Johanna

I have a friend who called me this morning, frantic about an interaction with her son's principal. He got suspended from school for saying the word boob. this is the same gentleman with the elastic incident my son went through a few weeks ago if anyone remembers. She is seriously considering homeschooling and is seeking my advice. I am pretty new to unschooling and I think she is looking for primarily textbook approach. I am afraid I might scare her if I explain what we do on a daily basis, but I don't want to be deceptive. Has anyone been in a similar situation? If so, how did you handle it?
Johanna

[email protected]

In a message dated 4/3/01 10:05:39 AM, saninocencio1@... writes:

<< I am pretty new to unschooling and I think she is looking for primarily
textbook approach. I am afraid I might scare her if I explain what we do on a
daily basis, but I don't want to be deceptive. Has anyone been in a similar
situation? If so, how did you handle it? >>

Tell her not to spend any money at first, but just go to the library and
museums, and talk to other homeschoolers about what they do.

Tell her many homeschoolers buy an expensive curriculum and then regret it.

That will buy her enough time to breathe and homeschool without spending
money and you can more gradually get unschooling information to her.

Sandra

April

Johanna,
As a support group leader that leans heavily toward the unschooling end, I run into this all the time. My approach for this is like much of life for me: What works for me is not the only right way to do something.  I would be honest about your approach to homeschooling but let her know that there are many ways to homeschool. Encourage her to take time to 'deschool' since that is recommended no matter how you choose to homeschool. Then encourage her to take time to investigate the many ways to homeschool as well as the many curriculum options available.  I usually recommend that new homeschoolers make a point to ask as many people as possible how they homeschool, what materials they use (if any), and why.  This will help them sift through the options. I also point them to a wide variety of websites including but not limited to unschooling.com.  She will begin to see the many options available and what will work best for her family.
April
-----Original Message-----
From: Johanna [mailto:saninocencio1@...]
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 12:10 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] helping new homeschoolers

I have a friend who called me this morning, frantic about an interaction with her son's principal. He got suspended from school for saying the word boob. this is the same gentleman with the elastic incident my son went through a few weeks ago if anyone remembers. She is seriously considering homeschooling and is seeking my advice. I am pretty new to unschooling and I think she is looking for primarily textbook approach. I am afraid I might scare her if I explain what we do on a daily basis, but I don't want to be deceptive. Has anyone been in a similar situation? If so, how did you handle it?
Johanna


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Diana Tashjian

I know exactly what you mean about "scaring" new homeschoolers :o) and I'm not sure I have much practical help except I tell people that there are many, many different ways to homeschool and if they would like to talk to a whole bunch of mom's and find out how they all do it, to come to one or our homeschool support group Park Days or support meetings. If pushed I kind of outline the continuum, i.e., school-at-home to unschooling, and if pushed still further :) I say I'm on the unschooling extreme but that each family has to find what's comfortable for them...
 
There is that mush-mouthed enough?
 
Diana Tashjian
----- Original Message -----
From: Johanna
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 9:09 AM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] helping new homeschoolers

I have a friend who called me this morning, frantic about an interaction with her son's principal. He got suspended from school for saying the word boob. this is the same gentleman with the elastic incident my son went through a few weeks ago if anyone remembers. She is seriously considering homeschooling and is seeking my advice. I am pretty new to unschooling and I think she is looking for primarily textbook approach. I am afraid I might scare her if I explain what we do on a daily basis, but I don't want to be deceptive. Has anyone been in a similar situation? If so, how did you handle it?
Johanna


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scrunchy

Hi,

This is the advice I was given before we started homeschooling. I am glad we decided to follow it. We have learned that unschooling is the best for us right now.
Norma

SandraDodd@... wrote:

Tell her not to spend any money at first, but just go to the library and
museums, and talk to other homeschoolers about what they do.

Tell her many homeschoolers buy an expensive curriculum and then regret it.

That will buy her enough time to breathe and homeschool without spending
money and you can more gradually get unschooling information to her.

Sandra


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Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com

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Vaughnde Edwards

Johanna,
You won't scare her. Tell her what a typical day or two is like for you. If she still wants the textbook approach, send her to Barnes and Noble. They have workbooks there that she can buy for her child. Tell her that her child will also need de-schooling time and that she should allow him some time to totally forgoet about school...like a vacation thing. IF he wants to learn something, then she can get the books at the library or what not. Tell her to ease into it gently. Do explain that she will need to spend lots of time with her child, more than she usually had in the past....its a relationship thang where you invest your time in someone you love.
Jessica
 
Vaughnde Lee
Missoula, Montana
http://www.stampinbookworm.eboard.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Johanna <saninocencio1@...>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 10:03 AM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] helping new homeschoolers

I have a friend who called me this morning, frantic about an interaction with her son's principal. He got suspended from school for saying the word boob. this is the same gentleman with the elastic incident my son went through a few weeks ago if anyone remembers. She is seriously considering homeschooling and is seeking my advice. I am pretty new to unschooling and I think she is looking for primarily textbook approach. I am afraid I might scare her if I explain what we do on a daily basis, but I don't want to be deceptive. Has anyone been in a similar situation? If so, how did you handle it?
Johanna


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