unschoolmama

HI All!
I am trying to transition us to a much more unschooling approach. I
have the unschooling handbook and John Holt's "Teach you own". Both
are inspiring. My oldest children are 7.5 and 6.5 and they have used
Calvert Gr. k and 1, and now they are using Calvert Gr.3. I am
definitely teaching to the books, and it is obvious that I don't like
it and they don't. I mean, they do just fine, and enjoy some of the
stories, but it is so textbook. It is stifling. Calvert isn't cheap
and I hate to waste, but I really want to let it go. Do you feel so
much freedom when you finally deschool yourself and just trust in your
children? I plan to still use the Calvert Math, but cut back the work
sheets. I will still use the books, some are fun to just read. But I
want to let the schedule go. We have a star chart for each lesson
finished, they could not care less about those stars! They are bright
and creative and I fear sticking to a strict curriuclum will stifle
that! I think I want to be an "eclectic" homeschooler: some structure,
but using unit studies/letting the children choose projects/some
waldorf aspects that really lend themselves to homeschooling. I look
forward to any advice/input. Thanks! Becky

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/4/04 9:44:20 AM, unschoolmama@... writes:

<< Calvert isn't cheap

and I hate to waste, but I really want to let it go. >>

If you buy a dozen donuts for $4 and you don't really like the donuts, will
you eat them to keep from wasting money?

If you had some poison and you paid $20 for it, would you drink it just
because you had already paid for it?

I'm surprised you took "unschoolmama" as a screenname. That does seem to
show an intent to move to unschooling.

We can help you get to unschooling, but I don't think this list is a good
place for you to get encouragement to keep teaching math.

-=-Do you feel so much freedom when you finally deschool yourself and just
trust in your

children?-=-

If you trust how learning works, you don't have to trust your children as
individuals to be human. If you move toward understanding how YOU learned things
you wanted to know, and seeing what hindered that, you can trust yourSELF as
a learning human.

There's a book called "Whole Child/Whole Parent" you might want to at least
skim through. I think it would help you. The author speaks of children as
"seeing beings." Though it's mostly about very young children, it changed the
way I saw being a parent.

They're dirt cheap used online, and not so expensive new. The author is
Polly Berrien Berends.

<<They are bright and creative and I fear sticking to a strict curriuclum
will stifle

that! >>

Any amount of curriculum could stifle that.

The less you trust them, the less trusted they are.
The less you respect them, the less respected they are.
Those are absolutes.

Here's something on that:

http://sandradodd.com/respect

-=- I think I want to be an "eclectic" homeschooler: some structure,

but using unit studies/letting the children choose projects/some

waldorf aspects that really lend themselves to homeschooling. I look

forward to any advice/input.-=-

My advice is that unschooling is better than structure and units and projects
and waldorf.

If I didn't think it was better, I would be doing structure and units and
projects and waldorf.

Here's a collection of experiences and ideas (mine and lots of other
people's):
http://sandradodd.com/unschooling

and here are tales of typical days:

http://sandradodd.com/typical

Sandra

J. Stauffer

<<<<I think I want to be an "eclectic" homeschooler: some structure,
> but using unit studies/letting the children choose projects/some
> waldorf aspects that really lend themselves to homeschooling. >>>>>

This particular list is for unschoolers. Yahoo has several groups for
eclectic homeschoolers. You might try those and see if they can give you
input more in the area in which you expressed interest.

Julie S.

----- Original Message -----
From: "unschoolmama" <unschoolmama@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 7:18 AM
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] transition to unschooling


>
>
> HI All!
> I am trying to transition us to a much more unschooling approach. I
> have the unschooling handbook and John Holt's "Teach you own". Both
> are inspiring. My oldest children are 7.5 and 6.5 and they have used
> Calvert Gr. k and 1, and now they are using Calvert Gr.3. I am
> definitely teaching to the books, and it is obvious that I don't like
> it and they don't. I mean, they do just fine, and enjoy some of the
> stories, but it is so textbook. It is stifling. Calvert isn't cheap
> and I hate to waste, but I really want to let it go. Do you feel so
> much freedom when you finally deschool yourself and just trust in your
> children? I plan to still use the Calvert Math, but cut back the work
> sheets. I will still use the books, some are fun to just read. But I
> want to let the schedule go. We have a star chart for each lesson
> finished, they could not care less about those stars! They are bright
> and creative and I fear sticking to a strict curriuclum will stifle
> that! I think I want to be an "eclectic" homeschooler: some structure,
> but using unit studies/letting the children choose projects/some
> waldorf aspects that really lend themselves to homeschooling. I look
> forward to any advice/input. Thanks! Becky
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Robyn Coburn

<<<they could not care less about those stars!>>>>

Did anyone already direct you to Alfie Kohn's "Punished by Rewards" ?
Here's his website with excerpts:

www.AlfieKohn.org


<<<<They are bright
and creative and I fear sticking to a strict curriuclum will stifle
that! I think I want to be an "eclectic" homeschooler: some structure,
but using unit studies/letting the children choose projects/some
waldorf aspects that really lend themselves to homeschooling. I look
forward to any advice/input>>>>

This is an Unschooling list. The advice here will always be towards moving
to Unschooling. We can't help you create unit studies, talk about "projects"
outside of living real life, or talk about Waldorf except fairly critically.


It is not merely any curriculum that stifles creativity and a child's
authentic nature and personality. You are talking a lot about what *you*
want to be. Unschoolers are interested in facilitating their children being
who they are.

Try www.SandraDodd.com/unschooling

My first advice is "just stop". Enjoy playing with your kids as if it were
summer vacation that never ends. Stop looking for the "educational value" in
any activity. The learning connections happen automatically.

Robyn L. Coburn

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Gold Standard

<<<they could not care less about those stars!>>>>

>>Did anyone already direct you to Alfie Kohn's "Punished by Rewards" ?<<

I think his book is "Punishment by Rewards."
Jacki

Jon and Rue Kream

>>I think his book is "Punishment by Rewards."

**Nope - it's Punished. ~Rue

Nancy Wooton

on 10/7/04 5:14 PM, Gold Standard at jacki@... wrote:

> <<<they could not care less about those stars!>>>>
>
>>> Did anyone already direct you to Alfie Kohn's "Punished by Rewards" ?<<
>
> I think his book is "Punishment by Rewards."

Nope. It's right up on my shelf, next to me. "Punished by Rewards: The
Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes."

Nancy


--
Children enter school as question marks and leave as periods.
-Neil Postman, professor and author (1931- )

Gold Standard

Thanks! I've been misrepresenting it since I last saw it on my shelf two
years ago (lent it out, never returned...not surprising!).
Oops,
Jacki

-----Original Message-----
From: Jon and Rue Kream [mailto:skreams@...]
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 5:24 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [AlwaysLearning] transition to unschooling



>>I think his book is "Punishment by Rewards."

**Nope - it's Punished. ~Rue




Yahoo! Groups Links

mozafamily

I have never read "Punished by Rewards" but I have seen it quoted in
several of the books that I have, I have never read it because I
think I already understand what he is talking about. What I would
like to know from those of you who have read the book - does he give
examples of a "better way" than rewards?? Perhaps that would make
the book worth reading to me... please let me know. I'm currently
reading "Being One" by the same guy who wrote the book "The Happy
Child" which I really enjoyed, unfortunately the author has escaped
me though. Anybody reading anything good? Moza




--- In [email protected], SandraDodd@a... wrote:
> No thinking necessary! Google is at hand.
> (It's Punished by Rewards, though.)
>
> http://www.familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,65-281,00.html

Robyn Coburn

<<<<I have never read "Punished by Rewards" but I have seen it quoted in
several of the books that I have, I have never read it because I
think I already understand what he is talking about. What I would
like to know from those of you who have read the book - does he give
examples of a "better way" than rewards??>>>>

There are articles at www.AlfieKohn.org that express his ideas. Click on
the Parenting/Articles link from the main page.

Robyn L. Coburn


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