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This was written in 1996, when my daughter was kindergarten age. She is now 16 and attends public high school, by her own choice. Eleven years later, I currently homeschool my three youngest sons, but not as an unschooling family. What works for one child does not always work for another.
I am an unschooler
One family's approach to home education
I am an unschooler. I believe in my child's ability and desire to learn. I believe that she is an intelligent, capable human being, and I believe that when the time for her to learn a certain thing arrives, that she will learn it.
I am an unschooler. I do not believe in force feeding my child a bunch of useless facts and rote learning that will be forgotten next week, next month, next year. I am confident that when my child learns a thing, that it stays learned, because she chose to learn it and put her entire being into discovering what its secrets and mysteries are.
I am an unschooler. I refuse to force my child to grow up before she is ready. I will not put her into situations where she is forced to compete instead of play and learn. I cannot push her to achieve and in so doing lose sight of the child in the quest for rewards.
I am an unschooler. I encourage my child to be a self starter and self aware. I guide her gently and offer assistance when she requests it. I do not tell her that she is doing it wrong just because that isn't how it was taught to me.
I am an unschooler. I threw away the clock years ago. I do not believe that a child can learn to read only between the hours of 10 and 11, or 1 to 2. Our days are a crazy quilt of activity, ranging from a day doing nothing but drawing pictures or playing computer games to doing fifty different activities ranging from staring at a snail to counting the number of rice grains in a cup.
I am an unschooler. Our textbooks include old catalogues, junk mail, and encyclopedias. Our on hand science materials are made up of a beaker, some magnets, and a few goldfish. We create our learning materials and we buy them. We find them in fields and in flea markets. We see the educational value in everything, because children will learn from anything that you hand them, even a Barbie doll. Please don't try to force your curriculum on us. We don't need it.
I am an unschooler. Our family has its own moral values which we share openly among ourselves, and with those who are genuinely interested. We do not want to have our souls saved, or our lifestyle condemned. If you wish to be our friend and share our journey, we welcome you, no matter what your philosophy. All that we ask is that you allow us the space to be ourselves just as we will give that to you. Share with us, please, but don't ram it into us?
I am an unschooler. My child has many friends of all ages, and from all walks of life. She is not a person to be pitied for her "isolation". She is a person experiencing the best that life can give and enjoying it to its fullest. She is happy, healthy, and well adjusted. She is bright, eager, and intensely interested in her world and universe. She is incredible, and she is a source of amazing joy and interest to everybody who knows her.
I am an unschooler. And I am glad to be one.
(This was written in 1996, when my daughter was kindergarten age. She is now 16 and attends public high school, by her own choice. Eleven years later, I currently homeschool my three youngest sons, but not as an unschooling family. What works for one child does not always work for another. )>
Now available as a high quality poster!
You can order this credo from Zazzle.Com as a high quality poster!The poster has been slightly reworded so that it switches off gender pronouns with each paragraph.
Check it out!
Tell us how you educate your kids!
Wikipedia on Unschooling
The term "unschooling" refers to a range of educational philosophies and practices that differ markedly from conventional schooling; while often considered to be a subset of homeschooling, unschoolers may be philosophically as estranged from most homeschoolers as they are from the advocates of conventional schooling. The term unschooling was almost certainly coined by John Holt in the 1970s, who is also widely regarded as the "father" of unschooling. While there is significant variation in what is meant by "unschooling", generally speaking, unschoolers believe that the use of standard curricula and conventional grading methods, as well as other features of traditional schooling, are counterproductive to the goal of maximizing the education of each child. Instead, unschoolers typically allow children to learn through their natural life experiences, including game play, household responsibilities, and social interaction.
While homeschooling has been subject to a widespread public debate, there has been almost no media attention given to unschooling in particular. Popular critics of unschooling tend to view it as an extreme educational philosophy, and are concerned that unschooled children will lack the social skills, structure, and motivation of their peers, especially in the job market. Within the homeschooling movement itself, unschooling is discussed in many internecine debates about pedagogy and values, especially where it is perceived as conflicting with Christian education.
Homeschooling swag
Word of the Day
- euphonious: Dictionary.com Word of the Day
- euphonious: pleasing or sweet in sound.
Books on Unschooling
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Learn and Do Blogs
Homeschooling books
Did you know? Random Facts
New Scientific American
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Educational, entertaining and informative documentaries
- 001- An Inconvenient Truth
Director-producer Davis Guggenheim (HBO's "Deadwood") captures former Vice President Al Gore in the midst of waging a passionate campaign -- not for the White House, but for the environment. Laying out the facts of global warming without getting political, Gore makes a sobering impression in this Oscar-winning doc on the audiences who hear his message, urging them to act "boldly, quickly and wisely" ... before it's too late to act at all.- 002- March of the Penguins
Award-winning photographer Luc Jacquet takes documentary film to new heights -- and depths -- with his first feature film, a stunning insider's look at the life of the emperor penguin. The product of more than a year of filming in the brutal Antarctic ice, this Oscar-winning Best Documentary presents never-before-captured footage of the penguins' underwater life and explores their steadfast quest for monogamous mates.- 003- Super Size Me
On the heels of recent lawsuits against McDonald's, director Morgan Spurlock takes a hilarious and often terrifying look at the effects of fast food on the human body. For one month, Spurlock eats nothing but McDonald's food, ordering everything on the menu at least once and "super-sizing" his order if asked. With obesity on the rise, Spurlock's film begs the question: Where does personal responsibility end and corporate responsibility begin?- 004- Fahrenheit 9/11
Michael Moore's hard-hitting documentary addresses the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, outlining the reasons the U.S. has become a target for hatred and terrorism. Criticizing President George W. Bush's response to the attacks and reinforcing his theory that the Bush Administration used the tragic event to push its agenda, Moore also traces alleged dealings that connect two generations of the Bush family with Osama bin Laden's clan.- 005- Born Into Brothels
This Oscar-winning documentary is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in Calcutta's red-light district, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Spurred by the kids' fascination with her camera, Zana Briski, a photographer documenting life in the brothels, decides to teach them photography. As they begin to look at and record their world through new eyes, the kids awaken to their own talents and sense of worth.- Try Netflix free for 14 days
Blog Posts from Google
- Sherri replied to the discussion Info on US unschooling
- Sherri Sherri replied to the discussion Info on US unschooling.
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- "Me love you too, Mommy."
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marsha32
My youngest who is now 6th grade is pretty much unchooled this year, which is her choice. Posted September 13, 2008 |
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RedBlue24
Although I don't agree with you, I liked your lens. Check out my essay on education and tell me what you think of it http://www.squidoo.com/importanceeducation Posted August 16, 2008 |
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BFuniv.com
Unschooling rocks - thanks for expressing it so well. Posted May 07, 2008 |
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vhargis
Life is a school I've always thought. Home schooled or should I say life schooled my youngest because we were doing an extensive therapy program with him. Posted February 12, 2008 |
WOW!!! Very powerful and inspiring. If you put that on a poster, it would fly off the shelves, IMO.
--Nov 13 2007
Posted November 13, 2007
