Re: [Unschooling-Discussion] Sudbury schools/removing those glasses
Kelli Traaseth
Anne O posted this on the unschooling.com message boards, its a quote from something she had been reading. I think it touches on what Joyce was saying.
"It is hard to let old beliefs go. They are familiar. We are comfortable with them and have spent years building systems and developing habits that depend on them. Like a man who has worn eyeglasses so long that he forgets he has them on, we forget that the world looks to us the way it does because we have become used to seeing it that way through a particular set of lenses. Today, however, we need new lenses. And we need to throw the old ones away."
--Kenich Ohmae
Cool.
Kelli~
"It is hard to let old beliefs go. They are familiar. We are comfortable with them and have spent years building systems and developing habits that depend on them. Like a man who has worn eyeglasses so long that he forgets he has them on, we forget that the world looks to us the way it does because we have become used to seeing it that way through a particular set of lenses. Today, however, we need new lenses. And we need to throw the old ones away."
--Kenich Ohmae
Cool.
Kelli~
----- Original Message -----
From: Fetteroll
**It might take you a while for that shift to feel more natural because right
now he's at the age where you still have to guess what he wants and make a
lot of decisions for him. So you're going to view the future through those
glasses. Some parents never remove those glasses. But if you can -- and
people here can help -- then the problems -- and the solutions that look
good -- won't look the same.**
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Michelle ~ ms65442
It's funny because I understand this intellectually, but whenever I think "Maybe we will completley unschool," I'm terrified. It's this gut reaction and I'm having a hard time stopping it.
Maybe I should duct tape myself to a chair and think all the scary thoughts I can muster until I don't have any left?! :-)
Michelle
Kelli Traaseth <tktraas@...> wrote:
<< Today, however, we need new lenses. And we need to throw the old ones away."
--Kenich Ohmae >>
Michelle, SF East Bay
Mommy to Rory Daniel, 5.3.02
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Maybe I should duct tape myself to a chair and think all the scary thoughts I can muster until I don't have any left?! :-)
Michelle
Kelli Traaseth <tktraas@...> wrote:
<< Today, however, we need new lenses. And we need to throw the old ones away."
--Kenich Ohmae >>
Michelle, SF East Bay
Mommy to Rory Daniel, 5.3.02
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 7/8/03 11:53:49 AM, ms65442@... writes:
<< Maybe I should duct tape myself to a chair and think all the scary
thoughts I can muster until I don't have any left?! :-)
Michelle >>
Maybe.
Or maybe bring the scary thoughts here one at a time and let us help you tack
them out to cure and dry.
Then you can have a collection of preserved formerly-scary thoughts.
I have heard that some of the ingredients of tanning "recipes" are ashes and
urine. I should look that up.
Maybe as your child gets older you will have gradually come to have faith in
natural learning and in him. And in you.
Sandra
<< Maybe I should duct tape myself to a chair and think all the scary
thoughts I can muster until I don't have any left?! :-)
Michelle >>
Maybe.
Or maybe bring the scary thoughts here one at a time and let us help you tack
them out to cure and dry.
Then you can have a collection of preserved formerly-scary thoughts.
I have heard that some of the ingredients of tanning "recipes" are ashes and
urine. I should look that up.
Maybe as your child gets older you will have gradually come to have faith in
natural learning and in him. And in you.
Sandra
Pamela Sorooshian
On Tuesday, July 8, 2003, at 10:36 AM, Michelle ~ ms65442 wrote:
Michelle - how about trying 6 months of unschooling and, during that
time, pretend you're always going to do it. Keep yourself busy with a
journal of your observations about how your child learns various kinds
of things.
Yes, yes, I know that somebody is going to say it is all or nothing --
but how about just trying it out that way, anyway.
I did that. I never decided in some momentous "unschoolers-r-us" sort
of way - that we would unschool forever - we just do it day by day,
week by week, and keep on going - just live for a while - be on summer
vacation for the fall and winter, too. There is nothing scary about
that - nobody really IS going to ever force you to stick to it if you
don't want to - so you're free to dabble.
-pam
> It's funny because I understand this intellectually, but whenever IYou're already way more in touch with them than I was <G>.
> think "Maybe we will completley unschool," I'm terrified. It's this
> gut reaction and I'm having a hard time stopping it.
>
> Maybe I should duct tape myself to a chair and think all the scary
> thoughts I can muster until I don't have any left?! :-)
Michelle - how about trying 6 months of unschooling and, during that
time, pretend you're always going to do it. Keep yourself busy with a
journal of your observations about how your child learns various kinds
of things.
Yes, yes, I know that somebody is going to say it is all or nothing --
but how about just trying it out that way, anyway.
I did that. I never decided in some momentous "unschoolers-r-us" sort
of way - that we would unschool forever - we just do it day by day,
week by week, and keep on going - just live for a while - be on summer
vacation for the fall and winter, too. There is nothing scary about
that - nobody really IS going to ever force you to stick to it if you
don't want to - so you're free to dabble.
-pam
Michelle ~ ms65442
>>Or maybe bring the scary thoughts here one at a time and let us help you tackthem out to cure and dry.
Then you can have a collection of preserved formerly-scary thoughts.<<
And wouldn't that be great to read over to reinforce to myself! That's why I posted about the Sudbury school here - I knew I wouldn't get a response of, "Yes, great way to cop-out - go for it!!" But I honeslty couldn't get to the bad bits on my own - so I posted here and people brought up some factual stuff about the schools that I don't like (minimum hours required, lack of parental participation).
And so I've thrown out the other bits of issues I have - that I don't think Rory is exposed to enough while staying home with Dan, and that's why I'm considering a preschool for next year - and we'll see where my holes are in that argument. I'm sure ya'll will let me know - and I'm here to listen and learn.
Thank you.
Michelle
SandraDodd@... wrote:
<<Maybe.
Or maybe bring the scary thoughts here one at a time and let us help you tack
them out to cure and dry.
Then you can have a collection of preserved formerly-scary thoughts.>>
Michelle, SF East Bay
Mommy to Rory Daniel, 5.3.02
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 7/8/03 12:28:14 PM, pamsoroosh@... writes:
<< Michelle - how about trying 6 months of unschooling and, during that
time, pretend you're always going to do it. Keep yourself busy with a
journal of your observations about how your child learns various kinds
of things. >>
I think that's a good idea. I think having an end date for your experiement
which is purposely NOT schoolyear related is good too, like "We're going to
try this until November" or February.
Sometimes when someone is adamant that she is going to unschool her
now-five-year-old for the next thirteen years no matter WHAT her husband and relatives
think, I've recommended that instead of declare it "do it forever," to say
"try it for a while."
Several things happen then.
The others calm down immediately.
They others have hope that she will fail.
Then if she doesn't fail, they start paying attention to why not.
And if she DOES "fail," she hasn't failed at unschooling for thirteen years.
She's failed to figure out how to make it work in six months. And that's way
easier to deal with than an all or nothing in terms of "school career" and
childhood.
Sandra
<< Michelle - how about trying 6 months of unschooling and, during that
time, pretend you're always going to do it. Keep yourself busy with a
journal of your observations about how your child learns various kinds
of things. >>
I think that's a good idea. I think having an end date for your experiement
which is purposely NOT schoolyear related is good too, like "We're going to
try this until November" or February.
Sometimes when someone is adamant that she is going to unschool her
now-five-year-old for the next thirteen years no matter WHAT her husband and relatives
think, I've recommended that instead of declare it "do it forever," to say
"try it for a while."
Several things happen then.
The others calm down immediately.
They others have hope that she will fail.
Then if she doesn't fail, they start paying attention to why not.
And if she DOES "fail," she hasn't failed at unschooling for thirteen years.
She's failed to figure out how to make it work in six months. And that's way
easier to deal with than an all or nothing in terms of "school career" and
childhood.
Sandra
Helen Hegener
At 1:59 PM -0400 7/8/03, SandraDodd@... wrote:
including my husband, his extended family, my grown kids'
public-schooled wives, their extended families, and so on and so on
down the lines...
Helen
>I have heard that some of the ingredients of tanning "recipes" are ashes andAnd some call for using brains... (yes, *really*) <g>
>urine. I should look that up.
>Maybe as your child gets older you will have gradually come to have faith inI've seen it happen that way for more people than I can even count,
>natural learning and in him. And in you.
including my husband, his extended family, my grown kids'
public-schooled wives, their extended families, and so on and so on
down the lines...
Helen