Life On The Planet

Can Not

You may have noticed, I write can not as two separate words, not as the more common cannot. There is a reason.

When I was a Junior in high school, I wrote a paper in English. I spelled can not as two separate words. It was marked as incorrect.

I informed my teacher, Mrs. Anderson, of her error. (Politely, of course.) Mrs. Anderson informed ME that can not is written as one word.

I then (politely, of course) used the dictionary in my desk to prove that either spelling is accepted.

Mrs. Anderson said that she would mark it as correct that one time, but in the future I was to write can not as ONE WORD.

I asked Mrs. Anderson (politely, of course) why Daniel Webster's spelling wasn't good enough for her. Mrs. Anderson threatened me (none too politely) with detention. I spent the remainder of that semester avoiding the use of the phrase can not in order to elude her decree.

Furthermore, I have never since spelled can not as one word.I can not think of a better way to demonstrate my utter disgust at her petty display of power.

(That is, and still be polite. Of course.)

Homeschooling: Planet Friendly

When I read Barbara Frank's post headline, Homeschool = Green, I thought, huh? Yeah, okay, we recycle and all, but how does that make us greener than public schools? Then I followed the link to Susan's Pendulum (great name BTW) and realized we are greener!

So the kiddos and I started compiling a list of all the ways homeschooling is more environmentally friendly. Here are our top five:

1. No commute. Less gas used.

2. No lighting, air conditioning or heating a second building all day long. Less energy used.

3. No plastic utensils, milk boxes, Lunchables, brown paper bags, Ziplocs, etc. used at lunch. (Read stats on Susan's blog.)

4. Kids don't need to keep up with latest trends. Fewer changes of clothes needed. (Salamander informs me that pajamas all day would be okay with him."It's for the planet, Mom!")

5. Fewer cleaning products needed to CLEAN a second building. I wonder how much Lysol an average kindergarten goes through in a year.

I'm sure you could come up with quite a few more.

 Isn't it a great thing to be able to educate your child and save the planet at the same time? I feel so noble, like a super hero or something. I need a cape. Make it a green one!

It's Enough to Make You Weep

I spent the morning at a local public school today. The reason why belongs in another post entirely, however I would like to report that during my two and a half hour sojourn into the realm of public education two students were arrested (cuffed and hauled off in a cruiser) and D.H.S. showed up to question two other students.

The school in question is for third, fourth and fifth graders.

Three Words

We've been having a little fun over at Principled Discovery in Dana's comment section. Rather than completely hijack her blog with my silliness, I've decided to continue the fun here.

The question posed was, "What can public schools learn from homeschoolers?"

My response (not nearly as intellectual as the others) was,

"Three words...Edible School Lunches."

JJ Ross from Cocking a Snook chimed in with,

"Teaching isn't learning."

Truer words, JJ... My response was slightly less philosophical.

"Sleep until eight."

Well, I ask ya...?

Dana, undoubtedly tired of my goofiness in the midst of a serious conversation, but still a good sport brought up,

"Play outside. Lots."

I figured I'd better get while the getting was good, so I took my foolishness and boogied back on over to my own blog.

So how about it? Feel like giving the public school system a helping hand?

All it takes is three little words. 

 

 

Educational Anarchy...Better Than the Alternative

I am an anarchist. Deal with it. I'm not speeding. I'm not robbing grocery stores. I'm educating my children. According to the California chapter of the National Education Association, that makes me guilty of "educational anarchy." Sweet.

However, in my humble opinion, Educational Anarchy beats Educational Chaos any day. But what do I know? I'm just an anarchist.

No School on Mondays

A school district in Minnesota is going to a four day week next year to save money.

In a similar story, the proposed plan to eliminate the 2008-2009 school year here on The Planet has been vetoed by the resident dictator. Appeals are likely to be ignored.

I Learned Many Things From My Mother...

and I can assure you, how to beat the snot out of a teacher was not one of them.

It's Been Quite a Week

...in the public schools of the U.S.A. Police in New Jersey foiled a students plot to murder his teacher and classmates, a student in Alabama committed suicide in front of a gym full of other students and a four-year-old showed up at school drunk.

While I don't blame these events on the schools, I have to wonder at the double standard that exists in our media and government when it comes to tragedies of this nature. When there is even anecdotal evidence of poor parenting among the ranks of homeschoolers, then homeschooling must need to be under tighter governmental control. However, when the parents and teachers in the public school system behave poorly, it's never the system's fault. These tragedies are dealt with by utilizing existing laws. Imagine. There are never calls for increased monitoring of public school teachers and parents, or for the abolition of the system as there is when similar events happen and homeschoolers are involved.

Why is that?

Lessons Du Jour

Today my children got to experience a public school. We were setting up for Friday night's stage performance (which will be held at the local public high school's theater) when we had to evacuate the building. Thanks to a fire set in a trash can, we had the pleasure of standing out in the wind and rain for half an hour.

Tiger enjoyed the fire truck. Butterfly was not happy about the condition of her hair. Salamander listed various ways an incendiary device could be used to start a fire. That's the last Boy Scout camp out he's going on.

I spent my half hour of fun wondering if setting fires goes under the heading of science or socialization.