diving in/confessions of a homeschool mom
Diving in...to posting on Livejournal after a haitus. My daughter blogs here more faithfully than I do. It seems like a bit of a ghost town over here!
Diving in...on homeschooling. Maybe it's this season of the year where we have just a matter of weeks left and everyone is burnt out. I'm tired of fighting my kids (mostly the youngers) to accomplish all the things on our to do list for the day. Tired of being so 'controlling'(not an attractive word). Ready to be free.
I've toyed for months and probably years, really, of jumping full-on on to the 'unschooling' bus. It seems so carefree, peaceful, colorful...student-led schooling, letting your kids pursue their interests and learn something in the process. Theoretically learning so much more because they're studying something they're interested in rather than getting their daily dose of lessons spoon fed (or shoved down their throats) by mom.
Mom is weary. Eight years on the 'school-at-home' bus and I'm ready for change.
So the past two weeks I've taken baby steps toward unschooling. The first week, I wrote out a list of the plans I would have written out for the week, but allowed my kids to choose what they wanted to do. Still some argument and conflict. I'm still holding tightly to the framework of what I want them to accomplish. And had to strongly encourage them to pick up some the subjects that aren't their favorite. Like I said, baby steps.
This week, Monday, Rebecca went to babysit a friend's daughter (a mom's helper deal). I spread out all our homeschool books - some on the coffee table, a reading nook made of comforters in the living room, and art study with sketchbooks at the kitchen table (art supplies a short distance away). Everything out where they can see it and have the freedom to choose what they wanted to do. This week was a little more peaceful - Sam and Zoe both chose something fairly quickly and we all were working quietly at the table for a time. Zoe even chose to read of her own will. A few more baby steps.
Today, Tuesday, once again an adjustment with Rebecca with us from the start of the day. But she dug into her work right away. The others chose a couple subjects on their own with brief breaks outside. I 'strongly encouraged' them to do social studies reading and science activities today. Most everything else was their choice. It's coming a little easier, the freedom to choose.
Some lessons I am learning: It's a huge weight off. Less tug of war. Which is good for my health and sanity. My kids are still accomplishing things (and that doesn't involve a steady flow of video games on smart phones/ipads/wii or watching movies and kids' shows all day). I want to trust my kids and work more alongside them, as partners in life. I enjoy it when I feel like we're on the same team, learning things together, doing life together. More baby steps necessary.
In my most idealistic version of homeschooling, I encourage my kids to pursue their interests - provide opportunities for them to learn and grow; facilitate their learning, not forcing and prodding them into learning. Where does faith fit into the equation? I would theorize that unschooling could be a more spirit-led life - if we're asking God each what he wants us to learn each day. Maybe those things we're driven to learn about or do are things that He's put there in the first place. Following those inclinations may lead us into deeper, richer, fuller life learning the things He wants us to learn.
(so many more thoughts to record, hardly scratched the surface)
Diving in...on homeschooling. Maybe it's this season of the year where we have just a matter of weeks left and everyone is burnt out. I'm tired of fighting my kids (mostly the youngers) to accomplish all the things on our to do list for the day. Tired of being so 'controlling'(not an attractive word). Ready to be free.
I've toyed for months and probably years, really, of jumping full-on on to the 'unschooling' bus. It seems so carefree, peaceful, colorful...student-led schooling, letting your kids pursue their interests and learn something in the process. Theoretically learning so much more because they're studying something they're interested in rather than getting their daily dose of lessons spoon fed (or shoved down their throats) by mom.
Mom is weary. Eight years on the 'school-at-home' bus and I'm ready for change.
So the past two weeks I've taken baby steps toward unschooling. The first week, I wrote out a list of the plans I would have written out for the week, but allowed my kids to choose what they wanted to do. Still some argument and conflict. I'm still holding tightly to the framework of what I want them to accomplish. And had to strongly encourage them to pick up some the subjects that aren't their favorite. Like I said, baby steps.
This week, Monday, Rebecca went to babysit a friend's daughter (a mom's helper deal). I spread out all our homeschool books - some on the coffee table, a reading nook made of comforters in the living room, and art study with sketchbooks at the kitchen table (art supplies a short distance away). Everything out where they can see it and have the freedom to choose what they wanted to do. This week was a little more peaceful - Sam and Zoe both chose something fairly quickly and we all were working quietly at the table for a time. Zoe even chose to read of her own will. A few more baby steps.
Today, Tuesday, once again an adjustment with Rebecca with us from the start of the day. But she dug into her work right away. The others chose a couple subjects on their own with brief breaks outside. I 'strongly encouraged' them to do social studies reading and science activities today. Most everything else was their choice. It's coming a little easier, the freedom to choose.
Some lessons I am learning: It's a huge weight off. Less tug of war. Which is good for my health and sanity. My kids are still accomplishing things (and that doesn't involve a steady flow of video games on smart phones/ipads/wii or watching movies and kids' shows all day). I want to trust my kids and work more alongside them, as partners in life. I enjoy it when I feel like we're on the same team, learning things together, doing life together. More baby steps necessary.
In my most idealistic version of homeschooling, I encourage my kids to pursue their interests - provide opportunities for them to learn and grow; facilitate their learning, not forcing and prodding them into learning. Where does faith fit into the equation? I would theorize that unschooling could be a more spirit-led life - if we're asking God each what he wants us to learn each day. Maybe those things we're driven to learn about or do are things that He's put there in the first place. Following those inclinations may lead us into deeper, richer, fuller life learning the things He wants us to learn.
(so many more thoughts to record, hardly scratched the surface)