Time Well Spent: The Value of Holistic Learning in a Safe Environment

Hello everyone, today I want to discuss the importance of time well spent when it comes to learning. We've all heard the phrase "time is money," but when it comes to education, time well spent learning is never time wasted. It's an investment in a child's future that pays off in countless ways. It is also a wonderful way to get a child to participate in their education. Once they understand that it is the effort that will bring them success, they are more likely to want to complete tasks and try to absorb information.

When we talk about holistic learning in a safe environment, I am talking about creating an environment where children are encouraged to explore, ask questions, and learn in a way that is free from fear and judgment. This type of environment allows children to develop a love for learning and a curiosity about the world around them. But it starts with the relationship with learning that you, as a parent or teacher, model for them.

So, why is holistic learning in a safe environment so important? Well, first of all, it allows children to develop a well-rounded set of learning skills. I want to encourage children to explore their creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and social skills. This type of well-rounded education sets children up for success in all areas of their lives. If you encourage a child to manage their time, thoughts, and energy towards things that they are interested in, you can make any situation a teachable moment.

Not only that, but a safe and nurturing environment also fosters a sense of confidence and self-esteem in children, without relying on spelling bees or pop quizzes. When kids feel safe to take risks and make mistakes, they are more likely to try new things and push themselves to reach their full potential. Building confident learners is how we build optimistic, well-rounded adults.

Now, I know that as a parent or teacher, creating a safe environment for your child to learn and grow can feel like a daunting task. But trust me, it's easier than you might think. Here are a few tips to help you create a safe learning environment for your child. There is never a minute wasted:

1. Encourage open communication: Create an environment where your child feels comfortable asking questions and expressing their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. It’s ok if you don’t know all the answers, you can look them up together. Model the steps to solving a problem or answering a question.

2. Celebrate mistakes: Instead of focusing on the outcome, celebrate the effort and the process. Let your child know that it's okay to make mistakes and that they can learn from them. Let them know that there are things even you don’t know or have to look up. Show them how you research or solve a problem. Let them witness you ask a clarifying question or research the answer to a problem. Model the lifelong learner skills that you hope for them.

3. Provide a variety of learning opportunities: Offer a mix of structured learning activities and unstructured playtime to allow your child to explore their interests and learn in different ways. This is where the unschooling approach shines, because your child is always in a learning environment, whether they know it or not. They will get used to having a question and then figuring out multiple ways to solve it. Let them know that you are not always available to answer the questions, but they have many resources to pull from. This will take practice. But once your child has the confidence to solve their own problems, you will see them use that skill in different areas of their lives.

Remember, a safe environment doesn't have to be perfect. It just needs to be a place where your child feels supported, encouraged, and free to be themselves.

Let's make the most of our time by creating a safe and nurturing environment that allows our children to learn, grow, and thrive. After all, time well spent learning is never time wasted.

What are some ways you create a safe environment for your child to learn? Share your tips in the comments below!

About Me…

Moon Haven Academy founder and teacher, Ms. Micheline.

Welcome to Moon Haven Academy! My name is Micheline, and I am the Mom behind the teacher. I’ve been a classroom teacher since I was 19 years old. I’ve worked in the infant rooms of daycares to the school-age rooms, and after the birth of my twins, I became a certified public school reading teacher, working in elementary and middle schools. So, I have a unique experience and perspective on what is happening to education in the United States. Being in a classroom is in my blood. Most of the women on both sides of my family are educators; for generations, we have been helping young people meet and exceed their potential. When I became a mother, I knew that I wanted to be the best Mom I could be. I also knew how I raised my children would look different from how I and previous generations were raised. I knew I wanted to change our relationship to learning and education for my girls. By the time the girls came around, it was clear that schools were no longer a safe space, not for their physical bodies or their emotional ones. I had worked in the system and saw enough to know that I did not want my kids to be shaped by the polices and regulations made by people who did not have their best interests at heart. It was and is essential that my girls remain true to themselves. I want them to have the opportunity to build positive relationships with themselves, the community, and most of all, nature. I want them to have respect for science, both indigenous and modern. I want them to trust in their intuition. I want them to know they can do anything they put their energy towards. I recognized quickly that if that were the type of education I wanted for them, I would have to take charge of their learning environment. I would have to forge their educational team based on goals they were a part of creating, not just state benchmarks. I know that I wasn’t the only Mama with this mindset. I felt charged to provide a space to build a community of like-minded families looking for a slower pace and more grounded learning environment for their students… and that is when Moon Haven Academy was born. I want to provide a timeless education. An education that can take them through the ebbs and flows of the world around them. I created a secular school so that people from different backgrounds could have a soft space to land in a world where you can be judged and labeled without people truly knowing your character. Moon Haven has several meanings to me personally. I will get into that in our next blog post. If you are interested in participating in the community, contact me. I answer each email, text, and phone call. I want to help build a world my girls are proud to inherit. So to answer the question…

Who am I? I am a Mom, teacher, and human being who recognizes the importance of teaching children skills that they will build on during their lives, that will help them not only help themselves in the future but also the community and world as a whole while maintaining their authenticity and intuition. I would love to know who you are.