8 Phases in your Home-Education Journey

Let nature flow through you

Let me introduce you to John Young’s 8 Shields Model. It is a powerful mirror that acts to orientate us within our natural cycle of life, and to anchor us within the world we inhabit.

I learned of this tool after our 4-year home-ed learning co-operative ended abruptly at the first Lockdown. It helped me recognise the extent to which nature is a powerful guiding force, even when we are little aware of its play.

John Young observed it in healthy indigenous communities. We evolved into it naturally.

Through our 4 years together in Playful And Collaborative Education, (our PACE, as we liked to call it), we had indeed arrived at a place that mirrored natures cycles. This was without even fully intending it, or even recognising the significance of it.

On reflection we can clearly see how we passed through each direction, not only throughout the entire project from start to finish, but also through the seasons of the year, the seasons of our lives, and miraculously even the hours of the days we spent together.

We began in mystery, energised and motivated, flowing into deep focus time, followed by rest, community time and reflection. Together we shared the rhythms of life.

This was inevitable. We were together, mostly outdoors, throughout the year, and had no alternative but to go with the seasonal givings and challenges. We learned to work with it, embrace it, flow with it. In winter we told stories fireside, in spring we celebrated the warming of the earth, in summer we splashed in the stream, in autumn we shared our harvest.

Whilst it’s not always possible to find ourselves outdoors every week within the arms of nature and community, we can still be guided by natures wisdom and apply aspects to our own experience for greater direction and flow. Orientation helps us find some ease in recognition of where we are now.

The 8 Shield Model helps us honour the energies that we naturally flow through when we are in alignment with nature. Honouring the need for a complete cycle adds richness to our home-ed adventure. It also becomes starkly clear when one aspect is in lack, and the relief and fulfilment felt in implementing the missing piece. For us it was celebration and rest, which is often the case in our focus-heavy modern-day living.

Here is an 8 Shield's exploration to help you orientate you in your home-ed journey. Which energy state resonates most?

Germination (NE)

This is the earliest opening phase when how to home-educate is still a mystery. Something far off; possible but distant. Like pre-dawn you are quiet and becoming aware of the potential.

Could it really be something you could do? Like late winter it involves a death of what was, a letting go and opening up to a new beginning. A conception. A germination. In your mind you wonder and conceive. There is risk and a stepping out of our comfort zone. We have a big picture, not yet complete with finer details.

Sprouting (E)

This is your spring, your sunrise, your birth into home-ed. You are inspired to take the plunge and feel energised, yet tentative. It is a birthing of a new life unlike anything you have known before. Fresh and new and full of such potential. It can be exciting and even overwhelming in a sea of possibilities. You have a strong desire to plunge in, yet still young in your journey, your path may be unclear. There is a mix of curiosity and apprehension, expectation and hope. You explore groups and day trips, tutors and school-at-home. You look outwards and start to connect with others. You start to tailor a new environment for your children to grow in. You dream, follow creative exploration, and perhaps long for clarity.

Orientation (SE)

This is the childhood of your journey, late spring. Young and full of vitality. Grown enough to be visible in your intention. Capable enough to get out and explore. You are motivated and think to the future. You trust your intuition and flow with decision. You step onto your path and enjoy the clarity of the forward motion, a feeling of progress. You start to plan, yet things are still quite unknown. It is mid-morning time. A time to recognise and begin to rise to the challenges. Initiate momentum. You read books and may still question your decision. Things have yet to feel ‘normal’. It is still early days.

Flowering (S)

This is commitment. Where you arrive at something that feels most aligned and focus your energy towards it. This is the action phase where the modern western world overspends its time, often to the point of burnout. It is hard work. It is adolescence. It is where we labour. We are mature and focused on what matters to us. We are in the flow-state, enjoying the momentum and sense of achievement. It is like the fullness of summer and the height of noon.

This is where we get stuck in to projects, working hard to create spaces and experiences for our children.

Internal Growth, (SW)

Seeds are developing unseen. This is when we take a break. Rest. It’s early adulthood like a late summer where everything stops in the heat. Our energy has lessened from the hard work and focus that preceded. This is a time for nourishment. Refuelling through nutritious foods and connection.  Empathy is required. Our bodies are clear in how we need to replenish ourselves. Sleep, movement, medicine. This is a tending of our fire. Caretaking.

Extending our care to ourselves, to others or the world around us.  We need this pause to recover emotionally. It is a time to prioritise our wellbeing and recognise the importance of rest to recharge and promote inner growth.

I personally, and others in our community found accepting this phase the hardest. We wanted to stay in focus, despite being exhausted from all our hard work. We desperately needed rest but we didn’t want to stop. We grew up in a world that valued carrying on, persisting, overriding our need for rest. We have been forced see more value in work and productivity, and it can be satisfying and hard to let go of. Knowing it is all part of the cycle and will come around again is some comfort.

Fruiting (W)

This is where we gather and share as a community in celebration. It’s the beauty of a sunset, a clear vision and appreciation of our journey and where we find ourselves. It is the fruits of autumn, the fruits of our labour. The fruits of our earlier efforts. This is adulthood, without judgement, just full acceptance and recognition of our interconnectedness. We are at ease, enjoying a sense of achievement, telling stories of what we did during the whirling years of action and fullness. It is time to harvest the fruits so that they nourish new growth. Celebrate all the hard work, effort and achievement.

This phase can be lacking in our modern society and we can resist bringing a celebratory lens to all we have experienced and learned. It is an important part of the cycle that is highly regenerative and supportive.

Reflecting (NW)

This is the evening time where we reflect and heal. It’s late adulthood and late autumn. It can sometimes feel like it has arrived all of a sudden and unexpectedly, and perhaps with some resistance. A time of darkness as winter approaches. It is sometimes referred to as the dark harvest, where an honest look can illuminate disappointments. We can feel bare and exposed. We look back in deep reflection, seeing how our path unfolded. We mourn our losses and wonder where we now stand. Connections we made along our journey show their importance and together we explore the wisdom of our life as it unfolds. It is a time of spaciousness and of enlightenment. It is a time for honouring.

Seeds (N)

Elderhood holds the seeds of wisdom. Now we have reached winter. It is midnight and we need deep sleep, or hibernation. Ripe with all that is needed for new growth, we lay dormant. Things that we thought were of importance have fallen away to leave only what is necessary.

We are full of love and forgiveness. We clearly see the big picture and can share this for the benefit of others. We emanate peace and understanding. This is our fallow time, and we know its importance for what is to come next. Great change and newness is on the horizon.

Completion

Once the cycle is complete, so it begins afresh, the end is the beginning; death leads to rebirth. We can go through a number of natural cycles in our home-ed family life, often involving the end of a project, commitment, community or course. This often rolls into a new phase but can also involve a long extended fallow period.

There are phases in which we can become stuck, such as the planning stage of the south-east, the focus required to be in the plan and preserve it, or the letting go and feeling consumed by grief. Balance comes when all elements are honoured, even if in just a slight nod in its direction.

Connecting to our intuition can be a great guide, after all we are nature. Connecting to the nature all around us can help us sink into our intuition.

Remember that flow is key, and the cycle will turn again.

Nature will guide us if we let it.

If you want to explore your home-education journey with me, I am here in home-ed elderhood and happy to share my wisdom. I will listen to you without judgement and help you orientate yourself. All journeys are unique and yours will be too. I will not impose any should's or expectations. We will reflect with curiosity and discover what you value and where you’d like to go next. The life of a home-ed family is an adventure, and I am here to help you find the path to yours!

Get in touch: sarah-janecobley@healthneedsthyme.co.uk