The World Will Be Our Classroom
Let’s just be clear. I am not a teacher nor have I EVER considered homeschooling my
kids prior to this change.
It was actually my son that asked about homeschooling.
So here we are. I am sending in the paperwork to the Superintendent of Schools with my
intent to homeschool. Can you believe that no particular curriculum is required? I am
only asked to send in a record of attendance at the end of the year proving that they were
‘educated’ for a minimum number of hours and a soft plea to keep them “on track”.
I don’t really know what I am doing and I am effectively terrified about screwing this up
with my potentially substandard attempts at education. I am especially nervous about catering
to completely different academic styles and preferences.
I keep getting asked what my plan/curriculum is so here is a general idea around
‘worldschooling’:
As we travel, we will all learn as we go!
Think of all the history we all were exposed to in a classroom. We just plan to take those
types of lessons to the real world.
In Paris? Art appreciation at the Louvre and Musee D’Orsey. We can compare and
contrast the work of various masters. We can also discuss The Renaissance while
examining artifacts and busts from that same era. We can practice our conversational
French while ordering a baguette on our way to appreciate the engineering masterpiece
that is the Eiffel Tower. Maybe we read Les Miserables and discuss the revival and
modernization of the city. Perhaps we take a field trip to the Palace of Versailles and
discuss the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era while strolling through the same
grounds Marie Antoinette made famous with her lavish parties.
London? We can check out the Magna Carta at the British Library and discuss its
historical significance. Music appreciation while listening to The Beatles and explaining
their global impact. We can get a glimpse of the Crown Jewels at The Tower of London
while comparing and contrasting various governments. When we stop for fish and chips,
the kids can practice math by counting out Pounds and then converting that figure to US
Dollars. Then they can add up all our expenses to see if we are maintaining our daily
budget or need to recalculate for the next day’s adventures.
Geology (and archaeology/paleontology lesson near Pompeii? A biology lesson on marine
biomes in Ibiza? Botany lessons in beautiful, lush Ireland? We can discuss The Great Famine,
immigration and the importance of agriculture. For a bit of P.E., we scour the cities for the best
playgrounds. And because sometimes Mom and Dad may need a break, we tour The Guinness
Storehouse and discuss the fermentation process.
The education opportunities in Europe alone are endless!
So as far as clocking attendance for educational hours goes? I think we got it covered. I
feel strongly that we are doing the right thing by providing this experience to our
children. As a parent, second-guessing is second-nature but I am going keep fighting it and
stick to my gut on this one.
The more we travel, the smaller the world will become and the more connected to it we will be.
We want to provide them the gift of feeling like citizens of the world and a deeper appreciation for all the wonders within it.
Go explore!
September 6, 2017 @ 8:28 am
I want to be in your class!