Mom's favorite subject

British and European History, because it is a passion of mine, and because I am confident in it as I did it in college lol!  There is so much of interest in that history because it is so vast, and so many countries are involved with their own vast histories – so it is endlessly fascinating to me – I learn new things every day even though I have been reading about it and studying it for thirty odd years….fun topic – Linda

I enjoy almost everything.  My absolute favorites are math, science, history and literature.  I have always loved good literature, history is so vast and interesting, math and science made up the majority of my studies in university, so I understand them well enough to pass on easily.  

I love science, literature, and history! And of course Bible! Not so much math! Not my strong subject! However when the boys get older, I am turning them over to dad! He teaches college math! 🙂

I am not consistent in Nature Study or handicrafts! Although I do love them! Sigh too!

I love literature, art and music and Bible study – but I do not touch math or science, their dad does that as he is the brains for those subjects.  I am liberal arts through and through….but history is my passion….

Literature is by far my favorite.  🙂  And history.  I love math, but it’s a little difficult for me to teach – probably because I just learned the “how” and not the “why” behind it. 

You know, I felt so relieved when I realized that the hands-on stuff from Charlotte’s perpective was “twaddle” unless it had a purpose.  That really helped me to focus on the quality of the things I choose for the hands-on.  Now, I ask where is it going when we are done?  If I don’t know I try to find a better project.  I have not eliminated markers, pencils, watercolors, etc…because my kids love that stuff.  I’m talking about making those projects like we did in PS, that no one knows what to do with when it comes home.  =)  Or skads of stuff for decorations, etc,,

Amen to not doing “hands-on” stuff without a purpose!!  While my kids draw and color on their own all the time (and I think there’s a difference there between their own creative exploration and forced craft ideas), I am glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t much care for crafty stuff as “school projects” – especially the variety that just end up in the trash when you’re done….and a big mess all over the dining room table. 

Ironically, though, when I was an elementary classroom teacher, I loved teaching science largely because of all the fun, hands-on stuff you could do with that.  Maybe it had something to do with the mess being in my CLASSROOM and not in my HOME (and being with 6th graders, who I could expect to clean up after themselves reasonably well…) 

Now, getting started with homeschooling my own littles – Kindergarten down to a baby – I’d have to say literature.  I LOVE reading aloud with my kids.  And just enjoying it – not having to analyze and memorize vocabulary for every story.  And I have also really enjoyed teaching dd how to read – it’s been so much fun to watch her progress and now to a point where she is really starting to take off on her own.   Geography and world cultures is also another subject that really fascinates me.

Jen