Our Journey to Free-Range Learning

I need to plan for school. As the curriculum specialist...that's kinda my job.

I haven't made any decisions yet.

School starts August 1.

That's like 2 weeks.

This is where panic sets in...

                                             ...and then I take a deep breath.

And I stop. I refuse to panic.

I pray and remember that God is not the author of confusion.

He has given me a plan and I know it. I see it in how the boys move through their day.

I see how they are bent.

I see that Scar prefers to do and observe and record and analyze and draw and create and be there with what he is learning. He LOVES animals and the outdoors. He wants to collect crawdads and measure them and make graphs and research how to tell the males from the females.

I see that Skipper likes book. He wants to read about everything. He want to have his hands on a book and loves the sound of the book spine cracking when it is first opened. He wants to read about Word War 2 and space exploration and early settlers and the Constitution.

I see that Scrappy is a goer and a mover. We likes the book work, but also like the balance of getting messy and creating and drawing. He want to read about Knights and draw knights and write letters to the Queen of England and make dragons and castles out of Legos.

I see that Skeeter is all about the joy. He is a 1st grader -based on the info that our state likes to have- but he is still so early in his learning journey. He still loves all of it. I am still watching for his bend. and I have not doubt it will me made plain to me.

I watch them. I listen to them. I make notes about what I see.

So, this year we will embark on a different learning journey. I will stress less and we will learn more. I will pray more and they will grow more. I will relax more and they will too. I will make learning part of our life. I will make it part of our daily living. I will seek every opportunity to learn myself.

This isn't the homeschool path we started 20 kabillion years ago-okay really 8years ago. We have been a by the textbook, please sit inside the box homeschool family. And there is nothing wrong with that. But I think that it isn't what works best for us. Someone  tried to stick a leg out and I am trying to stuff it back in. An arm pokes out over here and I'm stuffing it back in. A head pops up and I want that boy to just do what I said and sit. in. that. box!!!

WHY?

Cause honestly, I'm afraid of what you might think of me or my kids or homeschooling in general.
I'm worried more about what you think than doing what I think is right for my kids.

I'm afraid.

And how's that worked for me? Frankly, it hasn't.

We are not a stuffed in a box family. Never have been-regardless of my trying- and we never will be.

And I am realizing that we can be just fine as free-range learners.

And I can be ok if you don't like me.

Or the way we educate or kids.

I can be ok.

I will be ok and so will the boys.


                                           So here's to a year of free-range learning!

The boys helping their cousin and his research team collect and record data on the different fish that were found in a nearby creek.