. The message I always got was, > "Get a job, any job, preferably one you can walk to." > I'm not blaming my parents; they didn't know any better, > either. They thought teens were supposed to work at boring, > uninteresting, dead-end jobs. That was called "paying > your dues." > Even now, I'm surprised by how many parents think it's > perfectly OK to encourage their teens to get one of the > usual "teenager jobs" -- sacking groceries, frying > burgers, lawn care -- without even bothering to find out > if there's something more rewarding and well-suited to their > child's personality and abilities. I'm not knocking any > of those occupations, but they're no-brainers -- NOT because > it doesn't require brains to work at them, but because it > doesn't require any real thinking to come up with the idea. > > A job is IMPORTANT. It should be more than a way to > make a buck. It should be satisfying enough that a person > can take real pride in his or her work. When I worked (grudgingly, > I'm afraid) at McDonald's, there was a girl there who LOVED > the job. She was on her way to being a manager, and she > put her whole heart and soul into her work. But I wasn't > at all cut out for it, and I hated and resented every single > minute I was on the clock. > The key to a good work ethic (IMHO) is finding the > right work for the right individual. And yes, we homeschoolers > DO have an edge here. Most of us have trained our children > to believe that work should be intrinsically satisfying, > and THEY WON'T SETTLE for anything less. > Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: A Child's Interests... AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 11:52 p.m. Response To: A Child's Interests... Author: Jody Date: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 3:01 p.m. Isn't it funny the way little kids can get SO interested in one specific thing? When my son was 5 or 6, he became a bat fanatic. He learned EVERYTHING about bats! I think he learned to read just so he could read more books about bats, and he worked on his writing skills so he could write fan letters to his hero, Merlin D. Tuttle (the world-famous bat expert). In a way, Dr. Tuttle mentored my son (although he never personally answered any of Hunter's MANY letters) through his books and articles and TV shows. It's nice to have a living hero, even if you never get an opportunity to meet him (or her). For that matter, I think I've been mentored by quite a few dead folks in the same way -- through their writings! Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Which is exactly why... AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 4:26 a.m. Response To: Re: A Child's Interests... Author: Cerelle Date: Thursday, 1 October 1998, at 11:52 p.m. .....homeschooling parents need to get rid of that fear that they won't be everything to their child! They are not supposed to be. In life there are many teachers---even those that we can't see! Giovanna > In a way, Dr. Tuttle mentored my son (although he never > personally answered any of Hunter's MANY letters) through > his books and articles and TV shows. It's nice to have a > living hero, even if you never get an opportunity to meet > him (or her). For that matter, I think I've been mentored > by quite a few dead folks in the same way -- through their > writings! > Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Ooo, good point! AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 7:18 a.m. Response To: Which is exactly why... Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 4:26 a.m. > .....homeschooling parents need to get rid of that > fear that they won't be everything to their child! I remember the year my oldest was 9. We were all kind of burned out. Ariel didn't seem to be very interested in much of anything right then, and I was feeling discouraged. It seemed like I was always having to stand on my head to make things "interesting" -- and I was tired of being everything to everyone. Then Ariel got this wild idea to get rabbits. (Since then, I've heard of this happening to many homeschoolers...what is it about RABBITS???) Anyway, she was suddenly ALIVE again -- reading gobs of books (about rabbits, of course) and researching the different breeds to try to figure out what kind she wanted. Finally, she was ready to buy her first pair. We checked around, got the number of a local woman who raised rabbits, and visited her rabbitry. Ariel was SO excited to meet this person and listen to everything she had to say. They liked each other right off the bat. I think that was when the light first began to dawn: I wouldn't be doing this all by myself, forever and ever. Other adults would be my partners in this venture! The next year, it was goats! :-D Ariel and the "goat lady" bonded right away. Eventually, some of those outside relationships turned scholastic. Ariel had a chemist helping her with chemistry, a biologist helping her with biology, and several journalists getting her started in journalism. So it goes. Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: And what does it take for a "well rounded" education? AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 8:20 a.m. Response To: Ooo, good point! Author: Cerelle Date: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 7:18 a.m. > I think that was when the light first began to dawn: > I wouldn't be doing this all by myself, forever and ever. > Other adults would be my partners in this venture! And I truly, truly believe this is the total essence of education. Through home education a child has the resources and freedom and time (if mom lets the child have the time) to explore the REAL WORLD through REAL people and REAL experiences such as the ones you described. Several years ago (before I had children) I used to work as a preschool teacher. One of the main things I would tell the assistants at that preschool was to use REAL LIFE whenever possible. For example, when showing a child the color red, pull out a bright red apple. Don't pull out a ditto sheet for them to color red!!!!! To some of those assistants that was really hard to understand. They equated lots of paper (ditto sheets) with learning. Anyhow, are we getting off the subject here??? LOL! Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: Relatives as mentors AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 12:13 p.m. My parents live next to me. We live out in the country so they are not RIGHT NEXT to me but definitely within walking distance. When my dad retired he told me he wanted to spend at least an hour with the kids per day. My dad's big "project" will be to build a treehouse for the kids (my son wants it to be a private club for budding astronomers--where no girls are allowed--but I doubt his sister will let them get away with that). Both of my children are extremely excited about this but my son more so because he claims it will be his big chance to finally learn how to build something with "real tools". My dad also has a small tree farm. He teaches my daughter, Rachel, about the different types of leaves and trees. My daughter loves to spend time with him and pull out weeds and garden. She says they talk about "things." Anyhow, I just wanted to tell you about this because a lot of times when we think of mentors we tend to think of people we don't really know or people out in the community. But grandpa, grandma, an aunt who knows how to sew, or another relative can also be wonderful mentors. Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Relatives as mentors AUTHOR: Jody DATE: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 2:47 p.m. Response To: Relatives as mentors Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 12:13 p.m. Giovanna, I agree, and it sounds like we are twin sisters! I too live in the country with my family and my husband's parents. It's definately an experience and mentoring sometimes happens without trying. Grandpa was raised a sheep herder and we still have some sheep, although not as many as in the good ol' days! He loves to take the kids to the sheepbarn and show them how to tell which lambs belong with which mothers (when they all lamb in a pile) and how to tell which are twins and which are singles. I also see how Tom, my husband, mentors the kids daily...fencing, fixing the shed roof, feeding livestock, calving, lambing, milking, haying and so on. I'm the baking, laundry, cleaning, chicken, gardening,sewing mentor! Not nearly as fun as mentoring under dear Dad! Oh well! Jody > My parents live next to me. We live out in the country > so they are not RIGHT NEXT to me but definitely within walking > distance. When my dad retired he told me he wanted to spend > at least an hour with the kids per day. > My dad's big "project" will be to build a > treehouse for the kids (my son wants it to be a private > club for budding astronomers--where no girls are allowed--but > I doubt his sister will let them get away with that). Both > of my children are extremely excited about this but my son > more so because he claims it will be his big chance to finally > learn how to build something with "real tools". > > My dad also has a small tree farm. He teaches my daughter, > Rachel, about the different types of leaves and trees. My > daughter loves to spend time with him and pull out weeds > and garden. She says they talk about "things." > > Anyhow, I just wanted to tell you about this because > a lot of times when we think of mentors we tend to think > of people we don't really know or people out in the community. > But grandpa, grandma, an aunt who knows how to sew, or another > relative can also be wonderful mentors. > Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Relatives as mentors AUTHOR: Debra DATE: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 9:04 p.m. Response To: Relatives as mentors Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 12:13 p.m. Oh, I agree Giovanna. In a perfect situation family would be right there to be mentors. You are SO lucky (I know it has it pluses and minuses, but for the most part this would be a wonderful situation). Unfortunately, as in our family, my inlaws are not interested in spending time with our girls. My mom would love to spend time with them, but is far away. I have to say that when she was here she did a lot of work with them. I sat and watched her one night teaching them, and I wish we could do this all the time. I think if we could have "families" homeschool and not just parents, kids could get a great variety of perspectives and insight and knowledge. You are blessed to be able to have this opportunity. Debra ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: And what does it take for a "well rounded" education? AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 10:23 p.m. Response To: And what does it take for a "well rounded" education? Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 2 October 1998, at 8:20 a.m. Giovanna, I had this idea once (years ago) that I would write a book called "The Well-Rounded Homeschool." Then I decided I'd better wait until the kids were grown and the jury was in!!! Who knows? I mean, *I* think they're well-rounded, but who can say? The more I thought about it, the more I decided I wasn't even sure what "well-rounded" meant. Who among us is perfectly round? Let her throw the first ball. (giggling) All I know is that I went to a "good" public school and a "good" college, and I didn't emerge from my formal education at ALL well-rounded. I graduated from college not knowing how to drive or cook or take care of people (especially babies!). Heck, I didn't even know how to take care of myself. I was unsuited for any kind of real work. I had NO marketable skills that I knew of. (I didn't want to teach. ROTFL!!!) I had always put all my efforts into being a good student, and once I wasn't a student anymore, I was clueless. This is sounding off-topic, but hang on -- I'm bringing it back around. How did I save myself? I taught myself to do things, and I found mentors! Mostly I learned from books, because that's what I was used to. I discovered that there were books about everything from baking bread and gardening to being pregnant and raising children, and I let all those talented authors teach me everything they knew. Well-rounded? I don't know. I don't even worry much about it anymore. I've learned that when you need to learn something, you learn it. That's a pretty good lesson, in my book! Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Here is the link AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Saturday, 3 October 1998, at 10:00 a.m. > I found it and it is called Science-By-Mail! A no-brainer! > If anyone is interested in more about this science mentoring > program, here's the link. There is a homeschool version. Here is the link: http://www.mos.org/mos/sbm/index.html We have to actually write it out in the body of the message or else it won't show up when we archive these messages. :-) Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: another question about finding mentors AUTHOR: Deanne DATE: Saturday, 3 October 1998, at 11:42 p.m. First...I am one of those shy ones. It's more than being shy, though. I just could never impose upon someone and ask them to do something with my children. I just don't think it's as easy as some of you have said, because I have wanted to find such relationships for my children for a long time and still can't see how it could possibly be done. Part of it IS that I am not willing to call complete strangers to try to find information. For example, my daughter wants to take flute lessons. I can't find a teacher for her here. (We live on an island in Alaska, so can't go to another town. ) I've asked at the store where they sell some musical instruments, but they had no idea. I called the person in charge of the "youth orchestra", but that is just for string instruments. We saw a guy playing the flute with a band at the fair, but I am not capable of playing detective and trying to find out who he is and if he lives on the island or if he'd agree to teach someone. I would have no idea who to ask, I don't know who organized the fair, and...in any case, I just couldn't ask a complete stranger who is not teaching flute for living to tutor my daughter. Those are our only leads so far. My husband is in the military and we move around a lot. It takes a long time to establish ties--at least for me. I can't imagine allowing any of my children to spend time with a someone we didn't know very, very well. I read Ann's post above (below ) about how it is easier after 10 years of HSing, because she has a network of HSers and others that she knows well. I don't have that. We don't have any family or friends nearby and we are not involved in the local HS group. Last year we were lucky enough to live closer to family, and I had high hopes of spending more time with grandparents on both sides, but it just didn't work out. They were all busy with their own lives and were critical of my kids and of HSing in general, especially at first. I have a feeling, though, that if we lived near to my parents and our visits didn't involve my entire family coming and staying at their house, they would enjoy the kids more on occasional afternoons. Right now, my children are taking a karate class twice a week, which they love. However, during the class they have no cause to chat with the teacher. We arrive early and help to roll out the mats and so on, but still...no chatting. My kids are NOT chatters. I just don't think it's that easy to find mentors, or we'd have found some by now. Any ideas? Deanne ======================================== MESSAGE: What I have gathered so far from this board... AUTHOR: Lee DATE: Sunday, 4 October 1998, at 4:59 a.m. Response To: another question about finding mentors Author: Deanne Date: Saturday, 3 October 1998, at 11:42 p.m. A mentor would not have to be somebody your kids actually get together with personally(although that would be good.) A person could become a mentor over time rather than just be asked point blank to do it. If your child had a particular interest, they could try writing a letter to an "expert" on that topic and ask some questions. That could lead to a correspondence-type mentoring. I think there are actually some programs set up like this, for instance that Science-By-Mail that I posted about the other day. Another idea, although not a person as mentor, would be that there are alot of sites on the web where you can learn things. For instance, my dd is learning German and I just started New Testament Greek. Dd can actually listen over the internet to German radio broadcasts to help her with the language. I am just so impressed and excited about all the things we can do and learn through this little set-up. Hope you find something of use in this ramble. :. ) > First...I am one of those shy ones. It's more than > being shy, though. I just could never impose upon someone > and ask them to do something with my children. I just don't > think it's as easy as some of you have said, because I have > wanted to find such relationships for my children for a > long time and still can't see how it could possibly be done. > > Part of it IS that I am not willing to call complete > strangers to try to find information. For example, my daughter > wants to take flute lessons. I can't find a teacher for > her here. (We live on an island in Alaska, so can't go to > another town. ) I've asked at the store where they sell > some musical instruments, but they had no idea. I called > the person in charge of the "youth orchestra", > but that is just for string instruments. We saw a guy playing > the flute with a band at the fair, but I am not capable > of playing detective and trying to find out who he is and > if he lives on the island or if he'd agree to teach someone. > I would have no idea who to ask, I don't know who organized > the fair, and...in any case, I just couldn't ask a complete > stranger who is not teaching flute for living to tutor my > daughter. Those are our only leads so far. > My husband is in the military and we move around a > lot. It takes a long time to establish ties--at least for > me. I can't imagine allowing any of my children to spend > time with a someone we didn't know very, very well. I read > Ann's post above (below ) about how it is easier after > 10 years of HSing, because she has a network of HSers and > others that she knows well. I don't have that. We don't > have any family or friends nearby and we are not involved > in the local HS group. > Last year we were lucky enough to live closer to family, > and I had high hopes of spending more time with grandparents > on both sides, but it just didn't work out. They were all > busy with their own lives and were critical of my kids and > of HSing in general, especially at first. I have a feeling, > though, that if we lived near to my parents and our visits > didn't involve my entire family coming and staying at their > house, they would enjoy the kids more on occasional afternoons. > > Right now, my children are taking a karate class twice > a week, which they love. However, during the class they > have no cause to chat with the teacher. We arrive early > and help to roll out the mats and so on, but still...no > chatting. My kids are NOT chatters. I just don't think > it's that easy to find mentors, or we'd have found some > by now. > Any ideas? > Deanne > ======================================== MESSAGE: You've raised an excellent point AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Sunday, 4 October 1998, at 7:59 a.m. Response To: another question about finding mentors Author: Deanne Date: Saturday, 3 October 1998, at 11:42 p.m. Deanne, you're right! I'm sure it's 10 times easier to find mentors if you've lived in the same place a long time and have built up an extended network of friends. AND if you don't live in an isolated place. (An island in Alaska? Wow! Sounds wonderful, but challenging!) Granted, it's not going to be as easy for you as it is for others. I guess you've already discovered that you'll have to approach this challenge the way anyone with a disability has to: that is, you'll have to work harder at it than everyone else. Sad but true. I'll bet it's really tough to be shy by nature and move around a lot. I'm reasonably extroverted, but it still used to take me a couple of years to make really close friends in a new community. (I say "used to" because we haven't moved in 16 years.) It sounds like your kids are kind of shy, too (you mentioned they aren't "chatters"). How old are they? You might not be able to find a flute teacher on your island no matter how hard you look, but there ARE self-taught musicians. I had a beloved teacher in college who always said, "Every obstacle is a vehicle for its own transcendence." I really took those words to heart! When there's a roadblock, you just have to figure out a way to get around it. Builds character! LOL! Good luck, Deanne. Let us know how you're fighting this challenge. Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: residents and strangers AUTHOR: Liz Messick DATE: Sunday, 4 October 1998, at 8:46 a.m. Response To: You've raised an excellent point Author: Cerelle Date: Sunday, 4 October 1998, at 7:59 a.m. Sometimes, I think it would be EASIER to approach people from a 'stranger' point-of-view. When you know how it is 'supposed to work', you run up against these 'taboos' that everybody 'just seems to know'. For example, a good friend of mine wanted to see if there was any place for her son in the youth symphony in a local city. He plays the piano. I am a musician, the one who has the contacts and the information that would make it easier to get to the right people for the answers. But I was constrained by the 'taboos' - there aren't pianos in symphonies, unless they are doing something special like a concerto, and then he'd be a soloist, not part of an ensemble, and maybe he's not advanced enough for that, blah, blah, blah. Fortunately, my friend didn't know that what she was asking 'wasn't done', and fortunately, I didn't tell her, so she plunged ahead, and her son auditioned for the director, and both of them got to talk extensively with him about what opportunities were available, and what he should work on in the meantime. My familiarity held me back! This happened awhile ago, and I learned a lot from that encounter. I think I am a different homeschooling parent because of it. ======================================== MESSAGE: Re:Music lessons at home... AUTHOR: Jody DATE: Sunday, 4 October 1998, at 11:07 a.m. Response To: You've raised an excellent point Author: Cerelle Date: Sunday, 4 October 1998, at 7:59 a.m. Deanne, Have you looked into music at home via videos or cassette tapes? I know of only one company such as this...it's called Homespun Tapes. I don't know if they have flute, but I do know they have lessons on guitar, fiddle, dulcimer, voice and others. Call them for a catalog at 800 338 2737 I've used the guitar lesson on cassette and it's great! Jody > Deanne, you're right! I'm sure it's 10 times easier > to find mentors if you've lived in the same place a long > time and have built up an extended network of friends. AND > if you don't live in an isolated place. (An island in Alaska? > Wow! Sounds wonderful, but challenging!) > Granted, it's not going to be as easy for you as it > is for others. > I guess you've already discovered that you'll have > to approach this challenge the way anyone with a disability > has to: that is, you'll have to work harder at it than everyone > else. Sad but true. > I'll bet it's really tough to be shy by nature and > move around a lot. I'm reasonably extroverted, but it still > used to take me a couple of years to make really close friends > in a new community. (I say "used to" because we > haven't moved in 16 years.) > It sounds like your kids are kind of shy, too (you > mentioned they aren't "chatters"). How old are > they? You might not be able to find a flute teacher on your > island no matter how hard you look, but there ARE self-taught > musicians. I had a beloved teacher in college who always > said, "Every obstacle is a vehicle for its own transcendence." > I really took those words to heart! When there's a roadblock, > you just have to figure out a way to get around it. Builds > character! LOL! > Good luck, Deanne. Let us know how you're fighting > this challenge. > Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Mentor crossover AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Monday, 5 October 1998, at 7:40 a.m. One thing I've been thinking about is how people often end up learning even more than they bargained for, within a mentor relationship. (I'm talking about the real thing, here -- a flesh-and-blood, living mentor who works directly with a child.) The example that comes to my mind is the relationship Ariel developed with Judy, who taught her chemistry. Judy was an environmental chemist -- that was her field and her career -- which turned out to be wonderful thing, because she could always point out the practical applications of all the stuff in the books. But more than that, Ariel and Judy really worked well together. It was a serendipitous thing, from the very beginning. And they "covered" much more than chemistry in their sessions together. Ariel, who was always chronically frustrated by algebra, found in Judy a person who understood higher math well enough to know WHY the algebra books seemed so confusing and who could demystify it somewhat for Ariel. And they got into philosophy, too. Last year at college, Ariel had to write an essay about a personal epiphany, and she chose to write about a conversation she once had with Judy. Then, on the merits of that essay, she was selected to take a by-invitation-only creative writing course -- taught by a wonderful writer who has really inspired Ariel to keep writing (and writing and writing). It doesn't sound very logical, but there you have it...the chemistry teacher ended up fueling Ariel's writing career! The thing I have to keep in mind is that relationships are SO vital. Scores of goodhearted and generous people have helped my kids along. The really spooky thing is that we often didn't DO anything to find these people. Judy, the chemist, just materialized around the time Ariel was wanting to learn more about chemistry. She had recently moved to our area, wanted to homeschool her daughter (who happened to be Ariel's age), and called me because someone had given her my name and number as a homeschooling contact. So she actually came to US! Isn't it funny how the world works, sometimes! :-) Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Center for Interim Programs AUTHOR: Cecilia DATE: Monday, 5 October 1998, at 8:07 a.m. Hi, My son is now 20 and a few years ago we were looking for mentoring programs. He was interested in living abroad and there was the Peace Corps, missions, and not much else we could find of interest to him that involved study and travel to far-away places. In our search we came across the Center for Interim Programs and it is sort of a "pool" of mentoring programs from all over the US and abroad. The program matches a candidate to his or her area of interest. They meet the candidate in person and talk (it can be done by telephone too), exploring all sorts of program options based on the interests. Below is the URL and a brief description quoted from the site: "The Center for INTERIM Programs is a service that enables people to pursue stuctured alternatives to formal education or work by matching clients' interests with over 2,500 internships, volunteer positions, and apprenticeships worldwide, to create time "off" that can give new direction, sharpen hazy career goals, rejuvenate those on the verge of burnout, and give a much needed break between high school and college, or at other points during and after college. Since 1980 we have tailored creative time off for some 3,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 70. www.interimprograms.com ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: What I have gathered so far from this board... AUTHOR: Deanne DATE: Monday, 5 October 1998, at 1:49 p.m. Response To: What I have gathered so far from this board... Author: Lee Date: Sunday, 4 October 1998, at 4:59 a.m. You wrote: > A mentor would not have to be somebody your kids actually > get together with personally(although that would be good.) This is a VERY good point! I am hoping for my daughter and son to develop some relationships--either with relatives or friends online. so far...this hasn't happened. > A person could become a mentor over time rather than just > be asked point blank to do it. This is another excellent point. I wouldn't have to brave and say, "Gee, would you be willing to spend time with my child?" Because...to be honest, if somebody asked ME to do something like that, I would see it as an imposition. BUT...if I got to know someone of any age and we were interested in the same things, I might offer to teach he or she things and invite him or her to do things with me--maybe. If your child had a particular > interest, they could try writing a letter to an "expert" > on that topic and ask some questions. That could lead to > a correspondence-type mentoring. This would be neat, and I have tried, actually, to get my daughter interested in something like this, but so far--she is not really interested in corresponding with anyone on any topic, even something she's interested in. Thanks for the ideas! Deanne ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: You've raised an excellent point AUTHOR: Deanne DATE: Monday, 5 October 1998, at 2:20 p.m. Response To: You've raised an excellent point Author: Cerelle Date: Sunday, 4 October 1998, at 7:59 a.m. You wrote: > Deanne, you're right! I'm sure it's 10 times easier > to find mentors if you've lived in the same place a long > time and have built up an extended network of friends. AND > if you don't live in an isolated place. (An island in Alaska? > Wow! Sounds wonderful, but challenging!) Well living on an island in Alaska is really no "excuse" for me, since I had the same problems when we lived in North Carolina and in Massachusetts (Cape Cod). We've only been here since August. In North Carolina I was heavily involved with the local HS group and the kids did things like gymnastics, art lessons, music lessons, 4-H--but we still never made any real connections. And...to be honest, the children never made any friends at any of these things either. > Granted, it's not going to be as easy for you as it > is for others. That's true, but I think maybe it's my personality and not my location! > I guess you've already discovered that you'll have > to approach this challenge the way anyone with a disability > has to: that is, you'll have to work harder at it than everyone > else. Sad but true. This is an interesting way to think of it. I have never thought of it as a "disability" before. We definitely live and *want* to live a home-centered life. I'm not unhappy with that. I wouldn't want my children off galavanting around all the time, going off with strangers, and so on, and not being home a lot of the time. (When they have a true passion for something, that may change, of course!) When my children have been involved with things, I've been involved too. (Team mom for the T-ball team, one of the leaders in the HS group, helper mom in Girl Scouts & 4-H, etc.) BUT...developing the kind of relationship with someone and developing trust...well, that does take time and time is what I don't have, because we move so often. I'm not unhappy with moving around so much either, for the most part. But it does make it hard to establish relationships. I don't think there is any substitute for *time*. > I'll bet it's really tough to be shy by nature and > move around a lot. I'm reasonably extroverted, but it still > used to take me a couple of years to make really close friends > in a new community. (I say "used to" because we > haven't moved in 16 years.) Yes, it's the same for us. However, my husband is in Coast Guard aviation which is very small. In a way, we have "family" everywhere we go, because we are always stationed with people we've been stationed with before. We have some friends that we've had for almost 20 years, and others we've known almost as long, everywhere we go. However, these are people we don't share all that much in common with, outside of the Coast Guard/military experience. > It sounds like your kids are kind of shy, too (you > mentioned they aren't "chatters"). Yes, they are somewhat shy, although once they warm up to someone, they are not afraid to speak their mind and join in conversations with people of all ages. This is what my family found very disconcerting, I think. It takes a while to warm up, though! They warm up to some people faster than others, though. How old are > they? My daughter is 12 1/2 and my son just turned 9. You might not be able to find a flute teacher on your > island no matter how hard you look, but there ARE self-taught > musicians. This is true. Both children play the recorder already, and can pick out songs on the keyboard. Since they are playing so much, I asked them if they'd like piano lessons (with me ), and they both want to do that. But the flute is something beyond me. There is a video out there that I have been thinking of purchasing, but even the descritpion says it is not for taking the place of a teacher. I really think that with a flute, we might need someone to show correct mouth position, and so on. We started out with the recorders with a friend teaching us, and if she hadn't showed us how to do the "tonguing", we never would have known, even though we had a good book. Our plan at this point is to get the kids nicer, wooden recorders for Christmas (maybe ), and my daughter wants an alto recorder. That might be enough for her right now, but if she still wants to do the flute and a teacher doesn't appear , I may just go ahead and get the video and a book for her. And...there is one more option. I've been thinking of calling the school band teacher and seeing if she/he can think of someone--even a student--that might give my daughter a hand getting started. I just haven't been brave enough to do this yet. It's been on my "to do" list for a month. I had a beloved teacher in college who always > said, "Every obstacle is a vehicle for its own transcendence." > I really took those words to heart! When there's a roadblock, > you just have to figure out a way to get around it. Builds > character! LOL! What a neat attitude to have! I usually do figure a way around roadblocks, but they often feel like immovable stone walls at first. However, with this mentor thing...I really was hoping that someone would have some magical ideas that would work for me. I guess that was silly. I also think...maybe it was not meant to be for us...at least not for now. I really liked what the other person said about these things developing naturally. What you said about your daughter--it sounds like that was the case also. For us, it just might not happen naturally right now, until there is something in my daughter's life where she is willing to sort of "break out" and really push for on her own, rather than me looking to find opportunities for her (although I will still do that). > Good luck, Deanne. Let us know how you're fighting > this challenge. > Cerelle Thanks! I appreciate your kind words and encouragement. :-) Deanne ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: residents and strangers AUTHOR: Deanne DATE: Monday, 5 October 1998, at 2:49 p.m. Response To: residents and strangers Author: Liz Messick Date: Sunday, 4 October 1998, at 8:46 a.m. > Sometimes, I think it would be EASIER to approach people > from a 'stranger' point-of-view. When you know how it is > 'supposed to work', you run up against these 'taboos' that > everybody 'just seems to know'. Oh...if you mean when I called the Youth Symphony, I also didn't know it was just for strings! I just called and told her we were interested in the youth symphony and that my daughter wanted to play the flute. But...that didn't make her willing to take us on, although she did offer to ask around and see if she could find someone for us. She was a HS mom also and very sympathetic. However, she didn't ask me for my phone number (which is unlisted and unpublished) and I didn't offer it because--I don't know it! We haven't lived here long enough and when I called, I just didn't think of it didn't think of that. Deanne ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Center for Interim Programs AUTHOR: Liz Messick DATE: Monday, 5 October 1998, at 6:37 p.m. Response To: Center for Interim Programs Author: Cecilia Date: Monday, 5 October 1998, at 8:07 a.m. Wow! I just went to the site and read their information. I want to go myself! Boy, do I ever wish I had done something like this years ago. So, did your son actually hook up with one of these programs, or was this just an option you explored? ======================================== MESSAGE: I'm like Deanne AUTHOR: Susan DATE: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 9:39 a.m. Hi folks, I'm really enjoying this topic, but like Deanne I have a problem with finding people who would act as mentors for my children. I live in a big city, so it's not a matter of being socially isolated, but in fact I do feel isolated. We have no family here, and can not afford any formal athletic, artistic or musical opportunities. I don't know anyone that would have the time or inclination to take a child under their wing. I don't even know any people who are in successful interesting careers...most of our friends are just struggling to make a living. I actually would like to move to a rural area, where the kids would at least have more space and freedom to be creative. I did write down your quote Cerelle, about transcending obstacles. Thanks for the encouragement! Susan ======================================== MESSAGE: welding mentor AUTHOR: maicie DATE: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 4:59 p.m. Thought I would share what we did. Our 17-year old son mentioned an interest in welding. We started by checking out the community college and recreation center. Both offered classes but they were already in progress. Also, these classes were for people who were interested in welding as a career. My son's interest didn't go beyond being able to repair some of our farm machinery, fence, etc. So, we put the mentorship hunt on a back burner. My husband owns a car repair shop and one day a gentleman came in to have his welding truck repaired. Turned out this fellow was retired and looking for something to do. One thing led to another and we had ourselves a mentor. Okay, so this one fell into our laps. My kids and I are also shy and we probably wouldn't have pursued this on our own. As a result, my son would have missed out on what has been a highlight of his homeschooling adventure.But, my husband is NOT shy and I have no qualms asking him to do a little leg/lip work for me. If you, too, have trouble approaching people perhaps you could ask a friend or relative who is more open to this sort of thing to run interference for you. Some people really enjoy this kind of thing. Weird! One last note: the neighbors up the road both work for the zoo; he's a vet, she's the t.v. spokesperson. Now, there is a mentorship just waiting to happen. My daughter is interested in veterinary medicine but she can not bring herself to go over and talk to them. Do I take my own advice and send my outgoing husband over to talk to them? Or, do I insist that my daughter go over and approach them herself? She is, afterall, 14 years old. Geez, I wish someone would write a parenting manual! ======================================== MESSAGE: "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 5:30 p.m. Response To: welding mentor Author: maicie Date: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 4:59 p.m. Your story about your son and the retired welder make me think of this old "proverb." It has certainly come true for us a number of times. I think there are ways to approach possible mentors that even shy people shouldn't have much trouble with. For instance, what if you or your daughter asked one of those neighbors if the zoo has a volunteer program for teens? (Many zoos do, so this isn't an unreasonable question.) Whether the answer is yes or no, the question itself is liable to lead to further conversation -- conversation which will reveal to them that your daughter loves animals and is interested in veterinary medicine! Making that information available to the right people is half the battle. Again, it rarely happens that a homeschooler (child or parent) comes right out and asks someone to be an official mentor. You begin by establishing some kind of connection -- asking a simple question, revealing an interest, requesting some limited kind of help or advice. Mentors are really just friends, and friendships tend to develop organically. We don't march up to someone we admire and say, "Would you please be my friend?" Instead, we "cultivate" a friendship by making small overtures, indicating an interest in getting to know the person better (usually in very subtle ways -- possibly even with body language!), asking "friendly" questions, and perhaps doing small favors. Baking fresh bread and delivering it piping hot is one of my tried-and-true methods of endearing myself to people. (They get hooked, too!) :-) Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Making those connections AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 5:50 p.m. Response To: Re: You've raised an excellent point Author: Deanne Date: Monday, 5 October 1998, at 2:20 p.m. Hey, Deanne, I'm a recorder player, too! It's one of the ways I "restore my soul" -- I go sit on a wooden bench in a little wooded area we have on our property and play away. :-) OK, back on topic (grin): I hope you didn't think I was implying that living a family-centered lifestyle was a disability! I was really thinking more in terms of island life and frequent moves. (But let me repeat: I think living on an island sounds like heaven!) Really, all I meant was that in your situation, it might require a good deal of "going out of your way" to make those connections happen, whereas for others of us, they come relatively easily. My 16-year-old said yesterday (I was telling her about this conversation), "This is a horrible thing to say, but "connections" really make all the difference." She even brought up the "six degrees of separation" rule. (She and I tend to think alike, I guess.) We sure don't have connections because we're rich or famous (LOL!), but it helps to have been in one place long enough to get to know a lot of people. She has been working at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History since she was 12, and she knows everyone on staff. That kind of thing really smooths a person's way in life. And some of those people really ARE well-connected... Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Making those connections AUTHOR: Deanne DATE: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 10:23 p.m. Response To: Making those connections Author: Cerelle Date: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 5:50 p.m. > Hey, Deanne, I'm a recorder player, too! It's one of > the ways I "restore my soul" -- I go sit on a > wooden bench in a little wooded area we have on our property > and play away. :-) Oh, neat! :-) Maybe you can help me with that! I want to buy more recorder music (aside from just our "learning" books), but I have no idea what to look for or where to look. I found a place online, but I don't know if I should just randomly choose a book or not. What if it's too hard? > OK, back on topic (grin): I hope you didn't think I > was implying that living a family-centered lifestyle was > a disability! Oh no! I wasn't offended, if you thought I was. I'm sorry if I implied that. I just hadn't thought of it in that way. I was really thinking more in terms of island > life and frequent moves. (But let me repeat: I think living > on an island sounds like heaven!) Really, all I meant was > that in your situation, it might require a good deal of > "going out of your way" to make those connections > happen, whereas for others of us, they come relatively easily. > I think for me, it is more my personality, too. I am not a people person and don't want to be. > My 16-year-old said yesterday (I was telling her about > this conversation), "This is a horrible thing to say, > but "connections" really make all the difference." > She even brought up the "six degrees of separation" > rule. (She and I tend to think alike, I guess.) We sure > don't have connections because we're rich or famous (LOL!), > but it helps to have been in one place long enough to get > to know a lot of people. She has been working at the Fort > Worth Museum of Science and History since she was 12, and > she knows everyone on staff. That kind of thing really smooths > a person's way in life. And some of those people really > ARE well-connected... > Cerelle What are "six degrees of separation"? I've never heard of that. I can see what you are saying, but that will never happen with us. It is not just because we move around, but partly because--I just don't get to know other people easily. We lived on Cape Cod for a total of 10 1/2 years--seven years in the same house. And...I still didn't know many people there, and knew few of them well. I had NO "connections." I guess I just don't see things in "people" terms. I probably shouldn't have even asked this question in the first place. :-) Forgive me. :-) Deanne ======================================== MESSAGE: Six degrees of separation AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 11:13 p.m. Response To: Re: Making those connections Author: Deanne Date: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 10:23 p.m. Deanne, You know what? I don't think there's a thing wrong with not being a "people person." I mean -- you either are or you aren't, you know? Goodness knows, there have been lots and lots of semi-reclusive types who've made GREAT contributions to the world. You don't HAVE to get out there and mix it up with the masses in order to achieve or leave your mark or lead a happy life! About recorder music, what I've ended up doing is just using any old music written for any old instrument...and playing the melody line! :-) The best thing I ever found (recorder-wise) was a collection of 14th century music, written for voices. Some of those old, old melodies and chants sound fantastic on the recorder. But I'll tell you who you REALLY ought to ask. Cafi Cohen! She plays recorder, too (probably a whole lot better than I do), plus she's a piano teacher. I'll bet she has a list of the best catalogs for recorder music and knows how to make sure you're getting something on your skill level. Now see? That was networking! LOL! Perfect example, in fact. You mentioned your interest. I came back with an "Oh, me too!" Then you asked a question. I gave you a pretty shabby answer, but I happened to know a better person to ask. The quality of the help grows exponentially with this method. (grin) "Six degrees of separation" is the idea (completely unscientific, by the way) that there are a maximum of 6 people linking you to just about anyone else in the world. In other words, you probably know someone who knows someone else (repeat 4 times) who knows me. It's sort of a chain-letter scenario. Of course, if you keep a really low profile, you might have to allow for a longer chain. ;-) Well, don't forget that you don't have to find living mentors -- there are always books and tapes and videos. And last but definitely not least, direct experience. I think it's actually better sometimes to discover things on our own WITHOUT being guided by teachers, who tend to get all caught up in the "you have to do it this way" mentality. Most true innovation comes from autodidacts. Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Oops, here's a link to Cafi's page... AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 11:27 p.m. Response To: Six degrees of separation Author: Cerelle Date: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 11:13 p.m. Silly me, I was assuming you knew who Cafi Cohen is and where to find her (she's another host here at Kaleidocapes), but just in case you don't know who on earth I'm talking about, here's a link to her homepage: http://www.concentric.net/~Ctcohen/ -Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: I'm like Deanne AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Wednesday, 7 October 1998, at 12:25 a.m. Response To: I'm like Deanne Author: Susan Date: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 9:39 a.m. Hi, Susan-- We treasure our rural lifestyle for the very reason you mentioned: space and freedom for the kids. AND for my husband, who needs that buffer-zone from the crowd. (I don't care where I live, as long as the plumbing works.) What we've found, though, is that as the children have gotten older, they've wanted more of the opportunities the city can offer, so now we all spend a lot of time in the car, driving back and forth. That's not really what we had in mind, originally, but needs change. If you're living in a metropolitan area, there are probably tons of things available to you--right there in your own backyard. You might have to do a little brainstorming and digging to find them, but volunteer opportunities ABOUND in any city, and that's one of the best ways to go mentor-hunting. Try the major institutions first: the libraries, museums, zoo, etc. And then get creative: charities of all kinds, as well as privately-owned businesses. Of course, let the children's interests be your guide, but I do have to say that some of the best situations my kids have found didn't actually stem from interests they knew they had! They didn't KNOW they wanted to work in a museum...but a friend of ours who worked there encouraged them to apply as volunteers. As I remember, they had some misgivings about it, initially, but we made it clear they were only trying it out...not signing their whole lives away. Lo and behold, they loved it. (I think what they really loved at first was getting out of the house for a few hours every week...) About the financial issues (as regards music and art instruction, etc.), I can really relate. We've been in the same boat for most of our homeschooling years. Sometimes the grandparents have come to the rescue. Sometimes we've tried to accommodate one child at a time. If one of the kids showed a real interest or ability in something, we'd try to find a way to arrange for lessons for that one child and not worry about parity for the others. They sort of understood that their day would come. I know a homeschooling mom who taught part-time at a Montessori school for a while in order to pay for her son's violin lessons, and many others have made similar trade-offs. I worked part-time at a library for two years (after my oldest was old enough to hold down the fort at home) so they could have piano lessons and acting classes. But here's another idea. Many private institutions (theater schools, for instance) have scholarship funds set aside for families who can't afford to pay tuition. It's worth checking into. One year, all 3 of our kids took theater classes on scholarship. Youth orchestras may do that kind of thing, too. My mama told me one time that if you don't ask, the answer will always be no, but if you do ask, the answer MAY be yes. I'm still trying to learn that lesson...I don't particularly like asking for things, either. But Mama was right, and I'm getting better at it all the time. Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Six degrees of separation AUTHOR: Deanne DATE: Wednesday, 7 October 1998, at 12:38 a.m. Response To: Six degrees of separation Author: Cerelle Date: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 11:13 p.m. Cerelle, Wow! You are such a positive and supportive person! This is neat. I was worried that I might have offended you by sounding a bit negative. > Deanne, > You know what? I don't think there's a thing wrong > with not being a "people person." I mean -- you > either are or you aren't, you know? Goodness knows, there > have been lots and lots of semi-reclusive types who've made > GREAT contributions to the world. You don't HAVE to get > out there and mix it up with the masses in order to achieve > or leave your mark or lead a happy life! I know this. :-) Sometimes I feel as though I'm holding the kids back, though other times I am sure things are just right. > Now see? That was networking! LOL! Perfect example, > in fact. You mentioned your interest. I came back with an > "Oh, me too!" Then you asked a question. I gave > you a pretty shabby answer, but I happened to know a better > person to ask. The quality of the help grows exponentially > with this method. (grin) Thanks for the recorder advice! :-) I don't think your answer was "shabby" at all. In fact, for several songs we *have* just used any old music we had around the house (Christmas songs, and son on). I never thought of that as a "source" for music, but just something we did because we didn't have any "real" recorder music. LOL! > "Six degrees of separation" is the idea (completely > unscientific, by the way) that there are a maximum of 6 > people linking you to just about anyone else in the world. > In other words, you probably know someone who knows someone > else (repeat 4 times) who knows me. It's sort of a chain-letter > scenario. Well, I do! I know Giovanna. > Well, don't forget that you don't have to find living > mentors -- there are always books and tapes and videos. > And last but definitely not least, direct experience. I > think it's actually better sometimes to discover things > on our own WITHOUT being guided by teachers, who tend to > get all caught up in the "you have to do it this way" > mentality. Most true innovation comes from autodidacts. > > Cerelle Wow! I feel good just reading this...and I wasn't even feeling bad before. I hadn't thought of books and videos as being mentors, but I guess you are right. My daughter does like to learn things in her own way. I still think she will benefit by some real interaction with a mentor or someone else at sometime, though. Deanne ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: I'm like Deanne AUTHOR: Susan DATE: Wednesday, 7 October 1998, at 6:30 a.m. Response To: Re: I'm like Deanne Author: Cerelle Date: Wednesday, 7 October 1998, at 12:25 a.m. Hi Ladies, I went to a seminar at the library once on *women entrepreneurs*. The woman said, "There are 3 kinds of people: people that MAKE things happen, people that WATCH things happen and people that say,'What happened?'" Needless to say, I feel awfully close to that 3rd category. Do you know that it wasn't until I got into the homeschool mentoring situation, with all the wonderful advice on being a Mom and raising a family, that I have finally found a feeling of direction and some succes in my life. Obviously, I'm more of a follower than an inovator, but I thought it was perhaps MY public school education that was responsible for my insecurity in life. I thought that homeschooling was going to make my kids think for themselves and be leaders instead of followers, not subject to the ridicule of peers. Well, my oldest son (13) is just like me!!!!! My second son (11) is VERY self-motivated; he wants to join the Navy, become a professional wrestler(!?) he gets right into any activity that my husband is doing around the house, he wants to go to Aviation Challenge in Alabama, he wants to go to Hummer Camp in California (I can't afford to send him anywhere!) My first son SEEMS lazy, but I recognize the same behaviour from my teen years - it's more a lack of confidence, lack of vision and direction and an empty feeling when it comes to participation, while others seem to be enjoying things so much. Because when he does find that RARE topic that truly interests him, he is perhaps the most focused and relentless. I want SO much for my children to have, as Cerelle said, an intrinsically satisfying career. But I feel like the blind leading the blind when it comes to achieving this goal, and that is why I do believe so much in the mentoring process, but the *how to* still eludes me. I will be looking into the local volunteer opportunities as you suggested and continue reading this board!!! Thanks for your input Susan ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: another question about finding mentors AUTHOR: Marsha in MI DATE: Wednesday, 7 October 1998, at 10:23 a.m. Response To: another question about finding mentors Author: Deanne Date: Saturday, 3 October 1998, at 11:42 p.m. Deanne, > First...I am one of those shy ones. It's more than > being shy, though. I just could never impose upon someone > and ask them to do something with my children. I just don't > think it's as easy as some of you have said, because I have > wanted to find such relationships for my children for a > long time and still can't see how it could possibly be done. I read your post with interest - there is a lot of negativism going on here. First of all, some people would probably be flattered that you would let them work with your kids. And flattered that you think they are good enough to be approached about their skill or interest. If not, most people will graciously tell you that they "don't have time, or aren't interested, or don't have room" or whatever. And that's okay. Try to get beyond saying "I won't and I can't" because if you think positively, you really can. > > Part of it IS that I am not willing to call complete > strangers to try to find information. Why not? People call me all the time - some are complete strangers that get my name from someone else - they call me about homeschooling, about the recipes they see in the food magazine I'm a contributing editor for, and about breastfeeding and adoption (all interests of mine). Complete strangers have turned out to be relatives when they contact me about genealogy! I just couldn't ask a complete > stranger who is not teaching flute for living to tutor my > daughter. Those are our only leads so far. Remember the story about the Little Engine that Could? You can do it. The worst thing that could happen is they'd tell you no. And that's okay; that's their right. Give it a try - move outside your comfort zone for your kids sake. The more you do it, the easier it gets. I can't imagine allowing any of my children to spend > time with a someone we didn't know very, very well. Well, I can't either - even with people that are advertising that they teach. I have had two of my sons guitar teachers come to the house and I am very close by in an adjacent room while they have the lesson. I sat in on lessons when he was younger and went to another teacher's house. I don't put my kids into situations where they could be harmed - there are a few kooks out there and I don't feel I'm being overly protective - just cautious. These are my kids and they deserve to be kept safe. I sat through karate classes for 2 years (actually I took it for a while, just for the fun of it and because my son wanted me to.) we are not involved > in the local HS group. Why? You could probably get a lot of leads that way. Are they of a different philosophy than yours? Not welcoming? Have you attempted to be involved and were rebuffed? Do they have a newsletter you could subscribe to even if you don't go to meetings? You really can't expect opportunities to fall into your lap, although sometimes it seems that they do. But it's not the norm. > Last year we were lucky enough to live closer to family, > and I had high hopes of spending more time with grandparents > on both sides, but it just didn't work out. They were all > busy with their own lives and were critical of my kids and > of HSing in general, especially at first. I have a feeling, > though, that if we lived near to my parents and our visits > didn't involve my entire family coming and staying at their > house, they would enjoy the kids more on occasional afternoons. Well, been there, done that. My folks moved here to "watch the grandkids grow up" - and for a long time that's what they did - from afar, and only when it was convenient for them. Then my Mom developed cancer and they have suddenly become the most wonderful grandparents. They keep the kids when I need them to, and try to cooperate. Sad that it took cancer to make them realize what they were missing, and my Mother is doing well - they think they got it all, etc. and enjoying every minute with the kids . . . I just don't think it's that easy to find mentors, or we'd have found some > by now. Any ideas? They aren't going to just come up to you and ask you if your kids might want to take flute - so you're going to have to screw up your courage or whatever and make that first move. Once you've done it a couple times, Deanne, I promise it'll get easier. The "no" answers can just be graciously acknowledged, "Well, thanks anyway. You do play the flute beautifully . . ." and the "yes" answers can lead to wonderful stuff! Good luck.. Marsha ======================================== MESSAGE: German Radio AUTHOR: Bonnie DATE: Thursday, 8 October 1998, at 7:37 a.m. Response To: What I have gathered so far from this board... Author: Lee Date: Sunday, 4 October 1998, at 4:59 a.m. Dd can actually listen over the internet to German > radio broadcasts to help her with the language. Would you mind sharing the URL for that? Bonnie ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: German Radio AUTHOR: Lee DATE: Thursday, 8 October 1998, at 8:31 a.m. Response To: German Radio Author: Bonnie Date: Thursday, 8 October 1998, at 7:37 a.m. Bonnie, Dd is not here this week but I THINK this is how to get there. If it doesn't work, email me and I will find out from her next week. When you get to the website, go to Links and then to Sound Links and you will find a list of stations. http://web.uvic.ca/german/149/ I'll try to link it here. ======================================== MESSAGE: The other half of this month's topic AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Thursday, 8 October 1998, at 1:59 p.m. We've been having a great discussion about mentors so far, but what about the other part: learning opportunities outside the home? The possibilities here are legion, and I'd love to hear some of your stories. One thing my kids have really enjoyed is the science club at our museum. It meets once a week in the museum's science lab, and the kids get a LOT of hands-on experience. They also take frequent field trips -- some as short as a few hours and some that last for up to a week. These are well chaperoned, of course, and the expenses are often paid by the museum. This has been a real boon for my kids, since we've never been able to afford family vacations (and who would take care of the farm animals in our absence???). Another good resource for our family has been 4-H. It's not just horses and sheep! We've been involved in wildlife projects, computer projects, horticulture and more. My oldest was elected club treasurer the year she was 11 or 12, and she learned to balance a checkbook, keep financial records, etc. These are things I didn't learn to do until I got out on my own...and I'm still struggling. :( I could go on and on, but I want to hear from the rest of you, and I'm especially interested in non-class situations. In other words, I know you can take a language course through community ed. programs or in homeschool co-ops, but what are some OTHER ways you've found to help your kids become fluent in a foreign language? I liked the suggestion about listening to German being spoken on the Internet. Any more? Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: The other half of this month's topic AUTHOR: Marsha in MI DATE: Thursday, 8 October 1998, at 3:45 p.m. Response To: The other half of this month's topic Author: Cerelle Date: Thursday, 8 October 1998, at 1:59 p.m. > Another good resource for our family has been 4-H. We did 4-H one year and my kids hated it - the structure, the monthly meetings and the running around to classes every night of the week (I hated this last part, too!) So we skipped it. But we always enjoy looking at all the projects at the fair, and the animals, and they sometimes find something they want to do. You can order info about a lot of the 4-H projects (rabbits for example) from 4-H for a minimal fee and do the projects etc. yourself. So that's something we've done. My second son was involved in a bluebird project for a couple springs - monitoring bluebird nest boxes on a walking/biking trail. He had a mentor that came and walked with him to show him what to do, and he had to keep detailed records and send them in to the mentor - they went directly in to the DNR! He was the youngest involved in the state at the time. He also was inspired to build some nest boxes during that time. My oldest son took a correspondence course from Foley-Belsaw. A lot of those correspondence companies won't let kids take the classes. But this was small engine repair and Ryan had rebuilt our rototiller and wanted to learn more. He finished the course so quickly that he earned another course on transmissions, which he also completed, and opened a small engine repair shop. He also helped a friend of ours out in his shop - he works for Kodak but buys, repairs and sells things with small engines - tractors, boats, etc. on the side. Ryan learned a lot from him, and then he traded a paint job on a farm tractor (our friend knew my husband was a painter and had the equipment and would help Ryan out) for a lawn tractor. Then this friend saw an ad for someone looking for a person to mow their lawn, and he called on them and told them what he'd charge for it, said he didn't have time, and gave Ryan the number. So Ryan got that job! That was the beginning of a complementary small business for him and his next younger brother for several years. In fact, this summer, my second son mowed as well as working full-time for his Dad as a painting apprentice. Pays well! Ryan also volunteered as a docent at the local Maritime Museum. I saw they were looking for volunteers so called and they were used to college age, but said they'd meet Ryan and see . . . he charmed the lady in charge and she put him into training. That first summer they had a display on Chris-Craft that included the boat engines, and all the ladies (retired school teachers, all) wanted Ryan to give the tours in that exhibit, because he was so enthusiastic about it (he also knew what he was talking about when he got questions!!) I counted this training and experience as a speech credit, but he also won the docent of the month award and got a big write-up in the paper. Another "out of the home" experience my oldest son had was taking automotive technologies at the county Intermediate School District. We had to register with the state, and thru our local school district. He got permission to drive himself, and while there was chosen as student of the year both years in his department! (So much for socialization!) He also was placed as an Auto-Yes trainee into a dealership (kind of a co-op placement with perks), which gained him invaluable experience. He's since graduated from Clonlara HBEP in Ann Arbor, MI, is attending college his second year in Automotive Technologies and works about 30 to 32 hours weekly at a local car dealership. He got out of the Auto-Yes thing because the dealership wasn't providing him enough hours. For several years we've had an informal co-op and this year we got together and kind of structured it. Had a sign-up and made our offerings available thru the newsletter. Some of the classes my kids have taken include and are not limited to: earth science, chemistry, biology, dissection lab, physics, algebra, arts and crafts, creative writing, and elementary writing (I teach the last two). We also have gone to programs sponsored by the Holland Arts Council - these are programs planned around literature and folk tales - usually skits, plays and dance programs. From memory - Little House on the Prairie, Firebird and the Sneetches book by Dr. Seuss. My oldest son took a pottery class at the St. Joseph Arts Center, and a leaded glass class sponsored by a local library. We've always gone to various programs at libraries - talks by authors, book signings, programs put on by wildlife centers, DNR, local people who've traveled and have slide shows, craft programs, programs by local artists, etc. We also go to travelogs in two towns - sponsored by the Kiwanis - one of them always has entertainment before the film - such as Irish Dancing, ballet, keyboard players, piano etc. And we've paid for lessons in piano, guitar, voice. One son took karate through community ed for 2 years. We've taken aerobics, cross-stitch, cake decorating, stenciling, computers etc. thru community ed. My 15 year old passed the assessment test at the community college at 14 and has been taking classes there since (dual credit for high school and college). He's taken the PSAT and PLAN tests mainly for the experience of taking the tests. When I was a La Leche League Leader, my kids always went along and provided built-in "babysitting", helped set out the library before meetings, served refreshments, whatever. We also belonged to a food co-op for a while, and they helped unload the truck, sorted orders, etc. Learning is everywhere, not just at home. Life is our school. ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: welding mentor AUTHOR: Marsha in MI DATE: Thursday, 8 October 1998, at 3:51 p.m. Response To: welding mentor Author: maicie Date: Tuesday, 6 October 1998, at 4:59 p.m. the neighbors up the road both work > for the zoo; he's a vet, she's the t.v. spokesperson. Now, > there is a mentorship just waiting to happen. My daughter > is interested in veterinary medicine but she can not bring > herself to go over and talk to them. Do I take my own advice > and send my outgoing husband over to talk to them? Or, do > I insist that my daughter go over and approach them herself? > She is, afterall, 14 years old. Geez, I wish someone would > write a parenting manual! Cerelle has some good advice - asking about something related which might lead to more . . . I tend to take the right up front approach, which has worked for me most of the time - I wouldn't push the 14-y.o. to approach them herself. I don't like to push kids into things they aren't comfortable with - people have written tons of parenting books - but most of them don't take individuality into account very much. Calling the zoo and asking about a volunteer program might be a first step - if there isn't one, then a more individual mentorship might be necessary. ======================================== MESSAGE: Marsha! WOW! AUTHOR: Cerelle DATE: Thursday, 8 October 1998, at 5:17 p.m. Response To: Re: The other half of this month's topic Author: Marsha in MI Date: Thursday, 8 October 1998, at 3:45 p.m. Thank you SO much for the taking the time to write about your family's experiences. I think everyone who reads your post will (1) get a clear idea of the endless opportunities available to those who go looking for them, and (2) come away inspired! > We did 4-H one year and my kids hated it - the structure, > the monthly meetings and the running around to classes every > night of the week (I hated this last part, too!) Well, we hated that part, too. The kids enjoyed it more when they were younger, and when they stopped enjoying it, we quit. We also had trouble with the heavy emphasis on competition, which really didn't jibe with our philosophy. It was possible to downplay that element, up to a point, but sometimes it just got in the way. Still, there were definitely good things about our 4-H experience. I forgot to mention that my daughters LOVED the photography project and learned a great deal from the professional photographer who worked with the kids. Much depends on the enthusiasm and organizational skills of the club managers, project leaders, and other families involved. I imagine most local organizations are similarly enhanced or handicapped (Scouts, and so on). > . . . Ryan had > rebuilt our rototiller and wanted to learn more. Wow -- wish we lived close enough for him to take a look at mine! :-) > Ryan also > volunteered as a docent at the local Maritime Museum. I > saw they were looking for volunteers so called and they > were used to college age, but said they'd meet Ryan and > see . . . he charmed the lady in charge and she put him > into training. This closely mirrors our own experience. A kid with personality and smarts can usually worm his or her way into positions normally reserved for older people. And after they've done it once, it's even easier the next time. When my younger daughter started volunteering at the museum, she was technically too young to enter the teen volunteer program -- but they were willing to bend the rules for her because she displayed poise and maturity "beyond her years." I'd like to hear more about your co-op experiences, and I'm curious about the size of the homeschooling group you belong to. Since you mentioned NOT liking the structure and time-consuming aspects of 4-H membership . . . tell us how the co-op situation is different, and the elements which, in your opinion, have led to its success. > When I was a La Leche League Leader . . . :-D I'm a retired LLL Leader, too! I guess one thing just naturally leads to another... (grin) > Learning is everywhere, not just at home. Life is our > school. Isn't it the truth? And the proof's in the pudding! Cerelle ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: The other half of this month's topic AUTHOR: Jody DATE: Thursday, 8 October 1998, at 8:48 p.m. Response To: The other half of this month's topic Author: Cerelle Date: Thursday, 8 October 1998, at 1:59 p.m. Dear all, We've had some fun life-lessons that I'd like to share. We too have taken advantage of the 4-H program. We don't enjoy the bookwork, but the kids do like the fair. We are continuing in it however, for the community service aspect. Each year, we adopt a family and bake goodies and buy gifts for them with monies we would have spent on exchange gifts for the club. We have also painted road signs (we live in the country...gravel roads), and had a special supper for the senior citizens on Valentines Day, complete with Talent SHow. Since we live in the country...45 miles from the nearest town, we don't get to take many classes as Marsha's family does (I'm very impressed!). We do have a friend who is an ameteur astronomer. She brings out her telescope now and again to look at the planets in view...we recently viewed Jupiter and 4 of it's moons---which looked like diamonds shining around it. We saw Saturn and the rings. We also found a double star...blue and gold and saw another glalaxy near the Constellation Andromeda. Looking at our moon is always breathtaking. We watch our Old Farmer's Almanac for schedules meteor showers, comets and planets. We've also found the website for Sky and Telescope which has lots of great astronomical information and sky watching ideas. My eldest son (14) has taken 2 astronomy courses over the internet and loved it. He had communication via email with teachers and students. Our nearest town has a concert series which we always get season tickets for and try to go to most of these. We've been able to hear many classical orchestras, family entertainers, a harpist and groups who perform jazz and other eras of music. THis I call music appreciation. This year for art, I wanted the children to become good at one aspect of art, and I chose watercolors. I knew nothing about it, but was inspired by an area artist to find some videos at the library and learn at home! We ordered some on interlibrary loan from the state library and have had the most wonderful time exploring the art of watercolor. We plan to do this most of the year with as many videos as we can find. We are very satisfied with the results we are having so far! My eldest son (again) has learned on his own, small engines. He recently overhauled our mower and still had problems, so we took it to the shop. The mechanic later called him for advice and asked what he had performed on it. Together, they decided they needed to order a part for the electrical part of the mower. He also sees to the greasing, oil changing and maintanance of the vehicles, trucks and tractors. We found that the IDIOT'S Guide books to be very helpful in this area! Our John Deere mechanic occasionally comes out for a service call, and loves to have the boys out to "help" and learn from him. My daughter (12) got a new colt from her Grandpa. She loves horses and riding, but has never started a colt from the ground - up. She has a How to Break a Horse book which she is reading through and using on her colt. It's amazing what she can do with him! My eldest son is giving his younger brothers lessons in gun safety. Our 6yob has wanted to shoot the BB gun, but his dad insisted that he take a "course" from Adam first. Adam mentioned how well he's doing and how safely he handles the gun. Both Adam and Grace will take the gun safety course at our nearby community hall this weekend and apply for hunting licenses. Bird watching/identifying has always been a family activity and we work hard at keeping nature journals where we record when/where the birds show up, what feeders they prefer and etc. We also draw them (as best we can) and tell of their habits in our journals. Since we live in a fly-way, we sometimes get to see unusual birds uncommon to our area in the fall and spring when birds migrate. It's exciting! I guess most of our learning comes from just living on a ranch in the country, raising cattle, sheep, chickens, and the like. Our kids ranch with us. We couldn't do what we do without them and they know nearly every area of our business. Our older 4 are pooling their money this fall to buy ewe lambs to add to their small flock. Planning for some college expenses, cars, horses and such! Life IS Education. Jody > We've been having a great discussion about mentors > so far, but what about the other part: learning opportunities > outside the home? > The possibilities here are legion, and I'd love to > hear some of your stories. One thing my kids have really > enjoyed is the science club at our museum. It meets once > a week in the museum's science lab, and the kids get a LOT > of hands-on experience. They also take frequent field trips > -- some as short as a few hours and some that last for up > to a week. These are well chaperoned, of course, and the > expenses are often paid by the museum. This has been a real > boon for my kids, since we've never been able to afford > family vacations (and who would take care of the farm animals > in our absence???). > Another good resource for our family has been 4-H. > It's not just horses and sheep! We've been involved in wildlife > projects, computer projects, horticulture and more. My oldest > was elected club treasurer the year she was 11 or 12, and > she learned to balance a checkbook, keep financial records, > etc. These are things I didn't learn to do until I got out > on my own...and I'm still struggling. :( > I could go on and on, but I want to hear from the rest > of you, and I'm especially interested in non-class situations. > In other words, I know you can take a language course through > community ed. programs or in homeschool co-ops, but what > are some OTHER ways you've found to help your kids become > fluent in a foreign language? I liked the suggestion about > listening to German being spoken on the Internet. Any more? > > Cerelle >Back to the TopBack to the Digest Index