As an unschooler I find it hard going to work in a school as a teacher. Aside from being away from my kids, I become the person that I don’t want my kids around to other people’s children. Whilst it’s their choice to send their children to school, I do feel like a hypocrite. BUT I am doing this because my family needs me to right now. There are some other benefits too… I get to see what goes on in a typical state school: how the day flows, what they’re learning, and may even be exposed to some great ideas and new thinking. This week I’ve been in the art room mostly, and it has been quite insightful. I’ve always worried about the art/craft side as I am not particularly creative. But schooled kids are only getting an hour of directed art per week. We go through periods of painting, and Alex hasn’t picked up a pencil to draw in ages. But when he does, it’s because he wants to and because he has a plan. There’s no “I can’t…” or “I don’t want to”.
I also got to relieve a prep class. This is where Alex is ‘supposed’ to be. These kids seemed so different to him. As I gave the lesson and the kids were directed with their task, I could only think about how Alex would react. I could hear him making fun of the pictures, or asking why is he doing that task. Being reminded to stay in his seat and do his work. A chat with the principal about homeschooling later got me thinking, perhaps he would ‘surprise me’ (his words not mine). That might be true. Perhaps he would sail through academics as I did, at least till high school. But the key thing is, even after the few seconds of doubt, I just don’t want him to. I don’t want him to spend 45 minutes gluing a few pictures into a list of ‘possible’ and ‘impossible’ in the name of maths. We’ve talked about those words in real terms – a cartoon comes up and Alex will ask “Does an octopus have hair” – he’s never actually asked that but we’ve recently watched Penguins of Madagascar and Dave the Octopus jumped into my mind! These things have meaning to him when he asks them, not because he is told them.
What about being like everyone else – the other reason listed by my principal to not homeschool. Well when he grows up, he’ll be that kid who is fascinating to their friends because he is different. He’ll be the kid with a different story. I like that idea. And he’ll never have to ask anyone if he can go to the toilet!