Live in the countryside and support a homeschooler family in Horta de San Juan, Spain

Details

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  Description

  Hello! We are Lorena and Iñaki, a family living in Horta de Sant Joan, Tarragona, Spain, in a beautiful rural area surrounded by nature, together with our three children, almost 14, 11 and 4 years old.
  
  We have chosen homeschooling because we believe that children learn not only through books and traditional lessons, but also through nature, everyday life, creativity, travel, relationships and real experiences. Our lifestyle is closely connected to the outdoors, and we love spending time in nature, exploring, creating, cooking and learning together.
  
  Lorena is an educator with 18 years of experience as a teacher. She currently works in respectful education, homeschooling and Forest School education, and also teaches Kundalini Yoga to adults. Iñaki is an engineer and panel solar bulider, very practical and independent, and has lived abroad for many years, including 11 years in Australia. He speaks fluent English.
  
  Our children are curious, active and used to learning in a flexible and autonomous way. We also have cats and chickens and enjoy a simple rural lifestyle.
  
  Why are we looking for a Workawayer?
  
  Our main objective with Workaway is to give our children the opportunity to learn from and connect with people from different countries and cultures, especially through natural English conversation and shared experiences.
  
  We are interested in our children learning as well practical skills and crafts, such as carpentry, so if you have some basic knowledge in this area, that would be great. We are creating a Forest School project where you could also participate and get involved together with our children.
  
  We are looking for someone who genuinely enjoys children and would like to become part of our family for a while. We would love someone who can bring their own interests, skills and creativity into our homeschooling: English conversation, reading, art, crafts, music, sports, carpentry, nature, outdoor activities or simply sharing their passions with the children.
  
  In addition to supporting our children with homeschooling, we are also interested in people who would like to help us build and renovate things related to our forest school project, such as a composting toilet, porches, the chicken coop, and other small construction projects.
  
  For these tasks, we would especially love our older children, particularly our 14-year-old, to be able to participate and learn alongside you. We believe it is very important for them to learn practical skills that will be useful in everyday life.
  
  For us, Workaway is a cultural and educational exchange. We want our children to learn naturally through relationships with people from other places, while our Workawayer can experience our family life, rural Catalunya, homeschooling and our way of living close to nature.
  
  We are looking for someone kind, responsible, patient, creative, independent and respectful of our educational approach, who is happy to participate in family life and enjoy a slower, nature-based lifestyle.
  
  If you love children, nature, cultural exchange and alternative education, we would love to hear from you!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Teaching

  Creative DIY projects

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house
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  Interests

  

  Cycling
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We live in a wonderful environment surrounded by nature and beautiful rivers. You can learn a lot about the purity and spontaneity of childhout. Connect with the plants and with the wisdom of mother earth offer us. Enjoy healthy and delicious food, improve spanish or catalan...
  You can practise yoga as well. You are welcome to my yoga’s classes every week.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  The support would be adapted to the Workawayer’s interests, experience and confidence, as well as to the different ages and needs of our three children. It could include:
  
  • Speaking English naturally with the children during everyday activities, games, meals, walks and family time.
  • Reading stories, comics or books together and talking about them.
  • Supporting the children with writing, vocabulary, pronunciation and simple conversations in English.
  • Sharing personal interests, hobbies, skills, stories and knowledge from the Workawayer’s country or culture.
  • Playing board games, card games, construction games or other activities that encourage communication, logic and cooperation.
  • Going outdoors for walks, bikes, nature observation, exploration, gardening or simple Forest School-inspired activities.
  • Helping the children discover aspects of another culture, such as food, traditions, geography, music, celebrations or everyday life.
  • Encouraging curiosity, independence, creativity and confidence rather than giving formal lessons.
  • Spending individual time with one child when appropriate, while also enjoying activities together as siblings.
  • Supporting the children in following through with projects or activities that they have chosen or started.
  
  The Workawayer would not be expected to take full responsibility for the children’s education or to replace their parents. Lorena would remain involved in the homeschooling process and would explain our routines, priorities and educational approach. The role would be mainly to accompany, inspire, converse, play, explore and share, always in a respectful and positive way.
  
  We value a flexible approach. Some days the learning may happen through a planned activity, while on other days it may happen naturally while cooking, walking, visiting a village, caring for the animals, playing outside or having a conversation. We believe that learning can be present in ordinary moments when children feel relaxed, interested and connected.
  
  We are interested in our children learning practical skills and crafts, such as carpentry, so if you have some basic knowledge in this area, that would be great. We are creating a Forest School project where you could also participate and get involved together with our children.
  
  Example of timetable:
  
  The idea is to have some support and help with homeschooling as well as with simple household tasks. An example of what a typical week could look like is:
  
  Monday: 10:00–13:00
  
  The support is mainly focused on our older children, aged 11 and 14. During the morning, you would prepare lunch together, spend one hour doing some schoolwork (with materials and activities prepared in advance, we have the material), and another hour playing, doing carpentry, sports, or other activities.
  
  Tuesday: 10:00–12:00
  
  One hour supporting the younger children through play (we have materials and activity ideas available, although you are very welcome to bring your own ideas), and another hour spending time and doing activities with the older child.
  
  Wednesday: 10:00–13:00
  
  Support with our older child, with activities similar to those on Monday.
  
  Thursday: 10:00–12:00
  
  The same routine as Tuesday.
  
  Friday: 9:00–11:00
  
  The same routine as Tuesday and Thursday.
  
  
  We are especially interested in someone who can offer regular and meaningful English exposure.
  
  The support is very simple. You don’t need to plan or prepare activities, as the children already have a weekly organisation and their own materials. They choose which projects they want to focus on.
  
  What they mainly need is someone to accompany them while I’m working, and for the volunteer to speak English with them. It’s a relaxed and flexible role, more about being present, available and interacting with them than teaching or organising activities.
  
  For us, Workaway is a cultural and educational exchange. We want our children to learn naturally through relationships with people from other places, while our Workawayer can experience our family life, rural Spain, homeschooling and our way of living close to nature.
  
  We are looking for someone kind, responsible, patient, creative, independent and respectful of our educational approach, who is happy to participate in family life and enjoy a slower, nature-based lifestyle.
  
  If you love children, nature, cultural exchange and alternative education, we would love to hear from you!

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Catalan: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  We need people who speaks english
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  Accommodation

  The accommodation is an old and renovated caravan with a exterior bathroom. Our house is your house so you can use it wherever you need, the shower is in our home.
  During the winter Months we offer a Private room in a house with your own living room, kitchen and bathroom.
  The meals that we include are breakfast and lunch.

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  What else ...

  We lead a very peaceful life, in a wonderfull place, surrounded by forest, impressive mountains and rivers and a beautiful places.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  During winter seasons volunteers will be in a house with your own room, living room, kitchen and bathroom. We use this little house as a small school, so three mornings a week we need it from 9:00 to 14:00. During those hours, we ask the volunteers to move to our main house. This is also when we need them the most, as they have to accompany our older children. We also rent out the little house on some weekends, so occasionally the volunteer may need to move to our main house for a weekend as well. It is usually one weekend a month, and during the winter sometimes none at all.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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