I’m only two weeks away from hosting a CM Seminar at my house, and I’m so excited! We’ll have ten ladies here and three nursing babies, so it should be a bit of a squeeze–but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.
My plans right now are to try to borrow our church’s projector so that we can have a “big screen”–I’m thinking it might be hard for ten women to see my little TV screen. A friend has offered to help with bringing some “goodies” and we’ll have coffee and tea. For lunch, we’re doing a simple sub sandwich, potato chips, cookies meal.
I’ve been thinking about a few ways to make it extra special and have come up with these ideas:
1. A resource table–any woman who has CM resources (the companion book, the original series, etc) can bring her books and we’ll have a table for everyone to browse and see if there’s a book that they might be interested in purchasing for themselves. Books we can probably have available would be some of Simply Charlotte Mason’s guides, The Charlotte Mason Companion, A Charlotte Mason Education, The Original Home Schooling Series, Real Learning in the Home, Educating the Whole Hearted Child, Laying Down the Rails.
2. A resource list–I thought I could compile a list of helpful books and websites for educating the CM way. Any suggestions for this list?
3. A couple of door prizes–I’m not positive about this, but I thought it would be great if I could find a couple of used CM books inexpensively and offer them as door prizes.
Does anyone else have any other ideas about making the day extra special and fun for these ladies? I’d really like it to be a great time of refreshment and encouragement for these precious homeschool moms.
These are great ideas! The door prizes while not necessary, will be a lovely addition. My only advice (having done this before on DVD and in person) is to take some stretch breaks and remember to encourage people to re-read through their materials because it is a to take in at once.
I’m off in a bit for the BooksBloom seminar with Jan and Gary Bloom that I’m hosting this weekend.
Just curious if they all purchased their workbooks for the seminar (or if you did and got reimbursed) or will they bring something to write on/with??
In the future I would love to do the same thing, but haven’t committed to it yet:)
Oh, didn’t someone mention using postcards or something for a picture study that they could take home??
I’m really excited for you. I have been watching the All Day Seminar with a friend of mine, but we had to take a break…can’t wait to get back to it:) Have a great time!
If you visit http://www.homeschoolclassifieds.com and search ‘Charlotte Mason,’ you’ll find a number of listings for used CM books, some less than $10 ppd.
Favorite CM-friendly websites? Check out these for your resource list:
Here are some links in no particular order from my bookmarks. *Please note that I started this in the AM and was callled away from the computer so I may be posting links that others have also added.
I think you’ve got a really good plan for the all day seminar at your home. I attended one in my area a few years ago and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done for our homeschooling journey.
I’m going to send you a PM of the list of resources I gave out at the DVD seminars I hosted. It has a lot of links, so I’m not sure if it would go through. Also, I’m not sure if PM size is restricted, so if you don’t get it, let me know and I can try to email it to you if you’d like.
-Kim
Edited to say: It looks like it should have gone through.
I think door prizes are a fun idea and if you really want to have some but can’t find inexpensive CM books to offer, then maybe….
A set of six 4×6 art prints by a particular artist for a picture study.
A classical music CD for composer study.
An inexpensive field guide/pocket field guide for nature study
And if you have a knack with designing things on the computer…..maybe a bookmark with CM’s 20 principles (or selected ones becuase it would probably be too hard to get them all on there) or the CM student motto “I am, I can, I ought, I will” or something else CM related……
What great ideas! Teachermom, I did get your list–and it’s wonderfully extensive! Thank you! All of these creative ideas are so helpful. Thank you very much to each of you.
Easybrizy, Just wanted to say that your ideas and the seminar itself sounds great! It seems like you have everything covered especially with the additional ideas posted.
I would also enjoy having your list, Kim, please and thank you!
It would be fun (my kind of fun anyway lol) to host (or even attend) a CM home seminar…but I do not know any CM homeschoolers IRL…and those that I do know who HS are pretty set. in. their. ways. seriously…but you never know… 🙂