RE: Ugly Mummified Togetherness
Splendid writing =) I am deeply engaged.
The textbooks you report using are ill suited to your undertaking, being contrived to the driving out of children their intensity of desire to learn, as you may discover for yourself. I avoided this entirely, as I taught my kids not from books, but from practical undertakings like building forts, and doing construction work. Later, when they had specific interests they wanted to learn more about, like indians, or astronomy, when I was called upon to help them discover how to learn such things, the price they paid for my assistance was one page written reports, and then I critiqued grammar.
However, such details are of little importance. What is important is that you are fulfilling your role as their teacher.
I hope the mistakes you make are of less import to your students than the mistakes I made were to mine.
Thanks!
Yes, those textbooks do seem as though they have been made intentionally to be boring. I have found a few literature textbooks at yard sales that weren't half bad, but the science ones are terrible. It is so fun to see the spark in their eyes when specific subjects, like Indians and astronomy as you mentioned, are discovered.
Fulfilling the role as teacher seems to be an ever changing experience. Which is chaotic and exciting all at once.
I hope my mistakes aren't too bad, but I know they will exist. It is just unavoidable.
Thanks for stopping by.