Tea at Trianon: Tips for Unschooling

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Tips for Unschooling

Here are some tips for teaching children at home, which all parents do at some time or another, whether they are homeschooling or unschooling or not. To quote:

#1: The humble couch--sofa, divan, Castro, daybed, or whatever you call it--is the most important item in our homeschool. Can you see why? When the kids are little, they can all crowd around for a story, reading time, sing along, or just a quick cuddle. And for bigger kids, it is a comfy place to work, read, doze, or play a game on a tablet. But big or small, when the picture books are opened, everyone gathers to listen.

#2: I have been to homes without book shelves. The people there could not be homeschooling. Yes, books collect dust, and so often are left unshelved as untidy reminders of homeschooling going on around you. But book shelves tell stories themselves. When I visit a new friend I head over to the book shelves to see what kind of books reside there. I expect friends to do the same when they visit my home.

#3: Library Card, because they are mostly free (thank you Ben Franklin). All the books in the world, and a nice place to browse, too. In our area, the library is a cooling center. During the hot summer months, the library, with the a/c set on cold, maintains a temp of about 50 degrees. In the winter, it's pretty cozy, and has a fun seating area in the young adult section. (Read entire post.)