It's so neat to see so many choices in your poll...I didn't realize until just now how many styles I am incorporating into our home learning.  Thanks for the opportunity to think about it!

We seem to be a real combination kind of family.  I just started home learning 15 months ago when our family left "traditional" life (I am a former public school teacher and PTO president 2 years running of our children's former school) and bought a used motor home and traveled the country.  Check out our website that chronicles our trip http://www.berrytrip.us.   We have just moved in to ABQ (Corrales) to settle, so I am looking to connect with other home learners.  I introduced myself on a former board; we've got an 11 year old and an 8 year old, both boys.

We combine some traditional/formal work (such as the rule that we read every day and do some math exercise every day) with unschooling in that the kids pick what they are interested in and we bring all the subjects into play for their exploration of their interest, plus eclectic in that we feel teaching compassionate communication and meditation and inner referential awareness is key to them becoming "new paradigm" adults.  For us, we feel a strong responsiblity to not smother our kids with an old, outdated, harmful world viewpoint.....whew, that sounded political!  What I mean is that we have hopes that they will be kinder to the earth and be more conscious than previous generations have been.  So we really combine all or most of the styles you mentioned.

I am still trying to figure it all out....it is sometimes overwhelming and scary to be the sole planner/teacher for these two precious young men....AND....it feels like the right thing for us to do!!

Thanks again for this venue...it is wonderful to connect!
licia

Hi Licia! I split your reply off of the other topic because I thought your intro deserved its own thread. My husband and I used to travel a lot before we had kids, to the point that we would even quit our jobs from time to time and spend months traveling around the world. I'm kind of scared to try it with my kids, but maybe when they're older, because sometimes I feel like I have stayed put too long here in Albuquerque. I'm going to check out your chronicles for inspiration.

I think your philosophy of teaching/life (if I can call it that) sounds wonderful. We are also tending towards unschooling, except we do math every day. Where did you all live before moving to Albuquerque?

Hey Elizabeth,

We lived in Asheville, North Carolina.  My husband and I are both North Carolina natives and grew up in the south, but both had yankee mothers so we have no accent!

We have just moved here after the 15 month trip and have settled in Corrales.  We have met a few other home schooling families, so I have high hopes that we'll connect with a group in this area.

Enjoy our website, and thank you so much for running this board so efficiently!  It is a great resource.
licia