Monday, March 3, 2014

Week in Review: Oak Meadow Kindergarten ~ Week 7

It's all about perspective.

The view at the start of our week was somewhat dreary, in a literal sense.


But after a week "off" from homeschooling in which so much learning still managed to occur, I was encouraged by my children's and mine innate abilities to seek out and explore new learning experiences, instructions not included.

Ultimately- win, lose, or draw, it all comes back to me as mama and the driving force behind this home education business.  I read a post at some point in the last couple of weeks reminding me that "your curriculum is not the boss of you!".  As much as I adore the curriculum we are using, I think I did feel bound to it in a way that I now recognize as an allegiance to some arbitrary force- one that doesn't call the shots in my house. 

Having freed myself from the curriculum shackles, I decided I wanted to let the kids take the lead this week and see where it took us.

Well, things looked quite a bit different with someone else in the driver's seat.  

We only officially did school time three days this week.  There were more extended and frequent periods of free play time happening that I was conscious of not interrupting knowing remembering their inherent value.

Experimenting with different sounds produced by objects pushing down on a whoopee cushion.

Intense girl to Lego-man conversations-  I can only speculate as to what exchanges were made.

Though it didn't come without effort, I put my agenda aside and tried to take on the role of bystander to their self guided learning.  


 
We did some great investigative work in what is usually my least preferred subject- science- on the topics of ink expelling sea creatures and Pygmy Marmosets aka the world's smallest monkeys.

By the end of the week, there were at least four projects we hadn't gotten to from this and last week, so I described them all to sister and asked what she would most like to do.  I should have known how she'd respond- by combining all the projects into one: painting with water colors, drawing the letters E and F, and cutting and gluing triangles as an expression of 3.

 
She donned an apron before approaching this serious work, and I sat back and marveled at her confidence and capability.


Brother followed in her footsteps with equal parts intent and focus.


Coupled with quality time spent with family and friends (including a celebration of little brother's 2nd birthday), reimmersion in some of our favorite community events, and some of the first real sunshine of the impending spring, I may have enjoyed this week more than any other on our homeschooling journey thus far.  

Recognizing the power I have to alternately release the expectations and positively shape the experience of our days gives me the feeling of being back in charge and back on top.

It's all about perspective.

 
Find us on Facebook at Where the Stream Runs Blue :)

Linked up at "Homeschool Weekly Moments and Musings" at A Nurse's Wildflowers (http://anurseswildflowers.com)

2 comments:

  1. What a great week! Letting go of our self-made curriculum prison feels so good doesn't it? Sun always perks things up too! I'm jealous...we have dark clouds, rain, and wind. Soon enough I'll wish it was winter again! Enjoy your week!

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  2. We are in the PNW, too Heather- so the sun was fleeting! Back to the dreariness today. But yes, a freeing feeling to remember that no one and no thing besides me and my little ones decide how and what we learn! Thanks for stopping by:)

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