Unschooling: What It's Really All About

Interviewer:

Sandi Schwartz; Temecula, California
photo by Organic Photographs

Phone interview by Sandi Schwartz for her Leading Edge Parenting series, which she has given me permission to share freely after it was a week old. The interview was by phone on September 30, 2009.

If you would rather download a sound file to listen to by MP3 player or iPod, click here

Interviewee:

Sandra Dodd; Albuquerque, New Mexico

Notes from Sandra: I really liked Sandi and this discussion could have gone on a long time, and happily. She was great at folding me back toward the middle when I'd get out to the edge. Sandi had done a lot of reading and research in advance, and talked about her experiences as a teacher in school-reform days too, which was very cool! I enjoyed the hour. There are only a couple of things I wish I'd said a little differently, but overall I think it was really good.

I'll be able to add notes if people have questions, and to put live links here to some of the things discussed. They'll open in another window, so it's okay to click them while you're listening:

Here's the quote she started with. I could remember where it was quoted, but not who it was. :-)
"The thing that works with unschooling is to follow delight - and scatter it like a flower girl in front of the bride - not every petal will be crushed to release fragrance - but enough will. ...of course to follow delight, you have to admit to yourself that you feel delight." —Nora Cannon
From the strewing page: SandraDodd.com/strewing
A good page for beginning unschoolers: SandraDodd.com/help
Making peace between siblings: SandraDodd.com/peace/fighting
Choices: SandraDodd.com/choices
Myths Too Many Parents Believe: SandraDodd.com/myths

Other Sound Files on unschooling and parenting