Mt. Pleasant Classical Academy

ScienceKid and his partner spent a few hours today with Dr. John Madsen at University of DE discussing Rocks & Minerals. Last week I called the museum to see if they had someone to answer the boys questions when they visited the Mineralogy Museum in preparation for their Rocks & Minerals event at NSO, and thus this meeting was set up. What a gift we received!

As SK said — Dr Madsen was AWESOME. Question after question was answered, questions from Dr. Madsen came too as he made sure the boys were clear on their understanding. Sorosilicates, Nesosilicates, phyllosilicates,…all became clear to them. Igneous rock samples were named and carefully categorized by Dr. Madsen as he shared their past that changed magma to the rock in front of the boys. The boys were totally attentive and as they discussed all these rocks and minerals, I sat marveling at how this man was giving these boys his undivided attention. But as I watched the interaction I also had that wonderful reassurance come over me that SK will find his place in this world once he is in college, once he is around other intellectuals who enjoy discussing science topics in-depth, and around others who think about other things then the latest pop-song or Star Trek comic book that’s come out on the market. He will find others who are like him, passionate about science and able to challenge him intellectually.

But it isn’t the only time this has happened this week. Thursday afternoon we visited a local high school and spent a couple hours with a high school Biology teacher. Our SO coaches DH set up the meeting for SK to review heredity topics with Mr. Gross. Again SK attentively discussed heredity with this teacher but this time I wondered whether I was doing a disservice to SK. Perhaps he should be in school where he would have teachers fluent in their subject matter because they are teaching it year after year after year. No doubt this man, and probable most science teachers do know their material inside and out since they teach it year after year, which is not my situation. As a homeschooler I teach one subject for one year before we jump to some new science subject the following year. I learn with the kids, and while some of the material is old-hat for me, there are parts that are new and I’m sure that if I taught the subject year after year, I too would become very well verse in the topic. But that isn’t the case like it is for the PS teacher I listened to on Thursday as he discussed Mitosis and Meiosis with SK. Heck, before this year began I had no idea what either of those words meant. So as we left the PS I said to SK that I was sorry, that perhaps he would be better off in PS where he could have a Biology teacher like Mr. Gross instead of his inept mom trying to teach him Biology.

He was sweet. He did not agree with me, and told me that that wasn’t the case at all, and that I wasn’t doing him a disservice. I promised him though that if I could find a class for him to attend that I would or have him go to our local CC next year for science.  Giving ones time; I hope you too can find others who will give of their time.  I know it enriched SK’s education this week.