Learning vs Teaching vs Coordinating vs Facilitating

Homeschooling has so many stereotypes that go with it. What makes this so difficult for me is that everyone does it so differently, yet people outside of homeschooling circles seem to make widespread assumptions about it. I read a blog today that made a point of saying you cannot be homeschooling while you're on the phone (she had been homeschooling for 20 years) or on fb, etc. While I agree that some degree of hands-on teaching is necessary, I felt a twist in that concept. My daughter is learning how to learn. Our challenge isn't to get her to a certain level in most things, overall. She is ahead in everything, and I don't want her feeling pushed to grow up too quickly. Instead, she needs to gain confidence and flexibility in her learning. When I get involved to my elbows, I have a tendency to take over and almost do it for her, especially when frustrated. Others in our homeschool group have the same experiences. This year, I am using a curriculum - Biblioplan, and I love how flexible it is. We are using a very broad, thorough enhanced version of the curriculum, and it covers history, geography, art, literature, spirituality, politics and more. M is absolutley loving it. She cannot get enough. As the name indicates, it begins with the Bible. I ran into a stunned parent within our homeschool group when I told him that I "taught" creation, evolution and big bang theories. I don't understand the confusion. She knows what we believe, and she is very interested in science, so is constantly running into evolution references, etc. She needs to know the theories. We talk about what I don't know, and I tell her it is because "I wasn't there when the world began" or that "I don't believe I will every understand the mind of God" and similar things. She is beginning to be comfortable not knowing, and wondering. Perfectionism runs rampant with kids like her, so this is a key point of our approach, and I believe makes a bigger difference than many of the "core" concepts. When it comes to math, we sit down and do a couple of examples together, most of the time. For grammar, that occurs sometimes, but less and less often. She knows to ask me when she is confused, etc. Very rarely do I look at her work and ask for corrections - and even then, only when the general concept is wrong, rather than a few problems/examples. I do not believe that I am a delinquint homeschooler with this approach, which does allow me considerable time online. Facebook is one of my links to the outside world, and as homeschooling can be isolating and overwhelming, I find this to be a benefit, rather than a hindrance. We watched "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" the other day, as we are studying Egyptions along the Nile and the middle kingdom and the life of Joseph. M has been reading a lot about life in ancient Egypt, and as we watched, she told me that Joseph's cup (slipped into Benjamin's bag) should be silver "because silver was valued above gold in Ancient Egypt." I personally don't know if this is true, but believe her to retain most information correctly and it led to a great discussion. She felt empowered and confident that she had asked a question I had never considered. Then, Elvis-Ramses entered the scene & she laughed and said "I doubt it happened that way," sounding at least a decade beyond her tender years. I giggled with her. Bottom line for me is that there are many "right" ways to educate, since there are many different ways to learn and each child is different. It upsets me when people judge my decision, but I fight the temptation to retaliate when someone is shockingly rude. There are many right answers. We are not homeschooling because we believe that public schools are wrong. We are homeschooling because it is right for our daughter right now. We didn't choose this method because it is right for everyone. We chose it because it motivates and resonates with our daughter - it is right for her right now . . . Acceptance and Peace to you this week - I hope you are welcoming Fall with warm hearts!