Re: [AlwaysLearning] unschooling and Montessori approach
Cara Barlow
Hi: I used to work in a Montessori school (I still live four doors away from
it) and one of my long-time closest friends is a Waldorf teacher. I read
lots about Maria Montessori and Rudolph Steiner when my children were young,
before I began homeschooling/unschooling.
What I took away from my reading was that Montessori and Steiner were trying
to create rich, supportive environments for children that had been damaged
by war (specifically low-income European children hurt by WWI).
They both viewed their "schools" as substitutes for the home environment and
community culture that had been destroyed by the war. They emphasized
closely observing children, providing opportunities for children to learn
what they were interested in, not pressuring children to perform.
Over the years Montessori's and Steiner's ideas have become codified, others
have written books, created curriculum and learning materials - little
industries have grown up around their ideas, and often stray pretty far from
the original intent.
I'm wondering I'm seeing that beginning with unschooling. In February I'll
be at an unschooling conference, and I noticed more than one of the speakers
makes their living from selling things to unschoolers. Not quite sure what
to think about that, but it makes me a little uncomfortable.
Best wishes, Cara
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
it) and one of my long-time closest friends is a Waldorf teacher. I read
lots about Maria Montessori and Rudolph Steiner when my children were young,
before I began homeschooling/unschooling.
What I took away from my reading was that Montessori and Steiner were trying
to create rich, supportive environments for children that had been damaged
by war (specifically low-income European children hurt by WWI).
They both viewed their "schools" as substitutes for the home environment and
community culture that had been destroyed by the war. They emphasized
closely observing children, providing opportunities for children to learn
what they were interested in, not pressuring children to perform.
Over the years Montessori's and Steiner's ideas have become codified, others
have written books, created curriculum and learning materials - little
industries have grown up around their ideas, and often stray pretty far from
the original intent.
I'm wondering I'm seeing that beginning with unschooling. In February I'll
be at an unschooling conference, and I noticed more than one of the speakers
makes their living from selling things to unschoolers. Not quite sure what
to think about that, but it makes me a little uncomfortable.
Best wishes, Cara
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
This one I definitely thought had gone out, January 2.
-=-
I'm wondering I'm seeing that beginning with unschooling. In February
I'll
be at an unschooling conference, and I noticed more than one of the
speakers
makes their living from selling things to unschoolers-=-
There's no way anyone is "making a living" selling anything to
unschoolers, so don't feel too much weight of that.
In all the years I've spoken at conferences and sold books, I've
usually broken even and sometimes gone in the hole. Two years (maybe
three) there was profit and we declared it on taxes, and then paid 30%
because that's what Keith's income tax rate is, federal and state.
As there's nothing unschoolers are required to own or use, it's not
going to be possible for anyone to corruptly monopolize the market.
There aren't so many unschoolers that anyone could make a living off
of them.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
-=-
I'm wondering I'm seeing that beginning with unschooling. In February
I'll
be at an unschooling conference, and I noticed more than one of the
speakers
makes their living from selling things to unschoolers-=-
There's no way anyone is "making a living" selling anything to
unschoolers, so don't feel too much weight of that.
In all the years I've spoken at conferences and sold books, I've
usually broken even and sometimes gone in the hole. Two years (maybe
three) there was profit and we declared it on taxes, and then paid 30%
because that's what Keith's income tax rate is, federal and state.
As there's nothing unschoolers are required to own or use, it's not
going to be possible for anyone to corruptly monopolize the market.
There aren't so many unschoolers that anyone could make a living off
of them.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]