Re: Conference/Frank Smith
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Sandra wrote:
because I'd been sitting next to him in the earlier "Practicalities of
Unschooling" session and I kept wondering what he thought. He looked very
interested and he nodded a number of times (but he didn't laugh much - just
wry smiles). And I was imagining that maybe he was having a major "aha"
experience about schooling in general. He didn't say that though.
In fact, he kept saying, "I'm not against schools; I'm not against
homeschooling." He said he was against the damage schools do but that
homeschooling parents could do damage too and maybe it would be even worse
because homeschooled kids wouldn't have other kids to complain to.
That made me think a little. I think most homeschoolers have in common a
desire to protect their family life. But beyond that, as an unschooler, I
probably have more in common philosophically with Frank Smith, a
schoolteachers' schoolteacher, than with school-at-home homeschoolers. (And
that made me feel good because I loved Frank Smith's work when I read it
during my school teaching days. Nice to know I was somewhat the same person
then as now. And by the way, I was a teacher who did what I did for the
kids, as did many of my colleagues. Frustrating system to work in but to
malign all teachers, Ned, no fair.)
Anyway, I hope, Sandra, that you did shift his thinking and that he gets it
about unschooling. I'm always a little impatient when I hear these great
progressive educators who are almost there but just don't seem to see the
little mind bridge they have to cross to unschooling. (Alfie Kohn and Bev
Bos are two who come to mind.)
Anyway, Sandra, your workshops were great. I really liked Peaceful
Parenting, both you and Richard. Got to go mend a rift with my kid...(did
somebody say there was no screaming or hairpulling in unschooling
households?)
-Pam Tellew
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> Someone else in the lunch group (Meghan? Pam Hartley?) had heard it too andI was the one who asked him what he thought of your session and I did it
>
> said someone asked him[Frank Smith] what he had thought of my session and
> he said he had really liked it
because I'd been sitting next to him in the earlier "Practicalities of
Unschooling" session and I kept wondering what he thought. He looked very
interested and he nodded a number of times (but he didn't laugh much - just
wry smiles). And I was imagining that maybe he was having a major "aha"
experience about schooling in general. He didn't say that though.
In fact, he kept saying, "I'm not against schools; I'm not against
homeschooling." He said he was against the damage schools do but that
homeschooling parents could do damage too and maybe it would be even worse
because homeschooled kids wouldn't have other kids to complain to.
That made me think a little. I think most homeschoolers have in common a
desire to protect their family life. But beyond that, as an unschooler, I
probably have more in common philosophically with Frank Smith, a
schoolteachers' schoolteacher, than with school-at-home homeschoolers. (And
that made me feel good because I loved Frank Smith's work when I read it
during my school teaching days. Nice to know I was somewhat the same person
then as now. And by the way, I was a teacher who did what I did for the
kids, as did many of my colleagues. Frustrating system to work in but to
malign all teachers, Ned, no fair.)
Anyway, I hope, Sandra, that you did shift his thinking and that he gets it
about unschooling. I'm always a little impatient when I hear these great
progressive educators who are almost there but just don't seem to see the
little mind bridge they have to cross to unschooling. (Alfie Kohn and Bev
Bos are two who come to mind.)
Anyway, Sandra, your workshops were great. I really liked Peaceful
Parenting, both you and Richard. Got to go mend a rift with my kid...(did
somebody say there was no screaming or hairpulling in unschooling
households?)
-Pam Tellew
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 8/24/02 8:13:34 AM, warblwarbl@... writes:
<< In fact, he kept saying, "I'm not against schools; I'm not against
homeschooling." He said he was against the damage schools do but that
homeschooling parents could do damage too and maybe it would be even worse
because homeschooled kids wouldn't have other kids to complain to. >>
That's really true. AND they won't have home as a haven after "school" is
over.
<<But beyond that, as an unschooler, I
probably have more in common philosophically with Frank Smith, a
schoolteachers' schoolteacher, than with school-at-home homeschoolers. >>
Many times I've gotten in trouble with politically-minded homeschoolers for
my unwillingness to "band together" (even socially, or philosophically on a
list) with all other homeschoolers. Solidarity with school-at-home
homeschoolers doesn't appeal to me at all. I feel my "roots" in open
classroom and freeschools and Socratic one-on-one inquiry (even in the most
formal Socratic sense of getting to a particular answer, which is some of how
I do my SCA mentoring, helping people move toward a specifically narrow view
of honor and chivalry, which isn't like unschooling my kids at all).
<<Anyway, I hope, Sandra, that you did shift his thinking and that he gets it
about unschooling. I'm always a little impatient when I hear these great
progressive educators who are almost there but just don't seem to see the
little mind bridge they have to cross to unschooling. >>
He came and talked to me, during the Peaceful Parenting talk. I was out of
water and knew Richard was about to have a longish speech, so I went to the
water table. I was reminded of this two days ago when I listened to the tape
of the talk with Richard Prystowsky. At the end we didn't turn off the tape
recorder, so there's a bunch of chitchat near the podium, and I was telling
someone that he had come up and shaken my hand warmly and said he enjoyed my
talk.
About not quite getting unschooling, I think anyone who's still working in and
with schools will have a hard time imagining unschooling for real, in
operation. Their perspective is all bound up with "schoolyears" and "behind"
and "ahead." And even if the model could be made in one's head, in the
absence of really sinking into daily life with calm kids, could it be
imagined fully?
Holly's latest comeback is "yeah, but..." and although it's tiresome, I see
it as the way thinking works lots of times. "I accept the possibility, but
here are the immediate mental reactions."
Sandra
<< In fact, he kept saying, "I'm not against schools; I'm not against
homeschooling." He said he was against the damage schools do but that
homeschooling parents could do damage too and maybe it would be even worse
because homeschooled kids wouldn't have other kids to complain to. >>
That's really true. AND they won't have home as a haven after "school" is
over.
<<But beyond that, as an unschooler, I
probably have more in common philosophically with Frank Smith, a
schoolteachers' schoolteacher, than with school-at-home homeschoolers. >>
Many times I've gotten in trouble with politically-minded homeschoolers for
my unwillingness to "band together" (even socially, or philosophically on a
list) with all other homeschoolers. Solidarity with school-at-home
homeschoolers doesn't appeal to me at all. I feel my "roots" in open
classroom and freeschools and Socratic one-on-one inquiry (even in the most
formal Socratic sense of getting to a particular answer, which is some of how
I do my SCA mentoring, helping people move toward a specifically narrow view
of honor and chivalry, which isn't like unschooling my kids at all).
<<Anyway, I hope, Sandra, that you did shift his thinking and that he gets it
about unschooling. I'm always a little impatient when I hear these great
progressive educators who are almost there but just don't seem to see the
little mind bridge they have to cross to unschooling. >>
He came and talked to me, during the Peaceful Parenting talk. I was out of
water and knew Richard was about to have a longish speech, so I went to the
water table. I was reminded of this two days ago when I listened to the tape
of the talk with Richard Prystowsky. At the end we didn't turn off the tape
recorder, so there's a bunch of chitchat near the podium, and I was telling
someone that he had come up and shaken my hand warmly and said he enjoyed my
talk.
About not quite getting unschooling, I think anyone who's still working in and
with schools will have a hard time imagining unschooling for real, in
operation. Their perspective is all bound up with "schoolyears" and "behind"
and "ahead." And even if the model could be made in one's head, in the
absence of really sinking into daily life with calm kids, could it be
imagined fully?
Holly's latest comeback is "yeah, but..." and although it's tiresome, I see
it as the way thinking works lots of times. "I accept the possibility, but
here are the immediate mental reactions."
Sandra