unschooling success story
Tim and Maureen
Hi,
I was chatting with another unschooling friend and she encouraged me to write about what we were chatting about.
My daughter is 14 and has been home for 5 years so did 4 years of school. When she came home I was very much worried about having to teach her the way society expected.She in her wise ways refused to be taught and has always been so strong that nothing will sway her once her mind is made up. Smart Person!
So I had to begin trying to figure out how to deal with my doubts and yet listen tomy children.We began unschooling kind of by default.
My biggest worry was always about whether people had actually seen what these kids look like at the other end of unschooling. After much reading and research I began to truly see others who had done it and were functioning great.So I relaxed. It took Brianna 2 years of deschooling and then boom the magic began.
Brianna began to work on her art skills in earnest spending hours and hours at it.Plastersine art and painting became a passion. Writing became an interest and then a passion. We are registered with her in an unschooling program called wondertree. Together we record 25 hours of her work a week. One of the categories is Spirit/Essence. When I explained to her that this might encompass something she did that left her feeling peaceful,reflective and full her immediate reply was Oh that would be writing.
She is now working on a story with a homeschool friend who moved toNova Scotia. They phone and email and are almost ready to try to publish their novel.
What has amazed me is the energy that she approaches life with now that she is free to. I can no longer believe that I ever felt panicky.We have seen her go from achild who would scream and cry for two hours every day after school to a person who is teaching herself recorder,painting,writing,dungeons and dragons,yu-GI-yo,researching how we can get a hedgehog, and figuring out how to earn some money to buy more cards with. WOW!!!!
Tim and Maureen Thomas
http://www.stillwaters.ca
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I was chatting with another unschooling friend and she encouraged me to write about what we were chatting about.
My daughter is 14 and has been home for 5 years so did 4 years of school. When she came home I was very much worried about having to teach her the way society expected.She in her wise ways refused to be taught and has always been so strong that nothing will sway her once her mind is made up. Smart Person!
So I had to begin trying to figure out how to deal with my doubts and yet listen tomy children.We began unschooling kind of by default.
My biggest worry was always about whether people had actually seen what these kids look like at the other end of unschooling. After much reading and research I began to truly see others who had done it and were functioning great.So I relaxed. It took Brianna 2 years of deschooling and then boom the magic began.
Brianna began to work on her art skills in earnest spending hours and hours at it.Plastersine art and painting became a passion. Writing became an interest and then a passion. We are registered with her in an unschooling program called wondertree. Together we record 25 hours of her work a week. One of the categories is Spirit/Essence. When I explained to her that this might encompass something she did that left her feeling peaceful,reflective and full her immediate reply was Oh that would be writing.
She is now working on a story with a homeschool friend who moved toNova Scotia. They phone and email and are almost ready to try to publish their novel.
What has amazed me is the energy that she approaches life with now that she is free to. I can no longer believe that I ever felt panicky.We have seen her go from achild who would scream and cry for two hours every day after school to a person who is teaching herself recorder,painting,writing,dungeons and dragons,yu-GI-yo,researching how we can get a hedgehog, and figuring out how to earn some money to buy more cards with. WOW!!!!
Tim and Maureen Thomas
http://www.stillwaters.ca
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Diane Marinelli
Clear DayThanks so much for posting your story. My son is bipolar and had a
similar problem with refusing to do work in school. He's been in a special
school for two years, making little progress. I am going to homeschool next
year and it is a scary thought. He's very bright and self directed, but not
easy to lead. Maybe unschooling will automatically happen for us too!
Thanks again.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
similar problem with refusing to do work in school. He's been in a special
school for two years, making little progress. I am going to homeschool next
year and it is a scary thought. He's very bright and self directed, but not
easy to lead. Maybe unschooling will automatically happen for us too!
Thanks again.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
nellebelle
Isn't that a good thing? I don't want my children to be easily led.
Mary Ellen
-----snip----- He's very bright and self directed, but not
Mary Ellen
-----snip----- He's very bright and self directed, but not
> easy to lead.
Kelli Traaseth
This is great Maureen! Thanks for sharing!
Kelli
Kelli
----- Original Message -----
From: Tim and Maureen
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2003 11:53 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] unschooling success story
Hi,
I was chatting with another unschooling friend and she encouraged me to write about what we were chatting about.
My daughter is 14 and has been home for 5 years so did 4 years of school. When she came home I was very much worried about having to teach her the way society expected.She in her wise ways refused to be taught and has always been so strong that nothing will sway her once her mind is made up. Smart Person!
So I had to begin trying to figure out how to deal with my doubts and yet listen tomy children.We began unschooling kind of by default.
My biggest worry was always about whether people had actually seen what these kids look like at the other end of unschooling. After much reading and research I began to truly see others who had done it and were functioning great.So I relaxed. It took Brianna 2 years of deschooling and then boom the magic began.
Brianna began to work on her art skills in earnest spending hours and hours at it.Plastersine art and painting became a passion. Writing became an interest and then a passion. We are registered with her in an unschooling program called wondertree. Together we record 25 hours of her work a week. One of the categories is Spirit/Essence. When I explained to her that this might encompass something she did that left her feeling peaceful,reflective and full her immediate reply was Oh that would be writing.
She is now working on a story with a homeschool friend who moved toNova Scotia. They phone and email and are almost ready to try to publish their novel.
What has amazed me is the energy that she approaches life with now that she is free to. I can no longer believe that I ever felt panicky.We have seen her go from achild who would scream and cry for two hours every day after school to a person who is teaching herself recorder,painting,writing,dungeons and dragons,yu-GI-yo,researching how we can get a hedgehog, and figuring out how to earn some money to buy more cards with. WOW!!!!
Tim and Maureen Thomas
http://www.stillwaters.ca
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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