Changes in the Air

Oh, how unexpectedly things can change; or, perhaps, how unexpectedly. For the past year I have immersed myself in blogs, books, and anything else I can find on unschooling. I’ve always felt drawn to it- drawn to the absolutely ironic simplicity of it. Children are natural learners. It’s so obvious. And yet, this method has always seemed like something I would only ever dream about, even long for.

As of last Friday, though, I’ve taken the plunge. We are officially unschooling. Why did it take me so long to do it? Maybe fear. Our state has notoriously strict homeschool laws. Maybe doubt- doubt that my kids would find productive things to do on their own. Perhaps the largest reason is control or loss of control. For 5 years I’ve been in charge of planning and facilitating my childrens education. Lessons plans, unit studies, language arts, math- everything was left for me to decide. And admittedly I do like to have control of things. I can blame the fact that I have 11 kids on my need for control. But in all honesty I was the girl in high school who actually used charts to decide what outfit she was going to wear. It’s just natural for me. I know God is in control. I do. I’m working on it.

Which brings me back to unschooling. I am no longer in charge of their curriculum. They are. That might sound risky, but I’m totally at peace with it. Will they learn? Absolutely. They will learn while they’re digging up slugs, snails, salamanders, and any other slimy critter in our backyard. They will learn as they research what these creatures eat and what type of spider they just discovered. They will learn while they’re fishing, making power bait, and catching crayfish at the creek. They will learn as they write reports and learn geography ON THEIR OWN.

What will they learn this year? Beyond confidence and independence, I have no idea. But I’m so excited to find out!

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