When you meet somebody new while traveling, you can almost guarentree the first question they’re going to ask you is “where are you from?”. Well, since traveling with Ixchel as an elementary school kid, instead of a baby, the first question we get asked constantly is “how does she go to school!?”. So, I thought that it would be useful to share more about our unique school flow for her.

First of all, let’s talk about what these different types of alternative school types are. So beyond the different methods or systems of learning such as Waldorf, Montessori, or ALC, are different “learning movements”. Families are realizing that traditional school environments might not best the best option for their child, their family, or lifestyle. They are wanting to have more control of, and be more sovereign in their children’s education. The definitions below are very general, and each families’ own experience is unique.

HOMESCHOOLING- the broad idea of when you do school at home or in places other than a typical school

WORLDSCHOOLING- learning through travel, culture and experiences

UNSCHOOLING- when students have no structure on what they learn, they just learn at home through play, experiences, and curiosity.

We choose to do a bit of a mixture of everything, which I like to call wildschooling. But while we are traveling, “worldschooling” really fits the way that we live. I’ve never felt the importance of being radical in my choices anywhere in life, and choose to follow a mixture of learning methods as we teach Ixchel. I let lessons happen naturally, and incorporate multiple different techniques, activities, and tools.

I do know some families are much more devoted to worldschooling or unschooling with absolutely no outside influence to their daily lessons. I’ve always felt like listening to the child and following their lead is the best way to approach school. If kids are interested in something, they are much more likely to absorb the information. Of course they aren’t going to always want to answer math problems or read what you are asking them to do. But, by paying attention to their signs, you can have a better idea of when they are ready to approach different subjects in depth. And through this, you can create a learning environment that inspired your child, and makes them WANT to learn!

In order to supplement her learning, she is currently taking two online classes through FLVS. A florida based at-home school program. I chose to go this route because as an entreprnuer that works from home, I honestly just don’t have the full time and energy to devote to creating more in depth lesson plans. And at this point, Ixchel was ready to start to dive deeper into these subjects.

When we are in Mexico, or any place for a longer time, we look for different learning centers or schools that she can be part of, mostly for the social aspect, and the important lessons that come along with learning alongside other children. Last year, Ixchel was in a beautiful jungle school in Puerto Morelos, Mexico where she got to play outside, go on nature walks, and create weekly, kid-lead group projects on whatever topic they were working on.