New list member
Mara Winders
I am very excited about the probability of my life going in this
direction. I am also a little nervous about making such a big change.
I was born and raised in NY. I went to public school (very
competitive), and to The Johns Hopkins University in MD for college. I
spent six years there and got my MA in Chemistry. I met my husband Tim
there (he is from CA). We work at the same small community college in a
small West Texas town called Levelland - I teach chemistry and he is the
network administrator. My oldest Zachary is in K this year, Zane will
be 4 in March and my new darling McKenna is 7 months. Over the past few
years, we have grown into raising our children with attachment parenting
(didn't start out that way but are now) and non-punative discipline.
I took last semester off after having McKenna - I wanted to be able to
give her an "in-arms" experience for her first 6 months. It was
wonderful to be home. I enjoyed it more than I thought possible. I
began to wonder if we could manage on just one income until the kids
were school aged - now I'm wondering how to go about getting my oldest
out of school and staying home to learn with them. I began reading John
Holt's work and have become fascinated with it. I am no longer a
believer in performance based learning, and long to allow my family to
grow without schooling.
I find myself rejecting more and more of our western culture and
becoming less mainstream. Out here, in West Texas, the atmosphere is
very conservative and structured. I am not a church goer. I do not
believe in punishment of any kind. I am becoming fairly isolated and
fear that my ideas will only take me more towards isolation. The
internet is a wonderful "place" to contact like-minded people, but it is
not the same as having a real community. This is something that I am
struggling with at the moment. I do not see our society producing
people that are truly happy with their lives. I want different for my
family, but I wonder if it is possible to be truly happy in isolation.
I don't have any questions right now, but I'm sure I will. I will be
resigning my position at the end of this semester and making decisions
about homeschooling during the summer. For now, I will be reading and
longing for warmer weather.
All my best,
Mara
direction. I am also a little nervous about making such a big change.
I was born and raised in NY. I went to public school (very
competitive), and to The Johns Hopkins University in MD for college. I
spent six years there and got my MA in Chemistry. I met my husband Tim
there (he is from CA). We work at the same small community college in a
small West Texas town called Levelland - I teach chemistry and he is the
network administrator. My oldest Zachary is in K this year, Zane will
be 4 in March and my new darling McKenna is 7 months. Over the past few
years, we have grown into raising our children with attachment parenting
(didn't start out that way but are now) and non-punative discipline.
I took last semester off after having McKenna - I wanted to be able to
give her an "in-arms" experience for her first 6 months. It was
wonderful to be home. I enjoyed it more than I thought possible. I
began to wonder if we could manage on just one income until the kids
were school aged - now I'm wondering how to go about getting my oldest
out of school and staying home to learn with them. I began reading John
Holt's work and have become fascinated with it. I am no longer a
believer in performance based learning, and long to allow my family to
grow without schooling.
I find myself rejecting more and more of our western culture and
becoming less mainstream. Out here, in West Texas, the atmosphere is
very conservative and structured. I am not a church goer. I do not
believe in punishment of any kind. I am becoming fairly isolated and
fear that my ideas will only take me more towards isolation. The
internet is a wonderful "place" to contact like-minded people, but it is
not the same as having a real community. This is something that I am
struggling with at the moment. I do not see our society producing
people that are truly happy with their lives. I want different for my
family, but I wonder if it is possible to be truly happy in isolation.
I don't have any questions right now, but I'm sure I will. I will be
resigning my position at the end of this semester and making decisions
about homeschooling during the summer. For now, I will be reading and
longing for warmer weather.
All my best,
Mara
Lynda
Have you joined Taffie? They are a real helpful bunch if you are in Texas.
Lynda
----------
Lynda
----------
> From: Mara Winders <mwinders@...>
>
> I am very excited about the probability of my life going in this
> direction. I am also a little nervous about making such a big change.
>
> I was born and raised in NY. I went to public school (very
> competitive), and to The Johns Hopkins University in MD for college. I
> spent six years there and got my MA in Chemistry. I met my husband Tim
> there (he is from CA). We work at the same small community college in a
>
> small West Texas town called Levelland - I teach chemistry and he is the
>
> network administrator. My oldest Zachary is in K this year, Zane will
> be 4 in March and my new darling McKenna is 7 months. Over the past few
>
> years, we have grown into raising our children with attachment parenting
>
> (didn't start out that way but are now) and non-punative discipline.
>
> I took last semester off after having McKenna - I wanted to be able to
> give her an "in-arms" experience for her first 6 months. It was
> wonderful to be home. I enjoyed it more than I thought possible. I
> began to wonder if we could manage on just one income until the kids
> were school aged - now I'm wondering how to go about getting my oldest
> out of school and staying home to learn with them. I began reading John
> Holt's work and have become fascinated with it. I am no longer a
> believer in performance based learning, and long to allow my family to
> grow without schooling.
>
> I find myself rejecting more and more of our western culture and
> becoming less mainstream. Out here, in West Texas, the atmosphere is
> very conservative and structured. I am not a church goer. I do not
> believe in punishment of any kind. I am becoming fairly isolated and
> fear that my ideas will only take me more towards isolation. The
> internet is a wonderful "place" to contact like-minded people, but it is
>
> not the same as having a real community. This is something that I am
> struggling with at the moment. I do not see our society producing
> people that are truly happy with their lives. I want different for my
> family, but I wonder if it is possible to be truly happy in isolation.
>
> I don't have any questions right now, but I'm sure I will. I will be
> resigning my position at the end of this semester and making decisions
> about homeschooling during the summer. For now, I will be reading and
> longing for warmer weather.
>
> All my best,
> Mara
>
>
>
>
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>
A. Yates
Mara, what an interesting voyage you have made. It is always interesting to
me the number of teachers who homeschool.
Enjoy the relaxed way of doing things. I love that part. We do what we
want as it happens. John Holt is one of my most favorites to read. He
makes so much sense.
Don't get to worried, just have fun. (though this is easier said than done)
A
Oh, BTW, welcome to the list. Wonderful, interesting people here.
me the number of teachers who homeschool.
Enjoy the relaxed way of doing things. I love that part. We do what we
want as it happens. John Holt is one of my most favorites to read. He
makes so much sense.
Don't get to worried, just have fun. (though this is easier said than done)
A
Oh, BTW, welcome to the list. Wonderful, interesting people here.
Mara Winders
I've never heard of Taffie - where can I find out more? The problem with TX
is that we are so spread out. I did see some groups in Austin and Houston but
they are both over 7 hours from me by car.
Thanks,
Mara
Lynda wrote:
is that we are so spread out. I did see some groups in Austin and Houston but
they are both over 7 hours from me by car.
Thanks,
Mara
Lynda wrote:
> From: "Lynda" <lurine@...>
>
> Have you joined Taffie? They are a real helpful bunch if you are in Texas.
>
> Lynda
>
> ----------
> > From: Mara Winders <mwinders@...>
> >
> > I am very excited about the probability of my life going in this
> > direction. I am also a little nervous about making such a big change.
> >
> > I was born and raised in NY. I went to public school (very
> > competitive), and to The Johns Hopkins University in MD for college. I
> > spent six years there and got my MA in Chemistry. I met my husband Tim
> > there (he is from CA). We work at the same small community college in a
> >
> > small West Texas town called Levelland - I teach chemistry and he is the
> >
> > network administrator. My oldest Zachary is in K this year, Zane will
> > be 4 in March and my new darling McKenna is 7 months. Over the past few
> >
> > years, we have grown into raising our children with attachment parenting
> >
> > (didn't start out that way but are now) and non-punative discipline.
> >
> > I took last semester off after having McKenna - I wanted to be able to
> > give her an "in-arms" experience for her first 6 months. It was
> > wonderful to be home. I enjoyed it more than I thought possible. I
> > began to wonder if we could manage on just one income until the kids
> > were school aged - now I'm wondering how to go about getting my oldest
> > out of school and staying home to learn with them. I began reading John
> > Holt's work and have become fascinated with it. I am no longer a
> > believer in performance based learning, and long to allow my family to
> > grow without schooling.
> >
> > I find myself rejecting more and more of our western culture and
> > becoming less mainstream. Out here, in West Texas, the atmosphere is
> > very conservative and structured. I am not a church goer. I do not
> > believe in punishment of any kind. I am becoming fairly isolated and
> > fear that my ideas will only take me more towards isolation. The
> > internet is a wonderful "place" to contact like-minded people, but it is
> >
> > not the same as having a real community. This is something that I am
> > struggling with at the moment. I do not see our society producing
> > people that are truly happy with their lives. I want different for my
> > family, but I wonder if it is possible to be truly happy in isolation.
> >
> > I don't have any questions right now, but I'm sure I will. I will be
> > resigning my position at the end of this semester and making decisions
> > about homeschooling during the summer. For now, I will be reading and
> > longing for warmer weather.
> >
> > All my best,
> > Mara
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------
> >
> > $20 OFF PURCHASES FOR YOUR PET AT PETOPIA.COM!
> > The Internet Pet Paradise has everything you need to keep your pet happy
> > & healthy! Shop now to receive $20 off purchases of $30 or more!
> > <a href=" http://clickme.onelist.com/ad/Petopia105 ">Click Here</a>
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Message boards, timely articles, a free newsletter and more!
> > Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com
> >
>
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> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message boards, timely articles, a free newsletter and more!
> Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com
Thad Martin
hi,
we live in austin and texas is an easy state to homeschool in as far as the
laws go. i minored in education in college (majored in art - painting at
the university of cal at davis i had hopes of teaching - college level art)
and what they taught us in the required education classes was so offensive
i never had any doubts that when i had kids i would not subject them to
that kind of manipulation and constant judgment.
austin has its religious conservative element (cheact has some 500 members)
but there are liberals and unschoolers here as well. we are members of the
local inclusive homeschool group (aah with i believe 250 members there are
lots of goods links on their website
http://www.austin360.com/community/groups/homeschoolers/index.html) and
there are many religious people as members of this group as well. we
pretty much do our own thing and rely on the group for info on local events
and park days when we choose to go and will probably get more involved as
rene' gets older (he's really into robots and is demanding to build a metal
one , which he's already designed- i know nothing about robotics).
we all share a bed - we have one 4 yo son, rene' (second on the way due in
aug/sept so i'm in the throws of morning sickness - yuck) and we've spent
very little time apart. a few years ago - when rene' was 20 months i
acquired an autoimmune disease 'still's disease' (akin to rheumatoid
arthritis and lupus) which destroyed virtually all the muscles in my
shoulders (i couldn't hold him or change a diaper for over 3 months). this
was believed to be a side effected of a vaccine i had been given in '89 and
appears to have finally gone after 2 1/2 years. we have no family in the
area and were relatively new here and had virtually no friends (we left
them all in northern cal). anyway the reason i'm telling you this is to
say that any situation is conducive to homeschooling. some situations may
appear harder than others but when you accept the situation as you
experience it, you can begin to find its own particular strengths.
personally i would have loved something different and have gone through
long periods of doubt, self pity, guilt... you name it, but recently i've
realized the strengths and gifts that came along with our particular
reality. we are still judged by some family members - mostly my husband's
because they have a lot invested in the ps system and because we are pretty
clear and well versed and can not only hold our ground but really offer up
some good solid arguments for homeschooling and this annoys them. i see
these judgments as their short coming because they allow society to make
their decision for them rather than do the research and choose for
themselves ( i love options:) - a sad state of affairs in my opinion.
as far as isolation goes you may need to do that for a little while just to
make the complete change - you know, clean out all those sneaky unconscious
beliefs stuck in the far recesses of your mind:) and find out what you want
for your own family. life is noisy and sometimes we need to take a break
so we can have our own thoughts without all the fears and doubts expressed
by those around us. i think people can be truly happy in any situation
because happiness - to me - is about love and when you have that for
yourself then everything else is fine and very workable because then you
can be creative and that is at the heart of unschooling. but take it one
step at a time and don't give yourself a 'report card' just watch and enjoy
and indulge, and what you and your family needs and wants will show itself.
-susan
austin, tx
we live in austin and texas is an easy state to homeschool in as far as the
laws go. i minored in education in college (majored in art - painting at
the university of cal at davis i had hopes of teaching - college level art)
and what they taught us in the required education classes was so offensive
i never had any doubts that when i had kids i would not subject them to
that kind of manipulation and constant judgment.
austin has its religious conservative element (cheact has some 500 members)
but there are liberals and unschoolers here as well. we are members of the
local inclusive homeschool group (aah with i believe 250 members there are
lots of goods links on their website
http://www.austin360.com/community/groups/homeschoolers/index.html) and
there are many religious people as members of this group as well. we
pretty much do our own thing and rely on the group for info on local events
and park days when we choose to go and will probably get more involved as
rene' gets older (he's really into robots and is demanding to build a metal
one , which he's already designed- i know nothing about robotics).
we all share a bed - we have one 4 yo son, rene' (second on the way due in
aug/sept so i'm in the throws of morning sickness - yuck) and we've spent
very little time apart. a few years ago - when rene' was 20 months i
acquired an autoimmune disease 'still's disease' (akin to rheumatoid
arthritis and lupus) which destroyed virtually all the muscles in my
shoulders (i couldn't hold him or change a diaper for over 3 months). this
was believed to be a side effected of a vaccine i had been given in '89 and
appears to have finally gone after 2 1/2 years. we have no family in the
area and were relatively new here and had virtually no friends (we left
them all in northern cal). anyway the reason i'm telling you this is to
say that any situation is conducive to homeschooling. some situations may
appear harder than others but when you accept the situation as you
experience it, you can begin to find its own particular strengths.
personally i would have loved something different and have gone through
long periods of doubt, self pity, guilt... you name it, but recently i've
realized the strengths and gifts that came along with our particular
reality. we are still judged by some family members - mostly my husband's
because they have a lot invested in the ps system and because we are pretty
clear and well versed and can not only hold our ground but really offer up
some good solid arguments for homeschooling and this annoys them. i see
these judgments as their short coming because they allow society to make
their decision for them rather than do the research and choose for
themselves ( i love options:) - a sad state of affairs in my opinion.
as far as isolation goes you may need to do that for a little while just to
make the complete change - you know, clean out all those sneaky unconscious
beliefs stuck in the far recesses of your mind:) and find out what you want
for your own family. life is noisy and sometimes we need to take a break
so we can have our own thoughts without all the fears and doubts expressed
by those around us. i think people can be truly happy in any situation
because happiness - to me - is about love and when you have that for
yourself then everything else is fine and very workable because then you
can be creative and that is at the heart of unschooling. but take it one
step at a time and don't give yourself a 'report card' just watch and enjoy
and indulge, and what you and your family needs and wants will show itself.
-susan
austin, tx
Beth Burnham
. i think people can be truly happy in any situation because happiness - to me - is about love and when you have that for yourself then everything else is fine and very workable because then you can be creative and that is at the heart of unschooling.
Beautifully stated Susan! Welcome to the list. I look forward to reading more of your thoughts and experiences.
Beth
who is getting ready to "officially" unschool in June an 8 yr.old girl and her 7 yr. old brother
Beautifully stated Susan! Welcome to the list. I look forward to reading more of your thoughts and experiences.
Beth
who is getting ready to "officially" unschool in June an 8 yr.old girl and her 7 yr. old brother