Education is the Science of Relations: A few Case Studies

As part of the Literary Life Podcast Reading Challenge this year, I'm reading/listening to several poems by the poetry W. H Auden. I hadn't yet really connected to any until I heard Thomas Banks read this one:

Roman Wall Blues

Over the heather the wet wind blows,
I've lice in my tunic and a cold in my nose.

The rain comes pattering out of the sky,
I'm a Wall soldier, I don't know why.

The mist creeps over the hard grey stone,
My girl's in Tungria; I sleep alone.

Aulus goes hanging around her place,
I don't like his manners, I don't like his face.

Piso's a Christian, he worships a fish;
There'd be no kissing if he had his wish.

She gave me a ring but I diced it away;
I want my girl and I want my pay.

When I'm a veteran with only one eye
I shall do nothing but look at the sky.

My mind immediately went back to last fall and our visit to Hadrian's wall. And I could picture it - especially the sky. And I do believe Auden has the privilege of having written the very first full poem that has made its way into my commonplace book!

We've also added a few new items to our school routine in the last month at the specific request of the kids: Koine Greek books and studying for the Pegasus National Mythology Exam and I'm pretty sure both are related to this (as of yet, unblogged) trip. 

I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to homeschooling and it's an area I'm trying to hand over to God and let him chisel off parts of me that need it. I've got some changes I'm planning for next year's school as a part of that refining and I don't always do change well, even when I feel life God is calling us to that. But I never want to be so caught up in my own plans that I fail to see true education taking place and the kids making their own connections. It's a balance. We aren't unschoolers. I have a philosophy of education because we (both my kids and I!) don't always know what we are interested in until we are exposed. And not only that but we don't know what true and beautiful ideas are souls are longing for. I had no idea that this Auden poem was out there in the world, waiting to be loved by me. And before our trip to Greece, one of my children was known to roll their eyes when greek stuff showed up on the schedule but is now choosing to add Greek language studies (because I bought the books for them but its a free evening choice, nothing required). But once exposed, I need to give them space to explore and pursue! That's the tricky part when there are a lot of them, only one me, and most of their interests still require something from me in the time and energy department. But I keep going, however imperfectly. 

Which takes me back to the last line of that poem, someday I'll have to time to look at the sky (but hopefully I'm still have two eyes!) but until then I don't want to be singing the blues. And I don't have to be, because I do know why I'm doing this. And that is what makes all the difference.