Happy New Year, a real self-intro, and some questions
Q
I've been on the list for a month and have responded to a few things, but I
don't think I ever wrote a proper self-intro. I'm Hikaru, a transplanted
Connecticut Yankee, residing permanently in Japan with my (Japanese) husband
and our son, who will be 3 in January
(speaking of January birthdays...and dh's is December 29th).
I teach part time at a university and since I began to learn about
homeschooling and unschooling have found myslf totally questioning a lot of
what I learned in graduate school.
(thanks a LOT folks!! <g>) I also read Tarot cards two afternoons a month at
a coffeehouse
and volunteer with my local chapters of La Leche League.
I really began leaning toward the idea of natural learning when, about a
month ago, out of a clear blue sky Ds pointed to a sign and exclaimed "W !!"
I had never consciously encouraged him to learn to read, but since then he
has learned the whole alphabet and numbers up to 10. Once he decided that he
was ready, it was amazing how fast he picked them up. I used to teach quite
a few small kids whose parents were putting so much pressure on them, they
would break down if they made a mistake, or would simply refuse to answer a
question unless they were already sure of the right answer. I see the
results of this kind of "education" with my college freshmen and don't want
that for my son.
I'm particularly curious, how many of us here have a teaching background and
how has that helped or hindered your unschooling your children?
And are there any other bilingual/bicultural families here and how does that
fit into unschooling?
Many New Year's blessings to all......in Japan this is the Year of the Sheep
and there are
sheep decorations everywhere.....baaaaaaaaaa
Hikaru
don't think I ever wrote a proper self-intro. I'm Hikaru, a transplanted
Connecticut Yankee, residing permanently in Japan with my (Japanese) husband
and our son, who will be 3 in January
(speaking of January birthdays...and dh's is December 29th).
I teach part time at a university and since I began to learn about
homeschooling and unschooling have found myslf totally questioning a lot of
what I learned in graduate school.
(thanks a LOT folks!! <g>) I also read Tarot cards two afternoons a month at
a coffeehouse
and volunteer with my local chapters of La Leche League.
I really began leaning toward the idea of natural learning when, about a
month ago, out of a clear blue sky Ds pointed to a sign and exclaimed "W !!"
I had never consciously encouraged him to learn to read, but since then he
has learned the whole alphabet and numbers up to 10. Once he decided that he
was ready, it was amazing how fast he picked them up. I used to teach quite
a few small kids whose parents were putting so much pressure on them, they
would break down if they made a mistake, or would simply refuse to answer a
question unless they were already sure of the right answer. I see the
results of this kind of "education" with my college freshmen and don't want
that for my son.
I'm particularly curious, how many of us here have a teaching background and
how has that helped or hindered your unschooling your children?
And are there any other bilingual/bicultural families here and how does that
fit into unschooling?
Many New Year's blessings to all......in Japan this is the Year of the Sheep
and there are
sheep decorations everywhere.....baaaaaaaaaa
Hikaru
Becky <[email protected]>
--- In [email protected], "Q" <witchmama@t...> wrote:
Hi, I'm new to this group, just joined today. I homeschool my 12 yr
old son part time, and send him to a charter school for science. I
also teach a Literature and Writing Circle for middleschoolers at the
school, of which my son is a student.
I hold a B.A. degree in Multiple Subjects, but do not have a
credential, deciding at graduation that I DID NOT want to be a part
of the state educational system. I have taught private school, and
also had my own tutoring business over the years. Since my son was
born, I have been at home full time, earning extra money doing
desktop publishing for clubs and organizations, teaching basic
computer skills, and tutoring K-12 students in all subjects.
My main job has been raising and educating my son. I finally pulled
him out of regular public school last year, after finally convincing
my husband that it was in our son's best interest to educate using
alternative schooling methods such as the charter school. Thank God
the school is so supportive of homeschooling and unschooling. They
have been very helpful and encouraging about the choices I have made
for my son. Basically they offer a variety of classes at the school,
with an emphasis on Scienct and Math. Many classes are taught by
parent volunteers like me. I like the variety of choice available to
my son. He was able to choose for himself which classes he wished to
take in the charter school setting, and which areas he wished to
learn at home.
At first, it was difficult to let go of my need to impress on him
a "schedule" for his days at home. I had to let go of the idea that
I was supposed to be "teacher" during "school-time" and "Mom" the
rest of the time. Another homeschool/charter school parent helped me
realize that as my son's "Mom" I am ALWAYS teaching him. Now, after
several months, I am much more relaxed, and allow him to choose for
himself what he wishes to learn and when. I discovered that if I
just provide a variety of learning opportunities, and then get out of
the way, learning will take place naturally, and will be a joy for
him.
We are a bi-racial family. I am French/Cherokee and my dh is black.
As far as how our being a bi-racial family fits into homeschooling, I
incorporate much more cultural awareness and history than he would
get at a public school. We live in a rural area of northern
California, and, unfortunately, there is a lot of racism in our
area. There is very little cultural awareness or history, especially
Black History, taught in the public schools here. A nod is given on
Martin Luther King Day; perhaps with one day of general history that
includes Dr. King's story and a sanctimonius message
about "brotherhood" and "equality". Unfortunately, the life lessons
my son has learned at the public schools, and, indeed, in our local
neighborhood about "brotherhood" and "equality" are not encouraging.
He has had to learn that there are those who wish him ill merely for
the color of his skin. But I also teach that there are many others
who respect and care about him for his character and talents,
irregardless of his ethnic background. We attend marches and
festivals to celebrate his African heritage, as well as pow-wows and
classes at the local Indian Educatin Center.
At home, he doesn't have to worry about gangs and gang violence, or
about kids from racist homes harassing him or beating him up. At his
charter school, there are only about 30 kids in the middle school
grades. All come from good families where the parents are
enlightened and very involved with their kids education. As when he
was in public school, he is the only black kid in his class. But the
atmosphere of inclusion at his new school is so different from the
atmosphere of exclusion he knew before!
I know homeschooling my son is the right choice for our family. I
wish to learn more about unschooling. This is a new concept for me.
But I like what I'm learning about it. Perhaps next year, I'll be
ready to make the leap to unschooling...
Rebecca
> I'm particularly curious, how many of us here have a teachingbackground and
> how has that helped or hindered your unschooling your children?does that
> And are there any other bilingual/bicultural families here and how
> fit into unschooling?*************************************
Hi, I'm new to this group, just joined today. I homeschool my 12 yr
old son part time, and send him to a charter school for science. I
also teach a Literature and Writing Circle for middleschoolers at the
school, of which my son is a student.
I hold a B.A. degree in Multiple Subjects, but do not have a
credential, deciding at graduation that I DID NOT want to be a part
of the state educational system. I have taught private school, and
also had my own tutoring business over the years. Since my son was
born, I have been at home full time, earning extra money doing
desktop publishing for clubs and organizations, teaching basic
computer skills, and tutoring K-12 students in all subjects.
My main job has been raising and educating my son. I finally pulled
him out of regular public school last year, after finally convincing
my husband that it was in our son's best interest to educate using
alternative schooling methods such as the charter school. Thank God
the school is so supportive of homeschooling and unschooling. They
have been very helpful and encouraging about the choices I have made
for my son. Basically they offer a variety of classes at the school,
with an emphasis on Scienct and Math. Many classes are taught by
parent volunteers like me. I like the variety of choice available to
my son. He was able to choose for himself which classes he wished to
take in the charter school setting, and which areas he wished to
learn at home.
At first, it was difficult to let go of my need to impress on him
a "schedule" for his days at home. I had to let go of the idea that
I was supposed to be "teacher" during "school-time" and "Mom" the
rest of the time. Another homeschool/charter school parent helped me
realize that as my son's "Mom" I am ALWAYS teaching him. Now, after
several months, I am much more relaxed, and allow him to choose for
himself what he wishes to learn and when. I discovered that if I
just provide a variety of learning opportunities, and then get out of
the way, learning will take place naturally, and will be a joy for
him.
We are a bi-racial family. I am French/Cherokee and my dh is black.
As far as how our being a bi-racial family fits into homeschooling, I
incorporate much more cultural awareness and history than he would
get at a public school. We live in a rural area of northern
California, and, unfortunately, there is a lot of racism in our
area. There is very little cultural awareness or history, especially
Black History, taught in the public schools here. A nod is given on
Martin Luther King Day; perhaps with one day of general history that
includes Dr. King's story and a sanctimonius message
about "brotherhood" and "equality". Unfortunately, the life lessons
my son has learned at the public schools, and, indeed, in our local
neighborhood about "brotherhood" and "equality" are not encouraging.
He has had to learn that there are those who wish him ill merely for
the color of his skin. But I also teach that there are many others
who respect and care about him for his character and talents,
irregardless of his ethnic background. We attend marches and
festivals to celebrate his African heritage, as well as pow-wows and
classes at the local Indian Educatin Center.
At home, he doesn't have to worry about gangs and gang violence, or
about kids from racist homes harassing him or beating him up. At his
charter school, there are only about 30 kids in the middle school
grades. All come from good families where the parents are
enlightened and very involved with their kids education. As when he
was in public school, he is the only black kid in his class. But the
atmosphere of inclusion at his new school is so different from the
atmosphere of exclusion he knew before!
I know homeschooling my son is the right choice for our family. I
wish to learn more about unschooling. This is a new concept for me.
But I like what I'm learning about it. Perhaps next year, I'll be
ready to make the leap to unschooling...
Rebecca
[email protected]
<<Perhaps next year, I'll be
ready to make the leap to unschooling...>>
One of the very coolest things about unschooling is there are no schoolyears.
So if you get brave enough to make the leap in mid February or tomorrow
afternoon at 2:00, that's a better time than next year.
<< perhaps with one day of general history that
includes Dr. King's story and a sanctimonius message
about "brotherhood" and "equality" >>
Before the latter part of Dr. King's life it wasn't easy to hear any messages
about brotherhood and equality in the U.S. Before the Civil Rights act,
racism was beyond anything most people born more recently can imagine.
I'm not saying there's not racism. But to put quotations on "brotherhood"
and "equality" as though there's no benefit in their even being discussed
isn't right. There are still people living who lived when and where blatant
segregation was entirely legal. Nothing can change everybody and everything
all of a sudden (except maybe a meteor hitting the earth WHAMMO, at which
point racism will be the least of our problems, or another way to think of it
is people won't HAVE any more problems).
Sandra
ready to make the leap to unschooling...>>
One of the very coolest things about unschooling is there are no schoolyears.
So if you get brave enough to make the leap in mid February or tomorrow
afternoon at 2:00, that's a better time than next year.
<< perhaps with one day of general history that
includes Dr. King's story and a sanctimonius message
about "brotherhood" and "equality" >>
Before the latter part of Dr. King's life it wasn't easy to hear any messages
about brotherhood and equality in the U.S. Before the Civil Rights act,
racism was beyond anything most people born more recently can imagine.
I'm not saying there's not racism. But to put quotations on "brotherhood"
and "equality" as though there's no benefit in their even being discussed
isn't right. There are still people living who lived when and where blatant
segregation was entirely legal. Nothing can change everybody and everything
all of a sudden (except maybe a meteor hitting the earth WHAMMO, at which
point racism will be the least of our problems, or another way to think of it
is people won't HAVE any more problems).
Sandra
Betsy
**Before the latter part of Dr. King's life it wasn't easy to hear any
messages
about brotherhood and equality in the U.S. Before the Civil Rights act,
racism was beyond anything most people born more recently can imagine.
I'm not saying there's not racism. But to put quotations on
"brotherhood"
and "equality" as though there's no benefit in their even being
discussed
isn't right. There are still people living who lived when and where
blatant segregation was entirely legal. **
I enjoy reading about history, but there is a lot I still don't know. I
was actually startled to read in an article about Trent Lott that when
Strom Thurmond was running for prez, 1948, NO African-Americans in
Lott's state of Mississippi were allowed to vote.
It was pretty shocking to me to revisit that fact.
Betsy
messages
about brotherhood and equality in the U.S. Before the Civil Rights act,
racism was beyond anything most people born more recently can imagine.
I'm not saying there's not racism. But to put quotations on
"brotherhood"
and "equality" as though there's no benefit in their even being
discussed
isn't right. There are still people living who lived when and where
blatant segregation was entirely legal. **
I enjoy reading about history, but there is a lot I still don't know. I
was actually startled to read in an article about Trent Lott that when
Strom Thurmond was running for prez, 1948, NO African-Americans in
Lott's state of Mississippi were allowed to vote.
It was pretty shocking to me to revisit that fact.
Betsy
Rachel Ann
One of my favorite songs!!!!!
My dh is a Tom Leher fan.... so we have a record of his songs. They are
funny. I like posioning pigeons in the park...I have no idea why, since I
would never posion a pigeon...
One funny guy.
-------Original Message-------
From: [email protected]
Date: Friday, January 03, 2003 11:09:47
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: Happy New Year, a real self-intro, and
some questions
**A nod is given on
Martin Luther King Day; perhaps with one day of general history that
includes Dr. King's story and a sanctimonius message
about "brotherhood" and "equality". **
Oh, I forgot, has anyone heard the terrific Tom Lehrer song about
"National Brotherhood Week"?
It's about paying lip-service to "brotherhood" without really feeling it.
Betsy
~~~~ Don't forget! If you change topics, change the subject line! ~~~~
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Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
My dh is a Tom Leher fan.... so we have a record of his songs. They are
funny. I like posioning pigeons in the park...I have no idea why, since I
would never posion a pigeon...
One funny guy.
-------Original Message-------
From: [email protected]
Date: Friday, January 03, 2003 11:09:47
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: Happy New Year, a real self-intro, and
some questions
**A nod is given on
Martin Luther King Day; perhaps with one day of general history that
includes Dr. King's story and a sanctimonius message
about "brotherhood" and "equality". **
Oh, I forgot, has anyone heard the terrific Tom Lehrer song about
"National Brotherhood Week"?
It's about paying lip-service to "brotherhood" without really feeling it.
Betsy
~~~~ 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 http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Betsy
**A nod is given on
Martin Luther King Day; perhaps with one day of general history that
includes Dr. King's story and a sanctimonius message
about "brotherhood" and "equality". **
Oh, I forgot, has anyone heard the terrific Tom Lehrer song about
"National Brotherhood Week"?
It's about paying lip-service to "brotherhood" without really feeling it.
Betsy
Martin Luther King Day; perhaps with one day of general history that
includes Dr. King's story and a sanctimonius message
about "brotherhood" and "equality". **
Oh, I forgot, has anyone heard the terrific Tom Lehrer song about
"National Brotherhood Week"?
It's about paying lip-service to "brotherhood" without really feeling it.
Betsy
Betsy
**Another homeschool/charter school parent helped me
realize that as my son's "Mom" I am ALWAYS teaching him.**
Hi, Becky --
Nice to meet you. I just wanted to warn you that the word "teach"
sometimes raises flak in this forum.
The main point is that a lot of us believe that learning is something
that a person does to themselves, with or without the help of a teacher
or a book. The learning happens in the mind of the learner. When I see
"teaching" as a transitive verb, with the student as the object, I feel
uncomfortable. (I don't think young people should be treated like
objects, and that sometimes happens in the assembly-line public school
system, as you know.) I like the Yeats (?) quote that says teaching or
learning isn't like filling a bucket, it's like lighting a fire.
So, it's tempting to rephrase what you said above to break it into two ideas:
1) As a human being, your son is always learning from the world around him.
2) As his mom, one of the most important people in his life **, your son
interacts very frequently with you and learns a great deal from those interactions.
Yes, I'm fiddling around here *just* to make the word "teach" go away.
I'm uncomfortable with saying that we teach our children, but I'm fine
with saying that we inspire them. Your mileage may vary.
Betsy
** I would have said "most important" but then some wonderful dads would
probably argue with me.
realize that as my son's "Mom" I am ALWAYS teaching him.**
Hi, Becky --
Nice to meet you. I just wanted to warn you that the word "teach"
sometimes raises flak in this forum.
The main point is that a lot of us believe that learning is something
that a person does to themselves, with or without the help of a teacher
or a book. The learning happens in the mind of the learner. When I see
"teaching" as a transitive verb, with the student as the object, I feel
uncomfortable. (I don't think young people should be treated like
objects, and that sometimes happens in the assembly-line public school
system, as you know.) I like the Yeats (?) quote that says teaching or
learning isn't like filling a bucket, it's like lighting a fire.
So, it's tempting to rephrase what you said above to break it into two ideas:
1) As a human being, your son is always learning from the world around him.
2) As his mom, one of the most important people in his life **, your son
interacts very frequently with you and learns a great deal from those interactions.
Yes, I'm fiddling around here *just* to make the word "teach" go away.
I'm uncomfortable with saying that we teach our children, but I'm fine
with saying that we inspire them. Your mileage may vary.
Betsy
** I would have said "most important" but then some wonderful dads would
probably argue with me.
Lara and Mike Traylor
Hi there!
I too, am new to the list - have a lot of questions on the content, but
will wait a couple of weeks before addressing those areas. Have a quick
question - what the heck does dh dd hd ??? You'd think that being an
officer's wife I'd be readily able to translate TLA's (Three Letter
Acronyms) but I'm obviously missing the boat in this discussion list -
and for that matter, in many of the essays I've read on unschooling.
I'm guessing it stands for members of family husband, daughter, son -
but for whatever reason, I can't seem to get a clear translation.
Please help!
Thanks!
Lara
I too, am new to the list - have a lot of questions on the content, but
will wait a couple of weeks before addressing those areas. Have a quick
question - what the heck does dh dd hd ??? You'd think that being an
officer's wife I'd be readily able to translate TLA's (Three Letter
Acronyms) but I'm obviously missing the boat in this discussion list -
and for that matter, in many of the essays I've read on unschooling.
I'm guessing it stands for members of family husband, daughter, son -
but for whatever reason, I can't seem to get a clear translation.
Please help!
Thanks!
Lara
Have a Nice Day!
dd: dear daughter (or darling daughter)
dh: dear (or darling) husband
ds: dear (or darling) son
LOL: laughing out loud
ROFHWL: Rolling on the floor howling with laughter
dh: dear (or darling) husband
ds: dear (or darling) son
LOL: laughing out loud
ROFHWL: Rolling on the floor howling with laughter
----- Original Message -----
From: Lara and Mike Traylor
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, January 03, 2003 11:17 AM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] translations
Hi there!
I too, am new to the list - have a lot of questions on the content, but
will wait a couple of weeks before addressing those areas. Have a quick
question - what the heck does dh dd hd ??? You'd think that being an
officer's wife I'd be readily able to translate TLA's (Three Letter
Acronyms) but I'm obviously missing the boat in this discussion list -
and for that matter, in many of the essays I've read on unschooling.
I'm guessing it stands for members of family husband, daughter, son -
but for whatever reason, I can't seem to get a clear translation.
Please help!
Thanks!
Lara
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~~~~ 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.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
bluelotus
Hi Hikaru,
Where did you learn Japanese?
because you study to be teachers and that was not required in my
country, but I taught at a college when I was younger, both Literature
and languages (English as a second language and French). I must say that
most of my students were older than me! It was fun for a while and a
good pay at the time. It's been so long, though, that I don't think it
either hinders nor helps in any way now. :-)
American and so is my daughter, but I was born in Mexico of Spanish
parents. So, I do speak to my daughter in Spanish when we are alone, but
I don't identify myself too much with either the Mexican or the Spanish
culture, so she is absorbing mostly the American culture (not
mainstream), along with any european taints I may be projecting (most of
my education was European). We follow a spiritual Hindu tradition too,
so she learns from that as well. Anyway, it's like an ecclectic mixture
of things I guess. I think it brings variety into unschooling, but I
suppose all unschoolers have variety in their lives anyway, just in
different shapes and forms.
Regards,
Yol
Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Yoga & Therapeutic Massage
http://www.bluelotustherapeutics.com
Dhyanyoga Center of NC -
Meditation - Kundalini Maha Yoga
http://www.dyc-nc.org
**********************************
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone. The world is ruled by
letting things take their course. It cannot be ruled by interfering.
-- Tao Te Ching
**********************************
Where did you learn Japanese?
>I'm particularly curious, how many of us here have a teaching background andI don't have a teaching background in the same sense as Americans do,
>how has that helped or hindered your unschooling your children?
>
because you study to be teachers and that was not required in my
country, but I taught at a college when I was younger, both Literature
and languages (English as a second language and French). I must say that
most of my students were older than me! It was fun for a while and a
good pay at the time. It's been so long, though, that I don't think it
either hinders nor helps in any way now. :-)
>And are there any other bilingual/bicultural families here and how does thatOur family is somewhat bilingual/bicultural. Sort of... My husband is
>fit into unschooling?
>
American and so is my daughter, but I was born in Mexico of Spanish
parents. So, I do speak to my daughter in Spanish when we are alone, but
I don't identify myself too much with either the Mexican or the Spanish
culture, so she is absorbing mostly the American culture (not
mainstream), along with any european taints I may be projecting (most of
my education was European). We follow a spiritual Hindu tradition too,
so she learns from that as well. Anyway, it's like an ecclectic mixture
of things I guess. I think it brings variety into unschooling, but I
suppose all unschoolers have variety in their lives anyway, just in
different shapes and forms.
Regards,
Yol
>Blue Lotus Therapeutics -
>
>--
>
>
Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Yoga & Therapeutic Massage
http://www.bluelotustherapeutics.com
Dhyanyoga Center of NC -
Meditation - Kundalini Maha Yoga
http://www.dyc-nc.org
**********************************
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone. The world is ruled by
letting things take their course. It cannot be ruled by interfering.
-- Tao Te Ching
**********************************
[email protected]
Dont feel bad.. I looked them up on Google after I joined this group.. :-)
Teresa
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Teresa
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Alan & Brenda Leonard
1/3/03 18:37:
Where are you stationed? We're in Friedberg, Germany.
brenda
> You'd think that being anHi, Lara,
> officer's wife I'd be readily able to translate TLA's (Three Letter
> Acronyms) but I'm obviously missing the boat in this discussion list -
> and for that matter, in many of the essays I've read on unschooling.
Where are you stationed? We're in Friedberg, Germany.
brenda
sara woodall
> I'm particularly curious, how many of us here have a teachingHikaru, I fit this description, and I'm new to this list, though not to
> background and
> how has that helped or hindered your unschooling your children?
>
unschooling. (My 18-year-old has been unschooling for 10 years.) I
taught in elementary schools for 4 years after I graduated from
college in 1965. In the spring of my second year of teaching, I read
Summerhill, and was forever changed. It brought to the forefront
things that, at some level, I already knew. But I was very shy, and it
wasn't until I had children that I became brave enough to live these
ideas. My daughter was born in 1969, and I became an at-home mom--very
clear in knowing that, even if it meant being poor, it was the only
thing that made sense to me. When she was 2, she attended Community
Play Group (a cooperative), where children were free to choose how they
spent their time. When she was 3, I was given this preschool and
stayed involved for 8 more years. In 1979, a second daughter was born,
and it wasn't long before I came across books by John Holt, which
reinforced what I had been lucky enough to observe in my own children
and the children in the cooperative preschool.
I have 3 awesome children (ages 33, 23, and 18), and when people ask me
what I did as a parent that made them so awesome, I tell them that it
wasn't what I did, but rather it was what I didn't do. I spent (still
do) lots of time getting to know who they are instead of trying to make
them be who they aren't. Choice (which, I like to say, began in the
womb) was always (well, o.k., almost always) a part of their lives, and
they learned from the choices they made. What I wanted for my children
was for them to know themselves, be happy, know how to solve problems,
and pursue their passions. Each child has taught me something major
about life, which has been my biggest surprise about mothering. My
parents never said, "We learned so much from you children."
From the time I was in elementary school, I knew I wanted to be a
teacher. I haven't called myself teacher for a long time, because that
implies imparting knowledge. Instead, I think of myself as sharing in
the life journey of people of all ages. Not a title, just a person.
At present, I�m known as tutor to 20 in-school children who live in
public housing, consultant to 28 homeschooling (some unschoolers, some
not) families, Mom to my unschooler son and grown children, and Nana to
almost-3-year-old Ylena. Hmmm. Are those titles?
Did having a teaching background help or hinder my unschooling
leanings? Who can say? Teaching school, being a parent, having a
preschool, tutoring, living life--all of these experiences have
contributed to this passion of mine, this belief that the best learning
happens where there is freedom to pursue one�s interests and passions.
Have I wrestled with my background in traditional schooling and teacher
education? You bet! When we first dumped the curriculum and Zach
spent hours playing with Legos, I had weekly panic moments about what
we weren't doing. Over time, we learned to laugh at these, and they
gradually ceased. I think there's a developmental process that takes
place as people who have been traditionally schooled move toward
embracing unschooling. From doubts and fear, to observations of
growing happiness and contentment in their children and harmony in the
family, to realizing that their children have learned amazing things
without knowing when or how they learned them, to knowing that this is
the path that works for their children and their family. Which is not
to say that they won't be thrown into the place of doubt and fear many
times. It seems to be part of the unschooling learning curve, and this
list is probably a good place to come with those feelings.
Sara Woodall
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Lara and Mike Traylor
We are in a pretty exotic location - New Orleans! ;-) Husband (or dh as
I'm learning...)is CC of Security Forces Squadron here - Air Guard.
-----Original Message-----
From: Alan & Brenda Leonard [mailto:abtleo@...]
Sent: Friday, January 03, 2003 12:41 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] translations
1/3/03 18:37:
Where are you stationed? We're in Friedberg, Germany.
brenda
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I'm learning...)is CC of Security Forces Squadron here - Air Guard.
-----Original Message-----
From: Alan & Brenda Leonard [mailto:abtleo@...]
Sent: Friday, January 03, 2003 12:41 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] translations
1/3/03 18:37:
> You'd think that being anHi, Lara,
> officer's wife I'd be readily able to translate TLA's (Three Letter
> Acronyms) but I'm obviously missing the boat in this discussion list -
> and for that matter, in many of the essays I've read on unschooling.
Where are you stationed? We're in Friedberg, Germany.
brenda
~~~~ 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@...).
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an email to: [email protected]
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Kelli Traaseth
Welcome, Hikaru and Sara!
This is another reason I really value this list-- the interesting people that are on it. I love reading about others, thanks!
Kelli
Come forth into the light of things, let Nature be your teacher.
William Wordsworth
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This is another reason I really value this list-- the interesting people that are on it. I love reading about others, thanks!
Kelli
Come forth into the light of things, let Nature be your teacher.
William Wordsworth
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
linda salb
hi, this is the first time i have written to this group. i am a vetran unschooler and native american. needless to say i have encountered few multicultural homeschoolers. we are bascially na unschoolers but we study anything thats interesting to us. i would like to meet other native homeschoolers. we have been homeschooling 12 yrs +. i also have alot of information to share, and would love to exchange ideas. i have 3 sons 9, 12, 15. we are living in northern maine/canada border, and friends are scarce here. would love to communicate with other homeschoolers. i am also interested in forming a native american homechooling chat group..........nice to meet all.......peace....linda
"Becky <ldycheroke57@...>" <ldycheroke57@...> wrote:--- In [email protected], "Q" <witchmama@t...> wrote:
Hi, I'm new to this group, just joined today. I homeschool my 12 yr
old son part time, and send him to a charter school for science. I
also teach a Literature and Writing Circle for middleschoolers at the
school, of which my son is a student.
I hold a B.A. degree in Multiple Subjects, but do not have a
credential, deciding at graduation that I DID NOT want to be a part
of the state educational system. I have taught private school, and
also had my own tutoring business over the years. Since my son was
born, I have been at home full time, earning extra money doing
desktop publishing for clubs and organizations, teaching basic
computer skills, and tutoring K-12 students in all subjects.
My main job has been raising and educating my son. I finally pulled
him out of regular public school last year, after finally convincing
my husband that it was in our son's best interest to educate using
alternative schooling methods such as the charter school. Thank God
the school is so supportive of homeschooling and unschooling. They
have been very helpful and encouraging about the choices I have made
for my son. Basically they offer a variety of classes at the school,
with an emphasis on Scienct and Math. Many classes are taught by
parent volunteers like me. I like the variety of choice available to
my son. He was able to choose for himself which classes he wished to
take in the charter school setting, and which areas he wished to
learn at home.
At first, it was difficult to let go of my need to impress on him
a "schedule" for his days at home. I had to let go of the idea that
I was supposed to be "teacher" during "school-time" and "Mom" the
rest of the time. Another homeschool/charter school parent helped me
realize that as my son's "Mom" I am ALWAYS teaching him. Now, after
several months, I am much more relaxed, and allow him to choose for
himself what he wishes to learn and when. I discovered that if I
just provide a variety of learning opportunities, and then get out of
the way, learning will take place naturally, and will be a joy for
him.
We are a bi-racial family. I am French/Cherokee and my dh is black.
As far as how our being a bi-racial family fits into homeschooling, I
incorporate much more cultural awareness and history than he would
get at a public school. We live in a rural area of northern
California, and, unfortunately, there is a lot of racism in our
area. There is very little cultural awareness or history, especially
Black History, taught in the public schools here. A nod is given on
Martin Luther King Day; perhaps with one day of general history that
includes Dr. King's story and a sanctimonius message
about "brotherhood" and "equality". Unfortunately, the life lessons
my son has learned at the public schools, and, indeed, in our local
neighborhood about "brotherhood" and "equality" are not encouraging.
He has had to learn that there are those who wish him ill merely for
the color of his skin. But I also teach that there are many others
who respect and care about him for his character and talents,
irregardless of his ethnic background. We attend marches and
festivals to celebrate his African heritage, as well as pow-wows and
classes at the local Indian Educatin Center.
At home, he doesn't have to worry about gangs and gang violence, or
about kids from racist homes harassing him or beating him up. At his
charter school, there are only about 30 kids in the middle school
grades. All come from good families where the parents are
enlightened and very involved with their kids education. As when he
was in public school, he is the only black kid in his class. But the
atmosphere of inclusion at his new school is so different from the
atmosphere of exclusion he knew before!
I know homeschooling my son is the right choice for our family. I
wish to learn more about unschooling. This is a new concept for me.
But I like what I'm learning about it. Perhaps next year, I'll be
ready to make the leap to unschooling...
Rebecca
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~~~~ 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
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---------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
"Becky <ldycheroke57@...>" <ldycheroke57@...> wrote:--- In [email protected], "Q" <witchmama@t...> wrote:
> I'm particularly curious, how many of us here have a teachingbackground and
> how has that helped or hindered your unschooling your children?does that
> And are there any other bilingual/bicultural families here and how
> fit into unschooling?*************************************
Hi, I'm new to this group, just joined today. I homeschool my 12 yr
old son part time, and send him to a charter school for science. I
also teach a Literature and Writing Circle for middleschoolers at the
school, of which my son is a student.
I hold a B.A. degree in Multiple Subjects, but do not have a
credential, deciding at graduation that I DID NOT want to be a part
of the state educational system. I have taught private school, and
also had my own tutoring business over the years. Since my son was
born, I have been at home full time, earning extra money doing
desktop publishing for clubs and organizations, teaching basic
computer skills, and tutoring K-12 students in all subjects.
My main job has been raising and educating my son. I finally pulled
him out of regular public school last year, after finally convincing
my husband that it was in our son's best interest to educate using
alternative schooling methods such as the charter school. Thank God
the school is so supportive of homeschooling and unschooling. They
have been very helpful and encouraging about the choices I have made
for my son. Basically they offer a variety of classes at the school,
with an emphasis on Scienct and Math. Many classes are taught by
parent volunteers like me. I like the variety of choice available to
my son. He was able to choose for himself which classes he wished to
take in the charter school setting, and which areas he wished to
learn at home.
At first, it was difficult to let go of my need to impress on him
a "schedule" for his days at home. I had to let go of the idea that
I was supposed to be "teacher" during "school-time" and "Mom" the
rest of the time. Another homeschool/charter school parent helped me
realize that as my son's "Mom" I am ALWAYS teaching him. Now, after
several months, I am much more relaxed, and allow him to choose for
himself what he wishes to learn and when. I discovered that if I
just provide a variety of learning opportunities, and then get out of
the way, learning will take place naturally, and will be a joy for
him.
We are a bi-racial family. I am French/Cherokee and my dh is black.
As far as how our being a bi-racial family fits into homeschooling, I
incorporate much more cultural awareness and history than he would
get at a public school. We live in a rural area of northern
California, and, unfortunately, there is a lot of racism in our
area. There is very little cultural awareness or history, especially
Black History, taught in the public schools here. A nod is given on
Martin Luther King Day; perhaps with one day of general history that
includes Dr. King's story and a sanctimonius message
about "brotherhood" and "equality". Unfortunately, the life lessons
my son has learned at the public schools, and, indeed, in our local
neighborhood about "brotherhood" and "equality" are not encouraging.
He has had to learn that there are those who wish him ill merely for
the color of his skin. But I also teach that there are many others
who respect and care about him for his character and talents,
irregardless of his ethnic background. We attend marches and
festivals to celebrate his African heritage, as well as pow-wows and
classes at the local Indian Educatin Center.
At home, he doesn't have to worry about gangs and gang violence, or
about kids from racist homes harassing him or beating him up. At his
charter school, there are only about 30 kids in the middle school
grades. All come from good families where the parents are
enlightened and very involved with their kids education. As when he
was in public school, he is the only black kid in his class. But the
atmosphere of inclusion at his new school is so different from the
atmosphere of exclusion he knew before!
I know homeschooling my son is the right choice for our family. I
wish to learn more about unschooling. This is a new concept for me.
But I like what I'm learning about it. Perhaps next year, I'll be
ready to make the leap to unschooling...
Rebecca
Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT
~~~~ 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.
---------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Helen Hegener
At 4:32 PM -0500 1/3/03, sara woodall wrote:
selves. Especially wonderful when one of them comes up and gives me a
big hug and says "Thanks for raising us the way you did." Every one
of our kids has done that many, many times now.
serious doubts, like when our then 16-year-old son just wasn't the
least bit interested in reading. Nothing. Nada. He seemed to get
along fine without reading, so we left him alone (which wasn't easy,
*believe* me), and suddenly one day - nobody knows how - he was
reading as well as anyone else in the family (a family of VERY
serious readers - hey, we're *publishers!*). Would he have learned
sooner if we'd "encouraged" him? Maybe. But we knew he'd get around
to it eventually, and he was getting along just fine without our help
- enjoying an extremely busy social life of snowboarding, working,
travelling and filming professional-level videos with several
friends. Reading just wasn't on his list of things to do that week.
Or month. Or year. But he figured it out somewhere along the way.
And if he hadn't? I dunno. I'd probably still be fretting and biting
my tongue. <g>
Helen
>I have 3 awesome children (ages 33, 23, and 18), and when people ask meI like this, it's very much what we did with our five, now ages 17 through 28.
>what I did as a parent that made them so awesome, I tell them that it
>wasn't what I did, but rather it was what I didn't do. I spent (still
>do) lots of time getting to know who they are instead of trying to make
>them be who they aren't.
> Choice (which, I like to say, began in theSame here. It's been wonderful to watch them grow into their adult
>womb) was always (well, o.k., almost always) a part of their lives, and
>they learned from the choices they made. What I wanted for my children
>was for them to know themselves, be happy, know how to solve problems,
>and pursue their passions.
selves. Especially wonderful when one of them comes up and gives me a
big hug and says "Thanks for raising us the way you did." Every one
of our kids has done that many, many times now.
> I think there's a developmental process that takesI can't say I've ever had many fears per se, but I too have had some
>place as people who have been traditionally schooled move toward
>embracing unschooling. From doubts and fear, to observations of
>growing happiness and contentment in their children and harmony in the
>family, to realizing that their children have learned amazing things
>without knowing when or how they learned them, to knowing that this is
>the path that works for their children and their family. Which is not
>to say that they won't be thrown into the place of doubt and fear many
>times. It seems to be part of the unschooling learning curve, and this
>list is probably a good place to come with those feelings.
serious doubts, like when our then 16-year-old son just wasn't the
least bit interested in reading. Nothing. Nada. He seemed to get
along fine without reading, so we left him alone (which wasn't easy,
*believe* me), and suddenly one day - nobody knows how - he was
reading as well as anyone else in the family (a family of VERY
serious readers - hey, we're *publishers!*). Would he have learned
sooner if we'd "encouraged" him? Maybe. But we knew he'd get around
to it eventually, and he was getting along just fine without our help
- enjoying an extremely busy social life of snowboarding, working,
travelling and filming professional-level videos with several
friends. Reading just wasn't on his list of things to do that week.
Or month. Or year. But he figured it out somewhere along the way.
And if he hadn't? I dunno. I'd probably still be fretting and biting
my tongue. <g>
Helen
[email protected]
<Have a quick
question - what the heck does dh dd hd ??? You'd think that being an
officer's wife I'd be readily able to translate TLA's (Three Letter
Acronyms) but I'm obviously missing the boat in this discussion list.
Don't feel badly about that. I'm still not certain what TIA means, and one
time I thought it was someone's name. I think it means Thanks In Advance,
but I'm not sure. Could someone tell me what it means?
Patti
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
question - what the heck does dh dd hd ??? You'd think that being an
officer's wife I'd be readily able to translate TLA's (Three Letter
Acronyms) but I'm obviously missing the boat in this discussion list.
Don't feel badly about that. I'm still not certain what TIA means, and one
time I thought it was someone's name. I think it means Thanks In Advance,
but I'm not sure. Could someone tell me what it means?
Patti
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]