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Episode #2: Unschooling A-ha Moments
When families begin an unschooling way of life, they often dig into all the resources – books, articles, blogs, podcasts, social media, in-person connections – and gather as much information as they can. Then, over time, they begin to develop awarenesses of their own from actually living this life with their family. Some of this new information might be specific to their particular family, but often others can relate as well. Join us at our Virtual Kitchen Table as we share the “a-ha” moments that have come up for each of us over time and realize that many them are relevant to us all.
We discuss:
How the time we spend with children changes as they get older, but it’s not necessarily less
The realization that conversation is one of the most important learning tools
Quantity of time can be just as important as quality and, in fact, having that margin can lead to rich, quality time
The fact that you don’t have to be an expert and that learning can be a shared and enjoyable experience
Unschooling kids can and do sometimes choose structured or academic courses either by necessity, passion or learning style
The art of understanding strewing and intuition in relation to individual personalities
The way unschooling allows us to slow down, be very present and live intentionally, enabling us to live in line with the needs and interests of the people in our families
The continued relationships in families rather than something that ends at 18. It substantially changes the way parents look at the world and opens up a deeper joy of living and learning
Children realizing that adults don’t know everything and don’t have it all figured out
The benefits of making mistakes
How unschooling doesn’t mean never preparing ahead of time. Often kids get more out of an experience with some information and context
The partnership of this lifestyle and that we don’t and can’t bring everything. We are all learning all of the time. It’s a two-way street
Some kids process internally and we can’t always see what’s happening in their learning
The cyclical nature of learning, deepening each time a child revisits something. There’s always more to learn. Sometimes there’s a massive leap after a child steps back and takes some time
That our deschooling process as parents is a form of self-directed learning. We are “self-directed learning about self-directed learning.”
How what our children are learning, what’s happening in their minds and what level they are at, is not actually our business (and how that’s likely a very controversial think to say!)
The ratio of what we bring into our children’s days to what comes up naturally
The idea that the content we bring in or encounter is often the same as various other styles of home education, but the process is different
The importance of detaching from the outcome
Resources mentioned in this conversation:
Stories of Unschooling Families Community (Founded by Sue Elvis, currently hosted by Erin, Noel and Chellie)
Free to Learn – Peter Gray
Unschooling When Charlotte Mason Also Appeals to Our Hearts – www.storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com