Can it really be that I haven't updated this blog since I posted last year's planning session?!
I think that like many families, we have been so caught up in life in the age of a pandemic/world conflicts/supply chain issues/inflation/etc that it has been hard to pull myself away from the daily grind of all of that and settle down to tend to this blog.
I have been trying to keep my head above the water line, and somehow in the midst of all of the above-mentioned turmoil, it's just hard to focus on much else! BUT, having said that, there is a LOT of updating I could be doing, so maybe I'll give a quickie update now...
1. We bought a new house. As I mentioned last year, we finally found a community we wanted to live in near my husband's new job. Funny enough, he left that job just after his year anniversary for something that is a) less stressful and b) more money. It was hard to trust his instincts on this new position, because it has some travel requirements and some uncertainty around that, but I'm slowly learning to just trust the process (and his judgement). Those are both challenges for me, for sure!!
2. Our new house has just under 11 acres!! (I know, I've mentioned this before, but why not do so again since I'm still excited about it?!) We couldn't believe our luck (but having said that, don't ask what we paid for all of this. We managed to afford it thanks to the super low interest rates at the time.). We also have a 40,000 gallon in-ground pool (it was NOT at the top of our wish list, and in fact wasn't even ON the list...and so it was a happy bonus!). That made for a really fun summer last year, especially for our youngest (who was in the pool several times a day all summer long, even on rainy days!). We also lucked out on having a 2 car garage (that was on the "wish list" but not a requirement). We've already planted new trees, bushes, flowers, etc and have the beginnings of an orchard in the works.
3. We have the beginnings of a homeschool community here, but as always it can be hit or miss thanks to COVID (and thanks to the fact that we have a hard time peopling under the best of circumstances). We do our best to be active, but to be honest we still prefer to stay close to home when we're not on the road.
4. Somehow, by the grace of Apollo, none of us has caught COVID (knock wood), even though my husband has worked on the front lines in the hospital through the worst of the pandemic. Maybe we had non-symptomatic COVID? I don't know. All I know is that (THANKFULLY) none of us have been sick. We're all vax'd and still wear masks (although it's getting hard to keep the masks on these days - it can be very claustrophobic sometimes). We took MANY precautions in the pre-vaccine portion of the program, so maybe that helped.
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OK, enough life updates, back to homeschooling!
The big question of the day: Do we still use a Waldorf spine? I'm going to say....kind of, but probably not enough to give it that official label.
Look, keeping up a notebook/main lesson book was just too hard to do while a pandemic was raging around us. The kids (and us adults) were all super stressed (we also bought a house and moved, which is its own kind of good stress), and really it has seemed like a bridge too far. In fact, with the exception of math (Teaching Textbooks CD Roms for the win), writing (I do a 4 week "writing workshop" each semester with DS15), and the occasional history study suggestions (from Oak Meadow, so that's SOME kind of Waldorfy influence at least??) and short science units (done with a part Waldorf/part Montessori flavor), the kids have been allowed to follow their own passions and do interest-led learning. My kids have chosen QUITE A FEW online courses for themselves, especially my son.
p.s. You may be asking: Well, then why are there things like music and art up in the planning pics above? Those are the "interest-led learning" items that the kids themselves picked out. Having said that, it means that they will have much more control over what that looks like and I will step back and let them figure out more of it for themselves. That doesn't mean they won't get prodded and "inspired" by me to get them to do something with those topics if I haven't seen any movement on them for a few weeks!
What about our youngest? Well, DD13 is autistic and has had some challenges over the past few years. Hormones are kicking in and adding a whole other layer of the onion for her. She doesn't always deal with change and stress very well, so you can imagine that a move during a big pandemic also hasn't done any favors. Still, she is the same playful and creative girl, just with less ability to calmly sit for lesson work these days.
Other than math (which she can now do herself thanks to the ease of using the Teaching Textbook CD Roms), regular book baskets and 1x/semester science units, she is allowed to follow her passions right now. To ease the minds of those who might question how well this has worked for her, she just completed her CAT (California Achievement Test, a standardized test) and she tested above her grade level in the majority of areas.
I had someone recently ask me if that meant we could consider ourselves unschoolers. I still have to say "No", since I still drive nearly half of their learning - and I ensure they stick to a schedule as well, which would go against the typically-agreed-upon basic tenets of unschooling. The kids still get to choose a lot of what they're learning, but they don't have the option not to choose items in the main subject groups. Just because they may have an abbreviated 4-8 week unit on science per semester (for example) does not mean they may skip science altogether for the semester. As mentioned, there are non-negotiables that must get done. The kids do have a say in what their schedule looks like, but they still must have one. Does that clear it up a little? I hope?
Well, thanks for popping by! I hope this update shows future homeschooling families that just because things might evolve, or have temporary changes, that doesn't mean that homeschooling is still not totally doable and a great option. I know that my kids still choose to not be in the public schools. They still choose not to be saddled with that daily homework, with compulsory attendance for 6 hour days/5 day weeks loaded down with busy work and very little say in their learning, not being able to stay in jammies many days, not having a hot lunch that they don't have to inhale in 10 minutes (and prepared with love in their own kitchen), not being able to hang out with their friends for hours online...and the list goes on and on.
We keep choosing it again and again, and it is still such a blessing to our family. We've weathered a pandemic in the comfort of our home, forming closer bonds than we otherwise could have formed if they were away for 6 hours a day. We get together with other homeschoolers outside and simply PLAY.
It's still our jam, Baby!
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