Has anyone else heard of this? Tonight I sat at a table and was introduced to this concept of "unschooling" (apparently it has been around since the 70's, but is was brand new to me). Here is the definition I have gathered..."(Unschooling) centers around allowing children to learn through their natural life experiences, including child directed play, game play, household responsibilities, and social interaction, rather than through the confines of a conventional school." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unschooling So, there is no curriculum, but you teach based on what the child is interested in.
For example, you are at the park and you see some leaves changing color. The child asks you about this and you explain about season and temperature change. You have done a science lesson. You are at the store and the child notices that one item cost more than another. You do the math and figure out the price difference. Math for the day...check. So, last time I checked, these are not teaching moments to pat ourselves on the back for, but this are what we call PARENTING.
What if your child never comes across any WWII history that strikes him, or she never sees an algebraic equation at the movie theater? Should life be child led? Where are the adults leading the child in the way he should go? Who is reaching out with a novel that that kid would have never picked up that might encourage the them to become a writer? Who is forcing this kid to sit through a lesson on physics when the child is feeling totally lost? Who is expecting work to be completed on time and done well? How does this method of "learning" prepare a child for life? In adulthood, we are often faced with tasks that we do not want to do. There is often an authority telling us what needs to happen in a given day. It seems as though we are raising a generation of children who feel entitled to have life go their way all of the time; children who expect privileges to be handed to them on a platter.
Now that I have a child of my own, I see the public school system in a whole new light. As a 5th grade teacher, I was a bit blinded to some of its flaws because I did not have a vested interest there with me. I understand why parents search for a "better way." However, public school with not shape my daughters world view or values. That is our job as parents. School gives her the opportunity to see the world through all different eyes, not just our eyes. School gives her the opportunity to learn more than I know. My knowledge is very limited (to about 5th grade...), but a school is teaming with teachers who specialize in so many area. Teachers with passions and knowledge that I don't have. As parents, we can not teach her in the broad spectrum that will give her more opportunities in the future. However, we will be here to guide her in the Truth and see that she is surrounded with love and support. We will be here to discuss ideas she heard that day and help her find that narrow path. We will provide opportunities to help her become a well-rounded girl with interests that just might expand beyond our own.
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We've talked about this before, but every time I read a post like yours or anyone talking about home schooling, I get a little ache for it.
It's weird for me to say that, because I did it for a year and hated it. I LOVE when my kids go to school for the day and I can get some stuff done!
I am so torn between the two. I don't want to say that I'm selfish, (and I am), but ....
Oh, gosh, maybe one day...
It is a lot to take on. I don't feel able to teach my own child. 30 of someone else's? Sure. :)
A lot of advice I've read about raising babies suggests that the baby knows what is best for him/her - when to eat, when to sleep, when to wean, etc. It makes me wonder, when does baby know best become daddy/mommy knows best? I certainly think it is before school age. I might even argue it is almost from the get-go.
Never thought of that, Angie. That is true. Books today do put an awful lot of stock in the baby's knowing what is best. That can make for a hard transition into toddler-hood if you use that as your only guide.
This sounds similar to the Montessori method of schooling. My cousin did this when she was younger, but now she's 8 and goes to a public school. It's where the child directs the learning and the teacher observes and gently guides. But basically, the child explores what they are interested in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montessori_method
I thought it was a little unorthodox, but they were very into it. I think for young children it may be useful, but as they get older, no way! Just because kids aren't interested in a subject doesn't mean they shouldn't learn about it!
Hmm, I always hesitate before bothering to make a comment on an anti-unschooling post, but I figure I'll give my two cents this time around.
I'm an 18 year old longtime unschooler, and my only experience with traditional schooling of any sort is half a year of kindergarten. And guess what? I'm doing quite fine! I'm literate, happy, healthy, and finding my own path in the world. Unschooling most definitely "works", and not just for younger kids as one commenter assumes.
I always find it exasperating when people pass judgment on an educational philosophy that they don't understand and have absolutely no first hand experience with, then proceed to make assumptions about all the things unschoolers surely "can't" do!
Idzie,
I have no first-hand knowledge of unschooling. I am only basing any judgment on what I learned from one conversation. In fact, I had never heard of it before. This post was really just me feeling out my thoughts on what I learned. Being a former 5th grade teacher, of course I am passionate about school. Being a parent, my thoughts on school have changed a bit from what they were before I had a child. I think I have been keeping my ears open to hear opposing view more than before.
It is interesting to hear from someone who has actually been involved in unschooling. The whole idea is just very foreign to me. Thanks for your comment and for reading my post. I would be interested to hear 10 years down the road if you still find it to have been a beneficial way to learn. (Not passing judgment, just wondering...) It just does not seem that "real life" is very similar to this type of learning, but I could be totally wrong! Again, I am no expert on this subject.
That's the whole thing though, unschooling IS real life! It's learning by living in the real world, so unschoolers get maximum real life experience. Schools, on the other hand, isolate children to a great extant, by putting them in one building, in age segregated classrooms. As an unschooler, my learning was (and is) through living, through going cool places and meeting cool people, through reading and researching and having marvelous conversations, through exploring the world around me... I can't think of anything that could be more *in the real world*. And unschoolers DO face things that they don't like, and do things that aren't all that fun. That's part of living in the real world!
I have no doubt that I'll still be just as happy with the fact I was unschooled in ten years. I look at the unschoolers I know in their twenties and even thirties, and they are doing just fine! :-)
Anyway, I thank you for your respect and open-mindedness in talking about unschooling!
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