unschooling as a fading experiment was
Sylvia Toyama
There is definitely an aura that they feel slightly superior and view my unschooling being not so much dangerous neglect, but a crackpot experiment that will undoubtedly fade away once Jayn gets older and starts to need more teaching. I have no fear of this occurring myself!
****
I feel this vibe from people all the time. Sometimes people -- often eclectic or school-at-homers -- say things like, 'I can't wait until her kids are high school age.' I heard that statement just last week from someone about an unschooling Mom I know whose kids are already high school age. It came up when she heard where I live and asked who I know (by name). I answered that her kids are already high school age, and it hasn't yet changed her positions on anything, at least not that I've seen. It was odd to watch her faical expression go from one of superiority to (I'm not really sure how to describe it) confusion? surprise? It was just a very strange and telling moment.
Syl
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****
I feel this vibe from people all the time. Sometimes people -- often eclectic or school-at-homers -- say things like, 'I can't wait until her kids are high school age.' I heard that statement just last week from someone about an unschooling Mom I know whose kids are already high school age. It came up when she heard where I live and asked who I know (by name). I answered that her kids are already high school age, and it hasn't yet changed her positions on anything, at least not that I've seen. It was odd to watch her faical expression go from one of superiority to (I'm not really sure how to describe it) confusion? surprise? It was just a very strange and telling moment.
Syl
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In a message dated 6/9/04 7:29:46 AM, sylgt04@... writes:
<< It came up when she heard where I live and asked who I know (by name). I
answered that her kids are already high school age, and it hasn't yet changed
her positions on anything, at least not that I've seen. >>
Was it me? Was it me? <g>
I went to college at barely 17. So when I was the age Kirby was now, I had
finished a year of college. Badly and in a panic. It wasn't as easy as high
school. I had an F in a class I just hadn't dropped out of. I had some C's.
ME! I had plans to do better, having figured it out. I was starting on my
college loan debt. <g>
What I had learned most from was the other people there, just having
conversations about where they'd been, how they ended up in New Mexico for school,
looking at their stuff. I met Persians and Indians and a large chunk of New
Jersey. I worked with a guy from Taiwan (I think I was 18 then). He was very
disdainful of my ignorance. (And me a graduated-early hot-shot high school
student. <bwg>)
What I knew that year wasn't better than what Kirby knows now in any way. I
was going to college with people older than I was who couldn't take a test,
couldn't write a paper, couldn't form an intelligent question (or answer), who
had only lately figured out New Mexico was part of the U.S. (None of the
foreign students had that problem, only Americans who had gone to school in the
U.S.)
So no, I'm not worried a bit about a rich, free life.
But I've had lots of people say (in the past) "so when they get to high
school they'll have to go to school, though, right?" "If they want to," I would
say, and I would get that weird look, like they were s-l-o-w-l-y- trying to park
and process the idea of kids choosing or passing on school.
Sandra
<< It came up when she heard where I live and asked who I know (by name). I
answered that her kids are already high school age, and it hasn't yet changed
her positions on anything, at least not that I've seen. >>
Was it me? Was it me? <g>
I went to college at barely 17. So when I was the age Kirby was now, I had
finished a year of college. Badly and in a panic. It wasn't as easy as high
school. I had an F in a class I just hadn't dropped out of. I had some C's.
ME! I had plans to do better, having figured it out. I was starting on my
college loan debt. <g>
What I had learned most from was the other people there, just having
conversations about where they'd been, how they ended up in New Mexico for school,
looking at their stuff. I met Persians and Indians and a large chunk of New
Jersey. I worked with a guy from Taiwan (I think I was 18 then). He was very
disdainful of my ignorance. (And me a graduated-early hot-shot high school
student. <bwg>)
What I knew that year wasn't better than what Kirby knows now in any way. I
was going to college with people older than I was who couldn't take a test,
couldn't write a paper, couldn't form an intelligent question (or answer), who
had only lately figured out New Mexico was part of the U.S. (None of the
foreign students had that problem, only Americans who had gone to school in the
U.S.)
So no, I'm not worried a bit about a rich, free life.
But I've had lots of people say (in the past) "so when they get to high
school they'll have to go to school, though, right?" "If they want to," I would
say, and I would get that weird look, like they were s-l-o-w-l-y- trying to park
and process the idea of kids choosing or passing on school.
Sandra
Marti
My grandfather grew up in the hills of WV, and really was one of those
folks who walked (uphill both ways :-) to be able to go to high school.
He boarded with a family in town sometimes. He worked and saved to go to
college, but had to quit because of WW2 and family problems. My dad went
to college, but didn't finish (until he was in his 40's).
I was the first one to "have all the opportunities," and I did... my
parents paid for my 4-year degree, and I was the first on either side of
my family to graduate with a college degree, fulfilling the American
dream for our family.
My dad loves what he sees in my girls, and we've had great talks about
unschooling. It's neat to see him accept that the next step in the
evolution of our family is the ability for my girls to choose *not* to
just go to college as an obvious next step of success... but that being
able to have them pursue their dreams might mean that they *don't* go to
college. What liberty!
Marti
Smithsburg, MD
-----Original Message-----
From: SandraDodd@... [mailto:SandraDodd@...]
But I've had lots of people say (in the past) "so when they get to high
school they'll have to go to school, though, right?" "If they want to,"
I would say, and I would get that weird look, like they were
s-l-o-w-l-y- trying to park and process the idea of kids choosing or
passing on school.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
folks who walked (uphill both ways :-) to be able to go to high school.
He boarded with a family in town sometimes. He worked and saved to go to
college, but had to quit because of WW2 and family problems. My dad went
to college, but didn't finish (until he was in his 40's).
I was the first one to "have all the opportunities," and I did... my
parents paid for my 4-year degree, and I was the first on either side of
my family to graduate with a college degree, fulfilling the American
dream for our family.
My dad loves what he sees in my girls, and we've had great talks about
unschooling. It's neat to see him accept that the next step in the
evolution of our family is the ability for my girls to choose *not* to
just go to college as an obvious next step of success... but that being
able to have them pursue their dreams might mean that they *don't* go to
college. What liberty!
Marti
Smithsburg, MD
-----Original Message-----
From: SandraDodd@... [mailto:SandraDodd@...]
But I've had lots of people say (in the past) "so when they get to high
school they'll have to go to school, though, right?" "If they want to,"
I would say, and I would get that weird look, like they were
s-l-o-w-l-y- trying to park and process the idea of kids choosing or
passing on school.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]