As an educator lesson plans, lesson preparation, curriculum, evaluations and a slew of other such teacherly things have been drilled into you from day one. Now, I have to shove all of that aside and let my own children teach me about how to help teach them. So today was refreshing, frustrating and showed me that unschooling isn't just for the kids, but for Michael and I as well.
We started off with an art project and the kids decided to make collages. Whitman picked a dragonfly and Fair a peacock. After they made an initial drawing, we worked together on stenciling, cutting, and gluing their creations. This is where the crankiness began, but I think having projects around Whitman's nap time is not going to happen in the future... So despite a little protest, both kids finished and ta-dah!!!!
The next part of our day was spent reading this lovely book, Linnea's Windowsill Garden, by Chiristina Bjork and Lena Anderson. We learned about the essentials to plant growth and focused on the seedling section. One of the examples in the book consists of sprouting an avocado pit and luckily I had saved one from some mexican food the other day. So we started our first windowsill plant and decided on what other interesting things we had around the kitchen to watch grow. So in the next week we will be having a sprouting race between various lentils and beans.
I'm excited about unschooling the kids, but wish that I could participate more often. One up side of being in school is that I have access to the pretty nice children's book library on campus... we are currently in debt to our public library (pretty much the only debt we feel sorry about) don't leave library CD box sets near a paint sprayer! not good.
I'm going to start a weekly sewing/embroidery lesson and focus on skillsharing that aspect of my life with the kids.
How do you mean you wish you could participate more often? You can participate anytime you wish by being consciously within the moment and treating each moment as if it is a miracle with your kids. Sit down and do an art project with them while having fun discussions or just enjoy getting messy with them. Or sit down near them to do a project you enjoy without saying a word....pretty soon they may ask what you are doing and if they can join or help. Sometimes just your company while they are doing something is participation enough. Also participate by just doing something with them, not because there is a lesson to be had but because it is fun and feels good to do. There are so many ways to participate with our children that does not mean playing teacher all the time. But YES it is very hard to get out of a teachery/schoolish/classroom frame of mind when that is all you have ever known!
ReplyDeleteI will remember not to leave my library CD's near a paint sprayer, good advise LOL.
Enjoy your new journey of Unschooling!