I'm so very fascinated by how children develop and learn! And I'm passionate about parent/child relationships that are loving, respectful, and fun!
Years ago I almost got my graduate degree in education. Instead I've pursued the field of education by looking at child development, educational neuropsych including nutrients needed for brain health and development, and educational psychology. I've also researched many methods of education and their outcomes including Montessori, Waldorf, Classical, Charlotte Mason, and unschooling or democratic free-schooling. Some of this has been part of my formal education and some just a pursuit of my own passions.
I am in the 6th year (5th grade!) of homeschooling my daughter and honestly we both love it! We've used a lot of Waldorf methodologies over the years but currently lean more toward an unschooling model of child-led learning that's driven by the innate curiosity each human possesses - unless its been driven out of them by compulsory learning that is not in sync with the child's interests and learning styles. There's a lot more on our style of learning under the "homeschool/unschool" posts on my blog. Despite being largely child-led and unschooling we more than cover the subjects and topics required by NYS.
I can help you navigate the NYS requirements, choose or design curriculum, find a period of deschooling, discover your child(ren)'s preferred learning style(s), find ways to follow their passions while covering traditional "subjects," create real-life learning experiences, and learn to categorize real-life into "subjects". In line with this I also can offer parent/child coaching to keep peace and harmony and FUN at the center of the relationship and learning.
In my relationship coaching, I operate from an attachment parenting paradigm that believes strongly that one's relationship with one's child(ren) does not need to turn sour with age. I'm a big believer in having some family values that are upheld (safety, kindness, respect, etc) by both parents and children and a big believer in listening to children's feelings and getting to the root of their needs. Children act out because of an unmet need. Learning to understand different family personalities, learning styles, and your own family values can go a long way to creating relationships that are harmonious and fun!
All photos and information on this website copyrighted by Rebecca Andrews. Please do not use or share photos, information, or papers without proper citations!