Homeschooling trial #1

You know, I've read so much about homeschooling - from how-to books to personal accounts to blogs of families living it. And so much of what I've read resonates with me. The philosophies of independent learning, of teaching to the individual child, of holistic learning, of project-based child-led learning...the list could go on...are ones that I feel very deeply about. As a teacher these were what drove me to succeed with my students. I didn't care about the money, although it was good, and yes, the holidays were nice, but these were side-benefits. What really motivated me day-to-day in the classroom, and what still motivates me now with my own children, is providing the optimal learning environment. I don't know how much time I've spent in my life preparing myself to be the best teacher possible, but it seems that almost everything I've done has geared me towards the schooling of my own children.
Having said all this, I know that traditional schooling has a lot to offer and that teachers are doing their best to teach each individual child. So I've been in a bit of a quandary these past few months - do I homeschool at all? Do I leave it to the teachers? What is the role of traditional schooling? What is my role as parent in my child's learning? How do I find a balance that works for us? And tied messily around all of this are a whole lot of ideas from my past about school being everything, or at least the most important thing.
And so, with some trepidation, I gave Rosie the option last night of having a day of homeschooling today. I like to say she jumped at the chance, but the reality was a more cautious 'Yes' - she wasn't really sure what was going to happen either. And so I prepared some materials last night, made an open plan to guide us, factored in some housework and some errands down the street (and the needs of toddler Bethany of course) and was prepared for our first day learning formally together.
How did it go? Check out these pictures, and believe me when I say we had one very motivated girl :-)