Classroom
30 Jan 2012 2 Comments
in education
I had a puzzling moment earlier this month; it’s taken me until now to work it out in my mind. One morning Twirly Girl babysat the younger boys of the other homeschool Scout family at our home. When the mom came to pick them up, we walked through most of the public areas to gather both boys and their belongings. By the time we returned to the front door she asked me where do you do school?
I really had no idea what she meant so I gave a few answers such as I sit in that chair when I read aloud and the older kids work on some things in their room. Then my mind went blank.
After she left, it occurred to me that perhaps she didn’t get far enough into the family room to see the overflowing bookshelves. Or maybe, in the absence of a “school table” or a cluster of little desks, she noticed that the dining room table was spread with–well–with dining things: tablecloth, napkins, candles in the middle. I haven’t been to her house so I’m still not sure what she expected to see.
But upon further reflection, I think the real question is where don’t we do school?
We do catechism and most of our read alouds in the living room, with me in my cushy chair and the kids in the other chairs or on the piano bench or the floor.
Or we squeeze together on the couch to watch a movie or documentary. Or cartoons.
We discuss the books we’re reading with Larry, at the table over lunch or dinner. Family devotions also happen around the table.
I often check math or spell words for wish lists and thank you notes while I’m fixing lunch in the kitchen.
Speaking of the kitchen, that’s where we cook (and clean) together. Where we soak chicken bones in vinegar to dissolve the calcium. Where we make paper and salt dough and other messy crafts. Where we look things up on the computer.
Games get played pretty much anywhere in the house. Preferably outside, if it involves swords or a ball.
They have a craft table in the play room for less messy crafts, although I suspect they still usually sit on the floor.
In the play room they also make Lego creations and create elaborate Playmobil worlds.
Even in the bathroom, we practice hygiene and have short lessons in first aid as needed.
The wall maps are in the hallway, as is a human body poster. . .even the younger boys love to find things on the map.
They do independent work wherever the mood strikes–in their own room, or sprawled on the living room floor, or perched on a milk can in the kitchen, or in the car while we’re running errands.
On longer car trips we listen to audio books, and then of course there are always things to see and do when we get where we’re going.
We talk–asking questions, answering questions, asking more questions, thinking aloud–wherever we are.
The list goes on, of course, but you get the idea. I really can’t think of anywhere that we don’t do school.
Jan 30, 2012 @ 09:20:48
I thought about this the other day when someone asked what days we do school, um every day, we never don’t do school. Much of that comes from broadening out the definition of what is school though, so glad that I worked through a bunch of that and didn’t continue to think that school was only what came from a curriculum.
Jan 30, 2012 @ 10:35:59
Good point! We’ve always done the curriculum-type school wherever we pleased, but developing a broader definition of “school” has certainly given us a broader definition of “classroom.”