We began the adventure with a conscious effort to find community in like-minded families. I attended a monthly support group called SKIP (starting kindergarden in partnership) It was a group that paired "seasoned" homeschool moms with just starting out, thinking about it, moms. I gleaned much from those meetings and discovered that each household had it's own way of doing things and they all went through a journey of discovery and change, finding what worked best for them, their children and individual lifestyle choices. Meaning there was no RIGHT way to do school from home.
We joined a swim and gym group and developed relationships there that led to science clubs, planned field trips and twice a month co-op learning opportunities. While at the Y, mom's shared ideas, book suggestions, recipes, frustrations, encouragement, adult conversation...
In addition to physical relationships, I have explored so many websites, blogs and books that offer curriculum, philosophies and advice covering the many facets of whole education for children. Gleaning ideas that resonate in my heart for my family. Adapting many different styles and curriculum to suit our natural cycles and interests, and switching midstream when thing cease to work or don't hold our attention. Some of that has made me confused and discouraged, feeling inadequate to complete a plan. Other times I have been able to step back from a failed idea and see that my expectations may have been too lofty or out of context for the age of my learners. Or that I am pushing my own agenda or a perceived agenda from others because of a need to prove what we are doing to the outside general public. Or that this just doesn't work for us and that's OKAY.
The key, I think, is to believe in what we are doing, to re-define it continuously for ourselves, being open to the evolution of learning. To always explore.
This blog is about that exploration.
-My own rants about the joys and hardships of constant companionship with the boys.
-The ideas that I am reading about. Book reviews or suggested reading, as well as links to blogs that inspire me.
-The challenges I come across that change how I view the "truths" I take for granted.
-The learning opportunities that get me jazzed, and re-enforce "this is why we do it".
-The inspiring people all around me.
-The dry spells and the harvest that define us as "School, if you want to call it that."
-A journal of how we do it now and how we will do it later, maybe you will find something that will work for you here, or maybe you will disagree with our process...
In any case this is how we do it. Where ever we are.
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