Homeschool versus public school: Field trips

Today I’m trying to work at a local nature center, and I say trying because normally this place is so peaceful and quiet. We take Wood Sprite here at least once a month, and we really enjoy exploring it together. I could sit in front of the picture window and watch the birds all day, and now that I know they have wifi I plan on working there much more often.

But maybe not on Wednesdays.

There is a school field trip here today, and I’m having a hard time concentrating. I had forgotten what these were like from my days in school and teaching. It is extremely loud, and there are kids jumping from place to place. Some have never been here, and they are excited, but they also can’t seem to linger in one spot for long. They are violently pushing, even breaking, some of the exhibits and rushing toward the next as if there is an asteroid coming and they have to rush to meet it, like flies rushing from place to place.

When we take homeschool kids on field trips, on the other hand, they are like lizards, basking in the sun. They slowly meander and take in everything there is to see because they know we aren’t going to rush them. They are not accustomed to rushing from one point to the next from an automatic bell system, because that’s now how life works; that’s only how school works. The kids are used to living all of the time, in real time, and we take in the things that interest us.

It’s not even a size matter. I sometimes have 50 kids plus parents with us on field trips. There are tons of parents here today, but most are standing around talking with other parents instead of engaging with the kids. I would ask why, but maybe they like the chance to talk to other parents. Maybe they’re not used to engaging with their kids. Or maybe the kids would not be able to linger at an exhibit to explore it with a parent because they are just used to this way of life.

Even Wood Sprite is distracted. She keeps coming to me, frowning. She was pushed out of a birdhouse building exhibit she likes to do, so she’s spending time at the leaf rubbing station since it’s not crowded. I’m thinking we’ll leave for lunch and come back tomorrow.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia