Dispatch from Cincinnati

I’ve been at the Midwest Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati since Thursday. This has turned into one of the largest conventions in the country–I heard an estimate of eleven thousand people here. Big busy vendor hall, multiple meeting rooms, scary escalator which was always filled with a constant stream of people feeding into it at the bottom and spilling out at the top. I kept having visions of someone at the top falling backwards like a human domino.

Mom and I got to travel together to this convention, which we haven’t done for quite a while; she doesn’t speak as often as she used to (travel is exhausting for her).

I’ve been speaking at education conferences for ten years, and I always send the conference organizers a list of topics to choose from. We update it each year; this year’s topic list looks like this.

KEYNOTE ADDRESSES (can also be offered as workshops)

Home Schooling the Second Time
Susan Wise Bauer was educated at home for almost all of her elementary and secondary school years, went on to college and graduate school, and now teaches at the university level and home schools her own four children (her oldest has now graduated from high school and will be attending college in the fall). As she looks back over her own twelve years of home education, she picks out those elements which were most valuable to her in her adult life, which techniques and programs she has chosen to reproduce with her own children–and which aspects of her own education were mistakes!

The Joy of Classical Education: An Introduction to Classical Education at Home.
Susan Wise Bauer
An overview of the philosophy of classical education and the ways in which
home schoolers can pursue classical learning at home. Covers the
distinctives of classical education, the benefits to the student, the three
stages of classical learning (grades 1-4, 5- 8, and 9-12), the subjects
taught in each stage, and the overall goals of classical education. Also discusses the place of delight-led learning, and offers ways in which every home schooler can borrow from the classical tradition.

Educating Our Own Minds: How to Teach Ourselves as we Teach Our Kids
Susan Wise Bauer
Educating our children involves educating ourselves. And that means gaining confidence in our own intellectual abilities—rather than relying solely on “experts.” Come discover a plan for self-education in the classical tradition, including scheduling for busy adults; setting up a reading plan that involves understanding, analyzing, and discussing literature; and mastering the skills needed for reading classic fiction and nonfiction.

WORKSHOPS

The Well-Trained Mind: Academic Excellence through Classical Education,
Grades K-4
Susan Wise Bauer
A practical, specific workshop covering the how-tos of classical education
for grades K-4. The place of memorization in the early years; foundations
for good reading and writing; using narration; placing history at the core
of the curriculum; relating literature to history; introducing Latin early;
mastering the facts of mathematics; the place of science in the classical
curriculum. Includes recommendations of curricula and books.

The Well-Trained Mind: Academic Excellence through Classical Education,
Grades 5-8
Susan Wise Bauer
A practical, specific workshop covering the how-tos of classical education
for grades 5-8. Introducing critical thinking and logic for middle-school
students; the chronological study of history as the center of the
curriculum; relating literature to history; developing skills in outlining
and in critical essay writing; foreign language study; moving into more
abstract mathematics; experiment-based science for home schoolers. Includes
recommendations of curricula and books.

The Well-Trained Mind: Academic Excellence through Classical Education,
Grades 9-12
Susan Wise Bauer
A practical, specific workshop covering the how-tos of classical education
for grades 9- 12. Using the Great Books as a combined history and
literature course; how to teach the classics at home (for intimidated
parents!); the study of rhetoric (written and spoken expression); advanced
writing and mathematics for home schoolers; how to do high school science at
home; foreign language study. Also covers use of tutors, online tutorials,
and other resources; preparing the high school transcript; preparing for
college admissions; and completing junior and senior “honors projects.”
Includes recommendations of curricula and books.

A Plan for Teaching Writing, Grades K-12 (Also titled Writing Well: A Plan
for Grades 1-12)
Susan Wise Bauer
An overall plan for producing good writers at home. This workshop explains
how to guide your student through a simple progression (copying, dictation, narration,
summarizing, outlining, short critical essays, long critical essays,
research paper) that will develop both writing and thinking skills in a
systematic, stepwise manner. Includes suggestions on how to use these
writing and thinking skills in every area of the curriculum. Recommended for those teaching all K-6 students, as well as for those teaching older students who are reluctant writers.

A Plan for Teaching Writing: Focus on the Middle Grades
Susan Wise Bauer
Expanding on the principles presented in “A Plan for Teaching Writing,” this workshop offers very specific guidance in how to teach middle grade (logic-stage) students the skills of constructing an argument, outlining and writing from an outline. Includes training in outlining, writing from an outline, basic Socratic dialogue, and evaluation and grading. Essential for those teaching all 5-8 students; since written argumentation is the basis of high school writing, this seminar is also highly recommended for those teaching high school students. Students in grades 5-12 are encouraged to attend.

A Plan for Teaching Writing: Focus on the High School Years
Susan Wise Bauer
Expanding on the principles presented in “A Plan for Teaching Writing,” this seminar covers all of the types of writing that high school students should learn before entering the freshmen year of college: response papers, summaries, and critical essays across the curriculum Attendance at “Focus on the Middle Grades” seminar is highly recommended. Students in grades 8-12 are encouraged to attend.

Teaching Students to Work Independently
Susan Wise Bauer
A plan for helping middle and high school (logic and rhetoric-stage) students move towards independent learning. Offers step-by-step guidance for parents and students as well as troubleshooting. Students in grades 7-12 are encouraged to attend.

What is Literary Analysis? When, Why, and How Should I Teach It?
Susan Wise Bauer
You know that your children should read—but what else should you be doing to teach them skills in literature? After teaching literature at the college levelfor over a decade, Susan has seen the results of many different methods. This seminar will guide you towards the most effective way to teach literature. Offers a foundational explanation of what literary analysis is, a list of skills that need to be covered, guidance in how to teach them, and resource recommendations.

How To Read a Book (With Apologies to Adler)
Susan Wise Bauer
Offers specific training in the three levels of reading, explaining how they are applied in different genres and how they lead to the development of skills in literary criticism. For high school students and self-educators. [Overlaps with “What Is Literary Analysis”; please choose only one]

Preparing for College Admissions
Susan Wise Bauer
Start thinking about college in seventh grade! But even if your child is
older, all is not lost. This workshop covers both proper academic
preparation for college (writing skills needed for college classes,
necessary background in liberal arts and sciences, SAT preparation and
testing, etc.) and the technicalities of keeping high school records that
will impress college admissions officers. We will discuss portfolios,
writing samples, transcripts, diplomas, and extra-curricular activities as
well as choosing a school, filling out an application, and writing
admissions essays.

PRACTICUMS

A Hands-On Seminar: Basic Literary Criticism
Susan Wise Bauer
Susan will lead a selected group of students in discussion of a literary work and the construction of a response paper. All are welcome to observe. Students must register ahead of time and complete assigned reading before the seminar begins. Intended for students in grades 7-12.

A Hands-On Seminar: Constructing an Argument
Susan Wise Bauer
Susan will lead a selected group of students in the construction of several types of written argumentation; covers thesis statements, outlines, and the writing of effective prose. All are welcome to observe. Students must register ahead of time and complete assigned reading before the seminar begins. Intended for students in grades 7-12.

ALL-DAY SEMINARS (4 consecutive sessions of at least 60 minutes each)

A Walk Through Ancient History
Susan Wise Bauer
Take a chronological guided tour through the ancient world before 300 AD. This introduction to ancient times, first developed for and presented at the Smithsonian, moves through the “high points” of history—those events which shaped the future. This seminar prepares high school students and parents for the study of ancient history and literature.

A Walk Through Medieval History
Susan Wise Bauer
Take a chronological guided tour through the medieval world, from Constantine’s vision at the Milvian Bridge in 312 and the First Crusade. This introduction to the medieval world offers four unifying themes around which to structure our understanding of the history and literature of the Middle Ages.

Hardly ANYONE chooses the history seminars. But this conference asked me to do the Walk Through Medieval History. It’s actually the first time I’ve presented those four sessions, so I spent a lot of extra time fretting over my maps and notes; the initial presentation of a new seminar is always nerve-wracking. (In the end, I felt like the first and last sessions went well; I’m going to make some changes to the two middle sessions.)

I also spent some time wandering around the vendor hall counting how many “the well-” products there were. Not that we were the first people to use “The Well-” as part of a title (Bach got to it first), but since The Well-Trained Mind came out I sure have seen a lot of oddly similar titles. Like The Well-Behaved Child, which the author was selling at this conference. And The Well-Adjusted Child, a book about socialization for home schoolers. And this one:

Interesting title for a planner.