What’s it all about?
OVERVIEW
Educators would meet once a week for one hour to discuss a specific pre-selected topic (with a specific emphasis placed on homeschooling) for the first 20-30 minutes with the remaining time being reserved to build community support specifically around the educators’ goals, concerns, successes and overall wellness. If no one has anything personal or specific to share, the group can feel free to continue discussing their initial topic or introduce a new one, as desired. The group will maintain and uphold the idea that quality education can happen almost anywhere and will look vastly different depending on the educator/learner dyad.
GOALS
Build a community of educators who are supported enough to embrace every student’s unique educational process
Develop practical strategies to the daily challenges of educating
Meet new people who are passionate about education and exchange ideas in a safe and affirming space
DETAILS
WHERE & WHEN: The group will meet via Google Meet on the fourth Sundays of the month beginning in August and breaking in December until January at 4:00 PM.
FOLLOW-UP: There will always be a weekly post in the Grow Facebook group immediately following our monthly meet-up to continue to facilitate discussions throughout the following weeks. Additionally, we may decide to do some quick reading throughout the month or recommend a specific form of observation.
Educator Values
What are your values as an educator? What are your learner’s values or what values do you hope they will have? What is something you wish your educators had placed more or less value on when you were younger? When your learners grow up and look back on their childhood education how do you want them to describe it? Do you ever have trouble making your lessons align with those values? What challenges have you faced? Have you figured out how to overcome those challenges?
My Methodology…Magic or Mayhem?
Nature-based, play-based, project-based, Student-led? Should you incorporate all of these methodologies, one, none? Do you have a specific methodology? What has worked best for your learners? What is something you might want to try, but may need more support in order to implement? What absolutely did not work for your family? Is methodology something that brings you peace or stress? Does your methodology match your values as an educator? Do you need any support in this area or do you feel confident in this area?
Evaluating Curriculum
Do you follow a specific curriculum and why? If so, how do you feel about your curriculum? If not, what do you do instead? Does your curriculum or lack of curriculum make education joyful? If so, how? If not, how can you supplement your curriculum with joyful, playful experiences? Is your specific curriculum lacking something? Would you like help in supplementing and if so, what kind of help are you open to? Is there something special about your curriculum or lack of curriculum that you would like to share about? Does your curriculum support your values and your learners’ values?
Education Spaces
“Prepare Environment”? Wait? I’m supposed to have a million colored baskets and only raw wood in my house? What is a morning basket? Now I need a playroom, a homeschool room, a home gym, virtual reality, and a feelings corner….WHAT? Have you ever felt badly about your education space after logging onto Instagram or Pinterest? What kind of feelings came up for you? What does your education space look like most of the time? What works well about your space? What does not work as well as you had initially hoped? Is there anything you would like to change? Is there something special about your physical space that you would like to share? How does your physical space (or lack thereof) support your values as an educator? How does it support your learners’ needs and values?
Beyond Four Walls: Field Trips, Nature Classrooms
Do you ever plan field trips or incorporate time outside as a part of your learner’s education experience? Why or why not? If you do incorporate time outside of your education space, where do you like to go? What do you do there? How do you prepare? Is there a place or out of education space experience you would like to have, but have not yet experienced? What would you need in order to be able to experience that? Is there any specific support you would need? Outside of your education space (if you have one) where does your learner learn best? Where do you learn best? Where is your favorite place to learn, observe, or practice mindfulness? How do these places and experiences help affirm your values?
Teach to the Test? Do Standardized Exams even matter?
We often hear the phrase “teaching to the test”. What feelings that does that phrase evoke in you? How do you and your learner(s) feel about tests? Do you think test taking is a skill? Why or Why not? If you do think it is a skill, how do you teach it? Do you use tests to evaluate your learner(s)? If so, what kinds of tests and how effective do you think your tests are? If not, what other ways do you determine and document mastery? How do you feel about state standards? Do they inform your practice as an educator? Do you have your own set of standards that you use? How do you handle anxiety around assessments? Do you feel this is a strength for you? If not, would you like support on surrounding this? How do standardized tests and state standards align with your values as an educator?
Learning Through Play Should Be Fun…right?
Do you incorporate learning through play? If so, how do you do this? If not, is this something you would like to do? How much play should be incorporated in learning? How much play is practical in learning? What challenges do you face with learning through play? Do you encourage messy play? If yes, how? If not, why not? How does learning through play match your values as an educator?
