Scholé news March 2020

All schools closed, all children at home!

Only a few weeks ago I would not have dared to dream of it… Unexpectedly, the whole population has the chance – indeed the obligation – to try out learning outside school for themselves.

Some families are delighted and, despite all the restrictions of the corona alarm, are having good experiences because they were inwardly prepared for it. In many other families stress levels are rising: the unaccustomed closeness, the cramped space and, on top of that, the school’s instructions on everything the children are supposed to learn and practise while there are no lessons…

That is why I am appealing to parents: PLEASE TAKE YOUR CHILDREN’S SIDE! Put yourselves in their position: they are no longer allowed to see grandparents, acquaintances and friends, they have to stay in small rooms, they can hardly do any sport or let off steam. They sense the tension in the air and, like seismographs, resonate with your fears and worries. If you want to avoid psychological crises, you must on no account force them to do schoolwork against their will! Your children do not need marks and school reports to live, they need you, your patience, your understanding and your love – nothing else! Use this time of retreat to get to know and appreciate your children in their uniqueness! Let them play and do not put them under pressure!

Unschoolers can confirm the finding of brain physiology that real learning is impossible under pressure, while without pressure it simply cannot be stopped. Here is the encouraging account of Melanie Hetterich, an experienced mother of four. While the two older children went to school, the two younger ones chose self-directed learning at home.

All of Austria is staying at home. The first three days were not at all easy for us as a family of six in a small flat. It seemed as if everyone first had to find their place in the family again. In normal everyday life we go to work, to school, do sport, meet friends and are kept busy that way.

Still, this intensive togetherness is not entirely new to us, because our two younger children do not go to school or nursery anyway. They learn freely and self-directedly from home, much as many pupils throughout Austria are now allowed to try out.

The only difference is that we have no requirements regarding material or learning time. Both can be arranged freely. We all know this kind of learning, for example when a toddler utters a complex sentence for the first time. The parents exchange surprised glances, joy spreads, eyes light up. The wonderful thing about it is that the learning happened in secret, which is why the result seems to appear suddenly out of nowhere. In this way, small children surprise us anew every day.

The older children get, the more what and how they should learn is determined from outside. Even at nursery, the content is often carefully prepared and didactically structured so that the children can practise it. I think most people consider such requirements indispensable, especially as preparation for school. That is hardly surprising, since most people have hardly known anything else. Could we have learned just as much without educational measures?

Elisa has just turned four and a half. Unlike most children her age, she does not go to nursery. Normally we spend a lot of time out in nature, in the garden or meeting friends. Of course that is not possible now because of the corona crisis, and we have a particularly large amount of time for creative activities. Because we cannot see Grandma and Grandpa at the moment, we send them little greetings and short videos of the whole family every day. Elisa wants to take part as well and has her very own ideas about it. She has already made a number of craft and cooking videos.

First she wanted to make an Easter basket out of natural paper. As I still remembered a model, I was able to tell her the individual steps. Incidentally, up to that point Elisa had shown hardly any interest in crafts and therefore had practically no experience of using scissors or folding paper.

While filming, I was amazed to see how precisely and seemingly effortlessly she folded the paper and cut it with the scissors. She could do it straight away, without ever having practised before. While she was at work I said not a word, but simply captured her facial expression with the camera. Her gaze seemed turned inwards; she looked fulfilled and happy, because she had worked out for herself how folding and cutting work. For her it was a masterly achievement.

The very next day she made two Easter bunnies out of empty toilet rolls. The same phenomenon again. This time she cut out not only straight lines but also curved bunny ears. Cutting with scissors is a newly acquired skill that she can now draw on at any time. The right moment for it had come all by itself. That gives not only Elisa a good feeling, but me too as an observer. I share the joy of this miracle, which I experience again and again in self-directed learning.

We all know those moments when we immerse ourselves deeply in what we are doing and only surface again after a while, when the work has turned out to our satisfaction. It is a creative process steered from within that makes us happy. What matters is that we have chosen it of our own free will. Nobody could ever summon up such concentration and stamina when forced to do something.

Right after Elisa, I was able to have this experience myself, because I greatly enjoyed editing the videos. When I had finished this unfamiliar task, I felt full and content. A very pleasant state, and a highly contagious one! Elisa’s siblings, too, are often inspired by it to start projects of their own, and that benefits the whole family, especially now that we are all so close together.

I hope that parents who may be under pressure right now will relax a little when they read my article. I wish them the chance to enjoy the time with their children. We parents may remain parents. We need to become neither teachers nor playmates. It is quite enough if we all pursue the things that give us joy and inspire one another in the process. That not only makes us happy but also nourishes the relationship between parents and children.

Don’t worry if nothing seems to be happening! A great deal happens quietly and only becomes visible much later. Learning and development take place at every moment. That is why it is especially important to keep trusting and not to let yourself be unsettled. All in good time!

Alexandra

P.S.: As newsletters are not easy to forward, here is a link where the Scholé News have been published as posts for some time now: https://gaia-energy.org/tag/schole/

Book tip – “Lernen ist wie Atmen” (Learning is like breathing)

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