There is unschooling. There is e-learning. There are formal homeschooling methods that are based on other curricula or ideologies, such as classical homeschooling, Waldorf, and Montessori.
In our city, there seems to be a new breed of homeschooler emerging, one that may transform the worlds of school-based education and home-based education. These educational renegades are not interested in school as it’s been done for years, that Monday to Friday, 8-something am to 3-something pm grind. Yet they’re not averse to having their children participate in a regular program of learning that is conducted by people outside the family. Let’s call them the sometimes-schoolers.
In our city, there are several part time programs that run out of schools and are funded by school districts. Although these programs have the look of a school, they’re part time, up to two or three days a week. They may or may not cover reading and writing and math in a formal way. These programs combine a student’s in-class experiences with portfolios created by the students and the parents.
Who are these sometimes-schoolers?
They value flexibility. Many of these parents have careers that mean that one parent is flexible in his or her schedule. They want their children to be able to do extracurricular activities during the day and to be able to take field trips and vacations when they wish.
They value play and life over a five day a week classroom. They see the need for quiet time and for their children to have time to pursue independent interests.
They may struggle to do certain things with their children, whether it is teaching reading and writing or going on field trips. They want their children to have a regular, structured time to do some of these things, but they don’t want to relinquish all control of their time during the week to the school system.
They may feel that their children need more regular social interaction with a group of children and other caring adults. At the same time, they value home life and want their children to spend more time with the family.
They like to participate and have a say in the creation of their child’s schooling, whether this is classroom volunteerism or helping organize field trips. They value community and like creating it with other parents, the children, and their children’s teachers.
I’m excited by this trend toward sometimes-schooling. While many people try to change the school system as it stands, these sometimes-schoolers are transforming it quietly, by creating learning opportunities that fill the needs of an emerging group of learners.
Image courtesy of shho at Stock Exchange.