10 on the 10th: Life- Long Learning

 As a homeschooling mom who has focused on life- long learning I am loving Leslie's topic for this month's 10 on the 10th!  I was always the teacher's pet that got in trouble for talking too much and being too social during class time.  What can I say? Schoolwork came easy to me and when I was finished learning I wanted to visit with my friends! I still love reading and have had the BEST time homeschooling all three of my boys for the past 9 years and boy has that time flown by! 



1. How old were you when you started school? Did you attend pre-kinder and/or kinder or go straight into first grade? 

I started kindergarten at age 5 which is pretty typical for our area. I attended a small private catholic school up until 3rd grade when my sister and I moved over to our local public school. 




2. Were you a good student? What was your favorite subject? 

I was a fabulous student and graduated high school 6th in my class.  I liked most subjects and my favorite changed each year depending on the teachers I had.  My favorite subject in 4th grade was science because my teacher LOVED science and made it so fun!  My favorite in high school was a cross between art and literature because I had teachers for those two subjects that really "got" me and we had fabulous discussions. 

My 4th grade class; Mr. Neal

Me in 4th grade



3.As a child, did you take music lessons? Or play a sport? Do you still play an instrument now? 

I never really took to an instrument though I did try a time or two. While I played softball a bit in elementary school I think I mostly played because my friends played and we went out for ice cream after each game. My mom's friend was my cheerleading coach when I was little and we used to cheer for peewee football.   I'm not all that athletic so the only "sport" I did in high school was cheerleading for a basketball season; mostly so I could wear the cute outfit and miss a few of my last classes for away games. I did take private art lessons from the time I was 5 until my schedule was too busy in high school.




4. Did you attend any kind of training or classes beyond high school? If so, what did you study?

I went to a local community college where I got my associates in general studies then transferred to a state school (where I could commute as dorm living was just NOT for me) where I got my bachelor's in psychology with a concentration in childhood and a minor in fine arts. I then went on to get my master's degree in early childhood education. 

Associate's degree ceremony

Bachelor's degree ceremony-- I don't think I attended my Master's ceremony... 




Did you wind up working in a profession or job for which those classes or training prepared you? 

While working on my master's I worked in a few different day cares then went to our local public school as a long- term substitute.  I spent my next several years substitute teaching.  I quit altogether when my boys were born and then began substitute teaching when my oldest two were in private school and the school was in need of subs.  I had been offered the position of librarian for the following year but our private school was shut down and we moved the boys to public school for 2 years (where I began substitute teaching) before pulling them all out and turning to homeschooling. 

5. Have you taken any personal growth or adult education classes for fun? During the year that was Covid, did you home school, learn a new app to work from home, teach yourself to do something you might have paid someone else to do for you? 

I haven't taken any adult education classes but through the years of homeschooling my children I have had many opportunities to learn alongside them-- like the day we went on an ocean research vessel and learned a bit of oceanography first hand. Or the time we attended a college class and using Google Earth and learning about how that helps us map natural disasters and the aftermath of them.  Through the past 9 years I have learned a LOT through signing my boys up for classes! 

GeoEarth class

Oceanography day (my blog used to be our unschooling journey before I re-branded)

Learning how to make jam at a 4-H class


6.What would you like to learn how to do that you don’t know how to do already? 

Ideally I'd love to speak a second language fluently, be able to play the piano, and knit/crochet but I also know I've tried to do each one of those and don't truthfully want to pour the time into them that I would need to.  

7.Name something that you learned easily. Then name something that was a struggle for you to learn to do. 

Most things come pretty easy to me as long as I'm interested in it. I struggle to learn things like mechanical skills or deeper finance type things because as much as I know I should want to know more I don't find those topics to be all that interesting. 


8. What’s the last thing you remember learning? What kind of learner are you: visual, auditory, hands-on/kinesthetic, verbal, logical/mathematical? 

I am a visual learner first and foremost (I can actually remembering picturing textbook pages when taking tests in school!) and I do pretty well with hands-on/ kinesthetic and logical/mathematical (I LOVE math!) but I am just awful with auditory and verbal. 

The last thing I remember learning is that carnivorous plants only grow native in a very small radius outside Wilmington, NC. 

9. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks, school of hard knocks, pass with flying colors, learn by heart, burn the midnight oil, pull an all-nighter, play hooky – which of these expression best fits your life lately? Why? 

Playing hooky! It's summer and I am focused on squeezing in all the summer fun and beach days that I can. 




10. What is something you’ve learned from past mistakes?

 So many things!  But I think the biggest one I have learned is that stepping outside of my comfort zone is usually where the biggest growth happens. 

11. Bonus: Share your favorite learning/education quote:

Oh boy; again I have so many!  
I think one I really tried to focus on as I taught was boys was: 
  • Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn. 
Linking up with: Spread the Kindness,











Comments

  1. This was incredible to read- you are very inspirational Joanne- it is so nice to see you take your love of learning and share it with your boys- you should be proud

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  2. Loved learning (no pun intended!) all about your education journey! I really love that you found/find yourself learning alongside your kids. :)

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    1. LOL. Thanks! It has been such a fun journey learning alongside my boys and with their varied interests I really have had quite an education on so many topics I probably would never have bothered to learn about on my own.

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    1. Thanks! I had to go into my archives for those.

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  4. I always knew you seemed smart, but I'm now in awe of your love of learning! English and written arts have always come easy for me. I tested into the gifted and talented program in 2nd grade because I learned how to speed read and can finish a book in a matter of hours and somehow retain everything. I don't know how I do it though!

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    1. Aw, thank you! I can read fast but not quite speed read; I envy you that skill!

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  5. Fun to read your answers and see you as a kid!

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  6. I love this. There are so many ways to learn new things. Thank you for sharing this today.

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  7. It sounds like you did really well at school. Fab photos!
    The Oceanography day sounds so interesting. x

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    1. It was one of my all time favorite days! I love learning about the ocean and ocean animals to begin with but that was just a fabulous day that completely exceeded my expectations.

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  8. So fun that you included your school photos!! I should have been that creative:) I would love to learn a second language..and, you are correct, crochet is way too much effort! LOL:)

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    1. Thank you! I had a few of them already on my computer from an old post I did about school memories.

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  9. Such a cute kindergarten picture! I love that you are using your degree to teach your boys. I am so thankful for the years I spent homeschooling.

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  10. You have done some fantastic homeschool projects! I am starting our second year this year, and I am so looking forward to incorporating field trips, etc into our days.

    I can do that too, just close my eyes and picture the textbook page, and "read" it again for the answer! Lol. In college I used to write the lectures almost verbatim in my notes so that during exams I could think back to my own notes. Otherwise, just having to rely on listening, I would have done so poorly on my tests. Lol.

    I love that you added photos to your post!

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    1. We packed so many field trips into our homeschooling days that I felt like we rarely did any bookwork until my boys were well into middle school! (I know I snuck some in at other times but it sure felt like we were always on the go).

      I used to take copious notes too because it seemed like once I wrote it down I just remembered it.

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  11. Great answers! I definitely relate to having my favorite subjects change depending on the teachers and to how I relate to them. I mean, I had an English teacher in 9th grade whom I didn't like so I hated English, but I loved English in my later years of high school even though I had the same teacher. We just got along better.

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    1. That is so funny! There were a few teachers in high school I didn't think I was going to like since they seemed so tough at first but they almost always ended up being my favorites.

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  12. Joanne,
    Great post and very interesting reading your story....Thanks so much for sharing it!! And thanks so much for stopping by!!
    Hugs
    Debbie

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  13. Hi five, sister, on the favorite quote. I believe that with all my heart. Loved creating lessons for the students in my library that gave them unique learning experiences. While having fun. You have to be the best homeschool teacher. Along with Erin at Cracker Crumb Life. You guys should do something together. Even though your sons are much older than Wyatt. It might still be fun to do a learning activity together.

    I had a biology teacher who made the subject so interesting. And my high school English and American History teachers were very good. I can't think of a single college instructor I thought much of!! And I had some real doozies doing my graduate work. A good teacher can make all the difference. IN SO MANY WAYS.

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    1. Thanks! I remember just two of my college professors; one that taught history as if it were a soap opera and actually helped me enjoy history for once and one that really tried to convince me to go into statistics when I showed quite an aptitude for entering and interpreting data.

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  14. This was a fun post, I'll play along. I went to kindergarten at age 5. Yes, I was a good student. Math, science, and spelling were my favs. I won several spelling bees!! Yes, piano lessons until my teacher's 3 foot long lizard scared the heck out of me, never went back!! Was in the school band (clarinet and sax) in elementary, jr high, and high school. Yes, went to nursing school, became a nurse, wanted to be a nurse since I was 5 years years old. Enjoyed reading your answers. Thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 32. Pinned!

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    1. Ugh I was just AWFUL at spelling; without spell check on my computer I don't think I could be a blogger.

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  15. Joanne, I loved reading this post! I was a really good student as well and loved school but also kind of hated it because I always had social anxiety! English and Writing have always been my favorite subjects and I earned my Bachelor's degree in English and Philosophy (which became a favorite subject in college). I also ended up with a Minor in Religious Studies which I absolutely loved! Eventually I went on to law school but left that field a few years having passing the bar exam. It just wasn't for me. I also was a peewee cheerleader! And I am dying over your cute cheerleading photo. I only did cheering for a year or two and then spent the rest of my childhood as a competitive swimmer that ended up paying for my college so that was nice! I have tried a few instruments but quickly realized that just because I enjoy listening to music does not mean that have any musical talents at all! Haha. I first tried the French horn in 5th grade and never could make a sound come out of the darn thing! And then I took one semester of piano lessons in college. I got an actual "A for effort" as my instructor informed me that she was impressed that I learned to read the music and hit the right keys but she also informed me in her quiet little Chinese accent that I, in fact, have no rhythm! So I will let the music makers make the music and I will simply enjoy the results of their creativity!

    Shelbee
    www.shelbeeontheedge.com

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    1. I had awful social anxiety too! I used to throw up nearly every morning before school and spent much of middle school not eating anything but Tums trying to calm my stomach down as I felt queasy all the time. My grandmother tried to get me to play the accordion but I could not grasp the two hands doing something different at the time and let's face it, that is not a popular instrument that I was passionate about learning anyway. I could read music but I found that I was much more suited to singing and landed in the select choir all through high school as well as the general chorus (where my social anxiety made things like solos torture for me!).

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  16. I kind of forget all the learning I get to do with my kids as we find fun places to explore. That is one reason why I think I'd LOVE homeschooling! And childhood me would have been so jealous of your yarn ribbons in that first picture!!!

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    1. It was one of the things I most enjoyed about homeschooling. I often felt like my boys were teaching me nearly as often as I was teaching them... they knew so much about rare animal species I had never even heard of!

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