#unschoolers

[connieaaa]

I was homeschooled from pre-K through 12th grade.

I loved being homeschooled, and having control over my education.

But, I didn't have a single educational experience outside of Church. My parents refused to provide math tutoring, music classes, and free college.

I asked to learn algebra when I was 9, and was asked about the shortest distance across a mailbox. I said diagonally, and I was told that was algebra.

I did temporarily take a Spanish class at a homeschool group for Christian Nationalists; it was taught by my Aunt. It was horrible- the kids, the curriculum, the teacher, the people who ran the co-op.

My dad taught me a lot about young earth creationism.

My mom taught me about homeopathy.

That's it.

I either taught myself, or someone outside the family took the time to teach me.

I have imposter syndrome, and people constantly tell me I know too much for not attending college. I am finally going to start college.

Help your kids when they ask for help. I worked so hard on math I'd give myself migraines.

[letterstoleia]

Dear parents with kids usually in school who might be worried about this time off:

It doesn't have to be about school while they are off. Seriously. Anything can be spun into learning.

For example, we are binge watching Sonic the Hedgehog today because I'm tired.

What does watching Sonic teach?

*Zoology (Hello? Animals!)

*Physics (Laws of Motion, anyone?)

*Negotiation Skills ("Please? Just one more episode!?")

*Phys. Ed ("Gotta go fast!")

*Science & Engineering (Between the bad guy who creates robots and Tails who is a genius mechanic, you are bound to pick up something!)

*Language skills (Sarcasm skillz +1! - wait, maybe that's not a great thing... but still! Maybe he will catch up with my sarcastic ways soon....)

*Social skills (The power of teamwork! And not making girls mad!)

See? Learning! #unschoolinglife

[dogwooddivinity]

My eldest wrote her last exam yesterday, and today she's turning her notes into flowers. Unschooled kids are a certain kind of extra.

(She unschooled herself until highschool. She's fucking stellar. I can't believe I made her.)

[fuckyeahradicaled]

Finding Balance in a Plugged-In World

This post was originally published on Patreon, a crowdfunding platform which allows people like you to make a big difference in my life b...

This post was originally published on Patreon, a crowdfunding platform which allows people like you to make a big difference in my life by pledging $1 or more a month. In exchange, you receive perks like an extra post per month (among other things!). Most of those posts will never appear anywhere else besides Patreon, but occasionally I like to share an older one here as well. I hope you enjoy!

In the ongoing discussion of technology, its usage, and what is and isn’t appropriate for children, something that frequently comes up is balance. I shared a quote recently that I really liked by Zina Harrington that touched on just that:

"We have to stop pretending that we can 'unplug' our children. Technology is an integrated part of our kids' world--and it will continue to be throughout their lives. We need to change the conversation. Instead of restricting screen time, we need to teach our children balance in a world where technology is abundant. We must shift focus and introduce them to the concept of mindful usage."

I want to first discuss just what balance means, because too often what someone means when they say balance is “someone doing things the way I think they should be doing them.” There are some things all humans ideally need to feel and function best: food to fuel our bodies; physical movement and exertion of some sort; sunlight and outdoors; access to intellectual pursuits and exploration; places that feel safe; enough sleep; time for leisure and relaxation, daydreaming and calm; human company and support and community… But the ways those needs are met, the limitations and opportunities dictated by each person’s body and mind and environment, and the quantities needed to satisfy each individual will vary wildly. Your balance isn’t my balance. Your balance isn’t necessarily your child’s balance.

[eadelle]

You know what, screw being self deprecating every time I get an exam back regardless of the fact I good good grades, (Like seriously I make up excuses to feel bad about it like, "they just went easy on us," or "it's just community college, I'll never get an A when I get to a four year program," and the ever classic, "but I could have done better"), and instead imma be proud of the fact that I've consistently kept a 4.0 grade average despite never going to school a day in my life before college. Go me, I fucking did good, good job me.

[fuckyeahradicaled]

What Makes Unschooling Successful? Advice From Grown Life Learners

I’m delighted to be sharing some words from fellow grown unschoolers today, something I’ve been wanting to do more of for a while now. For t...

“I’m delighted to be sharing some words from fellow grown unschoolers today, something I’ve been wanting to do more of for a while now. For this post, I asked people to share either something they think their parents did especially well, or an aspect of their experience they found especially positive. The ten responses gathered below are thoughtful and insightful, a collection of anecdotes and advice that I hope will be helpful for parents and carers still in the earlier stages of this journey. I’m always really fascinated seeing what others who grew up with a similar philosophy as my family have to say, and I hope you find these tidbits similarly interesting and helpful.”

[fuckyeahradicaled]

It has always bothered me to see how some parents chase their children away from productive jobs. I have seen it many times, and while I understand the impulse, I have little empathy for the shortsightedness of it, because the truth is that long before they are capable of truly helping, kids desperately want to contribute. Like all of us, children just want to be needed. It’s our job to make sure they actually are.

Ben Hewitt, Home Grown

[fuckyeahradicaled]

Regulating Unschooling? Only If There's No Testing Involved

As unschooling in particular and homeschooling in general become ever more widespread, the rumblings of unease from everyone not unschooling...

"The reason people choose to forgo schooling is because they want a different type of experience, one they’re not able to achieve in a traditional school setting. While some homeschoolers will re-create the trappings of a school education outside of the institution, many more (unschoolers most of all) are looking to leave schooling itself behind, believing that our modern method of education largely ignores the importance of self-directed learning, free play, internal motivation, building respectful multi age relationships, authentic work, and all the other marvelous benefits available to a child with supportive and available adults in their lives. When life and learning are inseparable, testing seems like an absurd intrusion on a natural process.

But how do you know they’re learning? critics cry. Well, that’s actually pretty simple. Firstly, a lack of curriculum doesn’t mean a lack of (learner chosen) goals, whether stated or not: to be able to read well enough to enjoy getting through Harry Potter; to go to space camp; to learn Japanese. Secondly, when not being taught to the test children will engage in authentic and clearly visible projects and activities: planting their own garden; writing a novel; building a video game. Thirdly, and most importantly, when engaging in adult supported self-directed learning there are strong relationships formed between adult and child, and the adult(s) sees the learning happening: in enthusiastic discussions; activities practiced together; books read aloud and shows watched together; in narrations of whatever was done in science club/book club/Scouts/4H/art class/martial arts, etc. When you live and learn together with children, you can’t stop seeing the learning happening."