Educational [Adventure]

[Adventure 37]

We're a homeschooling family. There are many things I feel I need to teach my children. 

Yes, they need a basic knowledge of English, math, history, science, and all the "normal" subjects. But that's not where we start, and definitely not where we end.

The first thing they need to know is how to learn and to enjoy learning. They need curiosity and creativity and critical thinking. They need to know how to find the resources they need - on the internet, in books, through experiences, or through talking with people more knowledgeable than them. They should also know how to parse truth from fiction, fact from opinion, right from wrong. 

And they need to learn compassion, kindness, openmindedness, and love. 

They need to learn to listen with the intention to understand, not the intention to respond. 

And they need to know that they don't need to understand something for it to be true, that truth might look and feel different for different people, and that listening to other people's points of view without intention to change their minds yields great understanding of the world around you.

They learn about the flags of different nations, but also about pride flags. They learn the raw truth of the history of our country and of the world, the good and the bad. They learn about racism, ableism, ageism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc. and working towards justice and equity and equality. They learn that refugees and immigrants are human beings. They learn that love is for everyone; gender are sexuality are complicated and beautiful; relationships take work; penis, vulva, vagina, and breasts are body parts just like elbows and knees and necks and we can talk about any of them; that proper use of colorful metaphors is acceptable at home but perhaps not in other spaces or in front of other people; that mental health is just as important to take care of as physical health; and that their mother can be talked into some pretty crazy stuff.

They learn about what it is to be a Christian, and about other religious and spiritual beliefs and are encouraged to walk their own path, whatever that is. 

They learn to cook, clean, shop, do an oil change, sew, and all sorts of life skills and should put such life skills like washing dishes and doing laundry to good use. 

They learn that just because someone gets mostly A's in school doesn't mean they retained what they learned and can be forty-six years old and still not know where all the states in the United States are. That real learning takes place when you are invested in what you're learning.

They learn that learning never ends, that not knowing something is merely an opportunity to learn. And that one's value nor intelligence is not determined by the information you are able to store in your brain at any particular time in order to regurgitate it for a test. They realize that knowledge is gained by taking interest in something and seeking out answers to your questions through whatever method works best for you. They are taught to follow their passions and that they can learn just about anything they want.

What I hope they've learned is that education is more than sitting in a classroom ... that true learning can take place anywhere ...  and that learning is a lifelong adventure.