Friday, July 19, 2013

Report Cards



No, I didn't give my children report cards. I'm not even sure they know what a report card is.




 
With all the end of school fun going on around town, I've been reflecting on my want of a progression gauge. It would feel awesome to check things off a learning list, have subject beginnings and endings, and a last day of school. Structure! Categories! Oh, be still my heart. 


We do a lot of core phase and love of learning phase (= mostly unschooling). There isn't much patience for anything too contrived over here. Some days I long for a nice, tidy curriculum with quiet children hunched over desks for hours on end. I admit, I do employ some trickery to wrangle these youngins into subjects deemed "boring" at first glance, but mostly they are fiercely independence little creatures. And though I won't be marking or giving grades of any kind, I will "report" that we've had some decent learning these last few months. Which means, for us, decent living. I think all of us are always "in school," don't you?










 






  






6 comments:

Jane said...

These pictures are really fantastic Katie! They capture the feeling that I think you are going for - freedom, curiosity, exploration.... You are doing a really good job!

Megan said...

At the conclusion of our homeschooling year with Micah, he was longing for a report card, mostly because his sisters brought theirs home for all to see.

So basically a summary of the year is what we did for him. Mom and A. Mary wrote out their most memorable experiences of the year and the strengths/skills they saw in him.
He loved reading over all the projects/challenges that were tackled, and remembering all that he did.

He even posted them on his bulletin board. I think it's good to have a record of some kind.
I do cringe to see the grading of the childrens efforts on "real report cards".

Katie said...

I love that idea, Megan.

Katie said...

Thanks Jane- I hope so!

Kerry Adams said...

Your kids look like they have a lot of fun. I bet every kid wishes their school did half the stuff that you do with your kids. But where do you find the patience to do this EVERY day. I'm doing stay-at-home-mom and I was ready to tap out of this A LONG TIME AGO.

Megan said...

Kerry, I would say that finding patience and exhaustion are the two most difficult challenges to overcome, as a Mom and/or homeschooler.

I think it is a great idea to share coping skills and discover what inspires and motivates those who are really succeeding (measured by thriving family life and finding joy along the way)
at these difficult jobs.

(one could argue that just being there for your kids and feeding them cold cereal is succeeding!)