Okay... so there's this thing that happens when you homeschool. Your awareness suddenly hones in on the fact that there is a shit load in the world for your kids to learn... it can get overwhelming! You also realise (in my case with a tinge of depression) that you cannot possibly document or record everything that you kids discover in a day. There's too much! Believe me... I tried to lock it down on paper. And I drove myself crazy and stressed trying. Incidental learning is the term I use to describe all those little, unplanned pieces of the Universal jigsaw puzzle that happen in the 'ordinary moments'. Often in the moments when you're having fun, or when you're all relaxed, feeling creative, following the proverbial breadcrumbs, and letting playfulness happen! The thing that has driven me nuts about 'incidental learning' (and that will probably continue to drive me nuts for some time to come!) is that it is impossible for your brain to grasp the enormity of it... It's frustrating!
You see, I'm a systems person - I LOVE SYSTEMS... I see systems, I design systems, I love to list, and research, and document, and organise data into tangible, quantifiable, linear structures. I also happen to be a Capricorn and thrive on order! However, I've discovered that 'incidental learning' is the EXACT OPPOSITE of how I've been taught to do things, and learn things. Boy, has that upset my mindset, or what?! It's nebulous, spiral, and fluid. It's the school of life in it's truest form. It happens in the quiet moments between organised workshops, in the secret recesses of a child's mind, in the quality interations they get with nature, or grandparents, or the neighbour's dog. It's in the energy that is exchanged between the soul of a child and their environment... And it's in the conversations your kids have with the old fossicker in the scratch pit at Opals Downunder who knows that the gemstone Opal is Australia's national stone and has a 15 minute conversation with your kids about Geology with such passion they are completely, viscerally engaged in the learning. And it's these things we parents grew up thinking were not important for our future life. HOW WRONG WE WERE! And you can't track it. It's just there... and it's palpable... and it makes your heart glow all warm and golden from the inside out when you notice it. If you're watching your children closely, you get to witness the precious moments when all those collected incidental learnings that have happened over weeks and months and years, 'click' in their minds! They suddenly get the last incidental, previously seemingly unconnected, informational piece of the puzzle... and comprehension of an entire concept lights up on their faces! There's this resounding - almost audible - gong that clangs loud and crystal clear in the air. When you are afforded the gift of being there when the connections snap into place, it uplifts your heart and boggles the mind! It's wondrous and beautiful and draws out a feeling of deep, soothing satisfaction. Today, while we were getting set to bake gluten free Hot Crossed Buns... we realised we needed bread flour. Rather than going out to buy it, we explored what we use to make bread flour. We also consolidated fractions to work out the quantities. We created a tasty bun made of meaning! True, real, deep learning is compounded incidental learning combined with experiential exploration over time... our kids are not built to memorise 'facts and figures' that someone else insists are true. They're born to listen, experiment, explore and discover what the world is like FOR THEM. The challenge is to break down our own paradigms and let incidental learning be a legitimate, inherent and valuable method of learning, without having to PROVE IT! It doesn't require documentation because the kids are walking, talking evidence of what they've learned if we'd take the time to listen and converse! In my opinion, it is not our job to TEACH, but rather to GUIDE and PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY for the incidental learning to happen... to allow our kids to 'follow the breadcrumbs' of their soul. This way, they are following their interest, allowing their soul's unique expression, igniting their passion. This way, they get the chance to flesh life out, find meaning, and to put the jigsaw together themselves in a way that is tangible and real... for their own life. You can't quantify that. You can't bottle the special moments where authentic learning happens. You have to simply trust that its happening, that their learning... and their life... is falling into place, unfolding exactly as it is meant to... according to their divine soul's plan.
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