School has barely been out for a week and a half, and already I have the learning itch. I guess I really am a teacher, because I absolutely love to learn, and I think one of the most important things people can do with their time is learn. That's why education, travel, and simply going outside is so important. It's also why I love interacting with babies - they're constantly learning as they discover their tongue, learn how to move their little arms and legs, and match sights with sounds and emotions in their brain.
This summer, I have a lot of learning goals. I would absolutely love to start my math endorsement, and then go on to get my Masters of Education. I've also been learning a lot about parenthood and how to take care of babies by checking piles of books out from the library (some theories really resonate with me, but some don't, and I return them after a chapter or two). I've also been learning a lot about photography, and making myself use only manual settings on my camera no matter what (to a lot of you this is already a no-brainer, but it's an accomplishment for a novice like me!). I finally have time to learn Photoshop, which I got months ago for Christmas. I'm still barely scratching the surface with everything that Photoshop can do, but it's been really fun to practice and try new things on it. And then there's the whole "becoming a parent" thing, which I'm pretty sure will be the steepest learning curve I've ever been on, but I'm excited nonetheless.
In my classroom, I'm not a huge believer of homework over the weekends. I made my kids read 30 minutes each weekend, but besides that, they only had one piece of weekend homework. Every Friday, they would write "EXPERIENCE MY WORLD" in their planner. On Monday they would tell me what they did to experience their world that weekend. They went for bike rides, tried new recipes, played in baseball tournaments, visited their grandma, finished their book, and babysat their little siblings. It was an easy way to help them learn that not all education comes from a classroom, and that they are in charge of their own learning.
I'd love to hear what learning goals you're working on, or what you've done recently to experience your world. It would also be fun to hear how you're learning even if you're not taking classes or in a traditional classroom setting. I'm also taking recommendations on parenting books or apps that you loved!
