Eclectic approach

What is it? It is a wonderful blend of pedagogies! 

You know, sometimes we look over the various pedagogies offered, and unfortunately, nothing honestly and truly seems to be a good fit. At times it is possible to leave aside one part of a pedagogy without sacrificing its essence, but when there are multiple aspects that we aren’t happy with, we lose a lot of the pedagogy in question. We may find ourselves unable to feel confident.

And so, here enters the eclectic pedagogy! It allows us to reach into each of the educational approaches offered to fulfill our desires, and bring together the best characteristics for the development and future of our child. Yes, you can do that! You may, following your child’s choices and interests, adapt the pedagogy and the way to approach the school curriculum in order to live an enriching and diversified experience. Nothing is set in stone and nothing is mandatory, but only to follow your own path!

The possibilities are infinite, changeable, and adaptable!

Educational path 

With this approach, you will have the freedom to borrow the tricks and good points of selected pedagogies in order to create an individualized approach for your child. You do not have to follow a specific curriculum; all that will allow your child to acquire knowledge and deepen that knowledge is allowed. Your planning is yours. Your curriculum may respect one or many pedagogies at a time. You can blend pedagogies in order to facilitate learning or even to make it more complex if needed. Your way of doing things, your curriculum, your vision will be unique!

Method

1. Research the different pedagogies that interest you, if you wish:

• Take note of the aspects of each pedagogy that interest you.
• Gather books, documents, material, applications, pertinent software.
• Look on Pinterest, Google, websites, Facebook groups and pages, etc.

2. Make a list of material to provide/gather:

• Make a list based on needs for projects, models, themes, material, applications, digital software, games, etc.
• Make a list of workbooks, worksheets, and manipulatives that you want to get.
• Make a list of material to create and calculate the costs.

3. Plan outings and educational activities:

• Make a list of museums, possible walks, various visits, activities in your neighborhood, your town, your area, etc.
• Make a list of sporting, scientific, and cultural activities offered in your area.

Rhythm

Make a schedule

• Depending on your method, you may establish a schedule based on a traditional school setting, or adjust it entirely on the pace of life that you want for your school year.
• Make your schedule based around activities chosen, goals, etc.
• The type of schedule will be a reflection of your personality and that of your child.
• You may have a very structured schedule or no established schedule at all, but rather a list of activities. You can also give your child choices for them to make their own schedule with or without your help.

Make a calendar

• The choice to respect a calendar is yours.
• You can have a calendar and expected accomplishments for each day, week, or month.
• You can also have no planning in this sense.
• There are no constraints or obligations regarding study times or how they should go. This depends solely on your situation, your wishes, and your expectations.

Benefits

• The beauty of this pedagogy is the possibility to use any interesting concept from other pedagogies to allow your child to enjoy to the fullest.
• You use the material that suits you. You can choose to make models, projects, or animations for the achievement of learning. You can use Montessori material or refer to literature as indicated in Charlotte Mason pedagogy.
• You can choose to have themes or not. You can use workbooks, worksheets, applications, websites and software for all subjects or not. Some ideas may be seen in a certain way, and others differently again. It is possible to integrate play in order to learn.
• The child can choose. You may also suggest, innovate, plan, organize, delegate, and create a pedagogy that perfectly suits your child. You organize your days how you wish.

Inconvenients

• Freedom can bring headaches when the time comes to define the notions seen in order to fill the portfolio. The infinite possibilities can also be scary, since there are no specific labels. Not following a particular curriculum may bring about a feeling of uncertainty surrounding the value of your undertaking. You must learn to trust yourself. 
• Trying to respect your child as they learn, all the while offering a large number of pedagogies, may require a lot of research, preparation, and additional costs. 
• It may be difficult to navigate from one pedagogy to another and to do it alone. Those who adopt approaches in their entirety are more respectful of the fundamental criterion, and you may not find the overall benefit and support if you do not follow through all the suggested steps of the method in question. After all, it is difficult to guide someone who shares only half the method to apply to arrive at one given result.

 

Thanks to Anik Lambert, Annie Shirley Horne, Geneviève Côté, Patrick Riley, Eva Ketelsen and Suzanne Lagacé.