-by Ketika Kasetwar, Apr 2025

Without a doubt, learning from experiences has been one of the pillars of our alternate learning journey. Whether or not we were connected to a defined structure or space, our learning continued—messy, rich, layered—always adding to what was already being shared in books, conversations, or moments of quiet observation.

So, when my daughter once asked, “How does it feel to be inside a cloud?” I did what any curious parent-learner would do—I dropped my work immediately and we drove up into the hills to experience it herself. Mist in our hair, dewdrops on our noses, wide eyes and laughter—that was science, geography, poetry, and wonder, all wrapped into one unforgettable morning.

And another day, when she came up to me and said, “I want to know what a snake feels like,” I got in touch with a Sarp-mitra and ensured that my daughter experienced the feel of touching a snake. That moment when my daughter first touched a snake, with calm confidence, was a turning point not just for her—but for me. I was shedding fears, just as she was growing wings. I realised that if I was to walk this journey with her, if I was to help her explore her potential freely and fully, I had to work through my fears too.

That one experience opened the doors to many more. It extended to not just snakes, but beyond to include trying new experiences, looking for more learning opportunities, connecting with experts and being able to question the way things work. Taking us to places, spaces and environments, that I could not even imagine touching upon. Whether it is sports, reading, music, well-being, arts, life-skills or just having the confidence to stand up to wrong, our experience of opening our minds to new experiences became our strength to face whatever lies ahead.

Our homeschooling journey started with questions like “What does a snake feel like?” but has now grown into deeper reflections—How can we live more harmoniously with the natural world? How do we hold space for curiosity and empathy—towards animals, people, and ourselves?

And honestly, that’s the beauty of this path. We don’t always have the answers, but we are willing to follow the questions. Willing to pause, observe, touch, listen, and sometimes, just stand still in the presence of a particular moment. Enjoying the process, and learning for the sheer joy of learning without thinking about the results or the end goal!