Wow.. All I can say is wow.
For me this year is absolutely flying. I am busying myself with studies, home-pre-schooling my almost five year old (omg did I just write that!?!?!) and my three year old, I am teaching Agriculture and Permaculture as a high school subject for my youngest brothers "year 8" curriculum. And every now and then I've remembered to blog a little. But not anywhere near enough!
So this is a multi-subject post! Here goes nothing:
Studies.. Brain. empty. No ideas.. none!!.. unfortunately this is how I have been feeling with study lately, I was all these ideas swirling around in my mind but when I go to put them on paper they all run for cover and I can't think. It's like my train of thought has derailed and there were no survivors! I am managing to complete my assessments and pass them.. but it has been like pulling teeth these last months. I'm wondering if this is due to lack of sleep or too many other commitments. But I am reminding myself to be grateful that I am passing so far and to think outside the box when I have to arrange time to do my work. It's a slow project this time around.
Home-Pre-School..this has been interesting and thankfully I am constantly coming up with ideas and ways to intentionally teach without my children knowing that it's intentional. Most intentional teaching is coming from conversations with the children and open ended questions. The other ways are to offer up a choice of different activities and then adapt them to a subject or to simply follow my childrens leads when they play. I can turn most anything to a learning experience by thinking critically about it. I make myself recognize the learning and the potential follow up activities. And I never force it. If the boys don't want to do a activity I ave set up I simply leave the station set up in case they decide they want to play with it later and ask them what they would like to do. This method usually works the best. Just set up a variety of play activity stations within the play space and let them explore. I love watching them first enter a new play space. It's almost always the lounge room but I arrange it as such so that the surrounds appear different and there as new objects to explore and just enough challenge to keep their interest.
For assisting mathematics and literacy we play games. It can be as simple and counting as far as we can til we get one wrong and getting a little "prize" at the end. Or finding as many words or letters that we recognize. There's no "losers" in these games. It's just for fun- like a board game that helps you to remember the basics. And if they don't want to play- they don't have to.
Edison has found an affinity for the work books that are available in the supermarket. And while it was slightly grating to have an un-schooled child "doing work books" I have to remind myself that delight based learning isn't a method. it is exactly what it describes. These work books DELIGHT him. He WANTS to do the work in them. And so yep- thats unschooling. He is simply internally driven to learn what they contain and is happy to sit there for half, one two or three hours deciphering them. All. By. Himself. and when he has a question he only wants a little help. It's like "Mum how do you spell this? *I spell it* Thanks Mum, now GO AWAY"
Kicky is slightly more mama centered as one might expect. He loves to climb and play with his toys, he wants me to read to him and he loves learning his colors and painting and household chores.. But he wants me there to support him. Unless he is playing Snowy Bear. If he is playing Snowy Bear I have to stand all the way back and let him "do it self"
Agriculture/Permaculture: As I have blogged about a little before, I am VERY into Permaculture. I grow vegetables and fruits, what I do not grow I swap for with other growers or buy from the markets and I keep chickens and horses as well as a turtle, dog and two cats. So when Tommy told me that he would really like me to teach him what it is I do in this subject I took a little time to consider it and then discussed it with our parents.
They were happy for me to take this subject and so I am remembering back to my own year 8 Agriculture classes and the practicals we did there. As well as looking online and finding/thinking up new ideas we can do together.
Right now we have a major project of building a new chicken coop, and we also do a minor practical each lesson. This has proven to be a very intricate project. I have to make the learning visible with each lesson and Tommy brings an exercise book to take notes and show our parents at the end of each day.
It brings a sense of well being to do these lessons though they take effort. As we spend literally all day outside in nature. I actually feel less stressed at the end of these lessons than I do before them. And I think Tommy does too.
So there it is, an overview of what I have been up to. How the year is just flying by!
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