Search Results for: blog the surprise of learning

Learning By Example

My daughter is a quick study. She has been developing new skills and abilities at an almost alarming rate; much quicker than her brother did. She has always been an observer of all activity in her sight. I think a big part of her rapid growth is due to the example she receives from the children around her. My son never cared for toys as a baby but his sister loves toys. She likes to watch her big brother playing with all different kinds of toys and follows his example. At barely five months she was grabbing toys and discovering … Continue reading →

Learning through Osmosis

I have four children, ages 14, 12, 9, and 6. Of course they are the world’s most beautiful children, and they are smart, and talented, and funny. You might think I’m saying this because I’m their mom, but I’m serious – they really are. Okay, now that I’m done bragging, I’ll move on. We were playing a game the other day (Blurt, in case you’re interested) and I couldn’t help but notice how well my six-year-old was playing. We were using the rules from the junior version of the game, where you write down the spelling of the word as … Continue reading →

Learning How to Listen

While we might think that communication is a skill we naturally develop, that isn’t necessarily true. Some of us could actually use a class on how to effectively communicate. A few years ago when I was pursuing a degree in education, I took a class on communication. I was surprised to learn some of the things that I struggled with. I didn’t realize how much I interrupt people and I also didn’t realize how the tone of my voice came across sometimes. There were times in the past when my husband would say that I was talking “down” to him … Continue reading →

Bad Dad While Learning

If you’ve been following the blogs I write here at families.com (Fatherhood and Education) for any length of time you’ve no doubt noticed the almost singular anxiety and focus I’ve had since the beginning of summer. I’m currently working towards a doctorate in fine arts and it turns out that after you’ve passed all of your classes you still need to pass a particularly nasty sequence of tests to additionally prove that they should allow you to write that big paper (dissertation) and maybe (just maybe) award you a degree. So for the entire summer my wife would take our … Continue reading →

Starting A Collection For Fun and Learning

When home schooling kids there are so many things you can do that incorporate fun and learning. Then again, not having a structured curriculum often leaves you coming up blank with something new to do. This is where starting a collection comes in handy. I always tried to get as much education out of even the smallest activity. Think about it, just baking a cake can incorporate math, nutrition, history, time management, safety, and even spelling. The educational value and fun factor involved with starting and maintaining a collection is unlimited. Each of my three home schooled girls started a … Continue reading →

The Surprise of Learning

One of the things that I always try to do on the first day of class as a teacher is make the students excited about the possibility of what the class could be and mean for the rest of the semester. I can’t count how many of my first classes with instructors only made me bored and apprehensive at the prospect of being in such a small room with such a boring person for a substantial part of half of my year. Learning really should be fun and enjoyable. As an arts person I was horrified at the prospect of … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading →

Families.com Marriage Blog Makes a Top 100 List

This morning when I checked my emails I was greeted with a nice surprise. A lady named Fiona King had written to tell me that her website (I believe it’s called Nerds Do It Better which is somehow connected/sponsored by/or otherwise affiliated with 100BestDatingSites) had posted an article called “Ask the Experts: 100 Best Blogs for Relationship Advice.” She thought it might be something I thought Families.com readers would find interesting, and also pointed out the Families.com Marriage Blog had made the list. Yes, you read that right, you awesome Marriage Blog devotees. You helped put us on a Top … Continue reading →

Meet a Families.com Blogger – Andrea Hermitt!

I’m a homeschooler, and I bop over to the homeschooling blog quite a bit. I find the encouragement I need to keep going from the fun and informative blogs there, and Andrea Hermitt is largely responsible for that wealth of knowledge. Andrea, thanks for taking the time to join me today! How long have you blogged for Families.com? I first began blogging for Families.com in December of 2006. In July 2007, I left to pursue other opportunities, but I could not keep my distance. I returned to Families.com about a week ago. I’m not surprised you couldn’t stay away – … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for December 31 – January 6

Last week Aimee and I said goodbye to 2007 and welcomed 2008. Here’s how we did it. Monday, December 31 The Top Pets Blogs of 2007: January – May A breakdown of which blogs you, Dear Reader, liked most. The Top Pets Blogs of 2007: June – December The continuation of the above for the back half of the year. Tuesday, January 1 Resolutions for a Yappy New Year I listed the goals I want to accomplish both professionally and personally. Survivors of Melamine Poisoning What happened to the pets who survived last year’s Menu Foods debacle? Aimee wrote a … Continue reading →