What do you wish someone told you?
Tina Tarbutton
My partner and I are invited to present a discussion on unschooling.
During another program unschooilng was mentioned and there is more
interest than anyone could imagine. The library asked for an outline
and proposal which I have completed and sent off, I'm waiting now to
hear about a date.
We are really excited about doing this. We feel completely out of
place in the groups here because other than 1 family that follows a
child-led approach (unschooling education but not lifestyle) everyone
here does school-at-home. We thought there was no interest in any
other way, however the reaction today showed us that lots of people
are looking for another way, they're also looking for a way to repair
the damage done to their relationships by the forced school at home
atmosphere, so many of them are going to be more open to the
relationship building that radical unschooling provides.
I'm also super nervous because we've only been doing this for a few
years. I'm making it clear at the beginning that we're not experts,
only advocates sharing what works for us. Other than forced speeches
at school, I've never given a public presentation. The other mom that
is an unschooler thinks what I'm doing is great, but fears that I'll
scare people away from unschooling because of it being such a
lifestyle for us. I personally refuse to apologize for or dumb down
what works for us to make it more appealing, however I will also make
it clear that I'm not there to convince anyone.
Now I'm fine tuning the handout and our talking notes.
What do you wish someone told you?
I would also love any input from a veteran unschooler who has been in my shoes.
Tina
During another program unschooilng was mentioned and there is more
interest than anyone could imagine. The library asked for an outline
and proposal which I have completed and sent off, I'm waiting now to
hear about a date.
We are really excited about doing this. We feel completely out of
place in the groups here because other than 1 family that follows a
child-led approach (unschooling education but not lifestyle) everyone
here does school-at-home. We thought there was no interest in any
other way, however the reaction today showed us that lots of people
are looking for another way, they're also looking for a way to repair
the damage done to their relationships by the forced school at home
atmosphere, so many of them are going to be more open to the
relationship building that radical unschooling provides.
I'm also super nervous because we've only been doing this for a few
years. I'm making it clear at the beginning that we're not experts,
only advocates sharing what works for us. Other than forced speeches
at school, I've never given a public presentation. The other mom that
is an unschooler thinks what I'm doing is great, but fears that I'll
scare people away from unschooling because of it being such a
lifestyle for us. I personally refuse to apologize for or dumb down
what works for us to make it more appealing, however I will also make
it clear that I'm not there to convince anyone.
Now I'm fine tuning the handout and our talking notes.
What do you wish someone told you?
I would also love any input from a veteran unschooler who has been in my shoes.
Tina
[email protected]
Time is the most important thing. Time to "do nothing." Time for parents to relax. Time for a family to find a way. Which may be unschooling. Or not. But our days don't have to be structured by some outside set of instructions -- textbook or other book.
The way a Mom's tone of voice relaxes when I tell them that they don't have to sign 13-year-old Tommy up for 6 classes at the online school -- they can do what they choose. Then figure out the rest as they go along.
That's what I would want to communicate to a room full of people -- that life can be pleasant, fun, civilized, not full of tension and rushing around, not structured by someone else.
Just getting that much across and then being available for more questions later (because you know people will think of more questions once they get home :) ) -- that might be a good place to start.
Good luck! :)
Nance
The way a Mom's tone of voice relaxes when I tell them that they don't have to sign 13-year-old Tommy up for 6 classes at the online school -- they can do what they choose. Then figure out the rest as they go along.
That's what I would want to communicate to a room full of people -- that life can be pleasant, fun, civilized, not full of tension and rushing around, not structured by someone else.
Just getting that much across and then being available for more questions later (because you know people will think of more questions once they get home :) ) -- that might be a good place to start.
Good luck! :)
Nance
--- In [email protected], Tina Tarbutton <tina.tarbutton@...> wrote:
>
> My partner and I are invited to present a discussion on unschooling.
> During another program unschooilng was mentioned and there is more
> interest than anyone could imagine. The library asked for an outline
> and proposal which I have completed and sent off, I'm waiting now to
> hear about a date.
>
> We are really excited about doing this. We feel completely out of
> place in the groups here because other than 1 family that follows a
> child-led approach (unschooling education but not lifestyle) everyone
> here does school-at-home. We thought there was no interest in any
> other way, however the reaction today showed us that lots of people
> are looking for another way, they're also looking for a way to repair
> the damage done to their relationships by the forced school at home
> atmosphere, so many of them are going to be more open to the
> relationship building that radical unschooling provides.
>
> I'm also super nervous because we've only been doing this for a few
> years. I'm making it clear at the beginning that we're not experts,
> only advocates sharing what works for us. Other than forced speeches
> at school, I've never given a public presentation. The other mom that
> is an unschooler thinks what I'm doing is great, but fears that I'll
> scare people away from unschooling because of it being such a
> lifestyle for us. I personally refuse to apologize for or dumb down
> what works for us to make it more appealing, however I will also make
> it clear that I'm not there to convince anyone.
>
> Now I'm fine tuning the handout and our talking notes.
>
> What do you wish someone told you?
> I would also love any input from a veteran unschooler who has been in my shoes.
>
> Tina
>
JJ
Ooh! Nance reminds me of an amazing book, especially for women and children imo. It's called "A Sideways Look at Time" by Jay Griffiths (who is a female named Jay.)
Here's something I wrote about the book (and lots more about Time as the most important thing) years ago, to whet your interest in this line of learning and living on "wild time" as opposed to schooling and churching and working and playing on schedules set to control us:
"We the Clockkeepers: Our Tyranny of Time"
http://www.culturekitchen.com/jj_ross/story/we_the_clockkeepers_our_tyranny_of_time
" . . .My daughter and I read a feminist mind-bending book,"A Sideways Look at Time," in which Jay Griffiths powerfully argues that both Church and State have used time ruthlessly and intentionally to enslave women and children, taking our pagan wildtime that once belonged freely to our own lives, and tightly regulating every minute of it one way or another, altering our rhythms and cycles -- insinuating lordly controls in the words of our common language, into what we're taught as fact both at home and in school, invisibly shaping how we interact as friends and partners and parents and children. In this view of "time" as a noun, it is a synonym for oppression.
Hear her NPR interview along with this snippet of ever-timely cultural power of story:
I'm melting, I'm melting . . .
What is a prison sentence or job, traffic school, summer school, all school, the military draft or income taxes, required yard maintenance and community service, after all, but a taking of your time?"
Here's something I wrote about the book (and lots more about Time as the most important thing) years ago, to whet your interest in this line of learning and living on "wild time" as opposed to schooling and churching and working and playing on schedules set to control us:
"We the Clockkeepers: Our Tyranny of Time"
http://www.culturekitchen.com/jj_ross/story/we_the_clockkeepers_our_tyranny_of_time
" . . .My daughter and I read a feminist mind-bending book,"A Sideways Look at Time," in which Jay Griffiths powerfully argues that both Church and State have used time ruthlessly and intentionally to enslave women and children, taking our pagan wildtime that once belonged freely to our own lives, and tightly regulating every minute of it one way or another, altering our rhythms and cycles -- insinuating lordly controls in the words of our common language, into what we're taught as fact both at home and in school, invisibly shaping how we interact as friends and partners and parents and children. In this view of "time" as a noun, it is a synonym for oppression.
Hear her NPR interview along with this snippet of ever-timely cultural power of story:
I'm melting, I'm melting . . .
What is a prison sentence or job, traffic school, summer school, all school, the military draft or income taxes, required yard maintenance and community service, after all, but a taking of your time?"
--- In [email protected], "marbleface@..." <marbleface@...> wrote:
>
> Time is the most important thing. Time to "do nothing." Time for parents to relax. Time for a family to find a way. Which may be unschooling. Or not. But our days don't have to be structured by some outside set of instructions -- textbook or other book.
>
> The way a Mom's tone of voice relaxes when I tell them that they don't have to sign 13-year-old Tommy up for 6 classes at the online school -- they can do what they choose. Then figure out the rest as they go along.
>
> That's what I would want to communicate to a room full of people -- that life can be pleasant, fun, civilized, not full of tension and rushing around, not structured by someone else.
>
> Just getting that much across and then being available for more questions later (because you know people will think of more questions once they get home :) ) -- that might be a good place to start.
>
> Good luck! :)
>
> Nance
>
>
> --- In [email protected], Tina Tarbutton <tina.tarbutton@> wrote:
> >
> > My partner and I are invited to present a discussion on unschooling.
> > During another program unschooilng was mentioned and there is more
> > interest than anyone could imagine. The library asked for an outline
> > and proposal which I have completed and sent off, I'm waiting now to
> > hear about a date.
> >
> > We are really excited about doing this. We feel completely out of
> > place in the groups here because other than 1 family that follows a
> > child-led approach (unschooling education but not lifestyle) everyone
> > here does school-at-home. We thought there was no interest in any
> > other way, however the reaction today showed us that lots of people
> > are looking for another way, they're also looking for a way to repair
> > the damage done to their relationships by the forced school at home
> > atmosphere, so many of them are going to be more open to the
> > relationship building that radical unschooling provides.
> >
> > I'm also super nervous because we've only been doing this for a few
> > years. I'm making it clear at the beginning that we're not experts,
> > only advocates sharing what works for us. Other than forced speeches
> > at school, I've never given a public presentation. The other mom that
> > is an unschooler thinks what I'm doing is great, but fears that I'll
> > scare people away from unschooling because of it being such a
> > lifestyle for us. I personally refuse to apologize for or dumb down
> > what works for us to make it more appealing, however I will also make
> > it clear that I'm not there to convince anyone.
> >
> > Now I'm fine tuning the handout and our talking notes.
> >
> > What do you wish someone told you?
> > I would also love any input from a veteran unschooler who has been in my shoes.
> >
> > Tina
> >
>
Joy
Ohhh, I really like this, thanks:
(speaking of which, I wonder if there are any pagan oriented unschooling lists?) Would love to see how unschooling can correlate with nature, herbs, intuition, and the like. Kinda like a Susan Weed site for unschooling!
" . . .My daughter and I read a feminist mind-bending book,"A Sideways Look at
Time," in which Jay Griffiths powerfully argues that both Church and State have
used time ruthlessly and intentionally to enslave women and children, taking our
pagan wildtime that once belonged freely to our own lives, and tightly
regulating every minute of it one way or another, altering our rhythms and
cycles -- insinuating lordly controls in the words of our common language, into
what we're taught as fact both at home and in school, invisibly shaping how we
interact as friends and partners and parents and children. In this view of
"time" as a noun, it is a synonym for oppression.
(speaking of which, I wonder if there are any pagan oriented unschooling lists?) Would love to see how unschooling can correlate with nature, herbs, intuition, and the like. Kinda like a Susan Weed site for unschooling!
" . . .My daughter and I read a feminist mind-bending book,"A Sideways Look at
Time," in which Jay Griffiths powerfully argues that both Church and State have
used time ruthlessly and intentionally to enslave women and children, taking our
pagan wildtime that once belonged freely to our own lives, and tightly
regulating every minute of it one way or another, altering our rhythms and
cycles -- insinuating lordly controls in the words of our common language, into
what we're taught as fact both at home and in school, invisibly shaping how we
interact as friends and partners and parents and children. In this view of
"time" as a noun, it is a synonym for oppression.
plaidpanties666
Another good book recommendation, in tune with Nance's comment, is Slowing Down to the Speed of Life. Good for general audiences as well as unschoolers, I mean. ;)
---Meredith
---Meredith