Field Experience

     Working for a small business as an extension of entrepreneurship education is one of the most fulfilling projects both kids enjoy experiencing.

    Digging deep into entrepreneurship and finance this past January led to so many insights and open doors.  Lively discussions on what is important in running a business as well as the pitfalls and risks that an entrepreneur takes ensue daily.  The learning that occurs through running a small business which I have wrote about before is huge.  Even more eye opening is the experience of being part of a small business operation after studying entrepreneurship. Each of my children participate as employees in family owned and run companies.  

    GM works as a private preschool assistant a couple days a week.  This experience after studying entrepreneurship helps her understand the work her employer must do as far as filing taxes, communicating with parents, maintaining boundaries, and marketing for new students.  Fortunately, she has the opportunity to observe as well as discuss these pieces of business with her boss.

    H holds a position with a lawn service company as well as a business that offers auction services.  Each are run by a parent-child team so the observations are interesting and comparable.  As a constant observer of details, H distinguishes the similarities and differences each team operates on.  Noticing the same aspects as his sister as well as work ethic from other employees his time traveling to job sites allows for candid conversations with the owners.  

    While an outsider may view these kids as "just" working, experiential learning that impossible to duplicate in the classroom is underway.  Each approach their job with a sense of pride and ownership as well as an opportunity to learn new skills and understandings of business during their time working. 

Unconditionally

 I accept and love my family unconditionally.  

The best advice I received as a new parent was to love the kids I have not the kids I desired.  I am blessed with strong-willed, determined, passionate kids who are now teens.  These two are world changers. 

Over and over God has reminded me He created them to be the way they are.  My responsibility is to live them unconditionally and not to crush their spirit.  I am here to nurture their innate drive and guide them along their individual path continuing to point them to Jesus and His grace. 

Sewing and Living Math

 I can be a little over the top when it comes to application of math.  I left school with good grades in math, but little ability to apply math skills in real life situations.  My goal from the beginning of our homeschool journey has been and continues to be for both my kids to understand math concepts, learn math skills, and be able to use those concepts and skills in everyday problems and settings.

This is exactly what GM did as she worked to create first a custom pattern for her half circle skirt, figure the amount of material and supplies needed, then measure as well as sew the skirt.  

Her work, attention to detail, and precision paid off in a perfect skirt with pockets she is proud to wear.  Taking the time for teens to bring "academic skills" into their exploration of passions pays off in BIG WINS each time.   

As always, this is what authentic learning looks like in real life.  It is not fast as this skirt took hours, multiple trips to the fabric store, and rewatching of a few tutorials, but it is learning everyone will remember.  

 

Reprioritizing

 

Reprioritizing means to list or rate (projects, goals, etc.) in order of priority again.  Every so often this needs to happen.  As I now have 2 teenagers in my home, I feel the tug to evaluate my priorities.  Yet when I do this, I find I still have 3 main areas of significant importance.  

Self-care.  Yes, this word is over used today and it is loosing its true meaning.  For me, self-care as an introvert and empath means taking time alone for my self daily.  Correct, the daily part is critical to my wellbeing.  This real-life application looks like waking up early (5am) to run, practice yoga, workout, read my bible, pray, journal, plan the day ahead.  I am surprised at how calmed I am by this simple routine I use as a staple to start my day.  Recently, I added strict guidelines instead of just trying to get up an hour or 2 before everyone else.  With teens who want to chat late into the night this can be a struggle.  My remedy is finding time for a nap.

Family.  The connection I strive to foster in our home is the glue that holds my life together.  When this is broken, damaged, or just strained, I feel it deeply.  Maintaining one-on-one time daily, stopping for chats, meeting needs, providing experiences and finding items is the day to day acts that build our connection.  It goes without saying meals, games, supplies, and adventures are key features to this bond.  The stakes are raised with detailed conversations about relationships and ideals with older kids.  As well as bigger adventures with larger price tags that can be stressful. Prayer and breathing are my coping mechanisms for this. 

Homeschooling/Unschooling.  Basically education is my life's work.  Accessing, monitoring, observing, learning, creating opportunities, understanding needs and requirements are the constants in mind.  This now means aiding my kids in building their individual businesses.  I am happy to be the one holding this space, but is the most overwhelming of my priorities.  Knowing that I chose to experiment with education in my home and am beginning to see the results approaching is daunting as well as rewarding.  

Yes, it is best to step back every once in a while to reevaluate and reprioritize even if you are not making ing major changes.  

Forced Learning

 Worry weighs a person down, an encouraging word cheers a person up.  -Proverbs 12:25

Forced learning is not passion fueled, exciting pursuit to know and understand.  Forced learning is for someone else's benefit.  Joy, engagement, and interests spurs actual learning.  Each of us has experienced this.  (Some more than others.)  Just think about the last topic you were excited to learn more about recently.  This is where we become individuals instead of a conformed group.  Pause today and allow experiential, authentic learning to take over your homeschool, your life, your mindset. 

Alice in Wonderland Themed Murder Mystery Birthday

 What do a 13th year old birthday party and authentic learning have in common? 

A lot when you stumble up on an idea and develop it to capture all your passions and interests to form a fun celebration of turning 13.  Which is exactly what my daughter did recently.  

Today, I want to explore all the authentic learning that took place with the creation of this one event for 2 reasons.  First, because I love dissecting learning.  Second, in the past couple of months I have experienced many inquiries into unschooling and what that looks like in the day to day.  While as I have said several times, there is no average day, I believe a glimpse into how diving into one fantastical idea reveals how unschooling works for us.  

A couple months before her birthday, GM came to me with the idea of a murder mystery birthday party.  She LOVES to plan events and create, so I knew this was a path we must investigate.  Of course, I had seen pictures of friends and older kids having these types of parties but I was unfamiliar with the format.  I reached out to a friend for advice on how to begin planning one.  She pointed us to Etsy where you can buy a PDF with all the things needed.  So I sent GM to research and find what she could discover with the stipulation that we would need to set a budget for this party.  Not a problem.  She got right to work.  

Excitement filled our house when she uncovered a murder mystery party packet with an Alice in Wonderland theme.  GM loves fairytales (real not Disney) and stories so this was a perfect fit as it was designed for 14 and up participants.  Once this was purchased the wheels began turning.  She spent an entire weekend downloading and printing all the pieces she needed from the packet.  Hand scripting the printed invitations, addressing envelopes correctly, texting friends a month in advance to check availability, then communicating with friends to secure their choice of character about a month out from the day of the event.   Pause here to look at the learning taking place:  research, budgeting, communication, handwriting, spelling, planning, computer skills.

The next weekend, we spent time finding her outfit as this was a costume party.  Trying on at least 50 dresses, she finally settled on one that was perfect although we were unsure of its fit since this particular store did not allow the fitting room to be open.  (Thanks C-19).  More budgeting was factored in as we bought the dress and began to gather supplies for the party.   Another aspect of learning that took place is navigating as I had her locate and create directions to the stores we visited.    

The next week, we met for coffee where we mind-mapped the parts to the party.  This included the things that had been covered and those that still needed to be addressed.  Here she was able to set goals and express desires for things like a 12 cup tea set as well as menu adjustments.  

Down to the last week before the party, she had 2 guests back out from attending.  Facing a set back she rose to the challenge as I helped her problem solve what course of action to take next.  She ended up inviting 3 friends she had met over the past month and accommodating for an extra player.  Scrambling to get the invitations to them, have them choose their characters, as well as gather the food and last minute supplies, she worked well under a deadline.  Pause again to visit the learning: communication, goal setting, problem solving, budgeting, navigation, time management, writing. 

Now the day of the event was stressful.   With the menu set, she began cooking the 4 course meal that would be served.  Doubling and tripling the recipes to accommodate for the number of guests she would serve was an easy feat as GM has been baking for years and years.  She researched to find proper way to set the table for the meal and tea.  Then created the table and set up the decorations for the event.  

As guests arrived, she introduced them to each other as these were friends who may or may not have met before.  Everyone was pleasant and excited to participate in the party.  Reading through the rules and "acting" out the scenes kept everyone engaged.  All the girls (ages 12-15) were surprised when the 3 hour party and mystery came to an end.  An amazing time was had by everyone.  

Last time pause to look at the learning:  social communication, attention to detail, engagement, knowledge of event, math, reading, research. The best was GM found a way to tie her love of event planning, fairy tale stories, formal dress up, cooking, baking, and creating together for her friends and herself.  The awareness she possesses of herself and her preferences is beyond her 13 years.  

Water

 She is water

Soft enough to offer life

Tough enough drown it

-Rupi Kaur

Basically, be kind but remain strong.  

Experiential Learning

 

Experiential learning is my new lens for how we are homeschooling.  Borrowing on the unschooling philosophy of letting interest lead your learning, but adding the intentional hands-on approach of project learning to the mix is my goal for 2021.  

Both my 15 year old son and 13 (well almost 13) year old daughter are fully invested in experiential learning.  What does that mean?  

Well, for them it means running their own businesses focused on interests and services needed in our community.  With this businesses experience, we are reading business books, maintaining spreadsheets for costs and income, creating marketing ads, negotiating with clients, developing websites, setting prices.  Notice I say we.  This is because I am invested in helping them navigate these murky waters that many adults feel are intimidating.  

What an amazing opportunity to be learning by doing.  What a blessing they are not stuck in an old system of learning.  Instead they are each living, learning, creating, collaborating, and discussing within our family but also within our community (the real world).  How naturally they are drawn to the things that are important and key to their lives.  In turn flourishing into the individuals that God designed them to be.  Which fortunately allows each time and space to know themselves, their preferences, their desires, their likes and dislikes.  

I am thrilled to be the one on this path with them.  

Authentic

When you are open and honest about your life and pursuits things have a way of working out. My eyes have been opened to this recently and looking back at the past year, no matter how tough it was, there was so many silver linings to living authentically.  

My daughter who is a creative at heart, loves making any and everything.  Her Christmas gifts included baking tools, dress form with pattern paper and pins, specialty nail polish, monthly makeup subscription, as well as a monthly maker crate of crafts.  After mentioning her desire to begin sewing more and creating patterns in a yoga class, a couple ladies approached me.  One was a retired home economics teacher and the other a retired pattern designer.  Both expressed a desire to help her if she needed anything on her journey in sewing.  Then a couple nights ago, one of the ladies brought her 2 pattern and design books.  She was over the moon excited.  

My son had such a similar experience.  He and his fishing partner won the state bass fishing championship which qualifies them to compete at the national competition in the summer of 2021.  Wanting to earn money for the expenses, he offer to help families in the community with yard work and dump runs   Seeing his post, some nearby family friends offered to have him help with lawn work which kept him busy 1-3 days a week learning skills not only in lawn care, but communicating with others, and developing a strong work ethic.  Families in our community were also quick to request his dump run service, thus supporting his endeavors.  

These are just two examples of the heartwarming responses our family received by being authentic and open to others in our daily lives.  

What a great life.  Remember to sit back, enjoy some coffee as you ponder the blessings that have come into your life as you truly live.