Oh no insult at all Sandra
tricia
I'm apologize if it sounded like that! I just meant about all the worry that comes with being a mom and wondering. You know, the whole second guessing thing. I need to get past that. (That's why I came here!) That's what I meant by 'still being a mom.' It's more of self doubt I think than anything. Letting go of what we are so used to. And homeschooling for so long has really caught me into some habits that are hard to break but none the less, needful.
And Meredith, I love the idea of journaling. My kids do do that. We have many, many copybooks that they keep photos in, ideas, projects, etc. and we call them learning journals but at times it can feel a bit too much like school and that's just what I thought I needed to get away from. Hence the Record Keeping for Unschoolers. In this way, I still have their information in case I need it. I suppose that's also what their copybooks are about!
Again, I'm only in knee deep and still learning and studying this new way of life.
Smiles,
Tricia
And Meredith, I love the idea of journaling. My kids do do that. We have many, many copybooks that they keep photos in, ideas, projects, etc. and we call them learning journals but at times it can feel a bit too much like school and that's just what I thought I needed to get away from. Hence the Record Keeping for Unschoolers. In this way, I still have their information in case I need it. I suppose that's also what their copybooks are about!
Again, I'm only in knee deep and still learning and studying this new way of life.
Smiles,
Tricia
Meredith
"tricia" <vpsmith14@...> wrote:
Eew, yeah I didn't mean They should keep journals or scrapbook as some kind of project, I meant something for you, as a way to shift your thinking from "record keeping" to seeing joyful kids learning from life. If your kids Want to keep a journal or diary or scrapbook, get away from expressions like "learning journal" which implies that you've only learned something if you record it. Adults keep journals for personal reasons - give your kids the same option by Not making an issue of whether they do or not and what goes in those journals.
If you need to keep records to report to some authority, try to keep that out of your kids' lives as much as you possibly can. It might also be a good idea to look at whatever alternatives there are to portfolio reviews in your area. Can you test, instead? That can sometimes be Less onerous than keeping a portfolio. Review your options to minimize the impact of "the powers that be" on your kids days.
---Meredith
>I love the idea of journaling. My kids do do that. We have many, many copybooks that they keep photos in, ideas, projects, etc. and we call them learning journals but at times it can feel a bit too much like school****************
Eew, yeah I didn't mean They should keep journals or scrapbook as some kind of project, I meant something for you, as a way to shift your thinking from "record keeping" to seeing joyful kids learning from life. If your kids Want to keep a journal or diary or scrapbook, get away from expressions like "learning journal" which implies that you've only learned something if you record it. Adults keep journals for personal reasons - give your kids the same option by Not making an issue of whether they do or not and what goes in those journals.
>>I still have their informationDon't put your kids in charge of record keeping! I know, that's exactly the opposite of what some homeschoolers say, isn't it? But it makes kids self-conscious about learning - imagine keeping a record of what You learn. It would feel very constraining after awhile.
If you need to keep records to report to some authority, try to keep that out of your kids' lives as much as you possibly can. It might also be a good idea to look at whatever alternatives there are to portfolio reviews in your area. Can you test, instead? That can sometimes be Less onerous than keeping a portfolio. Review your options to minimize the impact of "the powers that be" on your kids days.
---Meredith