I’m a huge C. S. Lewis fan. In his autobiography, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
, he takes great lengths to discuss his education. He said his father bought every book he had ever read, so Lewis was at liberty to read anything lying about the house. When Lewis’s boarding school experiences proved to be disastrous, his father sent him to live with his own former college professor William T. Kirkpatrick (the inspiration for Professor Kirk in the Chronicles of Narnia), who was his private tutor for years and taught Lewis to think logically.
Since reading it, my dream has been to get wealthy and hire a live in governess to teach my children privately. She could go on trips to Europe with us and tutor my children in logic, literature, and languages (no alliteration intended). A couple years ago, when I saw we weren’t getting rich, I thought I’d take a whack at homeschooling and volunteer myself as the governess. My son was very cooperative, and enjoyed the one on one teaching, but after about six months we abandoned it for several reasons with which I won’t bore you.
Homeschooling was not a waste of time, by any means. I had based the curriculum on Jessie Bauer and Susan Wise Bauer’s book, The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home
, which has become a homeschooling standard on classical education. With it, Stuart learned much more history and literature than public schools would ever try to cover, and we even began Latin. Since my dream of giving him the perfect education has halted until we have an extra $70,000 every year to pay the governess, he and I try as often as we can to supplement his learning with things the book suggests for people who can’t homeschool: world history, writing, literature, and logic. That way, when I write my best-selling novel, or my husband becomes a real estate tycoon, the governess won’t have to start from scratch.
I am actually reading Surprised by Joy right now. I’m at about Chapter 5 or so. VERY interesting.
can I just tell you how much I adore you and your beautiful blog? I rarely comment because it takes too much precious PRECIOUS time, but I just had to tell you that.
love, LOVE!
B
What about publishing a food book?
You could be the next Rachael Ray! Really!
I really wish you would bore me with why you stopped home schooling. This topic has come up so many times with friends in the last few weeks.
I’m a high school English teacher who taught 5th grade at one point, and I just wanted to point out that we don’t get to teach nearly as much as we want to either. When we work with so many different levels, it’s quite difficult to get through it all. Lots of classrooms are turning to book clubs now to supplement the one-on-one time that we can’t have with them. Instead, they learn to read like “good readers”: asking lots of questions and creating lots of links between the book and their life/the world/other arts.
Having said all that, my husband and I have been discussing homeschooling our child–once we have one–since I’m a teacher. It certainly seems to have its pros and cons and doesn’t seem to be for everyone.
I love Lewis and classical education as well.
Jodi just told me about your site, and I love it!
I’m missing Bryce’s charter school, which was giving him a classical education. The things he learned in Kindergarten were more than he learned in 1st grade after we moved. You make me want to read both of those books–I’ll have to add them to my list.
Oh, and what a cute pic of you on your “about” page, taken by your hubby!
Yes, please do explain why you gave up homeschooling. I also have three kids, and I watched the first lose all his passion and interest in learning after a few years in a school where he has 9 teachers in 3 years. It never came back to him and now as a teen and though very bright and a voracious reader and a fantastic musician he continuously does average or slightly below in school. Number two is 9 and has remained curious he loves going through the Atlas and learning about animals. He constantly blows us away with facts about the world that we didn’t know but next year he will be moving to a teacher whom I have no faith in, he does not seem to care about teaching. I would like to get him out before this teacher has an effect, and as number three is due to start school next year it would be a great time to decide. I would love the idea of home schooling but I do understand that there could be drawbacks, I’d love to know them… Love the site by the way
I am homeschooling- but we call it family school. I have never read this book (the well trained mind). I just read through the prologue and it sounds wonderful Thanks for sharing this post.
I’m reading “The Well Educated Mind” right now. I’m thinking I should put it away and read “The Well Trained Mind” instead. I don’t homeschool, and although I might sometime, for now I just try to supplement with whatever means I can!
[...] Wise Bauer, who with her mom wrote The Well-Trained Mind, outlines a vast literary curriculum, and shows the reader how to interpret the material like a [...]
Jaime,
Please tell me why you stopped homeschooling, didn’t Jessica homeschool too for a while?
I did it this year, with the 5 of them, now with #6 due in Sept, I am in the great decision of to do it again this year or not! I hate the public school near us, but I just know I am going to be stressed out enough with the new baby! HELP any words of wisdom you may have I will listen too! Love and Miss you terribly!