Disclaimer: All of the content in this post is strictly my feelings about my children and their education. The decisions I make are based off that and if yours differ - that's great, miigwech for taking the time to read anyway. I know that you know what is best for your child, just like I know what's best for mine. This isn't me giving anyone directions, just me wanting to write and this is what has been on my mind for the last few weeks.
So, let's begin. We got the news that K-12 school would be starting up their hybrid-level of the school year. That also meant that there were decisions to be made (not a strength of mine). Would I send ningozis to school twice a week or keep him all virtual? Just like with pretty much any decision, both sides had benefits and drawbacks. Let me tell you, what seemed like a last-minute decision to me at first, I had actually taken multiple things into consideration for an extended amount of time (fancy words for procrastination, huh?).
Anyway, here's a list of things that I prioritized and pondered:
Freedom: Wow, big word right away. But let's break it down a bit. My idea of ideal schooling is far different than what I grew up in and what I see many students still being brought up in. I don't prefer my child (whether he be 8 or 18) sitting in a desk most of the day being force-fed information. Now, I'm going to get pretty blunt here so I hope no one is going to take what I say as an attack, it is strictly my opinion based off of experience and research that I have done. Children need wildness. They need that freedom to move around and explore, to take risk and learn, and to fall and get back up.
Now, COVID world is different, so let me tell you when I say risk, I am definitely not talking about anyone's health or safety in that aspect. I completely understand the policies and procedures needed to get children back into a classroom setting and still keep everyone safe. I respect all of the hard work and dedication that it has taken teachers, administrators, and all of the other people in this decision-making process to get children back into school.
With that being said, my anxiety about my child going to school pre-COVID was high because of the lack of opportunities that I know he would be experiencing when it comes to risk, play, and freedom. I've contemplated home schooling - although I am a school-based teacher... so that was kind of a weird concept. I wouldn't be able to give my children my all, and I do worry about them not getting the full socialization benefit of school (extracurriculars and just being around peers for a good portion of the day). So I decided to go with the public school and fight along the way.
My Battle with Technology: I worried when they said my 6-year-old would be attending school through a screen. In previous posts I've stated I've never been a fan of screens for children and the thought of opening that door for my child was so nerve-wracking to me. But, honestly the 1/2 hour sessions three times a day has been almost a dream for me.
Let me also just take this time to say that I have a wonderful maamaa and Ninoshenh to help me with ningozis's schooling while I am at work. I understand that others to do not have that at this time so the need to send your kids to school is a necessity and, again, whether it's a choice or not, I respect your decision for your child. Nimiigwechiwendam, I am thankful for my supportive family, I don't think I would be able to follow in this direction without them.
Social Interaction and Academic Abilities: Ningozis gets to see his peers (yes of course through Zoom is not ideal, but that interaction is still there) and then after his 1/2 hour sessions he gets to run. He spends the majority of his time outdoors and I love that opportunity for him (shocker, right?). Now, this conversation may be different if the Zoom classes were not working for him. Let me take a minute here to hype him up a bit.
I worried for him when he started Kindergarten. I worried because although the wonderful Head Start teachers sent home all of this homework during the months he could not be in school there (April-July), I never made him sit down and go through it all word-for word. He took it and I told him to do as he wished. He created things that weren't like the model, he made up games that weren't in the directions, and he did it all 100% himself (part of that reason was because I was stressed with adjusting to my job requirements at home). Now, I am a believer in child-led practices, it is what I want for all children. But, the one part of doubt that stuck in my mind was: would he be prepared for the public school standards? Will he be able to write and read when he is expected to (even though I know those standards are not reasonable a lot of the time)? Will he be able to follow directions in a classroom setting when I've let him do as he pleased throughout that time?
That first parent-teacher conference in November, I was prepared to hear that we should work with him on these things that his age group was expected to do. I was ready to hear about him not having an attention span to sit and listen during class time. He was at maamaa's during the school day for the majority of the time since I worked, so I really wasn't sure how it was going.
What his teacher told me blew my mind and reaffirmed my beliefs all over. It might be a glitch since this this is my own personal, one-child study, but he is thriving in the virtual classroom setting. She said he is picking up things quick and more importantly, excited to learn. I had noticed he had gotten interested in writing, although I never sat him down and told him to practice, he did so all on his own. He wanted to make things for people, so that is usually when he would write and draw and I would help him as he asked, but I never even prompted him to do so. She also told me that he was helping create a classroom environment where the students talked among themselves instead of the teacher being the focus of the discussion. My degree is in Elementary/Middle Education and let me tell you - it almost made me cry when she told me that because I had to work my butt off in the in-person, Middle School setting to get students to converse in that way. That is the goal of discussions in education and ningozis has nailed it at the virtual Kindergarten level (with lots of room for growth and improvement, of course). Now, I'm not saying he's the most brilliant kid or even close to it. It means so much to me that he has taken that scarce interaction and turned it into something that even higher level students have difficulty with. So, how does he do that? It could be in his personality, it could be in the approach that we've taken with education, it could definitely be the classrooms he was in during his preschool years - I think it is all of the above.
What are my goals in education for my children?
To learn. To learn by experiencing, failing, falling, and overcoming.
What does that look like to me? Completely child-led (and mostly in nature). Children (and humans) learn what they want to learn - not what is being pushed at them. If a child has an interest in writing, they'll learn. If a child has an interest in basketball, they'll learn. Of course, children should learn how to write. So make it something they want to write about. Ningozis loves making things for people, so he writes letters. If I were to sit down and force him to write a sentence about a polar bear in a snowstorm, I don't think it would benefit him as much because he wouldn't value it.
Just some Saturday morning food for thought. If you have any suggestions, questions, or just general discussion about this topic - feel free to reach out. Miigwech for taking time out of your day to read a bit of what I hope is coherent enough to understand.