October is my favorite month, and it was also my favorite time to homeschool. October homeschooling with my daughters included making pumpkin muffins for a trek into the wetlands, reading nestled in the limb of a giant oak tree, and discovering grinding stones and trying to feel the stories they held by exploring the rough-hewn divots with our fingers and palms. We imagined with reverence girls whose hands had been here centuries before working a bounty of acorns into a sustaining meal. Even now, nearly a decade since I homeschooled our two daughters, my office is adorned with reminders of our precious homeschool days. Books about teaching and learning, field guides, journals, paintings, and notes of appreciation are flanked with feathers, acorns, rocks, and shells – treasures from our time together. Nature was our classroom, our teacher, and our muse — a never-ending source of wonder and discovery.
The rhythm of October invites us to slow down, notice, reflect, and connect. It’s an invitation I encourage you to accept and embrace. A simple feather found on a walk can spark questions about science and curiosity about the bird that left it and even lead us to see the delicate math in the structure of its design. Acorns scattered beneath a tree can turn into an impromptu lesson on counting, sorting, or jumping off points to explore ecology, and environmental impact, an open door to explore the history of the native peoples, a worthy topic of a poem, painting, or song. We have endless opportunities for meaningful discovery and learning. It is in these experiences that we integrate, apply, and add richness to the lessons and content in textbooks and formal curricula. Most importantly, it’s in these shared experiences that we build connections within ourselves and with each other, with our precious students – our children.
Now, as the Director of Instruction here at The Cottonwood School, I am deeply honored by the privilege of being a part of your homeschool journey. I encourage you to pause when you can, be fully present, and resist the pressure of perfectionism to embrace connection and relationship. Follow your heart and your children’s curiosity into this adventure with love, wonder, and confidence. You already have what’s most important, right here and now. You are exactly what your children need. Trust in the journey, savor these moments — they are fleeting — and know that you are doing a great job!
Kindly,
Amy Frydenlund M.Ed., Director of Instruction.