With William still in hospital
Esther at school
And Bea asleep in my arms
My thoughts have turned once again to home education
I really do think it could be the way forward for us
I can still do all the planning and creating of learning experiences that I love
But it would be my own children that benefit
Had I been in school today
I was going to take in a wooden box
Covered in magical sparkles and stars
We were going to write fireworks poems
Based on Kit Wright’s poem The Magic Box
We were going to use our senses
And our memories from the school firework display on Friday
To write some magical poems
To place inside the starry box
Then we were going to seal the box
And place it in our fairy garden
Outside our classroom
With a note asking the fairies if they had enjoyed the fireworks too
After break we would check the box
And inside we were gong to find
Instructions and ingredients for making edible fireworks
(An idea adapted from a talented teacher on Facebook)
In our science lesson this afternoon
As part of our Materials topic
We were going to explore how materials can be changed using heat
We were going to melt chocolate for our edible sparklers
And make this magical firework toast
(I have a little boy in my class
who does not like chocolate
and he always misses or when we make treats
and when I told him abut this lesson, he requested toast!)
I am going to move this lesson to January now
And use it to celebrate the start of a new year
Assuming I am still teaching in the new year
Because as I plan all these lessons
Buy and make all the resources that I need
I do think to myself
I should be doing this for my children
I should be making these memories with my own children
Tomorrow is Diwali and Remembrance Day
I have planned some wonderful activities for my class
Using music and art and poetry
To teach my class to remember
To inspire them never to forget
But in my heart I am thinking
I want to spend the day doing this with Esther and with William
Because I want them to feel as passionately as I do
About remembering and honouring the brave men and women
Who gave their lives so that we could live ours in freedom
I am not sure I want to walk my children to school every morning
I want to walk them through a forest
Or by the sea
Exploring nature and the seasons
Hunting for letters and numbers
Creating works of art with the things that we find all around us
I want to be the one that helps William
Investigate patterns in words and numbers
I want to be the one that takes Esther to an art gallery
And sits with her and sketches all the amazing things we see
I want to extend their learning
Feed their interests
I do not want to miss a thing
Someone new visited our house last week
And asked David, ‘Do you run a nursery here?’
Our poor abandoned playroom
Still set out like an early years classroom
Waiting for children to come and explore and play
David and I keep coming back to the idea of home schooling
We both love to teach and learn
I can imagine our family
I can see in my mind how it would be
I would love teaching Esther and William
And Bea
Granny would do things with them too
She has been a teacher for many years
She would love to do some cookery and some gardening
Granddad would be good at science and DT
Daddy could do maths and art
I would do reading and writing, spelling
RE and history and geography
We would go out to gymnastics and ballet
Brownies and Cubs
We would visit galleries and museums
Spend time on farms
Travel the world
The world would be our adventure playground
Every nook and cranny waiting to be explored
It may only ever be a dream
But I do love the idea
Of home education
A family learning journey
A knowledge adventure
I think we are the kind of family that could make it work
I love teaching
My children love learning
They learn quickly
They love challenges
Adventure, nature
Poems and stories
It may only ever be a dream
But I do think for us it would work
You will never know until you try, You will always think about is as a dream until you make a decision and the dream will be your everyday life with your family.
I know how you feel because I feel a little bit similar and I have similar thoughts.
Take care x x
I think your heart has already made the decision, they are lucky to have such a talented mummy they deserve to see the world with your guidance & expertise
It sounds like you have thought about it in great depth, you are never going to know until you try it. I have read so many posts of yours where you don’t seem happy, and when reading your writing it seems as if you don’t know what direction you want to go in. This is the first post I have read in a while where it sounds like your mind is made up. Good luck with whatever path you choose, but follow your heart .xx
Seriously, if anyone could do it, it’s you. I’ve often wondered about it for my children, but not being a teacher, I feel I might be doing them a disservice. You are a teacher, you clearly feel so passionately about teaching, inspiring, creating, imparting knowledge…you would be amazing. Perhaps teaching again was the nudge to actually do it.
I’ve read your blog for many years with a comment here and there, and I feel so fond of you and your family, but on this occasion I’m going to go against the grain and say don’t follow your heart, because in the end it’s not actually about you and what you want or what might make you happy – as truly and deeply as I really want you to be happy.
It sounds very much like your dream – and you sound like a wonderful teacher. But your post is full of ‘I want’ and that’s fine if it is just a dream. We can want whatever we like in our dreams. But I’ve always read that home ed should never be done when it’s just what the parent wants, rather than what they feel is best for the child, and there’s little of that in your post.
You’ve blogged a lot about your struggles with parenthood and nobody would ever, ever judge you for that after what you’ve been thru but is it really fair to spend long days with just you and the children, your husband cooped up working and you unable to go anywhere because you can’t drive? All the lovely crafty ideas are all very well but the day to day reality would be very different, and all of the socialising that home edders do (which is woefully inadequate, in my opinion) would not be available to you and your children unless you go to lots of home ed groups i.e. get out there in the world, driving to places, socialising. You can’t keep them in a bubble at home with mummy, daddy, and granny chipping in. It’s not fair on them. They have to live in today’s world and have friends and birthday parties and class trips and problems that mummy isn’t around to fix. If you work part time, there’s still LOTS of time to do lovely crafts and projects with your kids – it’s like having the highlights without all the day to day grind and also allowing them to keep their friends, stability, safety, routine and outside influences.
This is all said with the greatest of warmth and care.
I think you want to be happy but you refuse to let yourself be happy. Till you deal with this and the guilt you carry around with you I don’t think “home ed” will change a thing.
Am sorry if this offends but you are always asking for opinions and this is mine X
To me your writing in this post is about nothing other than your love for your children. Its about your complete and utter self sacrifiial love for them.Its not a post which speaks of selfish desires, its one which talks about wanting to give every ounce of your time to your children, every hour of the day, 365 days of the year. What is the greatest gift we can give our children….time. The more time children are given by loving parents the happier they are. You are wanting to put your children right at the centre of your family under your direct care where they can benefit directly not only from your teaching expertise but by being surroundrd by people who love them In a way that no teacher ever will.Home education is not at easy path, but then no path we take in life ever is. There are so many opportunities for socialisation that its not possible to fit them in to one week! Its a much more natural form of socialising than school as it is done out in the real world as opposed to inside 4 walls of an institition where the child mingles only with the same classmates
amd teachers day in day out. Its hard to go against the grain of society and most
people who feel strongly against it
actually dont really know what it entails. Go for it! Its a decision that neither you
and your children will ever regret. You never get these precious childhood years. My children were in a lovely village school. The kind you imagine in picture books. They were happy there but we felt called over a sustained period that homeschooling was an even better route for them. My kids love homeschooling and we relish the opportunity to learn and explore together as a family. They love the fact that they are free to study what interests them without being restricted by the curricilum
They are still involved in our village community in many ways and see
friends from school, brownies, swimming, homeschool networks, village events, parties etc almost every
day. I love the fact that i still get toddler time at play groups with my little one too when grandparents teach the oldest two for an hour or two. You could do that with Bea! If you would like to chat about our experience of home ed so far then
please let me know. I would feel
honoured! I will pray for a speedy recovery for William too. God bless xx
I have thought so many times reading your blog, “I wonder if Jennie has considered home ed?!” I think you’d all really enjoy it. We’re right at the start of our home ed journey and every day there are things that make me so glad that we’ve chosen this path: the growing bond between our daughters, the ability to stop and spend a few extra hours in the park if that’s what’s needed, being able to pursue interests more deeply, socialise in a meaningful way with children of a variety of ages and pull back when that’s needed too (on this point, I’ll say that my four-year-old has a much more active social life than I did at her age – and I went to school). I’ve also been there to help her work through difficult things or quietly observe and mindfully wait for her to process them later. It may just be these early years or it may be a lot longer than that but school will be there if we need to access it later on. I hope you find peace in your choice whatever it is. It’s not an easy one to make.
When I first read your blog I thought ‘edspire’ was a made up name combining education and inspire! You are destined to teach and so talented at it, your passion shines through in this post. Have you asked Esther & William if they’d prefer to be homeschooled – if they say yes, then just do it!
You are gifted in teaching – most people could not come up with such fun ideas to learn – you could teach your children, but also sell resources to those who want to homeschool, but would not have the materials and ideas!
How my blog came to be 5 years ago https://www.edspire.co.uk/year_2011/…/20/the-gallery-my-blog/
It sounds wonderful Jennie. I can’t say i’ve ever really thought about home schooling myself but you make it sound perfect. I think if anyone could make it work, you could x
Many, many times over the years I’ve read your blog and thought how fantastic you would be as a home educating mother. You were made for it! Your family feels so familiar to me after years of following your journey and I’ve always felt that home education would be a really wonderful thing for you all in so many ways. I know several home ed families local to me and they are so inspiring.. I don’t think many parents who know them could say that their children are not having the most enchanting, magical childhood. My children are only babies but I’m already beginning to run out of reasons why not to home ed! Jenny you are an amazing mother… strong, loving and inspiring. But teaching brings out the best in you, it gives you your spark.. combine teaching and motherhood together and I think your family would be on the path to your greatest adventure yet. Whatever you decide will be the right thing, your family is beautiful and there is not a day goes by when I don’t think of Matilda Mae. She truly touched my heart, never to be forgotten xxx
It always amazes me how many teachers chose to home ed, my husband and I are both teachers and I think it makes us realise how we want things to be for our children. We started home ed for quite practical reasons but more and more we know it’s the right thing for us for many more reasons.