The post I would have written, about education

for the Friday Club on encouraging learning from home. That would be if I’d remembered that I was going to write it before friday.

And now it’s practically Sunday 🙁

Ah well, here goes anyway.

It seems to me the most important thing to do when promoting education at home, is get out of the way. Put your preconceptions to one side, learn to bite your tongue, and accept that children have their own ways of learning and you need to let them get on with it.

That doesn’t mean you do nothing. In fact, it’s hard work, being ready to answer questions, find resources, encourage, calm, facilitate and organise, especially when you’ve a spread of ages, abilities and interests in the house. For example, here Big is practically math phobic while Small is probably better at it than both Tim and I put together – and neither of us is a slouch. In terms of instinctive programming he beats me hands down I suspect, although I haven’t gone too deeply into what he’s doing atm.

Because I don’t want to turn it into work. I don’t want it to become something he feels he has to do a particular thing with. We do have that with maths, which is unfortunate but a hangover from school days. If I were braver autonomous educator I’d even back off on that, but I’m not.

I can’t quite trust the process. Which is ridiculous if I look at hoe far they’ve both come under their own steam. Even Big, who lacks confidence in her own creativity, is beginning to produce the most amazing art works. It’s a shame she doesn’t see how great they are as I’m incredibly impressed with her.

But it isn’t about me being impressed, In montessori we talked a lot about extrinsic v intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic is basically when you’re motivated to do something for someone else – for praise or reward. Intrinsic is when you do it for yourself. Somehow, things done out of intrinsic motivation are supposed to be better.

I don’t actually know whether that’s true – but I do think identifying what motivates you is a pretty good starting point for life. So if I can get out of my kids’ way right now and let them figure that out, I think I’m doing something pretty important 🙂