teen unschooler
thestampcellar
Hello,
I am new to this group and have a question I wonder if someone can
help me with. A little background...
I have home-schooled my son on and off through the years at his
request. When he has wanted to go to school, I have let him, and when
he wanted to home school I did.
He started the new school year (10th grade) at our very small, rural
highschool (aprox. 100 high school students). He has now decided that
he wants to just "finish" school at home and get on with "real
life".
He tests at 11 grade level. He just turned 16, but is quite mature
for his age. He wants to learn Blacksmithing and welding as
his "career".
My question is...YIKES...what do I do now??? He wants to just study
at the library, and shadow a gentleman in our community that does
this kind of work. My gut says to just let him do as he wants, that
he is old enough to figure this out. My family think I'm nuts and
that he'll just become a drop-out kid. Any advise or thoughts? I'd
sure appreciate it.
Thanks so much in advance.
Kim
I am new to this group and have a question I wonder if someone can
help me with. A little background...
I have home-schooled my son on and off through the years at his
request. When he has wanted to go to school, I have let him, and when
he wanted to home school I did.
He started the new school year (10th grade) at our very small, rural
highschool (aprox. 100 high school students). He has now decided that
he wants to just "finish" school at home and get on with "real
life".
He tests at 11 grade level. He just turned 16, but is quite mature
for his age. He wants to learn Blacksmithing and welding as
his "career".
My question is...YIKES...what do I do now??? He wants to just study
at the library, and shadow a gentleman in our community that does
this kind of work. My gut says to just let him do as he wants, that
he is old enough to figure this out. My family think I'm nuts and
that he'll just become a drop-out kid. Any advise or thoughts? I'd
sure appreciate it.
Thanks so much in advance.
Kim
[email protected]
In a message dated 2/5/2004 7:38:32 AM Eastern Standard Time,
thestampcellar@... writes:
My question is...YIKES...what do I do now??? He wants to just study
at the library, and shadow a gentleman in our community that does
this kind of work. My gut says to just let him do as he wants, that
he is old enough to figure this out. My family think I'm nuts and
that he'll just become a drop-out kid. Any advise or thoughts? I'd
sure appreciate it.
Thanks so much in advance.
Kim>>
********************************************************************
How can he be a drop out kid if he is at home? Sounds like an awesome life
experience! Even if he does not choose to do that for his career he will always
have it as a back up.
We have a man that lives across the street from us that does this kind of
work. I attended a town meeting with my son where he was asking for a permit to
build a steel building to grow his business. Turns out the guy makes parts for
antique cars or what ever design a customer wants. He has customers from all
over the world and is quite famous and none of us even knew about him or what
he did.
Laura D
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
thestampcellar@... writes:
My question is...YIKES...what do I do now??? He wants to just study
at the library, and shadow a gentleman in our community that does
this kind of work. My gut says to just let him do as he wants, that
he is old enough to figure this out. My family think I'm nuts and
that he'll just become a drop-out kid. Any advise or thoughts? I'd
sure appreciate it.
Thanks so much in advance.
Kim>>
********************************************************************
How can he be a drop out kid if he is at home? Sounds like an awesome life
experience! Even if he does not choose to do that for his career he will always
have it as a back up.
We have a man that lives across the street from us that does this kind of
work. I attended a town meeting with my son where he was asking for a permit to
build a steel building to grow his business. Turns out the guy makes parts for
antique cars or what ever design a customer wants. He has customers from all
over the world and is quite famous and none of us even knew about him or what
he did.
Laura D
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Danielle Conger
Kim wrote:
He has now decided that he wants to just "finish" school at home and get on with "real
life".
***
He wants to just study at the library, and shadow a gentleman in our community that does
this kind of work. My gut says to just let him do as he wants, that
he is old enough to figure this out. My family think I'm nuts and
that he'll just become a drop-out kid.
=====================================================================================================
Well, my first reaction is what in the world could be wrong with this scenario? He wants to "finish" highschool--get his GED, I presume? There can't be anything wrong there--no burning of bridges. This sounds like unschooling at it's best to me: your child formed a plan, figured out how to implement that plan, and now he's asking you to help facilitate that plan.
"Shadow" someone sounds an awful lot like an internship or apprenticeship to me. Again, sounds like a very intelligent thing to do. He'll find out soon enough if it's not what he wants to do, and if it is, he'll be following his own path and passion. What could be wrong with that?
Seriously, there is just no reason for young adults to be forced to do school and bide their time until social standards say it's acceptable for them to take control of their lives. I lament the passing of the apprentice system in America, though I don't romanticize it. There were lots of things about it that weren't all that great when kids as young as seven were sent away from their families to become (often) indentured servants. But we've moved so far away from creating a sensible apprentice system that we shuffle kids from highschool to college simply because it's "what they should be doing." We under-value useful, practical trades and over-value a smattering of often useless and unconnected "knowledge."
People often use the plumber example to talk about monetary success: if a person became a plumber straight out of highschool, s/he would likely be in a better position financially than many (if not most) college educated kids who too often come out of school under-trained and seriously in debt. The plumber would have control over his own life, would likely be able to make his own hours and would have a trade that allowed him to work to live, not live to work.
Your son sounds like he knows what he wants, has goals for how to get there, and I'm sure he'll come up with another plan if this doesn't work out. He'll be able to recognize whether he wants to devote the next however many years to learning and practicing this craft without being an indentured servant--either to the blacksmith, society or higher education.
Just my $.02
--danielle
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
He has now decided that he wants to just "finish" school at home and get on with "real
life".
***
He wants to just study at the library, and shadow a gentleman in our community that does
this kind of work. My gut says to just let him do as he wants, that
he is old enough to figure this out. My family think I'm nuts and
that he'll just become a drop-out kid.
=====================================================================================================
Well, my first reaction is what in the world could be wrong with this scenario? He wants to "finish" highschool--get his GED, I presume? There can't be anything wrong there--no burning of bridges. This sounds like unschooling at it's best to me: your child formed a plan, figured out how to implement that plan, and now he's asking you to help facilitate that plan.
"Shadow" someone sounds an awful lot like an internship or apprenticeship to me. Again, sounds like a very intelligent thing to do. He'll find out soon enough if it's not what he wants to do, and if it is, he'll be following his own path and passion. What could be wrong with that?
Seriously, there is just no reason for young adults to be forced to do school and bide their time until social standards say it's acceptable for them to take control of their lives. I lament the passing of the apprentice system in America, though I don't romanticize it. There were lots of things about it that weren't all that great when kids as young as seven were sent away from their families to become (often) indentured servants. But we've moved so far away from creating a sensible apprentice system that we shuffle kids from highschool to college simply because it's "what they should be doing." We under-value useful, practical trades and over-value a smattering of often useless and unconnected "knowledge."
People often use the plumber example to talk about monetary success: if a person became a plumber straight out of highschool, s/he would likely be in a better position financially than many (if not most) college educated kids who too often come out of school under-trained and seriously in debt. The plumber would have control over his own life, would likely be able to make his own hours and would have a trade that allowed him to work to live, not live to work.
Your son sounds like he knows what he wants, has goals for how to get there, and I'm sure he'll come up with another plan if this doesn't work out. He'll be able to recognize whether he wants to devote the next however many years to learning and practicing this craft without being an indentured servant--either to the blacksmith, society or higher education.
Just my $.02
--danielle
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
J. Stauffer
Follow your gut.
Julie S.
Julie S.
[email protected]
In a message dated 2/5/04 5:38:32 AM, thestampcellar@... writes:
<< My question is...YIKES...what do I do now??? He wants to just study
at the library, and shadow a gentleman in our community that does
this kind of work. My gut says to just let him do as he wants, that
he is old enough to figure this out. My family think I'm nuts and
that he'll just become a drop-out kid. >>
For one thing, maybe you could just let him be a drop-out kid!
Can he take a GED yet in your state?
Or sign him up to homeschool, tell them he's majoring in blacksmithing and
metal arts, and that he has not dropped out, he's moved to something more real.
If he's old enough to take a GED where you are, maybe he could do that and
then nobody could say a word. He wouldn't need to be a homeschooler OR a drop
out. He would be done.
But maybe he would feel better considering himself a homeschooler until he's
18 or 19, and it might give you and him a chance to have a whole new and
different relationship.
<<shadow a gentleman in our community that does
this kind of work.>>
Is this guy willing to take him as an assistant or apprentice maybe?
Is there a trades school in your area that has any classes involving metals
that your son might be interested in? (That's not one of my top
recommendations, but it's something that might appease relatives and he might be interested.
Welding, or machining, or casting maybe? In northern New Mexico there are
a couple of forges where things are cast from wax. Big sculptures. And I
have a brother-in-law doing large welded sculptures, which never pass through a
wax stage, but are steel from the beginning.
Sandra
Sandra
<< My question is...YIKES...what do I do now??? He wants to just study
at the library, and shadow a gentleman in our community that does
this kind of work. My gut says to just let him do as he wants, that
he is old enough to figure this out. My family think I'm nuts and
that he'll just become a drop-out kid. >>
For one thing, maybe you could just let him be a drop-out kid!
Can he take a GED yet in your state?
Or sign him up to homeschool, tell them he's majoring in blacksmithing and
metal arts, and that he has not dropped out, he's moved to something more real.
If he's old enough to take a GED where you are, maybe he could do that and
then nobody could say a word. He wouldn't need to be a homeschooler OR a drop
out. He would be done.
But maybe he would feel better considering himself a homeschooler until he's
18 or 19, and it might give you and him a chance to have a whole new and
different relationship.
<<shadow a gentleman in our community that does
this kind of work.>>
Is this guy willing to take him as an assistant or apprentice maybe?
Is there a trades school in your area that has any classes involving metals
that your son might be interested in? (That's not one of my top
recommendations, but it's something that might appease relatives and he might be interested.
Welding, or machining, or casting maybe? In northern New Mexico there are
a couple of forges where things are cast from wax. Big sculptures. And I
have a brother-in-law doing large welded sculptures, which never pass through a
wax stage, but are steel from the beginning.
Sandra
Sandra
Kris
I grew up knowing a man who was a blacksmith, he was so happy in his profession, lived well into his 90's and became a mentor to others who wanted to learn a dying art.
He provided well for his family and was an inspiration to many. I think your son has shown incredible confidence and self-motivation. I would be thrilled to see my own son take this path.
Kris
He provided well for his family and was an inspiration to many. I think your son has shown incredible confidence and self-motivation. I would be thrilled to see my own son take this path.
Kris
----- Original Message -----
From: "thestampcellar" <thestampcellar@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 10:12 AM
Subject: [UnschoolingDiscussion] teen unschooler
He wants to learn Blacksmithing and welding as
> his "career".
> My question is...YIKES...what do I do now??? He wants to just study
> at the library, and shadow a gentleman in our community that does
> this kind of work. My gut says to just let him do as he wants, that
> he is old enough to figure this out. My family think I'm nuts and
> that he'll just become a drop-out kid. Any advise or thoughts? I'd
> sure appreciate it.
> Thanks so much in advance.
> Kim
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]