It’s summertime in our area and gardens are growing! Join Gina and Christyn as they discuss a different kind of garden: the homeschool garden. See how the same things that nurture a plant garden apply to educating your kids, allowing them to flourish. Go on…get your hands dirty!
1:10 Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? Gardening as a metaphor for homeschool
2:06 Homeschool garden basics
1) Determine your garden type
2) Figure out what you’re going to plant
3) Think about what helps it grow
4) Don’t forget about weeds and pests
2:46 Just as there are different gardens, there are different kids. Each is unique and the differences are desirable. In homeschool, the “garden” is your child
4:00 One home might have several different types of gardens.
4:13 There is no one right, perfect garden. Be honest with yourself and accept your child for who s/he is and work with that
4:53 Christyn’s Canterbury Bells experience reminds her of her daughter’s strengths
7:00 Gina embraces her son as a native wildflower garden and watches him flourish
8:00 Love and nurture the “garden” you’ve got. Honor the heart and soul of the garden you’re entrusted with
8:40 In homeschool, the “seeds” are the curriculum and educational activities you choose to plant. There’s a huge variety and you can’t include everything
9:19 Christyn’s homeschool “seeds” that were planted, but didn’t take off
11:22 The homeschool “seeds” that Gina rejected
13:38 The beauty of homeschool is that it lets things bloom in their own time
13:50 Christyn and Gina share examples of right gardens, right seeds, and flourishing kids
15:42 The seeds need water, sunshine, and fertilizer to grow. It’s important to find the balance
16:49 Water as the “work” of learning, necessary to germinate the curriculum seeds
18:10 Sunshine and heat are essential; just balance the intensity so students don’t suffer. Include some downtime for the work of rest
19:20 Add the “fertilizer” – the challenges and hardships that promote long-term growth
22:12 Gina and Christyn talk about the various weeds and pests they’ve encountered in their homeschool gardens
24:39 All the work of gardening leads to that moment after a good round of digging in the dirt where you step back and think, “Oh, yeah. That was worth the wait.”
