Unschool

This weekend I read through Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum. I'm not really in a position to be ordering a bunch of new books for this homeschooling venture, but there was a nice big section in the beginning that asked me to evaluate and determine my homeschooling philosophy. There was even this handy little checklist (oh how I love a good checklist!) that helped determine which of the popular methodologies I fit into. I wasn't terribly surprised to score high in the "Eclectic" category, but I was a little surprised to score so high in the "Unschooling" category. Of course, I didn't fit perfectly into any one methodology, but there seems something so radical about declaring "unschooling" to be an area I identify with strongly.

Really, I believe that all children have different educatioal needs. Public schooling, private schooling, homeschooling, sailing around the world, there are as many paths as there are kids. The Kid is generally a highly motivated learner. As I type this he is flipping between making music on Garage Band and learning skateboarding tricks on YouTube. Today he has also read for well over an hour, learned some of the political/geographical changes around our planet in the last 20 years, and learned about Least Common Denominator. He still has some writing and Spanish to do, but I know he'll get to it.

The hardest part of homeschooling, for me, is learning to let go of the reins a little bit. I made the decision to homeschool based, among other things, on a gut feeling that The Kid would benefit greatly from more freedom to learn and discover. I have to balance that with what I know about 11 year old boys. Yesterday was the first day of me stepping back and letting him get through his to-do list on his own. I needed to step in and help him look at time management a bit, but he got through it. We both did.

As with most challenges facing me, I have put a bunch of books by John Holt and other unschooling advocates on hold. I don't really think we'll ever become completely unschooling in our approach, but it is nice to see the different ways it can happen.

episode 1, season 2

oh my! it's been an action-packed three months since i updated. a lot has changed. we moved into the new house and are settling into the routine of 2 adults + 1 kid in the house. it's a huge change from what we are all used to, and i must say, i think we are all adjusting very nicely.

i have a full year of grad school under my belt and as i enter year 2 i'm also doing my practicum as as a guardian ad litem for kids that have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. it's only just started, and i've already learned a lot about myself, the system, the kids, and a lot more. i don't know that child welfare is necessarily where i want to put the MSW to use, but i'm getting a lot out of it.

i'm still working with the boyfriend, but i'm also applying for part-time jobs in the social service field. i have an interview monday, in fact, so we'll see. i don't mind the retail but i want to be building my resume and i need to make more money. the irony of looking to the social service sector for "more money" is not lost on me.

the kid has started fifth grade, has his first broken bone (his wrist, a minor fracture), and is now part of the "safety patrol" at his school. he comes home from school and goes straight to a friend's house around the corner. he loves it. 10 is a good age and fifth grade is looking to be awesome. the other day, i got in the car after ga$$ing up and he was perusing the owner's manual of my car. when i asked what he was doing he said, "just finding out what lies within." it was awesome. have i mentioned that i love my kid?

the house is shaping up quite nicely, but we have had no time to work in the yard. we need to build a patio and we're formulating a plan but nothing has happened beyond that. i'm getting antsy.

now i need to go scare up some lunch.

dos cosas ciertas

whew! I have a week left with the children. It hasn't really sunk in yet, probably because this is a break I take every summer. I'm just not returning next year. It will be interesting to see who I keep in touch with from the school. I'm sort of crappy at keeping in touch with people I don't communicate with daily. I've known these people for 4 years. Tomorrow we are having happy hour with a big group, because it is the last day of one of our coworkers.

In other changes, The Boyfriend and I are looking at houses. Actually, we found a house we both love. The Kid loves it too. I don't want to jinx it, but I'm really excited.

And nervous. And wondering if we know what we're doing. I don't know. I don't do well with change. Yet I have a lot of changes happening in many arenas of my life.

Just thinking about it all I start to lose my breath a little bit. I'm excited AND anxious. Quite a combo.

and so it begins

I am officially back at work, stress and all. Today I moved most of my belongings into a different portable than the one I moved into three weeks before the end of last school year. It was hot and muggy and I was dressed, well, like a teacher. It wasn't a pretty sight. I feel very unsteady because I haven't yet been trained in the Inclusion model we will be using this year. I don't like change very much. That seems to surprise a lot of people about me. I hate change and I hate moving. I guess this year is going to be all about pushing myself.

When I got home from work today I bought my parking permit for grad school and then went to buy my textbooks. Between that, rent, and groceries half of my paycheck is gone. I got paid yesterday. For the month. I usually have a couple of nights of sleeplessness over finances, but this month I will have the pleasure all. month. long. Yay me!

The boychild has been with his dad since Thursday. He'll be home when I get off of work tomorrow and then on Thursday he is headed south to visit my dad and grandparents with my sister. Unless, of course, Hurricane Dean decides to take a turn north. Thankfully, even if that happens she'll watch him while I work Thursday and Friday. One less thing I have to worry about.

The boyfriend is working late late tonight so I have a silent house. I just spend over an hour reading one chapter in my social work research book. My undergraduate degree is in English and I can devour a novel in no time at all. This is a completely different experience for me. I was taking notes the entire time on terms and ideas that I need to go research. I have three more chapters to read before my first class on Tuesday. My professor already sent us our syllabus which is nice because I can start to schedule trips to the library for our big research project.

God. I'm back in school. Am I completely crazy or only a little bit?

the road goes on forever....

I go back to work in 5 days. This seems unreal to me, but I suppose I should get on board with the idea because a week and a half after that I start my first semester of graduate school. The boychild will be entering 4th grade. I keep wondering when life will give me a little bit of a breather but I don't see it happening any time soon.

The boyfriend and I went by my mom's house to pick up her lawn equipment. She is selling the house and has already moved into an apartment so I inherited an electric lawnmower (that I am not-so-secretly in love with), various shovels, hoes and picks, some lovely flat stones, and more aloe vera plants than I know what to do with. We spent the afternoon trying to clean up my disaster of a back yard. There was fire involved. Tomorrow I plan on mowing the driveway and front yard. If the boyfriend remembers to bring me his large clippers I'll probably attack the bushes that are threatening to swallow my house. Of course, I'll be repotting aloe veras. If you live near me, expect some plants.

I've started this blog as a way to chronicle my journey through, well, life. I occasionally look around and realize that I have a lot going on. These days the feeling is particularly overwhelming. I am in love, raising an adolescent boy, teaching junior high students, and now pursuing my MSW. Somewhere in there I have a house to keep in order and a very large yard that I want to turn into my sanctuary.