How does the change of seasons affect home education in your household?

Yesterday I felt the full benefit of the flexibility home education offers us. We heard of a few migrating birds that were being spotted in Norfolk so we decided to go for an impromptu day trip. We were blessed with the weather and the colours of autumn were all around. The birds were very obliging too. We had a fantastic day with learning opportunities effortlessly presenting themselves. And living in land locked Warwickshire its always a joy to see the sea.

With this being our first year out of the school system it made me wonder (on a long drive home) how our days will evolve throughout the year as the seasons change bringing with them different sights, sounds, weather, hours of daylight and significant events.

I expect this will impact on every family differently. Maybe you enjoy a framework of the many events and celebrations that shape so much of our environment at this time of year. You might use these events to inform your learning journey in a structured way or allow your children to follow their instincts as different opportunities naturally present themselves. Your kids might love mud and all the sensory excitement and smells and noises, or love to snuggle indoors with a seeming lack of desire to romp in the autumn leaves or mingle with crowds. It likely affects your enthusiasm, energy and outlook too as well as having financial implications. You might have older children who are studying for exams and will hardly see the outdoors at this time of year if they are feeling the pressure of deadlines. Or kids that simply do not want to do anything outside of their duvet.

I have yet to discover what happens in our family over the next few weeks. But I do know that so far we have currently welcomed the earlier dark nights to be able to enjoy seeing the Northern Lights while also looking for comets and meteors. Whereas I would usually dread this time of year and the looming reality of it being dark by the time we finish the school run, we can now enjoy the outdoors while it is daylight and focus on indoor activities when it is dark and cold and all we want to do is snuggle inside. Another unexpected bonus of home education and another way that life has become so much more positive. Having the freedom to choose our timetable and schedule is not only enabling us to work with our individual learning needs and requirements, it also means that so many events that may have been previously a barrier to enjoyment now become a much more positive experience that we can learn from and enjoy.

It had not occurred to me how much the rigid timetable and structure of school had impacted on our entire lives. How we had battled our instincts and struggled at all costs to try to fit in with this approach. And how quickly school became the only event that was seen to be significant, with attendance at school determining whether or not the day had been successful, regardless of the tears and upset that had occurred to make this happen. Not to mention all the sacrifices we were making to accommodate the endless demands of school (no you can’t enjoy the once in a lifetime experience of seeing the Northern Lights dance above our roof top. It’s a school night so you need to be in bed).

I used to believe that school opened the door to opportunities. That is was, indeed, the gatekeeper to everything else in life. Something to be endured in order to be able to access the things that will make us happy in the future. Now I see school as a barrier to accessing so much that is of value. Removing school is actually opening doors not closing them. And more importantly, we are no longer postponing our present happiness for some imagined future, but rather learning what it is that truly makes us happy and motivates us in the present. And thoroughly enjoying allowing this to naturally shape our learning and our future.