What do you have kids tell people they are doing?
Valerie
We started unschooling last week. I'm working my way through the articles at Joyfully Rejoycing and SandraDodd.com. DD of course is thrilled that she no longer has workboxes and required subjects. Now she tells people (friends, neighbors, countrymen) she doesn't do school anymore. So what do your kids tell people about school?
TIA, Valerie
TIA, Valerie
Sandra Dodd
-=-Now she tells people (friends, neighbors, countrymen) she doesn't
do school anymore. So what do your kids tell people about school?-=-
My kids used to say, to strangers, "We don't go to school." But we
didn't have formal curriculum using friends to explain ourselves to
after a change, because we started off unschooling.
If someone asked me about unschooling, like at the grocery store or
something, I would ask if they were familiar with "The Open Classroom"
or had read any John Holt. If they said no, I'd say it's hard to
explain, and then maybe explain a bit, or not, depending on their
actual interest and attitude. <g>
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
do school anymore. So what do your kids tell people about school?-=-
My kids used to say, to strangers, "We don't go to school." But we
didn't have formal curriculum using friends to explain ourselves to
after a change, because we started off unschooling.
If someone asked me about unschooling, like at the grocery store or
something, I would ask if they were familiar with "The Open Classroom"
or had read any John Holt. If they said no, I'd say it's hard to
explain, and then maybe explain a bit, or not, depending on their
actual interest and attitude. <g>
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
emiLy Q.
I just ran into this recently, as we had a new babysitter and she asked my
six year old about what she did for school. My daughter said "Well, I
don't like doing workbooks so I don't really do them." Not what I would
have liked her to say, but oh well. ;)
Even though we have always unschooled, my daughter already thinks of
"school" as workbooks, writing, forced reading, etc.
A few days later I asked our other babysitter what she said to those kinds
of questions, as she was homeschooled (seems like it was really relaxed).
She said she doesn't remember having to answer questions like that because
she mostly hung around with other homeschoolers and relatives who already
knew -- she was the 3rd kid in the family, too, so I suspect by then
relatives and family friends had gotten used to it?
I usually answer for my daughter, that we do a lot of different things, we
follow interests and see where they lead. I also usually mention that we
tend to go in spurts, and let them assume that we might be on an "off" cycle
at the moment. :)
It'd be great if my kids just simply said "The world is my classroom!" or
something else vague and inspiring.
You could also just say "We're taking a break and reorganizing." or have her
say that, if she is willing?
-emiLy, mom to Delia (6) & Henry (2.5)
http://www.TheECstore.com
six year old about what she did for school. My daughter said "Well, I
don't like doing workbooks so I don't really do them." Not what I would
have liked her to say, but oh well. ;)
Even though we have always unschooled, my daughter already thinks of
"school" as workbooks, writing, forced reading, etc.
A few days later I asked our other babysitter what she said to those kinds
of questions, as she was homeschooled (seems like it was really relaxed).
She said she doesn't remember having to answer questions like that because
she mostly hung around with other homeschoolers and relatives who already
knew -- she was the 3rd kid in the family, too, so I suspect by then
relatives and family friends had gotten used to it?
I usually answer for my daughter, that we do a lot of different things, we
follow interests and see where they lead. I also usually mention that we
tend to go in spurts, and let them assume that we might be on an "off" cycle
at the moment. :)
It'd be great if my kids just simply said "The world is my classroom!" or
something else vague and inspiring.
You could also just say "We're taking a break and reorganizing." or have her
say that, if she is willing?
-emiLy, mom to Delia (6) & Henry (2.5)
http://www.TheECstore.com
On 11/5/09 7:11 AM, "Valerie" <time_for_tea2007@...> wrote:
> We started unschooling last week. I'm working my way through the articles at
> Joyfully Rejoycing and SandraDodd.com. DD of course is thrilled that she no
> longer has workboxes and required subjects. Now she tells people (friends,
> neighbors, countrymen) she doesn't do school anymore. So what do your kids
> tell people about school?
>
> TIA, Valerie
>
Sandra Dodd
I'm going to point at a few things. Not my finger and anyone, but the
unschooling flashlight toward some words.
-=-What do you have kids tell people they are doing?-=-
I never "had my kids" tell anyone anything. To ask it that way
suggests there should be a script and children should only say what
their parents told them to say.
-=-It'd be great if my kids just simply said "The world is my
classroom!" or
something else vague and inspiring.-=-
It does seem a world away from school, but it still has that
"classroom" thing, which is made up of the class (division by age or
ability or both) and the room (where kids are state-mandated to be).
Maybe the vague inspiring thing to suggest, if kids want suggestions,
is "I learn all the time, in lots of ways" or "We do interesting
things and I learn from that."
Sandra
unschooling flashlight toward some words.
-=-What do you have kids tell people they are doing?-=-
I never "had my kids" tell anyone anything. To ask it that way
suggests there should be a script and children should only say what
their parents told them to say.
-=-It'd be great if my kids just simply said "The world is my
classroom!" or
something else vague and inspiring.-=-
It does seem a world away from school, but it still has that
"classroom" thing, which is made up of the class (division by age or
ability or both) and the room (where kids are state-mandated to be).
Maybe the vague inspiring thing to suggest, if kids want suggestions,
is "I learn all the time, in lots of ways" or "We do interesting
things and I learn from that."
Sandra
flhomeschooling
--- In [email protected], "Valerie" <time_for_tea2007@...> wrote:
If pressed farther than that, we may elaborate, or we may give awkward pauses and incredulous looks. It's rude of other people to interrogate us about our family choices extensively and unsolicitedly and we both find it inexplicable, as neither of us would do that to anyone else. It's just weird and invasive.
And if anyone is rude/ignorant enough to say "Isn't that illegal?" Like actually accusing me to my face of being a negligent criminal? Seriously? What kind of response is anyone looking for from that? We just say "Uh, no?" with further incredulous/disinterested looks. This rarely happens anymore though, since most people know someone who is a homeschooler. And if they don't, that's what Google is there for.
If people seem positively curious ("Oh, neat! How does that work?! I've heard about that! Tell me more?") I will point them to resources and maybe engage in dialogue as I feel like doing on that day, but the reality is, it's no one's obligation to justify their choices to anyone they don't want to. My kid doesn't owe anyone any explanations, either.
Andrea in Miami
> So what do your kids tell people about school?My kid just says "I don't go to school." I will sometimes add "We homeschool" but not so much anymore. If pressed about what he learns about, he will sometimes say he likes computers, art and word games.
If pressed farther than that, we may elaborate, or we may give awkward pauses and incredulous looks. It's rude of other people to interrogate us about our family choices extensively and unsolicitedly and we both find it inexplicable, as neither of us would do that to anyone else. It's just weird and invasive.
And if anyone is rude/ignorant enough to say "Isn't that illegal?" Like actually accusing me to my face of being a negligent criminal? Seriously? What kind of response is anyone looking for from that? We just say "Uh, no?" with further incredulous/disinterested looks. This rarely happens anymore though, since most people know someone who is a homeschooler. And if they don't, that's what Google is there for.
If people seem positively curious ("Oh, neat! How does that work?! I've heard about that! Tell me more?") I will point them to resources and maybe engage in dialogue as I feel like doing on that day, but the reality is, it's no one's obligation to justify their choices to anyone they don't want to. My kid doesn't owe anyone any explanations, either.
Andrea in Miami