Let them see you Learning

Studying and practicing for my Yellow Sash

Life Long Learning -  This is a phrase you'll hear often in homeschool circles.  We want our children to enjoy the accomplishment of learning new things and to seek out to learn whatever they desire or need in life.  As homeschool parents, we too are learning!-  How to do this educational thing at home for one; most of us weren't homeschooled ourselves. [though thankfully, that's changing] And many of the subjects we  HAD to take in school just didn't stick. Now, however, we are embracing learning right along with the kids and enjoying it more than ever! I know I have learned so much more of everything by homeschooling these past 24 years. I always  get the most enjoyment out of learning something new if I am teaching it.  Maybe, because I like to be more engaged and of course, I'm a people person. But its true, it's just more fun and exciting to share.  All this to say, homeschoolers become life long learners, many times learning completely new things they never dreamed of!  Like homesteading, farming, and running a business- very popular among some home school families.   Well, I'm not about to announce we're heading to the hills, so don't freak out.  
No, I landed on some other types of learning instead.

About a year ago, I took up Eskrima. Also known as Arnis or Doce Pares. It is a Filipino stick fighting martial arts. My TKD black belt son took it up and became a world champion in 2010. He has competed in Mexico, Italy and across the United States. I have enjoyed watching him and supporting his sport/art.  For awhile, I secretly wanted to learn it too, so last June I took the plunge. My goal was to be able to compete in full contact sparring without being killed [Yay! I did it!] And to test at least into Green Sash. [Green Sash comes after none, white, and yellow].  There have been months where I don't make a single class due to my schedule or illness. However, I am comfortable with doing the best I can and progressing as I can.  So while it has taken me a little while to get to my second testing, the one for Yellow Sash, I am mostly happy with my progress.   I determined to carve out the time for Testing this month and hopefully I will  make it.    In this class I am not only learning martial arts, self defense, patterns, kicks and blocks,  I am also learning Tagalog  [or standardized form known as Filipino] and  some history about the Art and the Philippines.  To help me retain this new knowledge I am also learning to use an app called Quizlet. I have made a folder of Eskrima knowledge, such as the numbers 1-12, sash colors, some history and Filipino words for various body parts. These will all be needed in various amounts at the Sash testing.  Quizet helps me to study no matter where I am. I usually run through cards in the morning before even getting out of bed and then again at night before putting my phone away.

I am also taking an online class with ICCinc.org.  This is my second online class with them, having taken one in the spring of 2014.   These online classes not only have their content to learn, but it requires learning things like posting to forums, using Google docs, sheets and forms,  and using Google Classroom.     Being so computer savvy has the downside that no children nor my spouse want to help in the IT arena as they think I should be able to figure it out.  Argh. Sometimes I just want someone else to do it.

I am not the only one in the family though. My husband has taken on new things and learned new skills and all of our adult children have proven the be life long learners as well.  I have no doubts that our homeschooling lifestyle will continue to make life long learners of our last three children.

I am pretty confident that by taking on new things to learn ourselves,  that our children will see us modeling perseverance, diligence and commitment. As well as, the joy of accomplishment in an acquired new skill.   I am modeling being  a life long learner.

What are you learning these days?

Forum for the ICC Online Class