Jeff & Kate Kerr

So... I have filled out the papers to start unschooling my youngest who
is 11. My 19 year old is having a hard time with it. Basically he said
suffering the trauma of school has helped him grow.
Michele

I feel I need to talk to the 19 year old's feelings right now. I went
to school, suffered for it, hated it, spent most of my time ditching and
in the darkroom. Then went to art school, hated it dropped out, went
back, dropped out again. Then to barber college, hated it, stopped for
a while to get ready for a photography show in Europe (ringing my own
bell here), did the show and went back and got my barber's license.
Worked for a while, moved to San Francisco, worked for a while, decided
that I was ready for "real" college, moved again and started college. I
didn't do that well initially in college and it took me forever to
transfer from a junior college to a university. I finally did transfer
to one in Northern CA. Loved it there, loved my core classes. Finally
finished with my degree in Anthropology.
Then I moved to Albuquerque for a year. I holed up for that year. I
didn't work, I watched tv, rode my bike, ran, read, and in general
de-schooled myself. It's taken me 8 years to learn that that's what I
spent that year off doing: repairing my school damaged self. I come
from an academically overachieving family - many PhD's, many teachers,
many physicians, etc... I'm the only one with "just" a BA. They never
understood what I was doing, only my mother got it (she's our staunchest
supporter for unschooling).
The point is, maybe he needs some time even at this age to repair his
school damaged self. I was 27 when I finally got it and stopped
schooling. It's important to do at any age. My mom provided me with a
safe space to be in while I de-schooled, perhaps you could do the same
for your son, he sounds like he needs it.
Sorry to sound preachy (I get accused of that occasionally) but this is
a subject close to my heart. The time I spent deschooling transformed
me. Isn't that lucky for my children!
Kate
"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing it's best night and
day to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle
amy human being can fight and never stop fighting." e.e. cummings