By Méla Caza Pugh
During the first year of "school" two things changed for us. The first was the opportunity to spend time with another homeschooling family who inspired me with their success. The other was to invest in an internet connection at home. This broadened my resources tremendously! I went from downloading and printing Montessori worksheets and following a fixed curriculum to a wide world of homeschooling styles and influences. At first choosing a curriculum and/or homeschooling style can be overwhelming, much like finding the perfect school in an urban setting. I learnt the words Traditional, Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, Unschooling alongside my trusted companion Montessori.
My first forays into unschooling, not counting our natural pull in that direction, was through a group called Wildschooling. I was thrust into a network of nature-based homeschooling parents and educators. Cue the light bulbs and bell ringing! Rather than place ourselves under one banner, however, I felt inspired by the category called Eclectic Homeschoolers. This simply means that as learners, my daughter and I are outside-the-box thinkers. We love to have fun while learning, and doing so implies following our passions. My little one shares my love of literature and academics, but at her own pace of course. She has no interest in learning to memorize the alphabet yet knows the scientific names of the medicinal plants we grow. Math and logic happen to be some of her strong suits. I gained confidence in my abilities to teach even the upper grades in all three languages. I had already been translating the English based resources and saw no reason not to continue. I felt it was becoming more and more imperative that she be prepared in a unique way for the future.
The world has changed drastically, even in the last several years. Homeschooling is being recognized by employers and higher education institutions. With the imminent threats of climate catastrophe and its impact, priorities for educating the world's youth are greatly shifting. Will it be important to have a Bachelors degree? All I know is that by following the path that is being laid out in front of us, I am confident that my child will be equipped to meet her future. She will have the knowledge and know-how of healing with plants, how to grow food and find resources in nature. She is a natural artist and a story-teller — skills that enable her to communicate. She has a deep love for learning and intense curiosity. Her compassion is alight for all creatures, not only humans and is honed by following her passions and interests.
The second year of homeschooling I went for a modified packaged curriculum that included the workbooks and textbooks and replaced the toys and gadgets with storybooks and art supplies. This upcoming year, our 3rd, changed drastically. My trusted packaged curriculum providers had dropped the critical thinking books we had come to love over the first 2 years. This spurred me to source out my own resources and build a custom curriculum. Albeit fun, I was admittedly a little stressed. I was not only taking on the task of being my daughter's educator but also deciding what materials to use. As the books have begun to arrive I have deepened a step further into confidence. I no longer feel I have bitten off more than I can chew. I know the days that we encounter obstacles are meant for rambling walks and not sitting at a desk. I believe in relaxed academics: reading and writing will come about naturally in their own time. We are truly swimming the homeschooling river.
Méla Caza Pugh holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University. Over the years she has taught in elementary schools and language centres. She has lived on three continents and swam in several oceans, seas, rivers, lakes and streams. Some of her current passions include plant alchemy, photography and education. She can be found mixing remedies and homeschooling her daughter in the Amazonian jungle highlands of Peru. She has founded the Adaptivore Private Reserve and her natural products business Esencia. You can read more about her adventures on her website.
