My five year old son Joseph is still in his pajamas at 9:53 on a school day, playing with his two year old sister Elaina back in their bedroom, pretending that they are taking care of baby eagles.

He and his sister were able to sleep in, and when they woke up, we celebrated a morning ritual we call “snuggle buggle”, wherein Laryssa or I sit curled up with them on the couch, under a blanket, and read aloud three library books which they choose.

Joseph is really really into animals and how to classify them right now. This morning he was classifying raptors, of which he believes there are seven kinds: eagles, hawks, falcons, vultures, owls, condors, and a mysterious bird called “the long legged”. Before breakfast he drew a picture of each of these creatures, which he proudly showed to me, and then he asked me how to write each of their names, which I told him how to spell as he carefully wrote each bird’s name next to its picture.

This morning I am really impacted by how much learner autonomy and integration of different subjects there is here. He is learning biology, classification, art, and spelling all at the same time. He decided to do this activity and when to do it. He decided which animals to classify as raptors. He did research, such as when he asked me last night whether a condor is a raptor or not (I checked Wikipedia). He integrated a trip we did last week to Pinnacles National Park, which is where we learned about Condors, along with his current favorite TV show, Wild Kratts, which is a kids show about animals. It was in Wild Kratts that he learned about “the long legged” (not having seen the episode, Laryssa and I can’t help him with what the long legged’s real name might actually be). And now he and his sister are integrating raptors into their play.

Joseph is homeschooled. We have a curriculum for learning to read and another for math, as well as one called Five in a Row, which uses a different children’s book each week. In Five in a Row, the same children’s book is read each day of the school week, and lessons in geography, art, science, or history are drawn from it each day. For example, in a book about a duck which lives on the Yangtze river, we learned where China is on Monday, learned a new art technique for drawing ducks on Tuesday, and conducted experiments with buoyancy on Friday.

Joey (I miss calling him that. He decided on his fifth birthday that he wants to be called Joseph now) is able work his way through each of these curricula in only an hour and a half each day. This leaves the rest of the day free for whatever he wants to do, and it is incredible how much learning occurs during that time.

While I am writing this, Joseph just came over to me and asked if we would start school now. How awesome is that?

Last night I read the article about Slow Teaching on the class Moodle, and I realized this morning that I am watching it happen right before my eyes with our son.

I have my wife to thank for this. She is an incredible friend and spouse, and a wonderful mother and teacher. She is the brains and the brawn behind our homeschooling. Laryssa is a certified elementary ed teacher, and has a Master’s degree as a reading specialist. Today, while I am home with the kids, she is substitute teaching in a second grade classroom in Seaside. However, most days she stays home and teaches our kids.

Thank you, Laryssa. Thank you for investing in our children and giving them this comfort and autonomy. Thank you for the love and attention you pour into them. I see them happy and flourishing, learning what they want at their own pace, as well as learning what they “need to” for their grade level.

For this, and a myriad of other reasons, I am unbelievably blessed to be your husband. You are amazing. I love you.