My cup of tea

We began our journey of at home education this week. It isn’t totally ‘homeschooling’, as Chloe is enrolled in online public school. But we are all together and so far enjoying this new adventure!

While Chloe learns how to use a Chromebook and introduces herself to her teachers and peers online, Clay and Clare are pursuing an interest-based learning experience.

That means that they are choosing topics to learn about that intrigue them. Sure, it could devolve into watching YouTube videos all day… but with a little bit of planning and structure, they have learned quickly how to enjoy the process of research.

My main goal of using interest based learning is that my kids rediscover a love of learning. School work can get tedious, and I have seen many children become overwhelmed to the point of losing that love. Remember the joy of the first day of kindergarten? On the first day of first grade it was still there, but maybe a bit muted. For some, that love of learning is already gone at this young age. Especially children with learning differences. ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and many more make traditional learning more like a job. To be honest, our society has made learning into a job. As a teacher I am guilty of voicing that comparison to my students. Education *absolutely* is the primary role for children, but it doesn’t have to be a ‘job’.

Today’s thought: how many notebooks do you suppose a student fills with random answers by the time they graduate from high school? And of all of those notebooks, could a student open one up, and know what any given page is about?

I actually really like the curriculum that my children have always used. It is challenging, interesting, and most importantly, faith-based. But, the truth is, they didn’t like it. And if they don’t enjoy what they are doing, they aren’t remembering much of it. And I just don’t see the point of that any more.

What I have seen is glimpses of brilliance in my children. Glimpses that are fleeting because of other more pressing ‘school work’. Beautiful conversations open up when there is time to examine the world around us, but when we are struggling to finish the required work from the day the only question that is asked is, “why do we have to do this?”

So, yeah, why do we have to do this? There has to be a better way.