Shot Heard Round the world!!!!

     These feet of mine have walked a lot of trails, from New Mexico to Alaska and lots of places in between. I think though, that the trail I walked today, may have been my most important yet. There are many reasons today was so prized. The easy answer is that, uhhhh… It’s the SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD! Lexington/Concord baby!

I stood where men died for their profound faith in a country that theretofore had only been dreamt of. I crossed a river that saw the actual, honest to god, birthplace of a nation. And I was deeply moved by the understanding of the true meaning of the second amendment as it was written and intended to be used. I touched nail heads crafted by those who would be, Americans.  We walked a highway six feet in width, where riders strode hundreds of years ago. And we touched the final resting place of Alcott, Hawthorne, Emerson and Thoreau.

     It was an awe inspiring day for all those reasons but also, because I have finally heard what so many have said to us all along this journey. I let my kids lead me into the woods today to find a frog habitat that is protected. Along the way there were turns and twists and at times the ground was even, then not. Wet and fertile, then dry and barren, not unlike my experiences with educating the boys. And while we walked, I replayed a conversation I had just had with one of the park rangers. It mirrored so many conversations we’ve had with rangers and park owners and other campers all along the way. So many saying the same thing, they understand that public schools are doing the best they can, and they know, as this guide said today, so many teachers are “hamstrung”.

     Today when I said, I had less interest in teaching kids what to think but rather how to think, he said I should watch out, that kind of talk was subversive and, welcome home.  He rattled off a list of people that were “home schooled” that he particularly looked up to, Thomas Edison and General Patton among them. He went on to tell me about a home-school student who he met 12 years ago, now on her way to west point.  It’s a story I hear over and over, parents who couldn’t get their student’s needs met in traditional settings and decided to try something new. I am still unsure about this home-school “thing”. I know I am being too strict, trying to fit it into a box that isn’t what it needs to be but we are figuring it out. 

     In the mean time we are making awesome progress in Math! We have captured and released at least three different kinds of toads/frogs/salamanders and had great learning around them. The boys are making videos to show their learning and we are loving the time with them and watching them make meaning of all the things we are experiencing.

     Will homeschooling result in little boy geniuses? Ready to regurgitate facts and dates on command? Probably not. But it will have provided the boys with a deep visceral experience with their education. And,  at the end of the day, I will be 100% sure I did everything I can to give them an education I believe in.

 Still, I can’t help but wonder what the nay-sayers test will be to prove success?