Welcome to "Tea with Julie," a weekly missive by me, Julie Bogart. My wish is to give you food for thought over a cup of tea to enhance your life as an educator, parent, and awesome adult. Glad you're here. Pinkies up!
P.S. Was this email forwarded to you? Add yourself to the list and get your own!
Cincinnati, September 7, 2024
Hi Friend,
This month's Tea with Julie topic is all about planning (or not!).
Which are you?
Team Plan Ahead—you don’t feel able to begin until you know exactly what’s coming next. You can deviate from the plan, but you must have a plan to start or you feel discombobulated.
Team Plan from Behind—you get inspired by an idea and run with it, then later give yourself credit on your calendar, in your planner, or via assessment tool.
Or are you somewhere in between? Sometimes we need a little of both! Blending structured education with elements of surprise and spontaneity makes learning an adventure rather than a chore.
Today, let's focus on home educators who are not usually planners.
Your motto will be: It ALL counts (even if you didn't plan it)!
We sometimes short-sell our young childrens’ experiences because they didn’t come from a lesson plan or a book, but they have a lot of developmental and educational value. So, value the skills that show up naturally.
You can also borrow elements of play and inject them into skill building, and inversely, inject elements of skill building into play – that’s where the delight-directed method of learning takes off!
Count It ALL
It ALL counts! It’s all part of the education you do intend each and every day. It doesn’t matter if you thought of “it” (whatever “it” is) in advance; it doesn’t matter if you planned the activities. What matters is that you value what happens each day.
Take note of the actual education happening in your home, and you will come to peace about your lifestyle. If you resist (if you feel guilty for spending an entire morning playing with handwriting styles), you will deaden the potential liveliness of learning.
No strict plan will be as full of life as the spontaneous curiosity that arises from a child’s question or the interconnections you can make through activity and lessons—acting, singing, game-playing, sculpting, eating, museum-visiting, googling, speech-making, dress up clothes, crafting, sewing, knitting, discussing, reading one more chapter, writing because writing feels like the perfect way to respond to all this material…
So instead of trying to stick to a schedule, create a doable routine.
Everyone is forging a blend between plans and inspiration, certainty and doubt. That’s the nexus of home education!
Homeschooling is a bold, risky endeavor where you offer and respond, where you intend and let go, where you lead and you also follow.
Count it all!
Is It Enough?
Non-planners sometimes worry that they're not doing enough. If that's you then listen to these helpful Brave Writer podcasts:
Remember, a quality homeschool experience is grounded in your:
- passion,
- joy,
- and competence.
Lean in to what makes YOU amazing and watch your homeschool flourish.
Next week: How do I create a relaxed Brave Writer Lifestyle if I AM a planner?
Warmly,
P.S. Catch up on all the “Tea with Julie” emails here!
Julie Bogart
© 2024 Brave Writer LLC™
help@bravewriter.com
.
