Re: [UnschoolingDiscussion] How do we label each other? was: The Day Homeschooli
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/25/2003 8:44:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[email protected] writes:
The realization I had while talking with Seth is that God had begun
something twenty years ago that came to be called "homeschooling," but
which really wasn t about schooling at all.
If we can get past being put off by the heavy-handed religious slant and the
historical inaccuracies, there is a small point this writer is making, imo.
"School" -- if we have to name and define what we do all day in terms of
whether or not our child is "in school" or "being schooled" that's an interesting
notion. If even unschoolers label themselves in terms of "school" that's
something to think about. Maybe it says more about those grocery clerks who are so
curious about a child out and about on a "school day" than it does about the
homeschooler. Maybe it says hsing isn't as accepted and natural seeming an idea
as it should be, among those who choose not to hs -- and even among some
hsers.
Maybe it says we're just not all that bright. We need to label each other.
And we label each other in terms of our jobs, some of the time. "There's Jim,
the fireman. There's Molly, the lawyer. Oh, that's Nance, she stays at home with
her kids and homeschools -- can you believe it." We're just not very clever
in talking to one another.
And a lot of grownups are horrible, just horrible, at talking to kids. DD was
relieved the other day when an older gentleman at the deli counter did NOT
ask her too much about school -- only asked if all her homework was done; it was
:) -- but then he proceeded to ask her about -- ta da!! -- other things. What
she liked at the deli, etc.
She proclaimed later that he was a pretty boring old man, but at least he
didn't ask her what grade she was in! Gosh, how many times has she been asked
that stupid question? Grownups just don't seem to know what to talk to kids
about so they fall back on these stock questons -- which may be completely
inappropriate.
So it just seems to me that it's a small idea to ponder -- getting past all
the other fluff in the article -- why we label each other in terms of "school"
at all. We need to describe each other, to know each other somehow and this is
the best we can do? Not very impressive. :)
And "Hello list" -- Nance here, unschooling Mom to 2 fantastic kids in
Florida. (But I do other things too and you might describe me completely differently
in a different context. :) )
Nance
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected] writes:
The realization I had while talking with Seth is that God had begun
something twenty years ago that came to be called "homeschooling," but
which really wasn t about schooling at all.
If we can get past being put off by the heavy-handed religious slant and the
historical inaccuracies, there is a small point this writer is making, imo.
"School" -- if we have to name and define what we do all day in terms of
whether or not our child is "in school" or "being schooled" that's an interesting
notion. If even unschoolers label themselves in terms of "school" that's
something to think about. Maybe it says more about those grocery clerks who are so
curious about a child out and about on a "school day" than it does about the
homeschooler. Maybe it says hsing isn't as accepted and natural seeming an idea
as it should be, among those who choose not to hs -- and even among some
hsers.
Maybe it says we're just not all that bright. We need to label each other.
And we label each other in terms of our jobs, some of the time. "There's Jim,
the fireman. There's Molly, the lawyer. Oh, that's Nance, she stays at home with
her kids and homeschools -- can you believe it." We're just not very clever
in talking to one another.
And a lot of grownups are horrible, just horrible, at talking to kids. DD was
relieved the other day when an older gentleman at the deli counter did NOT
ask her too much about school -- only asked if all her homework was done; it was
:) -- but then he proceeded to ask her about -- ta da!! -- other things. What
she liked at the deli, etc.
She proclaimed later that he was a pretty boring old man, but at least he
didn't ask her what grade she was in! Gosh, how many times has she been asked
that stupid question? Grownups just don't seem to know what to talk to kids
about so they fall back on these stock questons -- which may be completely
inappropriate.
So it just seems to me that it's a small idea to ponder -- getting past all
the other fluff in the article -- why we label each other in terms of "school"
at all. We need to describe each other, to know each other somehow and this is
the best we can do? Not very impressive. :)
And "Hello list" -- Nance here, unschooling Mom to 2 fantastic kids in
Florida. (But I do other things too and you might describe me completely differently
in a different context. :) )
Nance
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]