Sandra Dodd interview by Sandi Schwartz
September 30, 2009

Sandi Schwartz interviewed me September 30, 2009. Here's the description she put on her website. I didn't write this. It's a little embarrassing, but kinda sweet, and in the three weeks around that interview I did send copies of The Big Book of Unschooling all over the U.S. and Canada, to Scotland, England, Wales, Denmark, The Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and India."

UNSCHOOLING- What's It Really All About? - Sep 30, 2009    Wednesday, 12:00 PM

Join Sandra Dodd, international leader of the Unschooling movement, as she shares her passion and knowledge about creating a home environment in which natural learning flourishes.

Note: I did tell her I didn't believe in "Law of Attraction," and she said she wouldn't bring that up, but the intro to the recording says something about that. Don't be spooked. :-)

The quote she brought up was by Nora Cannon:

"The thing that works with unschooling is to follow delight - and scatter it like a flower girl in front of the bride - not every petal will be crushed to release fragrance - but enough will. ...of course to follow delight, you have to admit to yourself that you feel delight." —Nora Cannon

She found it on the Strewing page here: SandraDodd.com/strewing
I said "lame" a dozen times or more. Sorry. It was the word of the day. Lame.

A couple of things I liked from this interview that I said:

(Of unit studies, or any creative plan):
Those things, in the hands of someone creative and enthusiastic, can be really vibrant and cool.

And those things in the hands of someone who didn't really want to do anyway, and thinks it's stupid, can be as lame as anything ever was lame.

(Then I said something like that for unschooling to work, the parents need to be curious, to like to learn, and like to be with their kids.)

When Sandi asks whether I just trust that academic things like math, reading, science and history will get covered over a child's 15, 16 or 17 years, I said (in part):
If the parents are really involved and busy
and inspiring and inspired
and interested and interesting, then I trust it will happen.

I know it will NOT happen if the parents are cynical, negative, critical, shaming.

Parents, if they're considering homeschooling, need to make it better than school or not do it.

Principles (not rules) Peace (helping kids) Choices (their value, and learning to make better choices)

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