Virtual Learning

 

While many kids in the world are moving to education virtually using zoom or another platform, we need to remember to not let that become all consuming.  Not all learning can me measured and seen.  Long walks in nature with discussions on current events, sit-down book chats over coffee, building, baking, creating, hands-on problem solving experiences must remain the central focus as this engagement fosters true learning!  

Authentic Writing

I know I have wrote on this before but sometimes I am just astounded at the creative endeavors my kids will work on, discover, and bring to fruition without any prodding from myself or other outside sources. 

This past year, my daughter wrote a play from her imagination after participating in the winter as a stagehand for a local theater group.  After completing the rough sketch, she typed it up and sent it to a couple creative writer friends who returned the draft with feedback.  Next, she took some time to edit, discuss, edit, and finalize the play.  Once it was final, she had a deep desire to publish and share it with others.  So we made an account on Teachers Pay Teachers to showcase her writing.  

This lit a passion in written express so a few other projects are in the works for her.  She began working on a novel focusing on creating characters and now moving on the outlining the plot.  She LOVES using Canva to create posts and event invites, but finding Type Form rocked her world.  In the past week, she made 2 different quizzes for her group of friends that get together on a weekly basis.  The best is once the quiz goes out she is able to track the data the responses bring. 

I love how her creativity just flows into everything she touches.  

 

Camping Conversations

 

Conversations that happen while we are camping are some of the most profound that I have with either of my kids.  Probably due to the lack of distractions.  

This past trip, my daughter and I  started chatting about the upcoming "school" year and her goals.  I was blown away by her desire to do so much to prepare to begin college earlier than expected and her ideas for further options once she finished.  I love that she knows herself so well that she sets these goals inline with who she truly is and that she is fearless in voicing them.  Well aware that my desire is always to help her achieve, she rests in the fact that I will help her anyway I can.  

Summer of Changes

Well, it has been a while since I hopped on to this blog to chronicle our homeschooling/unschooling life.  The A to Z challenging had me writing so much that I burned out and then summer hit which is always crazy busy with camping, fishing, and all the things.  

As this summer comes to an end (not really-it is only August), I just want to pause to reflect on the milestones reached and the changes that have occurred.

Kids are moving on to earning high school credits.

GM has her own LLC and side baby-sitting work.

H completed the course work for driver's ed.

GM created, maintained, and grew a "girl gathering group" that meets once a week to do fun stuff together.

H fished as many tournaments and days as possible.  (Including an 8 day streak of waking at 4:00am to fish in the morning, return to the house and some days fish again in the evening)

Biggest change is I took a job as a part-time teacher to help families navigate and be successful in their homeschooling next year.  Allowing me to do this work virtually, I am excited to help those who signed up through this program as I have 10+ years teaching experience and moving into my 10th year homeschooling.  This is a perfect time to take on this endeavor as I note my kids are moving on to high school age work that requires less hand holding for them.

So mixed feeling on all these things, but grateful for everyday that I get to wake up and live life along side my family.  

Zone

My family has no problem getting in the zone when working on a project or studying an interest.  My daughter can write and draw for  hours enjoying the process of all her hard work.  My son can fish for days without complaint constantly reassessing what is working and what he needs to change.  I just love that they have found this ability and have the days, months, years to spend in these passions.  

Always learning.

Xray

Caring for our dog, Scout, has led us to so many lessons and life learning.  We got Scout from a local breeder when the kids were 4 & 6  years old, so she has always been apart of their lives.  

Scout loves bird hunting, camping, and being with her family.  She is everyone's dog.  Hunts with my husband and son, runs each day with me, tucks my son into bed each night (leaving his bed only once he has fallen asleep), and enjoys all my daughter's training ideas and homemade treats.  

A few years ago on a bird hunt in the snow with my husband and son, she stepped into a badger hole and hurt her back leg.  The next day when she wouldn't put any weight on it we took her to the vet.  He performed and exam and x-ray then informed us it was fractured.  We cared for her diligently for weeks, sitting with her carrying her outside to potty, and keeping the leg wrapped.  

This was the first X-ray, we experienced so the kids also were interested in the body and bones, how they break, and how they repair.  So between caring for Scout, we dove into the human body. Exploring diagrams, games, and puzzles that demonstrated how the bones work together in your body.  

Always learning.  

Wild & Young

When my kids were young, they were wild.  Like make other people uncomfortable wild.  The fact was they were not rule followers and neither were they interested in walking a traditional path.  As a mom, these times were often tough since we were pushed out of groups, not invited to events or just given the evil eye.  Keep in mind when my kids were young, "first time obedience" was a big deal and kid's choices and feeling were not considered in typical families.  Walking a different path (with my kids climbing the trees), was challenging, yet looking back I find it rewarding.  

A highlight is now when I see some of the same moms who left us out or steered clear of my kids, they have questions about my wild ones.  They want to know how they are so passionate and interested in their areas of study, how they are so motivated and not distracted by social media peer influences.  These inquiries always point back to what am I doing that they are not with their teens to get this behavior.  

Honestly, I attribute it to relationship, valuing opinions and choices, and letting them have a childhood where they could run wild challenging the boundaries and rules arbitrarily set by others.