I came across this wonderful article about homeschooling/unschooling by Amy Milstein on UnschoolingNYC that I simply had to share with everyone. In the article, Miss Milstein compares learning to a river:
We are learning for life, not for a test. There is no prize for being first; there isn’t even a finish line. There is only knowledge like an endless river where the water runs fast in some spots and lazes along in others; where objects are picked up and carried for a while and then let go to find their place along the shore; where snags and sandbars can impede progress until the water finds its way around them or rises over them. The life learning journey and destination are all of a part, just as when the river reaches and becomes one with the sea.
It was a wonderful reminder to me, at the beginning of another school year, to relax and go with the flow. I don't need to sign up for every class or fill our days with as many "teachable" moments as possible. My son is not going to suffer endlessly if he doesn't master handwriting in the next year, nor is my daughter going to be ruined if she misses a class so she can play awhile longer. It's okay to set adrift sometimes; to see where the current takes you. Life and learning are one and the same.
Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted on here! Summer is just far too ridiculously busy - especially in Wisconsin, where you have to cram every possible activity into this 3 month period because it's our only shot at decent weather.
Anyway, I'm excited to get back to our "real" school year and excited to share this really cool video with all of you that sums up so much of what I think about the world. I particularly love the part where he talks about school:
"One of the things I talk about is the sense of 'wrongness' that I had as a child. I think most kids have some sense of it, that it's not supposed to be this way. For example, that you're not supposed to actually hate Monday, and be happy when you don't have to go to school. School should be something you love - life should be something you love."
That was a profound realization in homeschooling for me - that learning and life ought to be one and the same, and that if it feels wrong, it probably is wrong. What's really great is that my kids can't wait for our school to start, either - especially our co-op, which we love - and that tells me that we're on the right track. I'll be teaching the 8 & 9 year olds this year, so there will be curriculum coming your way soon.
