Making Peace With This Homeschool Journey

“Learning is a part of life...I am both a teacher and a learner.”

The decision to homeschool came fairly easy ~  it was basically just a "gut feeling" I felt I wanted to follow. The home school journey though, has been challenging.

I love sharing my day with my girls ~  the real issue has been accepting that I am capable of teaching my girls. It seems I have had a continual voice whispering "you aren't doing enough", "what if this is a mistake", "other mothers are doing such a better job" and on and on...

Each year I embark on the commitment of homeschooling (so far it has been about four) I wrestle with my inadequacies rearing their ruthless heads, trying to discourage me.

This year though, I have chosen to work on being gentle with myself as one of their teachers, reminding myself  to take time out to appreciate where things are working in our day-to-day routine and to embrace a rhythm that feeds us all.

I wanted to share the moments of our of our homeschool day that make it all worth it ~  the ways we flow and share together.

Here's my tribute to starving that "not enough" voice and embracing the beauty and goodness that comes from following your gut!

our morning circle ~ the time of day we center as a family with song and verse

 Our morning verse

My Heart 
I am strong, I am brave, I am valiant and bold.
For the sun fills my heart with his life giving gold.
I am helpful and truthful and loving and free.
For my heart's inner sunshine glows brightly in me.
I will open my arms to the sunbeams so bright;
I will warm all the world with my heart's inner light. 

Our first "work" of the day ~ journaling. A way for them to turn inwards to reflect and express (then share if they choose).  One of the ideas behind it, is letting them express with free flow and no corrections.  I treasure these as window into their life ~ a gift to them when they are older.

Our 10:00 tea time  ~ Mama needs it too!

  "dancin'" break ~ our time to rev up the tunes to move and groove

 love to get those creative juices flowing (and joining them in the process when the mood hits)!
 knitting...baking...crafting...painting...

 appreciating that mother nature is one of their greatest teachers

Lastly, one of my favorite moments ~ seeing big sister read to little sister.

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These are mere fragments of our day together. My highlights. Together we are also working from the oak meadow syllabus (and other resources). Papa is teaching math, music and art ~ and I am humbly attempting to fill in the rest.

The journey continues...

Yes the dishes pile up, we take days off, I get frustrated and I still question if I am doing enough but I am learning to be gentle with this homeschool mama and see it for the gift that it is.

Schooling/unschooling is such a personal decision and there are so many ways to do it.  I believe there is no right way. Teaching our children is done by many wonderful people and all mama's everywhere, everyday, in so many different ways.  A journey we all share together ~ guiding and allowing ourselves to be taught along the way.

To all you mamas and teachers out there...my love and respect to you.

~ Shanti ~

Going out on a bang...homeschool style!!!

A few of the kids...drumming their hearts out!!

Yesterday we had our last homeschool gathering of the "school" year.  For the past few months, we've been tapping into our own community of creative people and getting them to come out and share their talents with our homeschool group.  This month we ended with a "BANG" and were lucky enough to have local drumming sensation Jean Bereton along with her lovely helpers Shanti and Dustin come out to do a drumming and rhythm workshop with our kids.  Jean led the children to explore rhythm and all sorts of different rhythm instruments...there were huge drums, bells, sticks, shakers, rattles...oh my!! 

 

The fantastic and lovely Jean in action...

Before the class began, the instruments were being set up, and the kids just dove right in and started making their own rhythm.  Jean looks at us parents standing on the sidelines and says, "This is what I LOVE about children...they just get right in there...and the parents...well, they normally stand on the sidelines waiting to be told what to do!!"  It was true.   

If you haven't drummed before...let me tell you how good it is for your SOUL!!!  The need to make a beat, its just so primal...it speaks to something in our souls that is long forgotten.  If you get the chance to drum, even if you feel less than rhythmic...just do it!!  The children were just full of JOY during this workshop, and my own daughter Ruby, kept drumming on everything in the house long into the evening!  Below are some pictures of the kids in motion...the parents were drumming a beat and the kids were moving and playing some "portable" rhythm instruments.  This was an afternoon of movement and energy...

The kids in motion...

energetic and light...

And how FUN, for us moms, normally on the sidelines or leading a class, to get to participate alongside our children...all learning together! 

A handful of the beautiful mamma friends who were there...

radiating pure JOY!!

Even the smallest people in our group were encouraged to participate!!

Babies and toddlers are just naturally drawn to participate!

  

So...at the end of the day I felt intense gratitude for being a part of the rhythm...being part of this group of children and mothers and teachers!
 

On a side note...while we were happily drumming away and dancing inside the Community Centre, there was an EARTHQUAKE...we were a part of it...drumming our way through it.  In fact, we didn't even know that it had happened until after when we heard it on the radio! 

In rhythm and JOY

maureen xo

Homelearnin' together! (aka another beautiful day)

Welcome to another beautiful day here at the Toadstool!  It was far too hot for crafts today, instead Ruby started her morning with some yoga...(just like her daddy).  However little sister decided that a downward dog looked so much like a bridge that she just "had" to go under...today Ruby had a lesson in tolerance...actually she's already got a PHD as far as tolerance goes...

Matilda was thrilled to have made her big sister laugh...doesn't this picture just scream JOY!!!!!

On the last Wednesday of every month, (from Sept-June),  we have our Discovery Days at a local community centre.  We have an eclectic homeschool community here...we are in a rural area, so if you are the least bit open minded and into getting together with the kids, well, you're one of us!  I started organizing our Discovery Days 2 years ago, and it is the one thing that has "stuck" with our homeschoolers...we get together one day a month and host a day of elective classes...the classes run for 45min-1hour and they can be about anything...we've had knitting, geography, french, sign language, science, art, music...you name it.  The kids get to sign up for whatever class they want and the parents each have a job to do!  As of late, we've finally managed to get people from our wider community to get involved in coming and teaching, (usually for free, sometimes for a small fee).  We also have a nursery for the babies, and preschool classes for the 5 and under crowd!

Here is one of the lovely volunteers from our community doing yoga with some of the kids...the other kids were learning about wind downstairs and outside playing soccer!

Usually we get 20-30 kids out, but today was a sure sign that things are winding down for most of our homelearnin' families...we had about 12 kids out, and due to the intolerable heat that we've been having up here, we had to cancel our farm trip for the afternoon...but, as homeschoolers we are great at being flexible...what...no farm trip?  Let's go to the beach instead!!!!  Watching those kids in the water brought back those carefree moments of my own childhood...seeing the kids run in head first!!!  Delightful!  One of my friends used to say that Canada's national motto should be, "it's fine once you get in!"...today, it was just fine...everyone was astonished that the lakes are this warm...in MAY!!!  We are so blessed to live in this area where clean lakes are in excess!

Just another beautiful day...

Maureen xo