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Those who know how to think need no teachers.
~Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
As I struggle to maintain 'school at home,' I am more and more drawn to the unschooling approach whereby learning is child-led. It is this kind of learning that creates a more permanent 'groove' in the child's mind because they encounter, experience and exhaust a subject that INTERESTS them unlike traditional learning whereby a child learns in a textbook/workbook/repetitous format. I wish I had the courage to become an unschooler. I do try to dabble in it a bit but I find that without some sort of guidance my children generally, but not consistently, default to the TV or computer to occupy their spare time.
I think my goal as a homeschooler is to teach my kids how to THINK not just fill their minds with information. True education comes from loving the act of learning...this is how I acquired most of my knowledge that 'stuck'. I remember wasting my time in general biology waiting for the 'good' stuff...the human body; the 'real' biology. The life cycle of a fern, photosynthesis, and all that information was totally wasted on me because I wasn't INTERESTED in it.
I wonder then, where to draw the line for my kids, after all, grammar is essential but boring, Latin totally has it's merits but is tedious, math is wholeheartedly a necessity but can be meaningless without real life application. I don't believe in the evolution of man but I do believe in the evolution of learning; and since I am still learning how to homeschool, I hope that I will be able to create a program that is more evolved as I continue down the path of this homeschooling journey.
I am so grateful for my kids and the wonderful people that they are. I appreciate their willingness to learn, their eagerness to help and their soft, kind, and gentle hearts. I thank the Lord every day that I was blessed with the chance to have children and that I was blessed with a husband who supports my decision to homeschool.
Life is good!

Comments

Carmen said…
Hi Lisa!! You know, you amaze me. I have so much respect for you - for your ability to home school and learn with your children and really get them thinking. You are right - education is about thinking, not memorizing and filing stuff away. When that happens, you get someone like me! hee hee Just a head filled with useless knowledge... Sigh. Keep on learning sister! And teach me while you go along!!
April 28, 2008 at 3:39 PM
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