Have you heard of the third place? Where home is the first place and work or school is the second place, the third place is a mix of both: a public comfort zone of sorts. For some people, the third place is the barbershop; for others, it's their favorite coffee shop. For me, it's Barnes and Noble. That's where I can be left alone to marvel at beautiful language and forget my problems for a while. But, like many other homeschooling parents, my places got tangled when my home became the school. What is the third place for those of us who have chosen to do school at home?
Home has become both the first and second place for many homeschooling families. It is where we work and play, strive and rest. This blurring of boundaries can often lead to frustration and overwhelm. One way of untangling our places can be to reserve academic work for the library or local bookstore, blending the second and third places outside of the home, thus leaving the home's position as first place unscathed. Another option is to select a place inside of the house as the first place, such as the bedrooms, and forbid any schoolwork from entering that space. That way, once school is done for the day and all extracurriculars have been attended, the family can retreat into their untainted comfort zones. A new third-place option is the microschool.
Microschools exist to create a third place for homeschooling families. As a homeschooling mom, I was so happy to take learning into the bedroom or backyard with portable lap desks and unlimited snuggles. Still, after a while, the lack of boundaries made me feel like I could never stop working. I began to see my home as one endless job. That, paired with shouldering the full responsibility of my children's education, was daunting, even as a former classroom teacher. After all, my grade team was gone. There were no staff meetings where I could hear multiple opinions about a particular child's struggles. I was alone, living in my place of work, with nowhere to turn. Not to mention, my teenage daughter wanted out. That led me to create the third place we were all desperate for.
Lucas Literacy Lab is a hybrid learning center with flexible attendance options for homeschooling families (and anyone else who needs us). We are your grade team, your child's home away from home, and your third place. At our microschool, you can choose your curriculum or use the one we have in-house. You can use our space for morning academic support only and then take your child to all their extracurricular activities in the afternoon. Alternatively, you can do your academics at home and attend our school for afternoon enrichments. You can spend Thursdays with us at the farm, or not. You can spend every day with us or only come part-time. It's a third place unlike any other.
As a homeschooling mom and former classroom teacher, I know how important it is to have a team. School does not have to be where you are forced to relinquish your parental rights, and home doesn't have to play every role. Parents do not have to go it alone, and kids don't have to fit into a mold. Lucas Literacy Lab is the place where everyone can come to breathe. It's where the standard of care is preeminent, the academics are creative and individualized, and friendships abound for both children and parents.
Enrollment is now open for the 2024/2025 school year. RSVP for an information session with founder Amanda Lucas this Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
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