Two years ago we started a new adventure.
While my husband and I agreed that homeschooling through high school was going to look different, we differed in our ideal way to get there. My husband wanted our oldest son to take a more traditional approach to high school, meaning ala carte classes, assignments, due dates and group classes. I still believed that our project and interest led, whole life studies were the best way to go, but the intensity and depth of the projects would increase. What we ended up doing the last two years was a mix; my version of a six period high school class schedule. By incorporating our history and English together I cut back on some of the disjointed feel of our new style. I also tried to add interest in science by incorporating math and science and enrolling them in labs.
Now that we are seven weeks in to year three, I'm declaring it not enough. Not a complete failure mind you, but a failure in the things I care the most about: a love of learning and a desire to delve deeper in to interests without prodding.
The boys and I sat down today and I asked them, "If you were going to follow your passions right now, what would your day look like?" We talked about the importance of math and the two younger boys said they actually LIKE their math (thank you Math-U-See) but that they don't like the speed with which we are flying through history. My oldest, 16, wants to revisit the Middle Ages, my youngest, 10, wants to study Ancient Rome and my middle, 13, has a burning desire to stay in the Renaissance. Mr 13 said he wants to make things. He wants a workshop to create in like a modern DaVinci. My schedule now doesn't leave much time for things like that.
So this morning, we are backing up. Stopping. Taking a hard look at what was and what is and where we want to be. This week, my husband and I will have a lot of thinking and praying to do. In the mean time, my youngest is reveling in Ancient Rome with that old gleam in his eye....
