Robin Clevenger

> From: rubyprincesstsg@...
> I think I am finally understanding the group so much better. It's like if
it
> were a group about knitting, and someone who had not a clue wanted to join
in
> and kept interrupting with questions about how to buy yarn or what they
could
> even knit.

No, it's more like it's a group about knitting, and people are always
talking about what yarns are great and how they liked this or that pattern
and here's what works whether you're new or have been doing it forever, but
someone joins the list and says "I'm using bowling balls to knit with. I'm
not ready to use knitting needles yet. The bowling balls are working fine."
And the knitters might say "You know, knitting is never going to work really
well until you get rid of those bowling balls." And the newbie gets mad
because darn it, they really, really like those bowling balls, and they're
afraid to try knitting without them.

Do whatever it takes to get rid of the bowling balls.

In case my analogy wasn't clear, in the life of an unschooler, the bowling
balls are all those assumptions that most of us were taught in our schooled
upbringing -- kids have to be taught to learn, children aren't enthusiastic
about learning, externally imposed structure is necessary,
bribes/rewards/punishments work, etc. etc.

You cannot knit until you ditch the bowling balls. Once you trade them for
some knitting needles (faith in your kids ability to learn from whatever
experiences they choose), the patterns look so much easier, the yarn starts
to flow through your fingers, and little by little you will knit!

Blue Skies,
-Robin-

who cannot even knit a square potholder, but who loves a good analogy :-)