Alan & Brenda Leonard

11/16/02 18:57:

> Do you really believe that everyone can get unschooling?
>
> I'm totally willing to withdraw the music idea. It was put out as a goof, to
> see what responses came.
>
> But I don't believe that anyone can get unschooling to a degree.

I think that anyone *could* get unschooling. But they would have to be
willing to "get it". Ability vs. motivation.

It's not like unschooling is a difficult concept. But some people have more
baggage in the way than others, and many of them *like* their baggage there!

brenda
the idealist.... :)

Natural Simplicity Momma

see some of these messages are rather confusing and allowing this unschooling newbie to wonder if she is capable of doing this.

Sherry
Unschooling Soap Diva WAHM to 4 :o)
naturalsimplicity.ewahm.com
"Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire."
Wm. Butler Yeats





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

It's not like unschooling is a difficult concept
for people like
brenda
the idealist.... :)

There have been some people who have read and hung around and asked and
answered questions about unschooling for a year or more and been discovered
to have never, ever "gotten it."

But then I love to hear Jesse Jackson speak and after he's done I have no
idea what he said, usually. But it was fun to be lulled by his voice and
rhythms and passion and all that.

Sandra

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/16/2002 8:46:40 PM Central Standard Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:

> But then I love to hear Jesse Jackson speak and after he's done I have no
> idea what he said, usually. But it was fun to be lulled by his voice and
> rhythms and passion and all that.
>

This just made me laugh for a long time. lol.

Tuck


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Fetteroll

on 11/16/02 6:36 PM, Natural Simplicity Momma at craun@... wrote:

> see some of these messages are rather confusing and allowing this unschooling
> newbie to wonder if she is capable of doing this.

Don't worry, unschooling isn't as hard as this rather philosophical
discussion is presenting it! :-) It's explaining unschooling and the getting
from school mindset to unschooling and letting go of control that is really
hard for some people.

Joyce

Natural Simplicity Momma

Don't worry, unschooling isn't as hard as this rather philosophical
discussion is presenting it! :-) It's explaining unschooling and the getting
from school mindset to unschooling and letting go of control that is really
hard for some people.

Joyce
>>>>>>>>..
Thanks! I was having more panic attacks reading all of this. I am NEW to this group, new to HSing, and have decided to put curric aside and try this. In theory I do get it. I really do. I just wonder if I can not push YET still be encouraging enough for my children....

Sherry
Unschooling Soap Diva WAHM to 4 :o)
naturalsimplicity.ewahm.com
"Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire."
Wm. Butler Yeats





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/17/02 7:16:40 AM Central Standard Time,
tuckervill@... writes:

> But then I love to hear Jesse Jackson speak and after he's done I have no
> > idea what he said, usually. But it was fun to be lulled by his voice
and
> > rhythms and passion and all that.
> >
>
> This just made me laugh for a long time. lol.
>

I worked a bit on his presidentail campaign when I was in college. Totally
lured in, captivated by his manner of speaking and what we all thought he
believed in. You can kind of close your eyes and rock with it. But you are
right, who knows what he is actually saying. Except for the "keep out of the
bushes" refrain, that was pretty funny.

Elizabeth

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/17/02 8:25:06 AM Central Standard Time,
fetteroll@... writes:

> Don't worry, unschooling isn't as hard as this rather philosophical
> discussion is presenting it! :-) It's explaining unschooling and the
getting
> from school mindset to unschooling and letting go of control that is really
> hard for some people.

Joyce,

These two posts were fantastic. Thank you.

I find letting go of control and dropping the schooling mindset to be a daily
challenge. Or maybe more like a daily affirmation. Having been schooled,
learning to live another way with your children, for the betterment of all of
your lives, is a long process. The challenge isn't necessarily difficult all
the time or overwhelming, I find it refreshing. But, without embracing it
completely you can't get it.

In my current disabled state, I've had to surrender myself to my
helplessness. Everyone does for me, I do for no one. I'm not comfortable
with it. It grates on my nerves, makes me cry, makes me angry, makes me
happy to be loved and grateful for the assistance. It's not easy, but I've
learned a lot about myself and my world. I think unschooling can be that way
too. A calming surrender. But then, maybe not. Maybe when you get years
into unschooling, it become more like breathing.

Being on this list and reading the message boards helps. Daily affirmations
that your instincts are correct.

Just some thoughts.

Elizabeth

Betsy

**see some of these messages are rather confusing and allowing this
unschooling newbie to wonder if she is capable of doing this.
**


When I'm fretting about unschooling, I also fret about this. How do I
know if I'm doing "enough" of it. Am I strewing the right things,
saying the right things, *thinking* the right things. We hardly go
anywhere, so I'm pretty certain I'm not going the right places and
cramming in experiences fast enough.

How do I know? I know the signs if my son is bored and understimulated.
I know that that's a clue I need to shake things up with a favorite
outing or more play dates or something. (Ds is 8.)

My anxiety and worry is irregular. If the FDA would just specify a nice
daily or monthly allowance of worrying, then I might be able to set up a
nice, regular worrying schedule and be certain that I was worrying
enough to do a thorough job of child-raising.

I see the humor in this, but I'm not really kidding. I'm more on the
laissez-faire, lazy end of the unschooling spectrum than lots of people
on this list. I wonder if I really *need* to throw myself into this
more energetically. (And, yes, I have been asking this question for
years. I don't know if it is answerable.)

Betsy

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/17/02 8:46:56 AM Pacific Standard Time,
ecsamhill@... writes:


> I'm more on the
> laissez-faire, lazy end of the unschooling spectrum than lots of people
> on this list. I wonder if I really *need* to throw myself into this
> more energetically.


this is me also, if my son ask I answer or help him find the answer if not I
don't force it, I sometimes wonder also, as my son will soon be 8 and is
really a stay at home kind of guy.

Heidi


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

susan marie

Here's my Jesse Jackson story..

at the time of his presidential campaign I was still teaching high
school. A girl in my class wanted to know what was the big deal about
Jesse Jackson running for President, after all, we've already had a
black president.

huh? I thought. Not only was this kid absolutely adamant, but a few
other kids were nodding in agreement with her.

Okay, I said, I give up. Who was our first black president.

Martin Luther King she said, and the other kids nodded.

He wasn't a president, I informed them.

Than why do we get off school for Martin Luther King day? they wanted to
know.

<sigh>

While I did like that a group of middle class white kids thought having
a black president was no big deal, I was blown away by their lack of
knowledge re history and politics.

peace,
susan

ps my current students are well aware of who Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
was and why there's a holiday in his honor, which we honor here as a
civil rights day (day on, not a day off, as the King Center says). One
year the kids wrote and performed a puppet show about Rosa Parks, which
they researched themselves; oh, and they made the puppets too. My only
job was to be the audience. (and this is how unschooling works so
well. :-)


On Sunday, November 17, 2002, at 11:36 AM, ejcrewe@... wrote:

> In a message dated 11/17/02 7:16:40 AM Central Standard Time,
> tuckervill@... writes:
>
> >  But then I love to hear Jesse Jackson speak and after he's done I
> have no
> >  > idea what he said, usually.  But it was fun to be lulled by his
> voice
> and
> >  > rhythms and passion and all that.
> >  >
> > 
> >  This just made me laugh for a long time.  lol.
> > 
>
> I worked a bit on his presidentail campaign when I was in college. 
> Totally
> lured in, captivated by his manner of speaking and what we all thought
> he
> believed in. You can kind of close your eyes and rock with it.  But you
> are
> right, who knows what he is actually saying.  Except for the "keep out
> of the
> bushes" refrain, that was pretty funny.
>
> Elizabeth
>
> ~~~~ Don't forget! If you change topics, change the subject line! ~~~~
>
> If you have questions, concerns or problems with this list, please
> email the moderator, Joyce Fetteroll (fetteroll@...), or the
> list owner, Helen Hegener (HEM-Editor@...).
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, click on the following link or address
> an email to:
> [email protected]
>
> Visit the Unschooling website: http://www.unschooling.com
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
peace,
Susan

"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which
we arrive at that goal."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

Is it still unschooling if the kids have trouble doing more than playstation?
Shellie

Nora or Devereaux Cannon

It is still unschooling if what they do is stand on their head
and wiggle their left ear - but it isn't unschooling until you
drop from your thinking "have trouble doing more than".
----- Original Message -----
From: <Chelsnmikey@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, November 22, 2002 7:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] getting unschooling


| Is it still unschooling if the kids have trouble doing more
than playstation?
| Shellie
|
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Shyrley

On 22 Nov 02, at 20:30, Chelsnmikey@... wrote:

> Is it still unschooling if the kids have trouble doing more than
> playstation? Shellie


What do you mean by 'having trouble doing more than'?
If my child chooses to play PS all day its unschooling. If she
chooses to read all day its unschooling.
It's about choice.
I think many people are afraid there child will do things that they,
the parent, consider unproductive. This calls for a rethinking. If the
child chooses to do something then that something has value and
meaning to the child. The child isn't there to make the parent feel
better or proud or whatever.
Unschooling is allowing the child to make decisions about their
own life and the parents facilitating that if they can.

It's also still school type thinking to place somethings as more
worthwhile than others. If someone said the above sentence but
subsitute maths for playstation then people would say 'whats the
problem, you should be pleased' but somehow the PlayStation is
seen as something unworthwhile to spend time doing.
To be mundane for a second. The people who write them games
enjoy their jobs and make buckets of cash. They bring pleasure to
lots of people. It's lucky their parents didn't scoff at their interest in
games.

Shyrley


"You laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at you because you are all the same."

kayb85

--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., Chelsnmikey@a... wrote:
> Is it still unschooling if the kids have trouble doing more than
playstation?
> Shellie

I really liked the cassette tape "The many benefits of video games"
from the hsc conference. Pam Shorooshian's mathematical joy tapes
were great too, and so was the unschooling panel.
http://www.hsc.org/tapes2002.html
Sheila

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/22/02 6:32:19 PM, Chelsnmikey@... writes:

<< Is it still unschooling if the kids have trouble doing more than
playstation? >>

If playstation is the only exciting thing in their lives, they're smart to do
what's exciting.

How old is the kid?
How do you define "trouble doing"?
How long have you had the playstation?
How long have you been unschooling?

Sandra
who recommends
http://sandradodd.com/games/page
to anyone interested in video games one way or another

Kelli Traaseth

Shellie,
Read_Sandra's_web_page,
You_can_access_hers_and_others'_essays
from--Unschooling.com.
Under--essays,
There_are_great_ones_on_video_games.
My_ds9_right_now_also_is_totally
playing_his.
You_have_to_look_at_it_as_a
Big_picture,
they_do_learn_from_that_also!
And_things_will_branch_off_from_there,leading_them_to_other_interests.
Read,_Mary_Gold's_article_on_video_games,_its_great.

Kelli
Chelsnmikey@... wrote:Is it still unschooling if the kids have trouble doing more than playstation?
Shellie

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Natural Simplicity Momma

It's also still school type thinking to place something's as more
worthwhile than others.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
And this has been the hardest thing for me to overcome. I catch myself telling my 12 yo to do something BESIDES play nintendo. I know I need more deschooling myself <grin>

Sherry
Unschooling Soap Diva WAHM to 4 :o)
"Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire."
Wm. Butler Yeats





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Tia Leschke

To be mundane for a second. The people who write them games
enjoy their jobs and make buckets of cash. They bring pleasure to
lots of people. It's lucky their parents didn't scoff at their interest in
games.

My guess is that their parents *did* scoff at their interest, and they did
it anyway. <G>
Tia

[email protected]

Elizabeth, may I ask you what is your disability? I have Fibromyalgia, amoung
other things. That is something I have yet come to those "daily
affirmations". I need to not only do that for myself, but for my children as
well. Thank you, that has not crossed my mind to do that. I know that will
help my children and myself.
Shellie

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/23/02 12:45:32 PM Central Standard Time,
Chelsnmikey@... writes:

> Elizabeth, may I ask you what is your disability?

Shellie, my only disability is an all-encompassing stupidity! I broke my
ankle while carrying too many glass items down the basement stairs on my way
to do laundry. It's a very temporary and very annoying disability, which has
made me exceptionally cranky.

My massage therapist practices ortho-bionomy. I was referred to her by a
friend with fibromyalsia. So, ortho-bionomy might help. I used to take yoga
with the same friend. Not doing much of that these days, but she says it
continues to help. Having a broken limb is very un-yoga-like. There is no
way to be centered or balances except on one leg. Yoga's kind of like
algebra, you're supposed to keep both sides of the equation (body) equal.

As for affirmations, I'm staring at the stairs leading to the bedrooms and
office (with the dsl line) several times a day and saying "I think I can, I
think I can, I think I can." Every day gets better. Today I put on my kids
coats and sent them outside to help their grumpy father rake leaves. That
was an accomplishment...

Elizabeth

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/23/02 3:18:37 PM, ejcrewe@... writes:

<< As for affirmations, I'm staring at the stairs leading to the bedrooms and
office (with the dsl line) several times a day and saying "I think I can, I
think I can, I think I can." Every day gets better. >>

Today was going to be the day. I was going to go upstairs. I decided that
yesterday, and was psyching myself up for the big climb (and the scarier
prospect of coming back down face forward).

Last night Keith fell down the stairs. The top half. I heard it but didn't
see. I asked him, and he admitted falling, but said it wasn't bad. he would
give me NO details. It was loud and scary.

Today Holly fell coming down stairs where she goes to an acting class. Just
landed in a crouch and cut her knee. Not bad, she said.

But if Keith and Holly who have huge physical competence are falling on
stairs this weekend, I'm staying here.

Sandra

Tia Leschke

But if Keith and Holly who have huge physical competence are falling on
stairs this weekend, I'm staying here.

Must have been an omen - two omens! Good idea to pay attention. <G>
Tia

Stephanie Elms

> But if Keith and Holly who have huge physical competence are
> falling on
> stairs this weekend, I'm staying here.
>
> Must have been an omen - two omens! Good idea to pay attention. <G>
> Tia

Or maybe time to fix the stairs?? ;o)

Stephanie E.
>

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/23/2002 6:46:25 PM Central Standard Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:

> Today was going to be the day. I was going to go upstairs. I decided that
> yesterday, and was psyching myself up for the big climb (and the scarier
> prospect of coming back down face forward).
>

Could you go up backwards, on your butt? I'm assuming the stairs are
carpeted, and it's a narrow homey staircase, not a grand Tara staircase?

Can you remember the last time you saw a toddler go down the stairs on their
butt, and do it that way? That's what I'd try. Then have someone at the top
to help you stand up again.

Tuck


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/23/02 8:48:35 PM, stephanie.elms@...
writes:

<< Or maybe time to fix the stairs?? ;o) >>

Different stairs. <g>

I did tell Keith it might help to vacuum them so they weren't slick with cat
hair.

He vacuumed the heck out of that and several rooms around. Learned where I
keep the vacuum cleaner bags. Learned how to change the belt and where those
are bought, and to get an extra, and where to put it.

Sandra

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/23/02 9:01:09 PM, tuckervill@... writes:

<< Could you go up backwards, on your butt? I'm assuming the stairs are
carpeted, and it's a narrow homey staircase, not a grand Tara staircase? >>

I did that years ago (okay, August) when I sprained my foot. Did it to get
downstairs once, anyway. I'll consider it even more now that Keith's
vacuumed! <g>

I'm just frustrated that once I get up there I won't be able to carry or do
anything. But I should go and visit Holly's room, which she just moved into
before the SC conference, and which she's fixed up and hung posters in, etc.,
and wants me to see it.

There's a bathtub up there too.

Sandra

[email protected]

Wait a minute! Holly changed rooms?
You know this will mess up my visuals. How am I supposed to picture her
watching videos in her room now?
Elissa


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/24/02 1:04:16 PM, Earthmomma67@... writes:

<< Wait a minute! Holly changed rooms?
You know this will mess up my visuals. How am I supposed to picture her
watching videos in her room now? >>

She's up where my office is. Her TV/VCR is just to the left of the window,
and the head of her bed is toward the hallway (where I had shelves and filing
cabinets). Where my computer table was, there's her walkway, clear under the
window, and there are My Little Ponies along the windowsill.

The filing cabinets are out where her bed used to be in the enclosed porch.

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/24/02 3:45:43 PM, SandraDodd@... writes:

<< She's up where my office is. >>

ooops.
Where my office was.