Monday

Travel And Kids: No School For A Year

Pondering the Temple of Artemis in Turkey
Both our kids have missed an entire school year and our daughter studied under the auspices of the district’s independent study program the previous spring. The three most common questions that we’ve heard from friends and acquaintances were “Will they let you take the kids out of school for a year?”, “Won’t they get behind in school?” and “How do you know what to teach?” As we started to tell our family and friends about our plans, these three questions cropped up more than any others. (One of the more amusing questions we heard was from an administrator at the kids’ school: “How will you carry all those textbooks?” Answer: “We won’t.”)

The first question is an interesting one: "Will they let you take the kids out of school for a year?" All school districts are different, but we had surprisingly little interest or concern from our kids’ middle school. No one from the school, the school district or the State of California has stepped forward and said that we couldn’t do what we planned to do. The school was much more concerned about the minutiae of our daughter’s independent study for the final trimester than for missing the entire next year. The independent Study program allows “distance learning” under a teacher’s remote supervision for a period of up to 60 days. Our daughter’s teachers set up an independent study curriculum with scanned pages from her math, science and language arts textbooks, as well as research reports on both the Andean Condor and the Andean ecosystem as well as a research paper on The Beatles.

The second question, “Won’t they get behind in school?” is a fear that many parents share. It helps that both our kids are very good students so there is no “catching up” or learning issues to deal with. Both my wife and I both think that there is not a lot of learning going on in middle school. It is a time when kids are going through drastic physical and emotional changes and middle schools’ resources are overtaxed just to keep kids from falling off the deep end. Additionally, the time required to homeschool two kids ought to be much less than the time required to teach 20 kids in a school classroom. Finally, when we did a 6-month sabbatical through Central America and Spain in 2005, both kids missed the final trimester of that school year and did not miss a beat upon returning in the Fall.

The third question, “How do you know what to teach?” is easy in theory but hard in practice. The California education standards for each grade are listed in detail at the State of California’s web site. The blueprint is right there on the World Wide Web and all you have to do is print it out. In practice, the act of coming up with problems, exercises and projects that will teach the standards has given us a deeper respect for the teaching profession. Last week both our kids finished 500 word persuasive essays on the question: The Monroe Doctrine: Good or Bad for Latin America?” This week they are writing a 750 word dual biography on the twin liberators of South America: Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin.

Most of this blog entry has been about “keeping up”, but there are many things that they are getting from travel that their classmates aren’t. They are already intermediate-level Spanish speakers and they are acutely aware that most of the world is nothing like the privileged place they call home. They have learned that many simple things that they have taken for granted are luxuries in the developing world. They are much more open to new and different people, foods, customs, experiences and points of view. Perhaps most importantly, they will have a broader view of their responsibilities as global citizens when it comes time to choose their careers. It may be a cliché, but it also happens to be true: “Travel is Broadening”.

15 comments:

  1. I really can not say that anything I learned in school helped me out there in the real life. It was not until I started traveling and exploring different cultures that I felt myself being shaped as a person. This in turn gave me confidence to go after the things I want.

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  2. I am thoroughly convinced that travel is a more educational and valuable activity than school. Kudos to you for doing what you thought was right.

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  3. I think the experiences you're providing them will have a much greater impact than the classroom. I do think school is important, but overall, having supportive families who provide such amazing life learning opportunities is important too!

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  4. I think it's excellent that you've given your children this opportunity. They are certainly learning more outside the formal school environment.

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  5. Amazing, honest and brave. I loved all of my years of schooling, but the trips I took at a very young age are what really defined me... and my future. Your kids are very, very lucky to have you!

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  6. "Will they let you?" Huh? How can they stop you. I know the states have standards and requirements but if you pick up your kids and leave the country, I can't see why anyone can actually stop you from doing it?
    That question has always mystified me whenever I thought of taking my daughter out for a month here or there for travel. It seems to come from a standpoint that the state knows what's better for your child than you do and it bugs me.

    I doubt any kid, with parents who are involved in their lives and really care about them, would come back from a year of travel dumber than when they left.

    "My trip was great. I learned how to convert currencies while bartering for trinkets and food. I learned how to make family sized dishes with only 3 ingredients and a rickety old propane stove. I learned how to navigate a new city and find my way back to my hotel, as well as the local museums, bazaars and teahouses. I learned to make friends with kids who don't speak my language. I learned how to be patient while traveling because nothing ever goes as is planned. What about you?"

    "I learned who fired the first shot at the Battle of Lexington but I can't remember why."

    Sorry, that soapbox just slid right under my feet there.

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  7. And how much of Latin American history is taught in schools while your kids become well versed in both history and politics of the region. What an awesome family experience! :)

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  8. I think you are doing a terrific thing by exposing your children to new worlds. And not just 'dropping them into it' but also being responsible parents and guiding them.

    In one sense you have probably ruined their chances of growing up as self-satisfied, narrow-minded, provincial adults.

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  9. David,
    As always, your comments are thoughtful and appreciated. I showed my daughter your comment about her "ruined chances" and she started laughing.
    Jason

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  10. Natalie,
    I couldn't agree more. Thanks for commenting.
    Jason

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  11. Thanks Barbara,
    Hopefully they'll grow up to be global citizens like yourself.
    Jason

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  12. Marly,
    Thanks for you comment. Now if they'll only learn to make a good vegan buger, we'll be all set.
    Jason

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  13. @Andrea @ Abby @Nicole: Thanks for your comments. The parents certainly agree with you...let's hope the kids do also.
    Jason

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  14. Like everyone, I think what you're doing for your children is absolutely wonderful, Jason. Do you only home school them or do they go to a local school in Peru as well?

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  15. My parents took my sister and I on sabbatical with them for a year when we were in elementary school. My mother was tasked with keeping us up with the curriculum from the US while we attended a Danish school (not an international school). The education I received from living in another culture and traveling all throughout Europe is priceless. I did, however, have an incredibly difficult time keeping up with math when we returned to the US - nothing that could not be fixed with a little extra tutoring, though :)

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