Sunday 8 May 2016

Classroom Free

Whilst other poor kids were chained to their desks and SATS, we were blessed to make good use of the weather and a  hands on learning programme.  Sometimes it is good to enrich our lives and enhance our well being by engaging with nature and working with our hands.  Rudolph Steiner set great store in handwork skills as part of his educational philosophy and even I a product of a seventies state education remembers Wednesday afternoons as a craft afternoon.  These sessions served a dual purpose, the kids learned a new skill and the teacher in between helping with dropped stitches had time to mark work or plan for the next lesson.  I have nothing but admiration and sympathy for those teaching in the current education system, their lives are dominated by a tick box culture and petty bureaucracy. No matter how difficult our home school days might be and there are definitely days where we annoy one another, I am glad that both kids have been spared unnecessary testing in their primary years.  #letkidsbekids



 We finally made it to the footprints meeting place on Thursday.  The last time we attended was late on in the autumn before the MS relapse and all other associated problems.  It was good to be back, not only to sit and chat to the other parents but for the kids to roam free :-)  The kids played, Dave read a railway magazine and I knitted, yay!


 Such beauty in God's creation.


 Sunlight on wood.


 Instead of heading home once the meeting had finished, we made an impromptu decision to meet up with Sara and Tom. We decided on this place The food was exceptional and their gluten free menu was extensive.  We arrived at 5:45pm and left at 8:00pm and by 7:00pm the inn was very busy with no spare tables!






 There are moments where these two just gel and life is pretty sublime and that was the case on Friday morning.  They had a great time whittling and painting in the workshop and yes they are still in their pyjamas! They were eventually dressed by lunchtime :-)



He just keeps on growing and looking older.

 
 Happily painting her brother's hand made diamond sword courtesy of minecraft!

7 comments:

sustainablemum said...

It was lovely to see you this week! I agree about school vs home ed, there will always be days when we wonder what we doing but the thought of sending them to school always gets things back in perspective for me!

Kezzie said...

Our year 6's have got SATS this week. Poor loves! They're even earlier than usual which has made it doubly difficult for them! x

Hayley said...

Oh my, I so so so agree about the let kids be kids thought. Hasn't the world gone crazy? !!

Go Pip with the sword decoration, looking good :)

x

Eva said...

Wonderful, San! What are SATS, by the way? And you have not forgotten Steiner's wisdom. And so nice Pip and Benedict crafted together. Must be a popular inn if it gets so crowded!

Sandra Ann said...

They are a means of essentially grading a school and then placing it in league tables within the UK. There is an enormous pressure on those within the profession to ensure that as many children as possible pass the tests. Most folk believe that the Governent have a hidden agenda of converting all schools into academies, which is another political hot potato and their way of doing this is to ensure that the SATS papers are so ridiculously worded that the majority of the children will fail. It is criminal :-(

dorinalouise said...

It doesn't sound so very different from the States :P

I love picturing Dave reading his railway magazine and you sitting there knitting, and it's nice to see so much sunshine and pics of all of you with Sara and Tom :)

Eva said...

That sounds like here, although I am not so sure about a hidden agenda.