learning 101...

so we started school today...and for the most part, it went fairly smoothly...

the duke did not in fact lose all knowledge gained last year, and wingman for the most part was no trouble...he practiced his "h's", we sang itsy bitsy spider and did some counting...then he started making a very high pitched and annoying sound which quickly got him dispatched to the television...

there were a couple of parts of the day that gave me pause, however...

the first was in math...the duke was doing some word problems involving three digit numbers...he was to show his work then transfer the answer to the worksheet...i was checking his work and it all looked good until i got to the last problem...which was right, but did not have any *work* to show for it...

"um, you got this last one right, but where is the work you did for it?"

"well, i started to do it, then realized that i was using the wrong number to subtract from...so i crossed out the problem and started over"

i looked at the work page and saw that indeed he had started the problem, and then crossed it out...

"well, i see that...but i don't see any work for the problem...how did you get the answer?"

i am actually not as perplexed as i seemed...unfortunately given my cynical nature, my brain was thinking *calculator*...i mean the duke is not a cheater, and in fact the calculator was nowhere to be seen, but still?...those numbers were big!...and if he didn't do the problem, how did he get the answer?...figure it out in his head?...right...

"i figured it out in my head"

oh...hmm...still *checking* i ask

"well, how did you do that?"

he looks at me like i am as dumb as a post...(quickly becoming a staple around here i might add)

"i just looked at the numbers and subtracted them in my head"

"but why?...why didn't you work it out on the page?"

by now he is eyeing me with suspicion...probably he's wondering if i am actually qualified to be teaching him math and is it too late to sign up for public school...then he sighs...

"i ran out of room on the paper...plus, sometimes it's just faster and easier to do it in my head"

indeed...

this year is going to be interesting...

i don't know why i assumed he used a calculator...i mean he never has before for schoolwork...i suppose it all comes of my getting used to trusting in his abilities...

the second part of the day came when we were reviewing the definition of a noun...a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea...and specifically we were reviewing the idea portion of the definition...(by the way, an idea is something that you can think about or feel, but not touch or see)...

so i gave him some example sentences...

"Happiness can be shared. A caged bird has no freedom. Sadness makes me want to cry...okay, now you give me an example sentence using an *idea* noun"

"I am sad when I lose a toy."

pause...hmm...then i say

"i don't think that's an *idea* noun"

"but i feel it, and think about it...and i can't see it"

which again, stumped me...hmm...he's right, technically...but i don't think he's right in terms of this excercise...then i start saying

"i mean, you're right...you can't see or touch sad...but i don't think it can be a noun...maybe it's a describing noun...what a minute, there's no such thing...but it's not a describing verb?...*am* is, but not sad...it's an adjective"

"but being sad is doing something"

double hmm...to which i say

"right, but it's an adjective...but that's weird because it is more of doing something that just describing something, huh?...even though it is describing the noun *i*, it seems like MORE than just a describing word...being sad?...doesn't it seem so?"

to which the duke says

"maybe you can read up in the grammar book and figure that out and get back to me...can we be done with school now?"

so there you have it...our first day...and judging from how it went, the duke thinks i cannot understand the concept of doing math in one's head and thinks i need more review on parts of speech...(he is so right about that!...and by the way, that grammar lesson WILL be repeated tomorrow!)...

the thing is, even though i can and do question and get stumped by simple grammar rules and the like, i still like the idea that the duke can see that i don't know everything (poor kid, if he only knew!)...that teachers in general don't know everything, and that there is still room for learning new ideas and re-learning old ones...that it's a process, this learning thing...and that it really doesn't ever end...

and i truly appreciate the process of learning along with the duke...it's one of the reasons homeschooling is so enjoyable for me...and ultimately my children...that education in any form is not about what you don't know, but rather what you are willing to learn...and that it is a journey...and like every great journey, it's less about how *much* or how *far*, and more about the process that takes us there...

and my ultimate goal is not to see how smart i can look in front of the duke and wingman, or how much information i can get them to spout back to me, but rather to share in the learning process with them...if i can continue to do that, then it will continue to be a fine trip indeed...

but the duke is right, maybe reading ahead sometimes wouldn't be such a bad idea...

x.

last night i had a wonderful dinner and evening out with my dear friend missM...a belated birthday celebration dinner and drinks and coffee and dessert...thank you missM for the gift of an evening of girlie gab and gluttony...too rare for this sillymortalmama, and much much appreciated...