Amanda Erdman

Fairy tales being adapted. Old tales or fables are adapted so that the heroes may not be heroic at all and villains may actually be the heroes or are rehabilitated. Less time in actual, real nature. For example, many children know more facts about the Amazon rainforest than they know their backyard. They may be able to identify a rare tree frog from South America but they have no idea what the trees are in their yard. Everything is “me” centered. When we’re asked to consider classes, a major or a future career our mentors often ask us what we want to do, what we like to do, and are less interested in what would make a difference in the world. These are just a few things that came to mind as I read chapter one and listed to Dr Turley’s first lesson.

We preserved leaves with some glycerin and dud several leaf activities. Rubbings, making leaf people, etc.

We tried starting one of those nature wheel things...what are they called?! So that was fun! We have learned about the Harvest moon, pumpkins, leaves, changes around the pond, leaves and nuts. We’ve found tons of nuts. Gotta get back out soon! My kids have had colds plus soccer every Saturday.

This is so sweet. My ten year old and I have a date scheduled to discuss Danfelion Fire and Chestnut King by ND Wilson. It’ll be our first time doing something like this and I was going to use some discussion questions from Sarah McKenzie’s book The Read Aloud Family. I’d like to know more about the Socratic Method and Socratic book clubs though.

I really liked the simple definition you gave in the lesson: The Liberal Arts and the good books.

We do a commonplace, poetry, scripture and catechism. Occasionally quotes and things work themselves into our History notebook or nature journals.

I was a public school teacher. I taught first grade in the US but was very blessed to do my teacher training in New Zealand. Being in NZ definitely influenced my teaching as a teacher and my dissatisfaction with education in the US. As soon as I had my first child, I just could not imagine entrusting someone else with her education. I went to a liberal arts college and minored in English. I’m so grateful I attended a liberal arts school and took so many literature courses! I truly gained a passion for Shakespeare and a good overarching view of British Literature I had not had before, but a love for reading the classics did not come till now really. I always have loved the classics but did not prioritize reading. I think my experiences trained me to DO and not necessarily LEARN, much less ENJOY my learning.

I’m reading A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola, The Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner, Mrs Oswald Chambers by Michele Ule, Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas and Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. I do enjoy reading these books and most other books that are about education. I have a tendency to want to skip to the things that are IMMEDIATELY applicable but I know I must remember, “first things first” a la C.S. Lewis. ?