The kids felt like they didn’t really “do any school” today but I think it’s because they have the expectation that it will look like school did inside the buildings to which they have become accustomed. I separate “doing school” from “learning” because they are not the same. Going out to lunch for my birthday, shopping for household stuff at Costco and project stuff at the Dollar Store are each learning experiences. Food choices, budget choices, talking about how profits work for tomorrow’s water walk, planning, scheduling to be home in time for speech lessons – these are all good things to know how to do. Plus there was swim time and conversations about weather and the possibility to swim outside if it got up to 80 degrees. People later spun off on a conversation we had in the morning about learning styles and collaborating with others and respecting what we each bring to the table based on our learning bents. This turned into some letter writing, conversations and planning for a self-chosen research project. That was all self-directed, meaningfl and important learning. We are on our way!
