Back-to-School

It is odd --  almost disorienting - to not go back to school this year.  I have been in education for 30+ years -- my years have been filled with teaching and administration at the University level, home-schooling our daughters, sending them off to traditional schools and returning to school myself, building and opening school libraries, and running a public charter school.

And I am bemused to not be in school in September!! 

Autumn is my favorite time of year.  I love the change in weather in the Pacific Northwest -- by the time we get to October our mornings are a bit crisper and the afternoon shadows dance earlier and earlier each day.  Even when we were in Southern California, we learned to recognize the slight shift in the difference between summer sun and fall sun - the palm branches were a bit drier by the beginning of autumn!  

I also love autumn because it is entwined with school. With learning and reading and teaching. Education is invaluable -- we cannot live successful, productive, content lives without knowledge.  All sorts of knowledge and wisdom are necessary to live our lives: reading and math skills, knowledge of history, geography, and science, social and emotional learning -- these and so much more make our lives rich in the important life-well-lived-ways. 

In the United States we have many options when it comes to K-12 education for our children. Traditional public neighborhood schools, private, parochial or boarding schools, charter schools, homeschooling, and even unschooling are the basic alternatives for parents. The common denominators for all these choices? Teachers and students -- in K-12 someone (usually an adult) is responsible for creating an environment or an opportunity for others (usually children or teens) who are responsible to master to their best of the abilities new knowledge and skills.

So many choices!  I think about the Little Guy who in a short few years will be ready for school. Whenever I would give a tour of the charter school to prospective families I would always start out asking what they wanted for their children and why they thought this particular school would fit their needs -- I wanted to get a sense of their values. And now, as Nonna, the questions I would ask my Daughter and Son-in-law when the Little Guy approaches pre-school or kindergarten age are also values-oriented!

Who are you as a family?

• Some families are arts- or sports-oriented. Some love the adventures and the outdoors. Some families are self-sufficient. Families come in all stripes and preferences -- if you had to describe your family today in one sentence, what would it say?  What would that sentence be in 5- or 10-years?

What is the long-game? 

• What kind of person do you hope and want Little Guy to become? What values are essential for your child to hold as an adult?

Why is it important for the Little Guy to learn things? 

• What do you believe about education?  What's it's purpose -- is it knowledge for knowledge's sake or is a trade or college important?

Finally, who is the Little Guy right now?

• As parents you are the best people to know what makes Little Guy tick -- if you are paying close attention (and I know you are!) you understand his disposition even as a toddler. You have the best idea of what kind of school or learning environment will work for Little Guy and your family. 

And I would encourage other parents with the same approach -- knowing who you are as a family, understanding who you hope your children will become, and exploring your values about education will always help you to make the best choices possible for your child's learning.

Now, I'm off to figure out what to do since going back to school is no longer part of my autumn.....