My son ran into a bully in the seventh grade. The kid was smaller than my boy, but kinda like a Bantam rooster, he was determined to draw my son into a fight. Of course, we were JWs at the time, and I strongly advised against direct physical confrontation. My solution was to contact the parent (mother) of the other child. Fortunately she was a reasonable woman. We all, parents and kids, got together one afternoon at the park and discussed the situation. Of course, the little bully was not happy with the session, but the bullying did stop. I wish the situation had gone even further into cultivating positive energy. If I had it to do over, I might even invite the other family to my home for dinner, so that the kids could see each other as people outside the pressure cooker of the school environment.
truman
JoinedPosts by truman
-
38
how do you deal with bullies?
by loosie inmy daughter is in 6th grade.. i know from personal experience when i was in jr high that kids can be really mean.
i used to come home crying everyday.
i was told that i was ugly and i would never get married.
-
-
-
35
Home Schooling
by WTWizard init seems that there are a lot of witlesses that opt to home school their children.
i had a family in my former congregation that did that, because the kids did not want to be around worldly people (sounds familiar?).
it also seems that they are speeding things up, so the children can get out there and pioneer that much sooner.
-
-
truman
I would like to add my voice to those who have home schooled their children successfully. I was a JW at the time, but I did not choose home schooling so that my children could pioneer quicker. I did it because I wanted to assume the responsibility for teaching my children instead of turning them over to the state to have that done for me. Another reason in my particular case was my own unhappy memories of school days. Children can be so mean to one another, and I did not want my children to have their spirits crushed by peer cruelty.
I want to answer some of the initial characterizations too. I home schooled in two different states, and in each, parents did not have to abide by any dictates from local school boards to teach according to one pedagogic philosophy or another, i.e., 'fully integrated' or 'disjointed'. Home schoolers operated under individual status as private schools, not under the rules or auspices of public schools.
Additionally, as far as parents giving their children the grades they deserve, I almost never gave my kids grades. They were not necessary. I knew intimately what my sons' levels of performance were in any given subject. I could move the boys ahead if they had mastered a skill or keep them working on it longer if needed. Grades may have some place in certain settings, but overall they are more destructive to the joy of learning than they are constructive or informative.
I did not teach my children from the JW literature. It does not promote the skills one goes to school to learn. I gathered materials that would have also been used in a classroom situation or made my own. On the other hand, neither did I have to teach everything myself. When my boys got to high school level, the local school district had become accepting enough of home schooling that they allowed my kids to attend a daily math class, while we did the rest of their schooling at home.
I agree with Roller Dave that isolating children in large peer groups does not promote natural socialization. I made an effort to see that my kids came into contact with all sorts of people. One result was that people often marvelled at how well the boys got along with and enjoyed the company of adults, something most children shy away from after years of peer immersion.
I will never say that home school is for everybody. It takes a lot of energy, dedication, and work. Some children may do well in it, and others may need the structure of the classroom. To me, the real issue is the freedom to make that choice. Some have seen poor results, but many have had success. It worked for us.
-
13
A Report From the Minneapolis Scientology Protest
by DT ini was curious about the worldwide scientology protests today, so i attended the one in minneapolis.
it was interesting.
it was bitterly cold with subzero temperatures and high winds.
-
-
truman
I am not sure whether the internet war between Scientology and Anonymous--and its real life counterpart, the demonstrations--will bring more public awareness to the dangers of other cults. But I do find the movement intriguing for its de-centralized mode of activity and its empowerment of the individual to act from a self-motivated source yet work in concert with others to accomplish a goal.
-
13
A Report From the Minneapolis Scientology Protest
by DT ini was curious about the worldwide scientology protests today, so i attended the one in minneapolis.
it was interesting.
it was bitterly cold with subzero temperatures and high winds.
-
-
truman
Interesting. I am fascinated by this movement. Did anonymous wear masks or cover their faces? I will be following the news of the events. Maybe next time, even participating.
-
2
Just rewatched "The Truman Show"
by skeeter1 inand drinking a beer.
numb.
so much about this movie was my life as a dub.
-
-
truman
I love The Truman Show. I always cry with joy for myself during the final scene when Truman frees himself from those who would manipulate him for his own (their own) good. Good afternoon, good evening, and good night.
-
30
CORMAC MCCARTHY may well be my favorite writer
by Terry in) never read fiction.. personal reasons.
i use to read a lot of fiction as a teenager, but, gave it up.
i had enough to do rearing 7 kids and having to indulge in life to make the trade-off of time required to keep up with fiction.. now, there has come an author who has stopped me dead in my tracks and changed all that and his name is cormac mccarthy.. he is some kind of genius with quirky style and a bottomless vocabulary and a penchant for storytelling that won't let me escape.. i first heard of mccarthy by reading the literary critic, harold bloom.
-
-
truman
BLOOD MERIDIAN was my first exposure to Cormac McCarthy. I was initially reluctant to read it because I had been told about how violent it was--that and I am not a fan of the "Western" genre. But a group of fellow students and I were trying to coordinate some summer reading, so I plunged in. I am glad I did.
I hope you will enjoy your journey through BM this time. Yes, it is violent, deeply and horribly bloody. It is also a beautiful piece of writing. The book touches on grand ideas and explores the sources of violence in humanity, doing so in a style that makes you pay attention. I do not like violence, but here, the violence serves a purpose. You mention McCarthy's vocabulary, something I too enjoyed. I was also impressed with the way McCarthy weaves his knowledge of geology through that novel. At the time I was taking a geology class, and it was fun to read the geological terms and recognize them.
I have also read THE ROAD and enjoyed that as well.
I have not read NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, nor seen the film. Once again, I am put off by the violence. Perhaps I should trust my previous experiences with McCarthy.
Terry, although I rarely post here, I read the board regularly, and I have seen your posts of your own authorial products. I too have aspirations to write. One of the best things I can do, I believe, to cultivate my own writing is to read great writing and absorb the cadences of the masters of the craft. McCarthy is surely one of these.
-
8
We are Legion - Hackers Post YouTube Video Declaring War on Scientology
by Elsewhere inhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcbkv9yiliq.
"for the good of your followers, for the good of mankind--for the laughs--we shall expel you from the internet and systematically dismantle the church of scientology in its present form.
we acknowledge you as a serious opponent, and we are prepared for a long, long campaign.
-
-
truman
(Having trouble making a post.) Wow, that is intriguing. I wish them well
-
8
We are Legion - Hackers Post YouTube Video Declaring War on Scientology
by Elsewhere inhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcbkv9yiliq.
"for the good of your followers, for the good of mankind--for the laughs--we shall expel you from the internet and systematically dismantle the church of scientology in its present form.
we acknowledge you as a serious opponent, and we are prepared for a long, long campaign.
-
-
-
8
We are Legion - Hackers Post YouTube Video Declaring War on Scientology
by Elsewhere inhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcbkv9yiliq.
"for the good of your followers, for the good of mankind--for the laughs--we shall expel you from the internet and systematically dismantle the church of scientology in its present form.
we acknowledge you as a serious opponent, and we are prepared for a long, long campaign.
-
-
-
6
Full Tom Cruise Scientology Video (38 min)
by mavie ini wonder if jw's would watch this and feel a little creeped out?
http://factnet.org/?p=227 .
another cruise video surfaces .
-
-
truman
Thanks for putting this up. I had already watched the short excerpt, but seeing the whole thing in context was even scarier. The most striking thing about TC is the fact that literally nothing he said, not during the filmed portions nor to the crowd in person, had any substance at all. His manner was that of a glassy-eyed cult member if I ever saw one. I feel sorry for him. It is apparent that he feels the pull of that same treadmill we exjws all rode--the one that keeps turning up the speed. No matter how fast you run, it is never fast enough. I must do more, do more, do more.