When one first considers homeschooling, the ideas and opportunities begin to pour in... Why we could do this... We could do that... We can visit Williamsburg, Jamestown, The Kennedy Space Center, D.C. etc. etc. -- ad nauseum!
At what point does the filter kick-in??? Where did simple relaxation go? Vacation??? Now the world has shifted focus from simple go to school and wait for vacations, to an endless list of possibilities and opportunities.
That's a good thing, right? (gulp) I hope so.
When the official school year ends this June, school will not be out for the summer. Summer will mean that school is in for a lifestyle. It will be everywhere! It will be omnipresent in all that we do. No more running to the grocery store to pick-up a few things that are on sale this week. It is an opportunity to explain to the kids savings on sale items vs. regular price. Critical thinking skills, do you stock-up, if so, why?
Simple vacations will be educational opportunities ripe for exploration and development. Our lifestyle is on the verge of a total and complete paradigm shift. It is exciting and intimidating.
It is March now. There is hopefully some time to prepare mentally and emotionally for the big changes that will effect the entire family as soon as the final school bell rings and the traditional summer beginning becomes anything but traditional!
Our Spring Break trip to Sea World can be a little ominous as we consider just how different it will be when we are a family of homeschoolers next year. We won't just feed dolphins and sea lions next year. Snapping pictures will still be a part of things, but it will go much deeper.
Overwhelming opportunities to teach abound. How will we frame the children's learning experiences to keep things fun, fresh and avoid overload?
Lots of questions swirl inside my head. I think it would be foolish not to feel a little nervous. We will not be stuck with a textbook. The only constraints will be the ones we place on our own family's learning. The trick will be finding the right balance. Hmm.... Wonder how that one will play out in a few months?
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