Learning at Home (and Elsewhere)
Background & vision.
I was once the person that laughed and made fun of a homeschooler (my husband). I wish I could remember what he had been doing that prompted me to call him a “homeschooler”, but I blurted it out nonetheless and I think it actually struck up a friendship between the two of us. Years later, I find myself trying out homeschool techniques, going to homeschooling conferences (Wild & Free), and soaking up all the beautiful information in numerous books, blogs, and podcasts.
I have entertained the idea of home educating my children many years before they were born. I do believe it has a lot to do with being a life long learner myself. I was the type of young girl with my head in a book 24/7 and when I got older I was the one artistically drawing diagrams of the nephrons of the kidneys in my anatomy classes. Weaving a love of art into learning as a way to grasp concepts better. As my family has evolved and grown and I’ve pieced together my identity as a mother, I’ve learned more about the vision I have for our family. Education for my sons is one of those important pieces.
Education as a privilege.
The other afternoon my son Nicolas was getting frustrated with handwriting. We were putting a sentence into his nature journal about the wolf spider he had drawn. He wanted to erase and rewrite his lowercase “e” for the third time and I told him to take a break. My husband came to sit with us sensing the frustration in both of our bodies. As my husband aided to calm my perfectionistic child, I overheard their conversation on education. I don’t know if it changed my son’s perspective, but I learned something that day. Just as staying at home with my boys is a gift for me in this year, learning is also a gift. Not everyone in this world is afforded an education, and I know not everyone can support a lifestyle that allows a parent to stay home to educate. Being able to choose how our children are educated - that’s a privilege.
It is difficult to discuss the way anyone would choose to educate their children without first understanding each family members temperament just as you witnessed in the above story. The culture and vision of home life must also be evaluated. Some parents are more relaxed and some tend to worry. Some need the structure of curriculums and others prefer to make decisions based on impulse. None of us can be all or do it all, nor do we need to. In this blog, I am merely showing you one way, one perspective, but there are so many ways to approach education. I do no presume to feel that one is better or worse than the other. I imagine as life takes its twists and turns, the way we choose to educate our children may also morph and mature.
A note on curricula.
The word homeschooling to me is quite deceiving. I have come to realize true homeschooling is not a re-creation of the classroom setting at home. It is not simply doing school work at home. For our family, I look at home education as more an extension of our parenting. Especially in the early years when we are working together to form good habits daily with our children. Simple things like learning to share, cleaning up our messes, and using manners all contribute to learning at home in the early years. I believe that is why I am so drawn to Maria Montessori’s hands on approach to learning. As we celebrate the seasons in whatever cultural context we promote the handwork and arts of Rudolf Steiner and his Waldorf philosophy help me anchor our family with seasonal traditions. Being a life long learner begins with studying my child. I learned very early on that my son was not wired for worksheets but loved to read. And I believe that all subjects can be brought to life through good books. I believe that is the hallmark and strength of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy. Each day we learn so much together and it is helpful for me to glean from each of these curricula the things that work for us.
If you’re still reading, thank you! I’ll leave you with this.
I don’t know if I will be able to homeschool my boys. I don’t know what will happen in a few months or in our next year. I am not against a public school education nor am I upset for how I was educated when I grew up. I do believe there are so many different ways to provide education to our children. Especially now, as we’ve been in isolation for a good many months of this year, and everyone has had to grow, adapt, and become stronger, haven’t we all questioned our lives, our dreams, and maybe shifted to be more intentional about making those ideas come to life for our families? This story, this is us.
