Mary Maxwell graduates (aka 30 years of homeschooling)

[kpmom]

So what does Mary do now that she has "graduated" and is officially a child adult? Can her day really be any differnent than before? Does she now have an extra hour to clean every day? Do they retire the chore packs after graduation or are they still used?

Their school schedules were so light on academics, especially as they got older (John had hardly any academic subjects at 17 according to their master schedule) I bet it doesn't change much.

[VodouDoll]

Their homeschool schedule has always mystified me. They just bought a bunch of workbooks, had their kids independently do a year's worth of questions, and that was it. There was hardly any actual teaching going on, and from the old Mom's Corners it seems like whenever Teri started feeling busy or overwhelmed (which was often) those half hours of individual attention were always the first things in her schedule that she would cut. Her actual teaching time was often her lowest priority because, after all, they didn't need her help to sit and chug through endless workbook questions.

I mean, yeah, okay, she homeschooled them. But what did she actually do?

ETA: Like for example, here's one of her history lesson plans for a year. Every single week it's nothing but "Read chapter one, answer every question. Read chapter two, amswer every question." It seems like Teri just handed them a list of stuff to do, and when they finished the checklist they were educated. There are no projects, field trips, supplemental reading assignments, anything remotely fun or engaging. It seems like they wanted to make education as boring as they make everything else. God forbid learning for the pure joy of curiosity and discovery become an idol:

www.titus2.com/media/downloads/4thgradehistory.pdf

[Jana814]

Aren't the pictures taken of them praying for the purpose of posting to a blog the equivalent of praying on the street corner for all to see (paraphrased, obviously)? Doesn't the Bible say that's verboten? :snooty:

I think u r right!

[Jana814]

Thanks for more information on their homeschooling. The stuff people have said about what they did I always suspected.

[thoughtful]

Of course! How stupid of me. I can still haz animal crackers though? :(

Steve says you may have two.

I say "Eat the whole damned box! Dance them around in the air, make animal noises, stage animal-cracker dramas, then bite their heads off! Have fun!"

So there, Steve.

[sparkles]

Teri on textbooks:

articles.titus2.com/a-voice-for-traditional-christian-textbooks/

articles.titus2.com/traditional-christian-textbook-curricula/

Basically, she and Steve aren't interested in instilling a love of learning or encouraging critical thinking and exploration, but in preparing the children for a lifetime of work. It's not education, it's training.

[twin2]

So looking at the scheduals two things stood out.

In the earliest, when she had 4 in school, yes she literally had 2 hours a day of school-related activities, which was basically "school with so and so". What I found surprising, that there was no 'prep time' built in. So it seems to me that she really wasn't "teaching" anything, but probably just going over with them whatever problems were at the end of the chapter. Maybe when the kids were younger, she did more, but seems pretty much self-study to me at this point.

In the latest when it was only Mary, the only subjects Mary at 16 had were History and English and that was it (I don't count Bible outlining as a subject). Back when I was in high school, we had 8 periods, figure one was gym, one study hall and one music, that still left 5 subjects a day, not 2. I guess in a semester I may have had 2 classes of a given subject, but still...

[NotALoserLikeYou]

When the kids were younger, like young, did they ever go out with other homeschoolers? Or do anything outside of the house??

[SPHASH]

When the kids were younger, like young, did they ever go out with other homeschoolers? Or do anything outside of the house??

Nate, Chris, and Sarah might have, but not the reversals.

[sparkles]

When the kids were younger, like young, did they ever go out with other homeschoolers? Or do anything outside of the house??

For at least 8 years they led the Christian Home Educators of Leavenworth group. Not sure if this meant they did things with other homeschoolers or just tried to impose their beliefs on others. My money's on the latter.

[nomoxian]

So looking at the scheduals two things stood out.

In the earliest, when she had 4 in school, yes she literally had 2 hours a day of school-related activities, which was basically "school with so and so". What I found surprising, that there was no 'prep time' built in. So it seems to me that she really wasn't "teaching" anything, but probably just going over with them whatever problems were at the end of the chapter. Maybe when the kids were younger, she did more, but seems pretty much self-study to me at this point.

In the latest when it was only Mary, the only subjects Mary at 16 had were History and English and that was it (I don't count Bible outlining as a subject). Back when I was in high school, we had 8 periods, figure one was gym, one study hall and one music, that still left 5 subjects a day, not 2. I guess in a semester I may have had 2 classes of a given subject, but still...

By the time I was 16 I had completed all of my required subjects (2 years of Math and Science, and 1 year of Geography, History and Gym) apart from English which was always required, and choosing one of several Social Science classes. Everything at that point was taking the courses that interested you, or/and the courses that would set you up for what you planned on doing in University. Even if you weren't planning on going to post-secondary, you still needed to take the same number of credits to graduate... There's no reason, apart from her crappy teacher and principal, why Mary couldn't be learning a trade (going to help her brother build a house for a day doesn't count) or a second language or doing *something*

[nomoxian]

"Another English textbook had a sports theme in it, and our family has decided not to participate in sports" (from: articles.titus2.com/traditional-christian-textbook-curricula/)

NO! :angry-cussing: You - meaning Steve, because Terri's opinion does not matter apart from it being an extension of her husbands - decided that the family would not participate in sports. Your kids did not have a choice in the matter. The 'decision' was made by the only person in the family who really matters.

[anjulibai]

There schooling is pathetic. I can't believe they really think they are superior to public schools.

[VodouDoll]

In those corners sparkles linked, Teri says her method of homeschooling (nothing but rote book work chosen on purpose for its dullness) is superior because she never had to do prep work, make trips to the library for supplemental reading or materials, come up with additional projects, or let her kids deviate from the schedule to follow their interests. She says she barely even needed to spend one on one time teaching them and in fact frequently skipped it and just had them grade their own worksheets themselves, which for some reason was a plus for her. She says this was great because she and Steve wanted to drill into their children that, as adults, learning is boring and difficult but sometimes you have to grit your teeth and do it anyway.

Is it me, or is it the ultimate in Maxwell irony that, in training her children to be nothing but obedient worker drones, she homeschooled them in the laziest way possible? She chose her methods and curricula to require the least amount of time and effort from her while, it seems, also being as deliberately unpleasant as possible for her students.

It just seems...cruel.

ETA: the more I think about it, she probably didn't have the bandwidth for much more than the little schooling she did, with her depression and all. Still, she didn't even take library trips? Their textbooks were their only sources? Her goal was to make learning a chore rather than a lifelong delight? That is terrible.

My autocorrect just tried to make that into Terible. Good job, phone. If you're going to homeschool your kids more power to you, but for Christ's sake, don't half-ass it like this woman did.

[HoneyBunny]

Somehow, I'm just sure that Steve and Teri are going to get to the gates of heaven and God is going to say "I gave you the child who was going to grow up and discover the cure for cancer. I gave you the child who was going to grow up and discover the cure for Alzheimers...solve world hunger...discover a way to provide water to the world...be a peacemaker. And you squashed their love of learning and put them to work polishing cabinets and dusting ceiling fans because of your interpretation of a work of fiction I had nothing to do with. What the hell were you thinking???"

[SPHASH]

I wonder what grade level the Maxwell offspring can read and write at. And math, did they ever do algebra and geometry or just stop at 2+2 and fractions. For History I wonder how much they know about topics like the Spanish American war and the Industrial age.

[Toothfairy]

There needs to be laws to prevent parents like the Maxwells to make their kid dumb.

[SPHASH]

Look at Melanie's family, they are conservative Christians that homeschooled but their kids went to college and are doing well...one is a country western singer who has a 9-5 job, one is an RN, I think one is a model, I think one of the brothers lives in Hong Kong. The kids travel and have lots of interests. Obviously Dr and Mrs Maher didn't half ass their kids learning like Stevus and Teri.

[Antimony]

In those corners sparkles linked, Teri says her method of homeschooling (nothing but rote book work chosen on purpose for its dullness) is superior because she never had to do prep work, make trips to the library for supplemental reading or materials, come up with additional projects, or let her kids deviate from the schedule to follow their interests. She says she barely even needed to spend one on one time teaching them and in fact frequently skipped it and just had them grade their own worksheets themselves, which for some reason was a plus for her. She says this was great because she and Steve wanted to drill into their children that, as adults, learning is boring and difficult but sometimes you have to grit your teeth and do it anyway.

Is it me, or is it the ultimate in Maxwell irony that, in training her children to be nothing but obedient worker drones, she homeschooled them in the laziest way possible? She chose her methods and curricula to require the least amount of time and effort from her while, it seems, also being as deliberately unpleasant as possible for her students.

It just seems...cruel.

ETA: the more I think about it, she probably didn't have the bandwidth for much more than the little schooling she did, with her depression and all. Still, she didn't even take library trips? Their textbooks were their only sources? Her goal was to make learning a chore rather than a lifelong delight? That is terrible.

My autocorrect just tried to make that into Terible. Good job, phone. If you're going to homeschool your kids more power to you, but for Christ's sake, don't half-ass it like this woman did.

Well where on earth would they find non idol books at the library if Row Row Row Your Boat wasn't Jesusy enough?

My library has a LGBT section. More education would have left their faint godly hearts unguarded!

[VodouDoll]

I wonder what grade level the Maxwell offspring can read and write at.

It's probably dismal. For instance, when you visit the website for John's irrigation company, this paragraph is right at the top, the first impression he's chosen to give his customers:

We are passionate about engineering top quality systems balanced with the practicality and need of not over-spec’ing systems. We believe and have observed that even though the design is one of smallest single costs of the overall system, it can be one of the most integral to the ultimate success of the operation. We design mostly drip irrigation systems but also other things such as sprinklers, pivots, etc.

This is so bad that I cringe in sympathetic embarrassment for him. Sarah really may be the family's best writer. Teri and Steve should be ashamed.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I wonder what grade level the Maxwell offspring can read and write at. And math, did they ever do algebra and geometry or just stop at 2+2 and fractions. For History I wonder how much they know about topics like the Spanish American war and the Industrial age.

I have read bits of Sarah's Moody books. I think the average ten year old could do better. Her writing is awful and she is the one who is the writer of the family. I bet the rest of them can just about manage "My name is Mary. I am 18. I am a Christian. I have 2 sisters and 5 brothers. My favourite colour is beige."

[FloraKitty35]

I have read bits of Sarah's Moody books. I think the average ten year old could do better. Her writing is awful and she is the one who is the writer of the family. I bet the rest of them can just about manage "My name is Mary. I am 18. I am a Christian. I have 2 sisters and 5 brothers. My favourite colour is beige."

And my favorite food is bean burritos.

[Jana814]

Love this discription of Mary.

[sparkles]

We'll never know if Sarah would be a bad writer no matter what or if she's just a bad writer because of the limitations imposed on her by Steve. Right now, she's completely hampered not only by a lack of traditional education but by the fact that she's also never had the opportunity to study other writers. Steve's conceit that "We don't read, we write," is at fault here. It's doubtful the Maxwell children ever read any age appropriate fiction because Steve and Teri always found it lacking. She became "the writer" because her parents felt there was nothing suitable, nothing Christian enough so it was up to Sarah to provide it. Since she's only had the narrowest of world views and little but the bible and approved Christian biographies to inform her, it's no surprise that her writing is as stilted and devoid of imagination as it is. She's also dumbed it down the point that it's a mind-numbing bore and innocent to the point of stupidity. While there's a lot to be said about the allowing children to maintain their innocence, the same can't be said for a 30+ year old who is completely unaware of how sexually suggestive and inappropriate her writing can be. Grabbing your spurting meat? Seriously? That's not charmingly innocent; that's just sad.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I don't think there is anything wrong with them intelligence wise, or in any way at all, that has not been caused by Steve. I bet if Sarah had been given a decent education and been able to read all of the books she wants (and have conversations with real people, the speech in her books are not how normal people speak), she would be able to write like an adult. It might not be good enough to get published, but I think she would have at least had average writing ability. If she had been socialized properly and given the opportunities to interact with other people her age who aren't related, and to make friends and be independent, she would not be this weird woman child that she is now. It is all Steve's fault, and it is sad that he had eight children, born full of potential, and then killed their souls. They could have been so much more, but they are not, and they will always struggle in life because even if they did get out, theres only so much you can do to undo 18-32? years of brainwashing and isolation.