Taeven’s 2015 collage of learning
January has headed us in a new direction, once again, as home learners. Responses to our past experiences in our individual paths has created new choices and ever evolving explorations. My oldest daughter (12), decided to return to home learning after a three month period of being in the classroom, with a renewed sense of what it is to be home schooled.
It was an interesting journey, witnessing and discussing the new environment and learning format that Taeven experienced while in school. She did not dislike being there. Most of the kids in her grade 7/8 class were familiar friends in the community in which we live and play. Her reading and writing ability is strong, so keeping up with assigned work in a larger body of students was not difficult. She enjoyed the opportunities to work with the other kids on learning projects. Her teacher was young and fun and easy to get along with. Taeven knew that any extra help was always available, and she felt no hierarchy in terms of social pressures and competitive academic results. Lovely!
exploring calligraphy
Without any negative influences that can be layered over the simplicity of education, Taeven had the chance to really compare with clarity the new learning situation with her past 7 years of home learning, which was spent mostly in a state of free play, individual direction, and spontaneous exploring. She found that she liked the framework of assignments, but was having a hard time focusing energy into a topic that wasn’t in her interest. She liked constructing essays, for example, but it was so much work when the topic was handed to her rather than of her own choice. Without a goal for her to apply the topic of the essay towards, the assignment became more tedious than interesting. It felt like a really long day at the school without accomplishing any learning in the areas of life that really sparked her spirit. She also found that being inside so much made her always feel sleepy. One day when Taeven was splitting kindling outside with me, she stated, “I feel so alive!” I was a bit surprised by such an enormously simple self-observation, and when I asked what spurred her sentiment, she reflected that, compared to being in the classroom, being outside and active makes her feel alive and happy! And therefor, more ready and eager to soak up her experiences.
Taeven missed our land, missed the forest, missed the beach, missed her little brother, and missed having so much time to just be. She is not a twelve year old looking to be sixteen and head off into social peer world. She wants to be at home with her family, but have opportunities to be with her friends, and play in the forest. There have been things about school that she has asked to bring into our home learning schedule, like a certain spelling/language program, and researching and essay writing assignments. Since our return to home learning in January, we have outlined interests and activities on a mind map, drawn them out in a Venn diagram, and organized ourselves into a loose weekly schedule.
our backyard hill
snorkeling excursion
We head outside in the morning for about half an hour, as often as we can, either hiking up the hill behind our house, bike riding around the closest loop, or testing out our bootcamp style cardio/strength moves. Then we open the grade 7 JUMP math book , do a few pages, move on to a music practice (violin for Taeven, cello or drum for Cedar) and hopefully explore some language arts of any kind before lunch. The afternoons are more random, but usually we are focusing on independent study topics, which for Taeven, are documenting what she sees when we go snorkeling, or researching angora rabbits (which we all want!) discovering permaculture, or writing stories. We also foray into a variety of art projects, which recently have been zen doodling and sketching. She often attends a history class with other home schoolers in our group, and she is pretty excited about Forest School with the Spring Leaves. We split cedar kindling to sell in bundles at a roadside stand as a small business. She does karate twice a week, attends a dance class once a week, and we go to the big island where she swims every friday with the Otters Swim Club. If it works, we also go skating and climbing at an indoor climbing wall. She still wants to learn more about cooking, stained glass, and typing. She still has lots of time and energy to play with Cedar in an infinite amount of ways in which they connect.
Taeven’s zen doodle
Taeven’s time in school was a great way to clarify what direction she would like to take with her life learning experiences. We discussed how a classroom format may be something she will encounter as she continues, either as high school, or as college, or university. She may want to pursue an interest that takes her into a classroom in order for her to attain certain skills and knowledge. She may need to be inside a whole bunch taking biology classes so that she can get outside and be a marine biologist. Keeping those educational roads open is important when a passionate goal is being followed.
However, Taeven’s passionate goal right now is being happy! I think that is so wonderful, and I hope to support her in this time of being herself as a happy, joyful, and exploring spirit.
Inspirational Village 