So I “homeschool” my boys here on Guam. I use that word with a lot of flexibility, to allow for the organic nature of learning and creativity. I appreciate so much that we are free to choose what direction we want to go, it opens up whole new worlds of learning! We can go so much further in depth about something we are passionate about (like surfing, math, music, geography, animals, etc.), or just skim the surface of something we aren’t that interested in (hmm, I’m actually having a hard time thinking of an example).
What *I* am learning throughout this process is that creating is the collaboration between teacher/student, communicator/listener and then some. It’s a multi-layered co-creative salad of physical forms housing the divinity that moves us all forward. When I embraced the role of guide/teacher, it did not mean that I let go of my role as student/learner. I know that my children are here to teach me, just as I am here to guide them & to share my experiences with them. It has been such pleasure marveling at the unique ways each of my children learn, and the candid lit-up faces that shine with curiosity.
Yeah, learning and creating is pretty fantastic stuff. I actually feel we are both sides of the coin & vibration around it. As in, beyond duality of this or that, and into empowerment in all that is. We have infinite choices. That’s pretty amazing, and I am pretty damn grateful to be alive and experiencing the fullness of life in this body. Watching children learn is a special treat. The sheer newness of each discovery, the innocence of raw curiosity, can be such a joyful experience.
What does this all look like on a daily basis? Well we spend a lot of time enjoying ourselves. We wake up, we play a little bit, tidy up the kitchen and make breakfast, we tell jokes, we make math problems out of eggs & deliberations over chickens & green onions. We laugh and fight about eating vegetables. We cry when we don’t get our way sometimes, but we tell the truth and we unconditionally love each other. We play soccer, we watch movies about animals, adventures & history, we play chutes & ladders and recite multiplication tables. We laze around and make blanket forts and pirate Lego mansions while watching Ninja-Go. We learn about health & business, we write stories together and read road signs and practice our best kung fu moves. We run errands, we get groceries and the mail, we stand in line at the bank and get fish tacos at MoSa’s. We talk to people, we hang out with friends. We go to culture events when we can, and we sing silly songs in the car sometimes.
I keep a journal of our daily proceedings, and just like My Everyday Magic journal, it opens up awareness to WHAT we are learning, instead of wondering IF we are learning. The learning is there constantly, we just need to open our eyes to what is being learned. This is great for the kids and me, because we gain clarity about what we are learning and can make choices about where we want to go next in our learning journey (otherwise known as: LIFE).
The world is rich and full of opportunity at every turn for learning and creating. I wonder if learning and creating are the same thing?
So far so great. I wouldn’t change a thing. Just continue to create and amend, create and amend.
With great curiosity & appreciation,
