31 August 2015

Day 12 / 105 - Hobo Bag


My daughter quickly crafted up this Hobo Bag this afternoon.  The material and handles were purchased as part of a kit, but the directions were incredibly vague.  After a few tries, and some improvisation, she independently created a pattern that worked.  She's now eager to enlarge the bag with some different fabrics to make one for dance, and one for library books.

Day 11 / 105 - Archimedes' Screw


This fall, my son will be spending ten weeks researching, writing, and presenting on different notable scientists and their contributions to humanity.  He started the semester with Hippocrates and will end with Einstein.  Last week was Archimedes.

Archimedes was a Greek inventor and mathematician who studied spheres and calculated pi in the 200s BC.  He is also known for the Archimedes' Screw, an early pump-like machine used to transfer water from low-lying body to irrigation ditches.  Archimedes, most likely, witnessed this tool being used by the Egyptians, but adapted it for Greek use.

For part of his research, my son constructed a simple working Archimedes' Screw using a PVC pipe, clear tubing, and duct tape.

28 August 2015

Day 10 / 105 - Chart C (simplified)


Yesterday I tutored my Essentials class in verbs.  I think it was my best class ever.

Verbs are addressed in week 2 so that parents and students can get an overview of the most important part of speech.  It's an overview, therefore it's overwhelming.  Even after 6 years in the Essentials program and 2 years as an Essentials tutor, I can firmly attest that I do not know everything about verbs.  In fact, I bet I do not know 50% of what there is to know about verbs.  Originally, my goal as a Tutor was to reassure parents to not quit the program after week 2.

But, as I have evolved as an educator, especially as a classical educator, I become more and more aware of the simplicity and beauty of this program.  Socrates stated: Better to do a little well, than a great deal badly.  I have embraced this quote this year in our schooling and home life.  Let's do less, but let's do it well!

The objective for the verb lesson is to help students begin to familiarize themselves with all the terms associated with the types, attributes, and tenses of verbs.  It can be difficult to do this without getting hung up on the many details of verbs.  As I thought to myself do less well, a Facebook post inspired me to draft the above illustration.  Yesterday in class, we used pictures and numbers to help us remember the definition of a verb as well as the types, the attributes, and the tenses.  Each child drew this picture along with me as we actively drilled the material, and I provided a few examples for their parents.  It was less done well, and probably my best class to date.  Parents were grateful for the simplicity of the program, which is now my goal as a Tutor.  As an added bonus, my daughter and I have Chart C memorized which was not the case before yesterday.


[If you are an Essentials Tutor, and you're looking for a few more details about the class, please feel free to contact me - anne.huminsky@gmail.com.

Disclaimer:  We are no longer involved with CC, but this remains one of my most visited posts.  I am still happy to share my plans with you, just know I haven't done anything CC-related for well over a year.  You can read about our decision to move away from CC here.]

27 August 2015

Day 9 / 105 - The Last First Day


Last Thursday, my daughter began her first day of her very last year in the Foundations and Essentials program with Classical Conversations.  This her sixth year in the program, meaning at the end of this year she will have completed each Foundations cycle twice.  One of the truly beneficial aspects of this program is that even though we have moved (twice, now!!) since entering it, we easily transition into new communities with familiar routines. There is something quite reassuring about knowing exactly what to expect.  It is a blessing to us.

Day 8 / 105 - Challenge B


Last Thursday, my son began his Challenge B journey.  After one week I can firmly state, we are off to a good start.

Challenge B is the year that is supposed to bring about great discipline.  Students naturally mature at this age, and the Challenge program is geared to walk alongside them as they grow and individually own their work.  It's only been a week, but I am witnessing some of this occur.  Ask me in May, and I'll let you know if it became a pattern of behavior for him. :)

However, one area that is new to us is that I am no longer my son's Tutor during his Classical Conversations day.  In fact, not only am I not his Tutor, I'm not even on campus with him when he attends his seminar.  Due to class availability, my son is participating in his Challenge B class while I'm tutoring Essentials at a different location.  It wasn't what we had originally planned, but it has worked out well, and it has increased his responsibility tremendously during an already formative year.  We're anticipating great things!

26 August 2015

Day 7 / 105 - Charlotte Youth Ultimate


This summer, my son spent 10 weeks playing Ultimate (Frisbee) sponsored by the Charlotte Ultimate League.  He had a blast.


It was a new and completely foreign environment for him.  Prior to this summer, he had played many scrimmaged games of Ultimate, but they were usually at Boy Scout events without a strict adherence to the rules, regulations, and techniques of the sport.  If you know him, he loves to toss a disc, and usually has one with him at all times.  Once we became aware of the league, it seemed necessary to sign him up.


It was a high school league, so he was definitely one of the youngest players on the field.  He began to learn some of the tricks of the trade, and he's looking forward to returning next summer.  After a rough start to the season, his team wound up winning the league's playoffs, which was cause for a celebration!

18 August 2015

Day 6 / 105 - Hocking Hills Canopy Tour


The first weekend of August, we met my husband's family to camp in the Hocking Hills of southern Ohio.  I guess we can't stay away.  All things are repetitive in classical education.  One of my very first posts on this blog shared how we enjoyed a similar trip, at the same campground, in 2011.

A highlight for my children, and their cousins, was the Hocking Hills Canopy Tour.  Saturday afternoon, they spent three hours high in the trees, while zipping across lines and traversing sky bridges, before rappelling back to the ground.

Side note:  Upon returning to the area, we noticed the canopy tour that my husband and son did in 2011 was closed.  One of the guides told my husband it was because that certain tour was not complying with certain safety regulations.  Hmmmm ....

17 August 2015

Day 5 / 105 - Camp Powhatan


During the last week of July, my son spent a week at Camp Powhatan, a Boy Scout camp near Roanoke, Virginia.  This was his third summer attending camp.  As a homeschooling parent, I do value the time he spends away from me.  After spending a week away from us, he always seems older, wiser, and a little more mature when we pick him up.

He earned several merit badges (his favorite was kayaking), but he opted this year for a little more free time.  We obliged since it was his last excursion with his West Virginia troop.

For fun, if you want to see him age, check out pictures from Year One and Year Two.  (This is where keeping a blog really does pay off!)

11 August 2015

Day 4 / 105 - Classical Conversations' Parent Practicum


In July, my children and I attended yet another Classical Conversations' Parent Practicum.  It was my eighth practicum with CC.  These yearly 3-day events offer much needed encouragement, inspiration, and long-term vision to parents.  I've posted before about how CC practicums include Student Camps, and throughout the years my own children have attended camps on Geography, Drawing, Public Speaking, Writing, Trigonometry, Latin, and this year my daughter spent three days learning about the beauty of Science.  She loved it!

This year's practicum was a blessing for me for two reasons.  First, because of our recent relocation, I didn't have an official 'job' at the local practicum I attended.  For the past several years, I have served as a practicum trainer.  This year I was only a trainee.  The relaxed change of pace was an encouragement to me.

Secondly, and most importantly, my favorite part of this practicum (and possibly all practicums I've ever attended) was that my son volunteered in one of the Student Camps.  He had a job while I didn't!  Because he now meets the volunteer age limit, he assisted all three days in a Geography and Drawing class for 25 students aged 6 - 8.  He worked harder than I've ever seen him work managing a handful of the boys.  At lunch the first day he exclaimed, "It's so hard!" He enjoyed himself immensely even though at the end of each day, he was spent!

My son, in the green Seahawks cap, playing checkers with many of his 'students'.

10 August 2015

Day 3 / 105 - Wisconsin and Minnesota: Check


Our Great Lakes adventure enabled us to check off a few more states from our list.  Originally, we never intended to travel with our children to all 50 states.  But, as we approach the end of the list, visiting the Continental U.S. seems like a very doable goal within the next few years.


My daughter had never been to Wisconsin.  My son and daughter, along with myself, had never been to Minnesota.  Since we were camping near the western border of Wisconsin, we spent a day in Minneapolis, at the Mall of America, in order to check Minnesota off our lists.


Updated State Count:  My husband and I have now been to all 48 continental states.  My son has been to 45, missing Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Alaska and Hawaii.  My daughter has been to 44, missing the same states as my son, and also Arizona.

07 August 2015

Day 2 / 105 - Great Lakes, Great Times


In June, we spent 10 days in several Great Lakes States visiting family while camping in the North Woods.  We began our trip in western Michigan.  Following that leg of our journey, we sailed via the SS Badger across Lake Michigan to camp several more days in western Wisconsin.  We also had brief pit-stops in Ohio and Minnesota during our travels.


June isn't the best of the summer months to camp in the North Woods, but we enjoyed our stay even despite the cold and the rain.


Great Lakes.  Great Times.