Chronicling this journey in terms of weeks is beginning to make me feel like I'm having a baby. Perhaps in 40 weeks a teacher will be born! Well... that's the hope anyway. :)
Week 3: Things are still progressing nicely. I won't lie, there have been a few days where I wasn't
entirely in the mood to teach - but like any job, that would be considered normal. Our days seem to be swept into a nice ebb and flow. We all know what is expected of us and the schedule is falling comfortably into place. Unfortunately, this will soon change as we try to take this show on the road...
One minor problem we encountered was a poor curriculum choice on my part. I'd purchased a reading program for Max (that a friend had recommended) and it became completely evident that it wasn't working for either of us! There are elements of it that I like, but the way it is presented is just plain confusing for a 4 year old and 35 year old alike! So we're abandoning that and just working on sight words for now.
In all I've read about homeschooling, one of the key things is to be aware of what does or does not work and then take the appropriate measures to make it work for
your child. There is no one set way to teach or learn a subject! The important thing is to make it fun and interesting. I could sense that this particular reading curriculum was not creating an interest as much as it was a putting up a roadblock. Lesson learned: pay attention, put the brakes on when necessary and adjust to suit your child's needs.
Week 4: On the road. Ummm... teaching while traveling is not easy. In fact, we've done NO school work at all. I'm going to have to figure this out, as we'll be away for another two weeks. Eek! Thankfully, I believe that travel is one of the greatest learning experiences out there. We saw so many new things this past week while in Canada and with all the walking we did, I'd say we've taken care of at least a years worth of PE! (My calves are still aching...)
Our next journey will be to the American Southwest. My plan is to work our adventures into learning; taking the time to research each place beforehand and presenting science, geology, history, culture, and economy, as we explore it personally and
physically, far away from books and worksheets.
I'm currently reading the book
Last Child in the Woods
, which I'd highly recommend to all parents. The premise (in a nutshell) is that children must reconnect with nature for proper physical and mental development. Frankly, I think this applies to adults, too!
Interestingly, there is a charter school in my hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska that has based their school's philosophy on this book, as well as "Place-Based Education." They combine education and nature with locally relevant curriculum that relates to the land, culture, and environment of Fairbanks, embracing it's unique qualities.
As we travel, I'd like to use this very concept as a teaching tool. I'll be sure to stop along the way and let you know how it's going...
As William Wordsworth said, "Let Nature be your teacher." And I intend to do just that.
