Re:
Stephanie LaBarge
A few weeks ago I started looking more seriously into unschooling. I joined this list and some others, and last Saturday I received Sandra's book and started reading. It was really odd that Monday morning my mom called me to tell me that there was going to be a segment on GMA about unschooling (she saw me reading the book). I thought maybe she misunderstood (I mean, what a coincidence!) but sure enough, I set my DVR, and when I got home later in the day I watched it. Thank goodness I was reading the book and following comments on the list, because I think that perhaps if I hadn't, the bias of the program would have made it much easier for me to discount unschooling as a viable option. It has been a roller coaster week for me (and I'm sure many others) because of the media coverage of unschooling. It's hard enough to be a homeschooler at times, and this week seeing unschoolers portrayed so negatively has really caused me to think long and hard about
the decision to unschool. It is definitely not the easy road, but as I read these posts I am encouraged to continue reading and investigating and watching it unfold. Thank you Joyce for your last post...it is so helpful for those of us who are newer to unschooling to hear the voices of those who have been living and writing about it for so long. It means a ton.
Stephanie
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the decision to unschool. It is definitely not the easy road, but as I read these posts I am encouraged to continue reading and investigating and watching it unfold. Thank you Joyce for your last post...it is so helpful for those of us who are newer to unschooling to hear the voices of those who have been living and writing about it for so long. It means a ton.
Stephanie
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Sandra Dodd
-=-Thank goodness I was reading the book and following comments on the
list, because I think that perhaps if I hadn't, the bias of the
program would have made it much easier for me to discount unschooling
as a viable option.-=-
You had the book as a talisman against evil!
Good. :-)
Those who haven't met me can find it easy to suggest (or flat out
declare) that I'm deluded and crazed.
Those who have met my family would have to be lying mental
contortionists without a drop of integrity to even think it.
That's not arrogance. That's experience and confidence.
http://sandradodd.com/confidence
Sandra
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list, because I think that perhaps if I hadn't, the bias of the
program would have made it much easier for me to discount unschooling
as a viable option.-=-
You had the book as a talisman against evil!
Good. :-)
Those who haven't met me can find it easy to suggest (or flat out
declare) that I'm deluded and crazed.
Those who have met my family would have to be lying mental
contortionists without a drop of integrity to even think it.
That's not arrogance. That's experience and confidence.
http://sandradodd.com/confidence
Sandra
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Jenny Cyphers
***Those who haven't met me can find it easy to suggest (or flat out
declare) that I'm deluded and crazed.
Those who have met my family would have to be lying mental
contortionists without a drop of integrity to even think it.***
Oh I agree, and your kids too!
Some of the comments on the interview that you did about Holly and Marty are just so completely laughable! If those people could have the pleasure of meeting them, they wouldn't be so stupid about making comments about how completely ordinary and non exceptional they are. Even by "ordinary" standards, they stand out in a crowd! The 2 times that I've met each of them have been wonderful experiences. I've never met Kirby. Even IF they turned out completely normal, as in, just like everybody else, wouldn't that suggest that you were successful in raising kids that weren't the misfits that everyone seems to think unschooling will turn them into?
It fascinates me that people who don't even have teenagers yet, hold homeschoolers and unschoolers up to some unrealistic idealized notion of what a teenager "should" be, as if schools create all these super fantastic teenagers out changing the world. Sure those kids exist, but I don't see it having much to do with school. It has way more to do with the way their parents helped them in life and empowered them. There are parents of kids in school who can and do, do that. It certainly is NOT the norm in any way whatsoever and I'm confident in saying that based on my own experience of having been a teenager and knowing a lot of teenagers now, both schooled and unschooled.
Some idiot commenting on one of those articles this week was suggesting that I needed to learn the word "generalize" since he thought I was doing that by making a statement about "many teenagers". It kind of bugged me and I considered responding, but I felt, at that point it would be feeding a troll, so I left it to stand there for all to see. I know what I'm talking about and I doubt very much that person had any dealings whatsoever with any teenagers, that seemed obvious to me. It seemed to be the writings of a very young adult who felt righteous in the fact that he was not a teenager anymore.
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declare) that I'm deluded and crazed.
Those who have met my family would have to be lying mental
contortionists without a drop of integrity to even think it.***
Oh I agree, and your kids too!
Some of the comments on the interview that you did about Holly and Marty are just so completely laughable! If those people could have the pleasure of meeting them, they wouldn't be so stupid about making comments about how completely ordinary and non exceptional they are. Even by "ordinary" standards, they stand out in a crowd! The 2 times that I've met each of them have been wonderful experiences. I've never met Kirby. Even IF they turned out completely normal, as in, just like everybody else, wouldn't that suggest that you were successful in raising kids that weren't the misfits that everyone seems to think unschooling will turn them into?
It fascinates me that people who don't even have teenagers yet, hold homeschoolers and unschoolers up to some unrealistic idealized notion of what a teenager "should" be, as if schools create all these super fantastic teenagers out changing the world. Sure those kids exist, but I don't see it having much to do with school. It has way more to do with the way their parents helped them in life and empowered them. There are parents of kids in school who can and do, do that. It certainly is NOT the norm in any way whatsoever and I'm confident in saying that based on my own experience of having been a teenager and knowing a lot of teenagers now, both schooled and unschooled.
Some idiot commenting on one of those articles this week was suggesting that I needed to learn the word "generalize" since he thought I was doing that by making a statement about "many teenagers". It kind of bugged me and I considered responding, but I felt, at that point it would be feeding a troll, so I left it to stand there for all to see. I know what I'm talking about and I doubt very much that person had any dealings whatsoever with any teenagers, that seemed obvious to me. It seemed to be the writings of a very young adult who felt righteous in the fact that he was not a teenager anymore.
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Mary Whited
On Sun, Apr 25, 2010 at 12:15 PM, Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:
But I am glad that I started down this unschooling path before it all
happened. And I am glad that, since it was happening, I was able to read all
about it here. It has strengthened my resolve and helped me clarify my
thoughts.
Implementing more of what I read here and what I read on your site and in
your book has been great for our family. My children are happier and more
relaxed and we parents are overjoyed to spend our days with them.
Thank you!
Mary
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>I hate that you've had such a hard week, Sandra.
>
> -=-Thank goodness I was reading the book and following comments on the
> list, because I think that perhaps if I hadn't, the bias of the
> program would have made it much easier for me to discount unschooling
> as a viable option.-=-
>
> You had the book as a talisman against evil!
> Good. :-)
>
> I had it too! Maybe that's why the GMA cafluffle didn't wig me out.
But I am glad that I started down this unschooling path before it all
happened. And I am glad that, since it was happening, I was able to read all
about it here. It has strengthened my resolve and helped me clarify my
thoughts.
Implementing more of what I read here and what I read on your site and in
your book has been great for our family. My children are happier and more
relaxed and we parents are overjoyed to spend our days with them.
Thank you!
Mary
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Sandra Dodd
-=-Implementing more of what I read here and what I read on your site
and in
your book has been great for our family. My children are happier and
more
relaxed and we parents are overjoyed to spend our days with them.-=-
Thanks for the beautiful words.
It's so cool, parents being overjoyed to spend days with their relaxed
children. Most parents don't even consider that they would have any
overjoyedness.
Sandra
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and in
your book has been great for our family. My children are happier and
more
relaxed and we parents are overjoyed to spend our days with them.-=-
Thanks for the beautiful words.
It's so cool, parents being overjoyed to spend days with their relaxed
children. Most parents don't even consider that they would have any
overjoyedness.
Sandra
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