This is our Little Free Library. It is such an active library that Bill, who is our official curator, must check it every other day to make sure it is full, but not too full (so that it is easy to peruse the books). This picture I took today makes me think it’s a bit too full. We have even received thank you notes like this one, tucked inside where we can easily find it. We try to make sure to include a few children’s books, as we see children walk by and get so excited. Little did we realize how much we would enjoy sharing our love of books with our neighbors, who deposit books regularly. It’s become their Little Free Library, as much as it is ours.
“[Learning] is the only thing that never fails… the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.”
—T.H. White
Building the Applewood Schoolhouse, February 2010
The completed Schoolhouse
Ten years ago, I began middle school in my family’s backyard, in an 8- by 10-foot
garden shed that would be my very own schoolhouse for the next two years. Family,
friends, and strangers reacted to our decision to “skip” seventh and eighth
grade with a long list of questions. Most expressed genuine curiosity: Would we follow a set curriculum? How would
we structure our days? Could Natalie still spend time with children her age? Other
queries betrayed skepticism: How would we
know we were meeting curricular standards? Would Natalie be able to get into a
good high school? What about college? The fact was, despite my excitement, I
shared some of these same concerns. After a sixth-grade year that had emphasized
rules, structure, and achievement, the thought of learning at my own pace in my
own home with my parents for teachers and my beloved cat as my only classmate conflicted
with my developing sense of what education was. Homeschooling sounded fun, yes,
but would I learn enough? Little did I know that I would learn not only all the
things I worried I wouldn’t—pre-algebra, essay-writing, science and history—but
also lessons even more important that continue to resonate today. These
lessons, which will be featured in future “Happy Guinea Pig” posts, include: the
importance of unstructured play, time outdoors, getting enough sleep, and eating
well, as well as the toxicity of stress and peer pressure. During my two years in
Applewood Schoolhouse, I also came to a healthier definition of education
premised not on homework, testing, and grades, but on curiosity, creativity,
and a love of learning.
How can schools and families teach children to be healthier and happier
learners? This is the question at the heart of “The Happy Guinea Pig,” because
we firmly believe that a love of learning is an essential tool for living
hopefully and courageously in a complicated world.
Next time on HGP: “Laugh about Math: Having
Fun in the Classroom”
