It’s been a struggle for a long time. I’ve never quite felt right. Fear and shame have kept me from admitting who I am. Christian circles in particular don’t know what to do with people like me…overall a good gal who loves God but…geesh….there’s those differences.
Initially I thought it was just a passing stage. Certainly everyone experiences those, right? But then I realized I was born this way. Wired differently. But I’ve been keeping it a secret because I know even those who love me…sometimes don’t know what to do with my differences.
I am an unschooler.
Those are the words that could suck the air out of the Abeka conference. Bob Jones acolytes would politely clear their throats and discreetly seek the closest exit.
I am an unschooler. I see educational opportunities everywhere and I chose real life over a text book.
I am an unschooler. The words of Robert Frost buoy my spirits when I read the words, “I believe in education, I don’t believe in school.”
I love open source education and believe the WalMart clerk is just as qualified to teach me something as a pedigreed professor.
I draw courage from great men like Louis L’Amour who dropped out of school at the age of 15 because he felt school was interfering with his education.
Do I believe every child should be bounced out of school? Not on your life.
But as I have watched my nearly 16-year-old unschooled son grow and develop into a skilled worker and a confident young adult…I am convinced that sometimes the best educational model isn’t a model at all.
I am an unschooler.
Filed under: ADD/ADHD, education, homeschooling, Public schooling, Special Needs' Kids Tagged: | compusory education, education, Education of a Wandering man, educational models, Louis L'amour, unschooling
Me too Theresa
I had to giggle at this Theresa. This week in Walmart, the clerk started interrogating my shy 9 year old about what he learned in school last year. I made the mistake of telling him that we homeschool and that Tanner was still in school during the summer. My poor boy was miserable as the guy started firing question after question about history and science at him and I wanted the man to hush up myself. But then….he started talking mathematics and he shared a few math tricks with us that were very valuable and I wished I would have talked to his guy earlier in the year. So there you have it. Walmart clerks can indeed contribute to our kiddos education.
We unschool our five-year-old and three-year-old, too.
I was unschooled in highschool. My family started out with all the curriculum and tests but went through some rough paradigm shifts after our first year of homeschooling. We meant to get back to our regularly scheduled schooling but accidentally ended up unschooling when my mom decided my sister and I ought to help her run a housekeeping business.
It’s sounds silly, but I still use those skills today. I’m a work-at-home web designer. I learned photoshop when I was assigned the task of designing posters and magnetic signs for our housekeeping business and I picked up html & css knowledge when my parents needed me to create a website to sell puppies.
I knew I was in good company!!!
Mary- It is I who am in good company.
Mountainash- Thanks so much for sharing. It is very encouraging especially since I haven’t yet launched an adult.
Doni- That is priceless! There was a WalMart clerk back in TN that taught me a life lesson. He was one of the most positive delightful clerks I’d ever met and as I got to know him over time, I learned that he had suffered the murder of his wife and two children. Not all lessons are academic, eh?
Kent- I’m so glad I know you; I love hearing about your beautiful girls and their unique journeys.
Yesssssssssssssss…right on!
I am sooooooo with you on this one T! I’ve had way too many struggles trying to get my kid through school. I know it works for most, but not for every kid!
I can’t tell you how much peace we found when we gave up ‘trying to be normal’ and just decided to be honest. School is not for everyone – but education is! There are many ways to educated.
We flew the coop and we’re loving it!
My name is Jason…and I am an unschooler.
I so support your views on this, Theresa. I think it is a travesty that our American children are, for the most part, only getting a school-room education………not the education they could gain from hands-on experience, travel and learning about how to live in this world. By and large, I think most parents are too busy to teach anymore, thus they expect it all to happen in a classroom and much of what is being taught is not very applicable to what is needed to function in today’s world. I am a real advocate for unschooling and hope that we see more and more of it in the future! Good stuff!