smug home educating bastard

Finding out

2010-09-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Not something to be done for a test, not something we do because we must, not something we can pass or fail. Finding out is natural learning, normal everyday, and I bet we never forget the sight of trees like this.

Arguments?

2010-09-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Of course. But it doesn't matter half as much as the making up. That sequence is an essential life lesson all of its own.

Everyday comes as a surprise

2010-09-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

Really, when you start on this journey, you never know quite where it will lead. And maybe that is part of the fun.

'I've never met a home schooler before'

2010-09-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Er, you could use your eyes. Maybe observe that large group of mixed-age kids with attendant adults suddenly swamping the local museum?

Bedtimes?

2010-09-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

Late night, dinner out, theatre trip, sociable evening? Of course! No getting up at 7am (for which I'm astonishingly glad).

Art lessons

2010-09-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

Without walls

2010-09-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

Back to basics

2010-09-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

Learn how to cook your own sausages, kids!

Desk work

2010-09-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

Not a totally relentless experience

2010-09-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

Time to ask...

2010-09-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

What are you thinking? What would you like to do? Where would you like to go? Who would you like to be?

The world is our classroom

2010-09-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

Books, books, books.

2010-09-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

Leave it to them, and there's never a moment lost

2010-09-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

Totally absorbed, while sitting on a boat.

The child must control the knowledge

2010-09-12T03:49:00.000-07:00

...and that may include the right to ignore anything that does not make sense, and anything which does not fit into the pattern of learning set in motion by the child.

I agree, of course. It is educationally very worthy. I take it that also includes the instruction, You can have two cakes each. Two cakes. That is two cakes. Two cakes. Squirrel, stop ignoring me. I said two. Two. Two. Two. No. I did not just say you could have six.

Real maths

2010-09-11T03:43:00.000-07:00

What is the volume of a girl's handbag and how much tourist tat can be squished inside, given two hours, a fistful of dollars, and a map of Mong Kok?

Children have the solution

2010-09-10T03:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, they do. They can tell you what they need, for any project, circumstance, moment, and time. Adults merely have to listen, understand, and help the need along.

(Unfortunately sometimes the need comes in the shape of 6x3mm lengths of wire that must be twisted with beads and wrapped round a home-made book so tiny it can barely be read by fairies. Then the adult must listen and try not to howl.)

Play can be such absorbing work

2010-09-09T02:22:00.000-07:00

Go on, take your holiday in September

2010-09-08T02:15:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it really piss you off how everyone fleeces you if you choose school? Those August travel prices! Surely it's worth finding an alternative education, if only to get your own back on the tourist industry.

Hey! It's back to school!

2010-09-07T02:12:00.000-07:00

September already? Phew! Let's go revise the water cycle!

Of course I respect a child's decision making

2010-09-06T02:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, well, that is true, and if my daughters say, can they have this or that, then I'll listen and talk, and find a solution or agreement BUT HURRY UP WITH THE RUDDY ICE CREAM CHOICE.

Good advice

2010-09-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

In those primary years, we heeded this advice! We never did the repetitive drills, the pointless exercises, and the frustrating hours with photocopied worksheets. Now our heads are in quite good shape.

Anti-school?

2010-09-04T01:23:00.000-07:00

No, pro education. Which to my way of thinking means that parents shouldn't have to fit in with simplistic set-ups of school vs home. We should all have options for education, for our children and ourselves: community centres, study groups, flexi-school, home-school agreements, short-term, long-term, no state involvement, local authority supported, or registered and unregistered as you and your child requires. That's what I want. A full spectrum of choice to suit me and mine over the years of their growing. (And free beer every Monday. Yes, I want that as well.)

Apparently home educators are not part of normal society

2010-09-03T01:19:00.000-07:00

Gawdhelpme I can't imagine anything more normal than this. But I suppose those comments might come from people who live some pretty extraordinary lives.

And I couldn't trust anyone else

2010-09-02T01:11:00.000-07:00

When my kids went to nursery, I heard their teacher give an answer to a question. It was so neat, so finished, so complete. But I wanted to say, It depends... the world is more varied than that... it's not always like that. Finding how the world is complex, in ways that you can make, and take part in, is too fulfilling to hand over to a teacher with a noisy class, a timetable, a tick-box, and a ringing bell.

One clear reason to educate out here in society

2010-09-01T01:08:00.000-07:00

Because children are children. They need space to look around them, join in when they want, play as they need, and take their time with their family.

More museums?

2010-08-31T01:05:00.000-07:00

Honestly, you'd think these kids would be sick of them by now. But nope, not at all. There is just too much stuff to know.

Thinking time

2010-08-30T01:01:00.000-07:00

Do they teach that at school?

We're not convinced

2010-08-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

...that the most important thing about education is test scores, marks and grades. The most important thing for this young lady right now is how she can make a hat like that, given her resources, budget, and time?

The travelling classroom

2010-08-28T00:52:00.000-07:00

Nope, not an ipad. A good old fashioned book.

Because childhood takes a long time

2010-08-27T00:18:00.000-07:00

The social world?

2010-08-26T00:09:00.000-07:00

Go on, admit it. It's far more interesting, practical, social and fun to be out here. Think of the alternative. Stuck in a classroom while Miss Drewitt, deputy head, delivers her lecture about tucking your shirt in at school.

Sudden impulses can be accommodated...

2010-08-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Because we need to get out this house RIGHT NOW!

Go on, try me on 'socialisation'

2010-08-24T23:55:00.000-07:00

Effortless learning

2010-08-23T23:45:00.000-07:00

No rewards, punishments, tests, or someone telling you it's too hard. Effortless learning takes place everyday near you. Watch out for it, because it's simple.

(Okay, I lied about the rewards. After this we went for ice cream, and sat and talked about what we'd each learned about volcanoes.)

A sad story can have happy endings

2010-08-22T23:28:00.000-07:00

We know a boy who loved Thomas the Tank Engine. On his first day at school, he took his Thomas satchel. He was mocked without mercy. He never carried it there again, or ever mentioned his passion at school. At home, he played with his Thomas trains quietly, a private, secret pleasure, until he decided, at age eleven or twelve, that he was done, and Thomas went into a box in the shed.

My kids have never known that. So they play with their old, home-made rag dolls how they wish, even today. Maybe one of them will really become that dress designer.

(And see where a passion can lead!)

One of the best things about education away from school...

2010-08-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

NO QUEUES.

Our schoolday leaves time to ask, 'Do you want a hug?'

2010-08-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

Making time for family life

2010-08-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

Frankly, at some moments in dealing with my children, I feel impatient, intolerant, dismissive, and unloving. I bet my kids sometimes feel the same about me. Let's scowl and slam doors.

However, we have flexibility in our chosen way of life. Because if we felt any of that negative, destructive stuff between 7am and 8am when everyone must leave the house for school, I know that we'd all feel bad all day. As it is, we can have the argument at 9am, sort it by 10.30, then carry on thinking what books we'd like to take out the library.

Some afternoon, one week day

2010-08-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

See a newspaper article about the education of children taken out of school, and you might find the usual comments - that education out of school should be illegal, kids can't socialise, parents are denying children a 'proper' education, the parents think themselves superior. I sometimes wonder if the people who write those comments are motivated by jealousy. Understandable.

Yes, she could have done that at school

2010-08-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

But I would never have had the pleasure of seeing it in the making.

We took the road less travelled

2010-08-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

Because isn't it always the way, how the child wants to lead you home by the unplanned, vicarious, spontaneous path?

Time spent together every day

2010-08-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

...means we have time to wait, and listen, to what a child wants to say.

Remembering what it was like

2010-08-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

To be a child left undisturbed to play on a sandy beach.

'Now I want to go swimming'

2010-08-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

Really? Oh dear. Let me think about this. Hmm. Bum. I can't think of a reason why not.

We all have a natural curiosity

2010-08-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

And I especially admire the way that children demand their curiosity is satisfied first, and certainly above any adult imperative to get as quickly as possible to a restaurant. So we pause, on a rocky path, in the dark, and we shine the torches to measure night-time snails. Thanks to a child's curiosity, I have a memory to cherish, whereas I completely forget what I ordered for dinner.

Practical, real-world problem solving

2010-08-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

One Ikea desk, thirty-two picture instructions, all day, and see how she gets on with it.

Taking time to travel together

2010-08-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

Because we believe that travelling together is better than travelling apart.

Treasured moments

2010-08-09T01:14:00.000-07:00

Reheated stew, things to do, books to know.

Qualities that I admire

2010-08-08T01:08:00.000-07:00

My children show me. Persistence; resolve; dedication to a task. And a steady determination to conquer fears.

Yes, there are daily challenges

2010-08-07T00:27:00.000-07:00

For which you're rewarded with a three-hour model-making session and a theatre production. (You just have to love the kid that makes it.)

The universal lesson

2010-08-06T00:23:00.000-07:00

Cooking! How much mileage does this give us? Last week it was chemistry, maths, physics and geography. This week it's history, French, religious instruction and chocolate mousse.

Our school gathers

2010-08-05T00:15:00.000-07:00

A moral assembly, with added view. (And even better, all the doors are locked and the audience can't get out.)

Introducing another family member

2010-08-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

If she's with us, she home educates. She's led us to wikipedia; drawn us in story; focused our discussion; taken us to see her for real. (And if you are looking for a literacy lesson, I would show you her diary. But it's private.)

In this world, we meet all different types

2010-08-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

And I am so grateful to them, for putting up with us.

Who has control over the education?

2010-08-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

Children. They build it for themselves. We support them.

Home education: Liberation

2010-08-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

Arseface the Dolly agrees. She comes with us everywhere.

OK, there are a lot of woods, fields, and strange paths

2010-07-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

But they're FUN, dammit.

It's not all sports, fields, play, friends and woods you know

2010-07-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

I believe sometimes a computer is used in this home ed la la land. We recommend the boffins at Nott'm.

'But the outdoor visits! How can a home educated child do those?'

2010-07-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Without shoes, usually.

Apparently, home ed kids are 'isolated'

2010-07-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess they're in the middle of a river. Does that count?

'Home educating parents are mentally ill'

2010-07-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

You may be right there. I'm the sort of person who laughs at a giant teapot. (In my defence, 500 other ill people did the same.)

'And I don't get how a "home educator" can ... provide training in about 10 sports'

2010-07-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

So far? Lessons in swimming, ice skating, tennis, skiing, sailing, horse riding, gymnastics, trampolining, and windsurfing. OH NO! You're right! That's only NINE!

(But to make that joke I had to miss out the term the kids spent doing archery. And the bloody ballet and dance lessons. And the adventure weeks involving ropes, orienteering, raft building, fencing, quad biking, roller blading, hiking...)

'Home schooling is an aberration ... it is cruel to children.'

2010-07-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

I'd love to see the person who wrote that stand in front of my children and say it.

Garden day

2010-07-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

I gave up flowers, and grew children instead.

School desk

2010-07-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

One we don't have to clear up at the end of every day. (Thank goodness for that. I have no idea where anything goes.)

It's a maths lesson...

2010-07-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

How many minutes can you spend on the swings before the warden comes round to lock up at 6pm? He is at the end of the park, averages three miles an hour walking pace, and has a dodgy leg which slows him down on the gravel. Then add the amount of time you can keep him talking if a) he's in a good mood and b) he's hungry. And if it's not maths, it's called Living in the real world.

Another one of our classrooms

2010-07-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

'Children who are not in school have a narrow view of the world'

2010-07-20T06:26:00.000-07:00

Lady, methinks this blog tells you otherwise.

'A child in school mixes with other children'

2010-07-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

A child who is home educated is chained to the radiator. These ones must've escaped.

Want a small class size?

2010-07-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

Look around you...

2010-07-17T06:05:00.000-07:00

This world is exploding with rich resources for talking together, for learning, for interacting, for exploring. We don't want to close those options down, send our kids to sit in a room with thirty others, dress them identically, and tell them yes, you'll be spoken to as a group, put your hand up to answer, get used to it.

We live and learn together

2010-07-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

And that includes all our wonderful extended family. Even the odd ones.

Let's go to the seaside

2010-07-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

No forms to fill in, no-one to plead with, no-one to convince of the educational merits, nothing to feel guilty about. (And then we compared the properties of mudstone and limestone.)

A library visit takes two hours...

2010-07-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

I am so very pleased to have this luxury on a morning when the place is quiet. We can chat with the librarian, browse the shelves, and decide which fifteen authors we'll entertain this month.

What do you want to be?

2010-07-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Historian? Geologist? Botanist? Linguist? Scientist? Explorer? Child, you are the expert. Lead us where you want to go, and we'll support you as you travel.

Life is rich with sensory experience

2010-07-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

We live and learn with touch, movement, exploration, feeling, thinking. For that, we don't need classroom walls.

We call this being social (and learning about physics)

2010-07-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

I suppose the press could use it as an example of unruly youth. You decide.

Apparently, 'school gives many opportunities to do things'

2010-07-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

Er, like theatre, outdoor visits, museum tours, workshops, field studies, work with professional artists, scientists, linguists, and the opportunity to take an active daily part in society... things like that? And as for the theatre, we can just go and get the tickets ourselves you know.

Thank goodness we don't set the alarm for 7am

2010-07-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

Now we can take advantage of summer nights, and go dancing at dusk.

Someone said home ed kids can't socialise

2010-07-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

I thought about that. And I still don't know what they mean. Maybe they're referring to one type of society. Maybe they don't know about the many different ways of being social that we all have. Maybe they just live in a very narrow world.

Imagine, what you could do, where you could go

2010-07-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

Does home education make us happy?

2010-07-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

We have time to take the winding paths

2010-07-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

Our classrooms are everywhere

2010-07-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

Home education: a world of possibility

2010-07-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

I always did hate seeing kids wear uniform

2010-07-02T02:34:00.000-07:00

The sight of their individuality gives me pleasure everyday.

Maybe home educators are just bolshy?

2010-07-01T02:26:00.000-07:00

It's true that we can be a difficult bunch. Home educators usually don't accept things uncritically. We don't immediately give approval or sanction simply because everyone tells us it's normal.

We like to think it out for ourselves. Then you could say, independent, strong-willed, active, adventurous, outgoing, determined. And I'd say these are formidable qualities to pass onto the kids.

Yes, home education can be tiring

2010-06-30T02:17:00.000-07:00

And it some days it feels like you don't get anywhere.

But exploring the places we find uncomfortable can mean we learn more, grow wiser, have more perspective, become better at managing change and difficulty, than if we just sat and did nothing.

School can be a big source of tension

2010-06-29T02:12:00.000-07:00

If it is, remove it. You'll find many different ways become possible.

Everyday we can try something new

2010-06-28T02:08:00.000-07:00

I want to make a wooden horse.
OK.

We have time to make the little things

2010-06-27T02:06:00.000-07:00

We have a passion for learning

2010-06-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

Because learning and life are inseparable. What joy to live both flamboyantly.

Does an education happen to a child?

2010-06-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

Or do they go out and get it?

Our children have time to think

2010-06-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

And what a precious time that is.

Imagine a world, where we do not question what we're told

2010-06-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

How many school rules translate to an adult life? Walk on the left? Enter by this door only? Sit here? Maybe one rule: Do not question authority. Maybe we should question it more often.

Waiting for class to begin

2010-06-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Normal behaviour, wouldn't you say? (And our class size here is twelve, thanks.)

We spend a lot of time not judging ourselves

2010-06-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

Oh go on then. I give myself 10 out of 10. And all my kids too. They get 10 out of 10 as well.

There's not one 'right' way to do something

2010-06-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

Find your own way. And if it goes wrong?

If you never make mistakes, you never make anything.

Really, who'd say no to a classroom like this?

2010-06-19T11:51:00.000-07:00