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    Unexpected lesson

    Unexpected lesson

      My eldest daughter has been reading Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man. She’s also decided that would be her poem to memorize this month. (Not the whole thing, just a couple of sections.) I was asking her about it today two days ago in lieu of a written narration, because Tuesday is still Tuesday, dangit. (Tuesday is […]

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    The rule is there is no rule.

    The rule is there is no rule.

    This post is cross-posted at Best Foot Forward Proofreading. If you have proofreading needs, check it out!   While English has a reputation for being a lawless thug of a language, there are indeed rules that govern it. Because English is, in the phrasing of John McWhorter, our magnificent bastard tongue, they can have more exceptions that […]

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    Yesterday’s spark

    Yesterday’s spark

      There are moments in the life of the teacher when an assignment hits a different note with your student and the ordinary becomes magical. A spark is lit and bursts into flame. During a routine writing assignment yesterday, I read the poem “The Brook” by Tennyson to 8-year-old Satchmo. We read a fair amount of […]

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    It all began with a trip to the museum

    It all began with a trip to the museum

    Or maybe it all began with a troll’s haircut. Whenever it began, the result was that Janet Stephens, a hairdresser from Maryland got curious about something. Starting from her own knowledge and expertise as a hair stylist, she kept learning and experimenting until she rewrote the book on hairdressing in the ancient world. But back […]

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    My unknown need

    My unknown need

      This past weekend, I went to the Great Homeschool Convention in Ft. Worth. Well, I bounced back and forth between the convention and my crazy schedule. I was ambivalent about going, but there were a couple of speakers who piqued my interest, and I needed to order our next math books. When a friend […]

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    You stupid, special snowflakes

    You stupid, special snowflakes

    Art, so I’ve been told by people smarter than me, is meant to provoke, to cause people to think, and maybe even to take action. Colleges are also supposed to be places where people are challenged to think, sometimes even by provocative arguments or displays. But today’s college students and faculty are apparently such special […]

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    Terrible Tuesday: That’s a lot of straws

    Terrible Tuesday: That’s a lot of straws

    I’m not saying the camel has a broken back. I’m just saying that’s a lot of straws. The end is nigh links! I wished for a Khan Academy for sewing on Twitter, and *poof* a friend pointed me to Craftsy. I know what I want for Christmas! New degrees challenge “time-served” model. I don’t know […]

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    Responsibility and Power

    Responsibility and Power

    Way back when I was in college, I minored in psychology. I dropped that minor after a couple of years when I realized all my professors were bat-poop crazy. All, that is, except my abnormal psych prof. Go figure. (Shout out to Dr. Montgomery!) The professors that finally drove me away screaming were crazy and […]

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    Too many priorities

    Too many priorities

    I finally got around to getting Little Miss in for her well-child checkup, although at 14 she’s not really a child. It’s probably time to switch to a family doctor for her, but eh, we like her pediatrician, even if she is a bit skittish. Has anyone met a non-afraid pediatrician? I’m pretty sure she […]

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    On the limits of my knowledge

    On the limits of my knowledge

    A quote that has been rattling around in my brain from the Empty Shelf Challenge book I just reviewed. “We will just have to realize that ignorance will always be our lot and then get on with the task — often a joyful one — of learning what we can with the time and abilities […]

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