Learning Side By Side

EP213: Imagine a homeschooling journey where learning side by side builds your child’s capacity to learn and ignites a love of lifelong learning at the same time.

That’s what we’re getting into on the podcast this week!

Jean shares three stories from homeschooling mums just like you who discovered their passions through U.S. history, world history, and science.

As a homeschooler, you are not solely responsible for imparting all the knowledge your children need to know about the world.

When you create shared experiences that model deep learning, your children will develop the capacity to learn and the curiosity to explore.

And this is what it’s all about!

Find the Show Notes here  https://artofhomeschooling.com/episode213/

Join the Inspired at Home Community

Chapters

• 2:04 A common misconception about homeschooling
• 4:10 Learning US history side by side
• 6:26 Learning science side by side
• 9:30 Learning world history side by side
• 10:39 Building main lesson blocks that inspired us to learn together

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:09

You're listening to the Art of Homeschooling podcast, where we help parents cultivate creativity and connection at home. I'm your host, jean Miller, and here on this podcast you'll find stories and inspiration to bring you the confidence you need to make homeschooling work for your family. Let's begin. Have you ever experienced a moment in homeschooling where the learning felt just as much yours as your child's? That magical feeling of discovery and connection that reminds us of why we chose this homeschooling path in the first place? In this episode of the Art of Homeschooling podcast, we're diving into three inspiring stories of moms who found that spark while teaching topics that not only captivated their children but also deeply resonated with them. You'll meet a history enthusiast who discovered new meaning in the stories of the Great Depression, a nature-loving mom who finds herself immersed in the world of birds. And a curious seeker who uncovers treasures studying ancient India. As we share these journeys, you'll see how homeschooling can be a shared adventure full of connection and inspiration. Full of connection and inspiration. Sometimes the most profound discoveries come when we wander off the beaten path right, whether it's during a nature walk or in our approach to teaching. As Tolkien said so beautifully, not all those who wander are lost.

Speaker 1: 2:04

One of the most common misconceptions about homeschooling that I hear often is that we are solely responsible for imparting all the knowledge our children need about the world. That's a paralyzing thought, isn't it? But the truth is, our primary role is to instill curiosity and a love of learning. You don't have to be an expert in every subject in order to teach it effectively. Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf Education, outlined a course of study that aligns with a child's development and unfolding consciousness. It's actually a very bare-bones list and this approach? It offers a rich, inspiring framework that allows you to learn alongside your child by really choosing what you learn about. The mistake I see so many homeschooling parents make is feeling like they need to cover every single detail of these suggested topics every Norse myth, every Greek battle, every explorer of the Western hemisphere. But here's the thing you don't. Letting go of this pressure can really actually transform your teaching. Here's the key Choose topics, or even topics within topics, that ignite curiosity for you and resonate with both you and your child. These shared interests become the foundation for meaningful learning experiences. Meaningful learning experiences. So remember we're nurturing the capacity to learn, not creating walking encyclopedias of facts. That's the whole reason most of us chose to homeschool in the first place. Take history, for example.

Speaker 1: 4:10

My content manager, sarah, has a passion for teaching history through literature. For her, it's about imparting a feeling for a time period, rather than memorizing a summary of facts and events. She brings history to life by choosing stories that spark meaningful conversations and creative exploration. When teaching middle school business math, sarah introduced the Great Depression using the books A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck and Roll of Thunder, hear my Cry by Mildred Taylor. These moving stories weave together themes of bartering, trade, banking and frugality, offering opportunities for hands-on activities like cooking Depression-era recipes or creating art projects inspired by the stories. Even more profound were the life lessons her children gained. Gratitude, resilience and family history came alive through these narratives. Sarah's grandparents were young people during the depression, and so her father grew up knowing how to make do and how to appreciate the small things in life, and wearing shoes that are two sizes too big so that you don't grow out of them too fast, for example. These are such valuable lessons for our kiddos stories that we can pass on from our own family members. These are the lessons that go far beyond dates and facts. They touch the heart and create lasting memories. So, as we're exploring these three examples from homeschooling moms here on this episode, think about how you can weave your own interests into your homeschooling or even spark a new interest of your own. Teaching doesn't have to feel overwhelming or rigid. When you approach it as an opportunity to learn and grow alongside your child, it becomes a shared adventure full of discovery and joy.

Speaker 1: 6:26

For my family, one of the most memorable blocks was one I created from scratch, all about birds and bird watching. It was our last block of the year for my two grade school kiddos who were I think they were around 9 and 11 at the time, and we had a toddler in the mix as well. That spring I was feeling particularly burned out. I wanted to plan a block for the month of May that got us outdoors as much as possible. My motivation was particularly selfish, really, because I wanted to spend more time outside. We'd already done the farming and gardening blocks and even a botany block, so I decided to focus more on zoology and animals. That's how I began to narrow down my ideas, and one unseasonably sunny day in April it was really warm and I was sitting outside with my morning cup of tea watching the birds. And that's when it hit me I want to learn more about birds. So why not create a block around this topic?

Speaker 1: 7:34

I started by brainstorming some ideas. Where could we go bird watching? Where could we take field trips? And I discovered that our local nature center had volunteers who were bird banding a few days a week. I even discovered that we have a 10-day festival in the month of May called the Biggest Week in American Birding, right here in Northern Ohio, so we made a plan to go to that.

Speaker 1: 8:02

We learned so many things as a family that spring. We learned how to identify birds by ear, listening to bird calls. We saw warblers for the first time. We learned about how we can help the birds throughout the year by planting certain things in our yard. We loved learning about bird migration and especially that we live in a very important part of the world for the eastern migration of so many species, right near the shores of Lake Erie. We also learned that it's really hard to go bird watching with a toddler Make note of that. So we had to make some adjustments there. But honestly, so many seeds were planted during that birding block. One of my kiddos went on to volunteer at a raptor rescue center as a teenager, and we all cultivated the skill of stopping on hikes in the woods when we hear bird calls and being able to identify them much of the time, and I'm now a bird lover for life. Just a few days ago, my copy of Amy Tan's 2024 book the Backyard Bird Chronicles arrived on my doorstep. Tan wrote this book at a time when she had become overwhelmed with the state of the world, so she immersed herself in nature and began sketching birds. I am just so excited to read this book.

Speaker 1: 9:30

Okay, my last example here is about my dear friend, allison, homeschooling mom of three, who was so inspired by the ancient India block she did with her boys that she now directs an organization supporting teachers and students in rural India. In fact, she's in India this month as I'm recording this episode, where she's gathering with students, teachers and their families to listen to their stories, witness their progress and learn more about the challenges they face on their educational journeys. Allison loved reading stories during her history blocks and one of her favorites about India is In the Heart of the Village, the World of the Indian Banyan Tree by Barbara Bash. Wonderful stories of life in India like this one propelled Allison to devote her energy, now that her children are all grown, to the non-profit Hearts for Teachers. And it all started with a main lesson block on ancient India.

Speaker 1: 10:39

This is how learning side by side with our children can inspire us to learn and grow as well. I've given you three examples here today, but there are an infinite number of possibilities. I often say to the parents inside my Inspired at Home membership that you can create a main lesson block around any topic you want to, as long as you keep the lessons developmentally appropriate for your children. We even have an entire masterclass inside the community called Build your Own Blocks, the block topics you choose. They can be something you're curious about too. In fact, the more the topic sparks curiosity in you, the better the learning experience will be for your children. So is there a main lesson topic that you've taught to your kiddos that influenced you deeply as a person? If so, I'd love to hear about it. You could come comment over on Instagram when I post about this episode, number 213, learning side by side. And if you've not had that experience yet, I encourage you to think about what this might look like at your house.

Speaker 1: 11:58

If you're craving more connection and inspiration in your homeschool days. Keep listening here to the Art of Homeschooling podcast. Together, we'll discover how to embrace curiosity, how to wander off the beaten path, find those magical moments of learning that can stay with us forever. New episodes come out every Monday. Thanks so much for tuning in today. You can find the show notes for this episode with links to the resources I've mentioned here today over at artofhomeschoolingcom dot com. Slash episode 213. And here's to sparking more joy in learning, for both you and your children. That's all for today, my friend, but here's what I want you to remember Rather than perfection, let's focus on connection. Thanks so much for listening and I'll see you on the next episode of the Art of homeschooling podcast.