When does school start? When does it end?

As principal and lead teacher at the Degonia School for Adventurous Boys, I marvel at the amount and variety of learning taking place-- especially on days when I don't teach!

As often happens on my court days, the boys were allowed a lot of freedom today.  Did they choose to play videogames or watch TV?  No.  They chose the library.  Spencer chose adult books on robotics and military aircraft; Denver chose four beginning reader books; and John Robert chose a book on military aircraft and a new science fiction novel.  They spent most of the day reading or playing outside.  Denver asked me to read his beginning reader books to him (he'll be reading them himself by next week), and then Spencer offered to read several more books to him.  They read on the couch together for over an hour!

After the library, we went to a favorite Thai restaurant, where the boys sat on couches and read while I had a meeting.  They enjoyed their fried rice, talked, and read without complaint for an hour and a half.  

At home, Spencer and Denver played outside and then came in and made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies together-- doing all the measuring, pouring, stirring, and egg breaking with minimal assistance.  Their cookies were delicious! 

I am amazed at how much the boys learn without instruction.  As a teacher with an education degree, it humbles me and makes me wonder how much my teaching is really needed.  Guidance and support is needed, yes; but not the extensive lesson plans and presentations that I am used to thinking of as part of a teacher's work. 

When curious parents ask about our homeschool schedule, I am hesitant to tell them the truth-- the boys can do their formal schooling in less than three hours (if they work with minimal disruption, which doesn't always happen!).  On a daily basis, formal instruction usually includes math, science, writing, Latin, reading, Spanish, and history.  They also do chores.  After their official work, I notice they do not stop learning.  Not at all.  In fact, it is after their required work that they often seem most engaged: recently, they've been learning about robots, roman war strategy, medieval weaponry, science fiction, studying mammals, and video game characters and strategy.

I learn so much from my children every day that I cannot help but believe they are raising me to be a good parent.  They teach me about patience, observation, and leaving my assumptions at the door.  I am learning to watch them, listen to them, and then make suggestions about what we should do with our time.  Instead of making out a complete lesson plan a month in advance, I leave space for whatever interest is gripping them.  Fascinated with robots?  Let's read a book and work on your Lego Mindstorm.  Interested in knights?  Let's go to Medieval Times to see jousting and then build castles.  Curious about physics?  Let's do some experiments.  Are you struggling with this algebra book?  Let's try this book with a different approach.

I set a baseline for our academics, but they guide "how" they learn.  This is a gift of time, attention, and individualized learning that cannot be given in a standard classroom, but is perfect for our three children in the Degonia School for Adventurous Boys.  When does our school start and when does it end?  I guess it starts when we wake up and ends for the day whenever we go to sleep . . . unless you have interesting dream that gets you started thinking about robots . . .