Well, it's not as bad as it looks. I have been writing, putting together some cheerleading essays to get everyone ready to start developing the writing habit in January. I've also been working on prompts and such for the website, hoping that I can have it all ready to go on the first instead of feeling my breath catch in my throat the first time I have to write a check and having my mind scream, "Holy cow! It's the FIRST!" At which time my family ceases to exist and I hole myself up in the school room and work like a maniac. Planning ahead like this is much less stressful.

But it's not practice. That's not just letting the words come as they arrive.

Words have power. I cringe whenever I hear someone say, "Those are just words." Of course dishonest words have less power, but think of the written words that have survived through history because of the weight they carry. Even the day-to-day writing in the time of the Pharoahs becomes important to us today because we catch a glimpse of what life was like for these folks.

So when you're writing, think about what you might be leaving behind. And think about what you might be encouraging on down the line. An example--I love reading about Thomas Edison's mother. Edison was quite a challenge to rear. Yet she loved him, and she encouraged his love of learning. Edison often said that it was his mother who made him. She understood the need to allow him to follow the gifts and talents that came naturally to him, yet she patiently taught him how to do the things he needed to do that didn't come so easily. In the end, Edison was never a very good speller. But who remembers that?

So now when my boys aren't exactly geniuses in one subject or another, I make sure they put in an honest effort. But I also make sure they have plenty of time to pursue the things that they do well, exercising those talents they were born with.

I honest think that most children who fall through the cracks of the school system are those who really need time to focus on what their strengths are. We are so shackled to teaching toward good test scores. Those talents that aren't measured on standardized tests become unimportant. But when one of those unimportant things is the heart and soul of your being, how can you possibly be whole and healthy and happy? Edison was miserable at school. Why? Because he learned best hands-on with the opportunity to ask many questions. In school, he was supposed to sit still, be quiet, and memorize things. ACK! Poor kids!!


Oh, and I was just livid today as I worked through my son's English work-text. You have to understand that by now, Abe is pretty much a self-taught individual. He does the work and then hands stacks of stuff to me to sort through and record. This is the first time I got a good look at this English book, and it's crap. Pardon me. But it really is!!!

Here's an example:


My secretary is (she, her).
The culprits were (they, them).
The person who called you was (I, me).

Now I tell you--what editor would let those sentences stand as they are in the first place? Who writes like that? This isn't real world stuff! In the real world we'd say, "She is my secretary" or "They were the culprits." No wonder the stuff is difficult to sort out--it stinks as writing in the first place. No wonder kids HATE THIS STUFF! The question isn't which word should complete the sentence, the question should be "How could these sentences be written so that they are clear and understandable?" I think we'll fill up the rest of his English requirement with literature classes. I'd rather he was reading real books than doing this stuff.

And kids wade through this nonsense and come to hate writing. What a disservice!!

So there are kids who are still left behind. So far behind that they think they're stupid, unteachable, or a waste of time. It's criminal. No child is talentless. Every learner deserves nurturing, and someone who believes in his/her abilities. And they deserve to work in real-world settings and not among nonsense that they'll rarely, if ever, stumble across in day-to-day living.

Okay--where did that come from? :)

Ding, ding.