we homeschoolers
Sunday, July 27, 2008 at 07:45AM
She delightedly said something to the tune of “this is how we homeschoolers do things!”
Of course, in truth, the homeschooling community is as diverse as America itself. There are many, many different ways to homeschool. “We homeschoolers” can’t be pigeon-holed.
The gleeful mom’s mile-long curriculum list made me smile. It reminded me of my diaper bag evolution. When my first son was born, I really would have been most comfortable if I’d had a diaper bag big enough to fit around the entire house so I could bring along absolutely anything I might need in case of emergency. By the time my second son was born, I could just stuff a disposable diaper in my pocket and grab my car keys.
That’s not to say that every homeschooler is evolving toward unschooling (certainly not true!), but “we homeschoolers” do get more confident as we go along, no matter what methods and approaches we use. We trust ourselves and the process more, because you can’t help but be amazed by how much the kids themselves bring to the table, regardless of the materials we’ve gathered. Not to mention how much learning is just sitting outside the front door, waiting to be discovered.
I’ll be stuffing a field guide, a notebook, and a magnifying glass in my back pocket as we head out the door this fall. Because “we homeschoolers” know it’s an amazing world out there, chock-full of possibilities.
Reader Comments (19)
Between the internet, the local library, and the world around us who needs more?
AmyDe
YAY x ∞
dude, i got way too lazy, cheap and tired trying to dutifully follow what i thought was The One True Way of h.s.
martyr mom? 0 dollars.
happy mom trusting her kids and her instincts? PRICELESS.
(lol over the diaper bag evolution. or perhaps... revolution?? when my first was born Those Bags were hideous mint green things covered with teddy bears and doled out for free by the formula companies. one look at those and i immediately traded in my teeny pre-kid purse for a slightly larger bright purple camo sportsac fully capable of carrying a diaper, 6 wipes in a ziploc and an ungodly amount of cheerios. i left a trail of the suckers wherever i went.)
so proud of you, you poster you.
xoxo
And whhat an encouraging post about homeschooling. I wish everyone who is so discouraged in those first few months of schooling would read this, and realize that once you get over the "hump" it only gets better.
Glad you're posting again. We've missed ya!
Ah yes... if I only had a dollar back on each tried and chucked curriculum that I thought would be the be all end all answer for my kids. If I could get back all those hours upon hours that I spent planning out calendars and lists that got sidelined when we took off down our (so much more interesting) bunny trails.
I guess it's just a road you have to travel down before you find your own path.
Much love to you, mama!
did a post or link of yours send me off to buy (ages ago) the book about raising calm and compassionate children? I am finally getting around to reading it and am enjoying it so much. And am heartened by the fact that so many of the suggestions in the books are things we do already. whew!
Mwwwwah!
homeschooling is just one of those things (like raising kids?) that you always think you have a good handle on (*especially* right before you start!) and even as you're revising your old opinions, you *still* think you have a great handle on it -- you know, *now*. ;^) i just console myself with the thought that i am teaching my sons - daily - that it's most important to jump in with a good attitude, interesting experiences trump perfection, and if you aren't making mistakes you must not be accomplishing much. that's my story, and i'm sticking with it.
just kidding. ;^)
i agree completely - overscheduling doesn't leave time for following those leads - that's pretty much my problem with regular school! and we have evolved in the same direction. :^)
i'm going to check out that book!
Thanks for setting the record straight. :)
deanna, i don't keep everything, because that would be impossible. one thing i do is put a high value on continuing to work on a single project — discussing it, adding to it, improving it, etc. that keeps down the "one giant thing per day" problem. we have shelves for displaying things, and i put some things in their play area. once they are completely "done" with something and don't use it in their dramatic play anymore, i can photograph it for posterity and then discreetly remove it. i'm very careful, however, to keep it offstage for awhile before it's gone for good — sometimes they notice it's missing and want it back! ;^)