Real Learning

Since my oldest daughter was just a tiny baby, I've always been attracted to the idea of homeschooling. As a college student, I spent a summer living with a Catholic, homeschooling family while I interned at a nearby museum.  That was really my first "up close" look at homeschooling with regular, every-day, normal people....they listened to country music (which at the time, I loved.), they wore regular clothes (no denim jumpers ;)), and their children were just normal kids (not super genius' nor special needs).  The lifestyle greatly attracted me.

Therefore, when my oldest hit three or so, and all the other playgroup mommies were looking at preschools, we opted to stay home.  The idea of dropping a little 3-yo (who was barely out of diapers and still not even weaned) off to hang out with a teacher and bunch of other 3-yo's just didn't appeal to me.    Then she turned 4...and we continued to opt out of preschool.  By the time she was officially "school-age"   (and yes,by then she had been weaned for some time) I felt we were firmly entrenched in the "homeschooling world".

Over the years, I've learned that homeschooling is not about "keeping my children out of school".  It's not about avoiding  "those horrible public schools" with all the horror stories you hear. For our family, homeschooling is a continuation of attachment parenting.  It is about listening to our children and their needs, letting them learn at their own pace, free from worries about bullies and the teasing of other kids (ok, so I guess there are parts of school we want to "protect' our children from).  It's about choosing to still be intricately involved in their education. It's about doing what works for each child, even if that means finding something new for child number two.  While we aren't unschoolers, we aren't strict "school-at-home" types, often choosing to follow the irresistible calling of a warm, sunny, spring day or dropping everything for impromtu playdates.

Education is about much more than books and sometimes the best lessons learned happen without being planned.  I love the freedom that homeschooling gives our days, we aren't tied to school schedules or time-lines. We have freedom and time to puruse different interests and acitvites....learning things like ice skating and tennis, theatre and music and dance.   It is having the chance to observe snakes on hikes or writing stories on rainy afternoons   And, the socialization is the best kind there is, with people of all different ages, children of different ages and families who share our values.  Contrary to popular belief, I'm quite sure our children have more friends than they ever would in school. However, the family is still the core of our lives.  Sisters become the very best of friends and it is heart-warming to see an 8-yo teaching her little 5-yo sister how to read.

Not to say that everyhing is sunshine and roses, my house is always messy, and there are days I yell way too much and want nothing more than to drop everyone off for seven hours.  However, when it all comes down to it, we would choose real-learning at home, every time.  I feel that my years of education taught me nothing more than to pursue that 'A', to please teachers, turn my homework in on time, be quiet and obedient and follow the rules.   That is not what I want to teach my children. I want my children to learn that the sole purpose of education is not to get an A or please a teacher that you won't see again once the school year is over.

By bells and many other similar techniques they (schools) teach that nothing is worth finishing. The gross error of this is progressive: if nothing is worth finishing then by extension nothing is worth starting either. Few children are so thick-skulled they miss the point. - John Taylor Gatto
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Education is the period during which you are being instructed by somebody you do not know, about something you do not want to know. - G k Chesterton