UNSCHOOLING EXPLAINED : Adventuring Family of 11
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- Unschooling. Today we talk about how we unschool, why we unschool, what unschooling is, and what unschooled kids end up becoming. We share research, books, and answer all of your burning questions.
Here are the books we mentioned: www.knorppandsouth.com/books
You can watch the whole video or search by timecode:
00:00 - Intro
03:00 - Our homeschooling journey - how we got to unschooling
08:50 - How to find a homeschool style that works for you
13:10 - Our first year unschooling
14:46 - The book that got Mike on board with homeschooling
16:18 - What Unschooling means to us
17:28 - Determining your homeschooling goals
19:00 - Our daily homeschool routine
20:57 - What if my child doesn't want to learn anything?
24:22 - How will they learn MATH???
30:43 - What about college?
32:47 How public school discourages learning and creativity
34:54 Meeting legal requirements for homeschooling
35:56 Do you use ANY curriculum?
37:07 How to plan your day
39:37 How do the kids pick what to learn
42:27 Won't my kids drive me crazy?
49:59 Will the kids do things they don't want to do?
51:40 THE most important factor in unschooling
A little research on adults who were unschoolers: www.psychologytoday.com/us/bl...
Don't forget to visit us here:
***www.knorppandsouth.com/
*** / knorpp_and_south
*** / knorppandsouth
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Timecode of topics:
3:00 Our homeschooling journey - how we got to unschooling
8:50 How to find a homeschool style that works for you
13:10 Our first year unschooling
14:46 The book that got Mike on board with homeschooling
16:18 What Unschooling means to us
17:28 Determining your homeschooling goals
19:00 Our daily homeschool routine
20:57 What if my child doesn't want to learn anything?
24:22 How will they learn MATH???
30:43 What about college?
32:47 How public school discourages learning and creativity
34:54 Meeting legal requirements for homeschooling
35:56 Do you use ANY curriculum?
37:42 How to plan your day
37:42 SAT? ACT?
49:57 How do they learn to do things they don't want to do?
51:40 THE most important factor in unschooling
And here are the books we mentioned: www.knorppandsouth.com/books
Ok
This is the best, informative, non judgmental video on unschooling I have seen.
So, as I am "scheduling" my last school age child (it of 6), I have once again be challenged. Challenged to follow my heart... Unschooling. We bought a great curriculum with lots of reading and writing last year. It truly is a beautiful, non religious curriculum and what I had been searching for for so many years. Guess what? We have used 6 weeks worth in over a year lol. We unschooled the rest. My guilt gets to me and we go back on"track".
Thanks for helping me get back on track! It is refreshing to say the least. I will grab that book y'all talked about. Thanks for sharing!👋👋👋👋👋👋👋🤗🤗
Unschooled by Kerry McDonald is a new book that just came out about unschooling that really helped change my mind. Thanks for the great video!
Thank you for this!! I appreciate being able to jump to certain topics.
“Everyone you meet always asks if you have a career, are you married, etc., as if that’s all that is important in life. But no one ever asks if you’re happy. . . “
Kim Weir I recently read, that, in a certain culture (I can’t remember where!), their greeting in their language translated to “how’s your heart?” That has always stuck with me.❤️
Life is not just about being happy. Happiness is an emotion, a transient state. You can't control external factors that could radically change your situation (health issues, loss of loved ones, etc.) but you can control your reaction and actions. Meaning matters more in the long run than happiness. Struggle and hard work is an important part of cultivating that meaning.
I would hate that. I have a pretty unhappy life. I try hard to never ever give up. You feel like a looser for not just getting there.
👏🏽👏🏽
Well It would be awkward bc they might just say yea why?
I love how your husbands looks at you when your talking. He has a big grin and just looks at you like he is so proud of you and how smart and intelligent you are, like he is the luckiest man in the world.....so sweet!!!
very rare for sure and so amazing!
I was just thinking the same exact thing!! So cute. Love it!
The biggest lesson parents can give to their children: their LOVE
I agree! That's all I see. It's so cute!!!
They are a cute couple.
"You go to college when it's a good investment for your goals."
Gosh, if even 1/2 of people in the US grasped that concept it'd be a whole different education system. Thank you for sharing your hearts on this WHOLE topic.
Creating Essence you are so right! Although I am from Canada, I feel the same. Looking back when I graduated high school I had no clue what I wanted to do in life... and I had a plan for that (I was set to become and au pair in Australia) until my parents decided that they would not be willing to support me through college/uni if I didn’t go straight into it after high school graduation... of course that terrified me and didn’t know I had other options so I cancelled my travel plans, and applied to my local college (a very high rated college) in a program that I thought would be “fun” and a program that I had some friends also going into... to this day I hugely regret it. I never got ANY use from my diploma, I hated almost every minute of the three year program and now still have a $25k debt. And here I am 27yrs old still trying to figure out what I can do that won’t waste more time, incur more debt but still become successful all while staying happy. If I was given that chance to go to school when I was ready, when I had more life experience, and most importantly if I knew what I wanted to pursue initially I would be in a VERY different situation at this point of my life! Not to mention when it all panned out my parents ended up NOT supporting me in ANY way financially during that time, including accommodations...
Precisely!
I wish I had realized this when I started my degree! It was just an expectation.
I wish this was explained throughout high school...
Right! I wish I had waited to go to college instead of listening to everyone who said that I needed to go to make my life better. How is a life full of paying off debts better?
“How long does it take them to do homeschool?” “They never stop.” I know this video is a year or so old but I’m commenting because it nearly brought me to tears, tears of relief! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this point of view and your video was exactly what I needed to see in this very chaotic time in my life. Thank you!!!
I agree. I was having lots of anxiety last night over homeschooling next year. This definitely helped! :)
Public school makes FAILING a bad thing. In life a person needs to learn how to effectively fail and learn from it. Failing in real life should not be negative. It should promote problem solving skills. Failing should be a stepping stone to greater things. Loved home schooling my kids and my biggest regret is that I let others dissuade me.
Renae Petersen well said 👏🏻
💯This!!! I lived the pain of that "failing", with two perfectionist parents at home and later on throw in a step dad (also perfectionist) in the mix. Along with the worldview I was being fed at school...It was a bit crippling.
I agree with what she said in the opening- intentional, involved parenting, doing the best you can and sometimes that really has to be public school, at least for a time. I am relieved and thrilled to be able to have my kids home with me and do what works best for us (even though it's not an ideal situation). Some of the beauty of growing kids with grit and character is following the path we are given even when it's not ideal rather than trying to fit into what is forecasted as the "safe box" or sure path that the world says we find a way to take. I'm so glad I can do real life learning all day with my kids and so I don't have to "teach" them and coach them to believe learning is fun because they KNOW learning is fun🤩. Life is still life but we get to roll with the punches together😍. I have two in college now and two with years to go.
Renae, just played a game of checkers with my five year old and we had a similar discussion about the beauty of losing.
I wouldn’t exclude it to primarily public school. Society in general promotes failure as a negative concept. It’s one of the reasons you see college students struggle with mental health issues. It’s why it’s better to promote a growth mindset where you learn from your mistakes and failures as opposed to feeling defeated.
@@Mia_M I totally agree, but this mindset has early roots. I think parents have the best shot at reversing it and they have to start early and keep pushing it as the reality because society in general has been taught the other way. If schools would get on board, I think the paradigm could shift with time.
Great discussion! Homeschooled/Unschooled four kids for 19.5 years. All have gone to college, all receiving scholarships, deans list scholars, etc. Bravo!
Write a homeschooling memoir for others!
I’m homeschooled and I love it. When I was in a private school I was being bullied day by day and that resulted in me faking being sick. I wanted to go to school but I was scared to go. In first grade they taught us the first 3 times tables then immediately started division and I was so confused. My mom brought me to get tested and it showed that I was on a kindergarten level by the time I was in 2nd grade. My mom decided to see if homeschooling was better so my spring break she got a 2 week curriculum and then had me tested again after. I had advanced to a first grade/near 2nd grade in just 2 weeks. My mom has been homeschooling me ever since (nearly 6 yrs) and now I’m about to be a junior in January of 2020. I’m only 14! 💟💟💟
2 years later, how is it going? Are you still unschooling?
Times tables and division in FIRST grade!? That's some advanced stuff! In the 90s, I didn't touch any of that stuff until about 4th grade. Things sure have changed. For the worse...:(
Homeschooled two kids. Our last kid is in high school now. Never send your kids to school. Just homeschool and Do it, it’s what is best for our kids
@@EpicRealistTVthat happened to my kids too, one kid thrived, but one fell behind
Thank you for sharing! I have a second grader in the same predicament where he is testing at about a kindergarten level. When the teachers called and told me he could barely say 10 letter sounds I was like, that can’t be right. After helping him for one day I got a phone call the very next day asking what happened? And that he was able to go through all except 2 letter sounds. We are starting homeschool in the fall.
Interesting. My mom pulled me out at the start of high school and bought me the Alpha Omega Lifepacs, but was overwhelmed with a kindergartener and 6th grader that she never really checked up on me. She'd hand me the teacher's guide and tell me to check my own work. Sooooo, beyond 9th grade..... I didn't do anything in those books. I flipped through the workbooks and read the lessons that were interesting and that was about the size of it. Outside that, I spent most my time on the internet during high school. I know I've spent hundreds of hours lost in wikipedia. There was one game I LOVED playing, which was going on google earth and finding some random country or islands in the middle of the pacific and reading everything I could find on it. I went on to college, was invited and accepted to the honors program first semester (despite being put down in remedial math....), graduated with honors, went to grad school with grants... Really, not doing high school did not hurt me at all. I never stopped to think that what I did was 'unschooling.' I thought I had just deceived my mother and pretended I did my schoolwork while being a nerd on the internet. 😂
What a great story! Congratulations on your accomplishments!
You have an awesome story!
I think this is fascinating xx
So basically you lied on your mommy-made highschool transcripts? I was homeschooled from K-12th grade, and it's stories like this that makes colleges skeptical of homeschoolers. Thereby, if you get in as a freshman, it's entirely based on your SAT or if you transferred from a community college.
Which college did you attend?
"We don't need to memorize dates and figures anymore. We have all of that at our finger tips" This was an ah ha statement for me. I've enjoyed learning more about this topic. Thank you!
On that point, I made my son learn to tell time with the hands on the clock. He kept telling me he didn't need to know that because the watches he had seen in the stores gave you the time in numbers. LOL.
The problem I have with that statement is that memorizing is a form of exercising the brain. Which is a needed aspect of a healthy brain and healthy life. And now it would be foolish to assume we will always have these facrs at our finger tips for too much longer. Or to depend on the internet to give you the true fact.
@@antiochrocky9839 memorize songs. Or the date your actually interested in.
@@Prin_Cess_007 I am working on that. Plus juat some route memorization of facts. 5-10 mins at the beginning of our morning work. So far it seems to be really helping!
We have a list of three things we want our child to learn too: 1) We want her to understand and respect diversity (basically we want her to be a loving and caring individual), 2) we want her to be able to survive without us (in whatever world exists at that point), and 3) we want her to be mentally and physically healthy. Everything else she learns is just an added bonus for us.
Beautiful priorities!!! 🙏
beautiful (:
What an amazing set of priorities. NATURAL priorities. I strive to grow up and parent my kids with that mindset.
I love your priorities, you both "GET IT" 😊
Some people in life have resting jerk face.... but there's this guy [husband] has resting happy face. And [wife], you're just plain beautiful. Super fun video to watch in every way. I thought it might get a bit long, but I enjoyed every minute and appreciated your wisdom and unity.
Happy resting face. This is perfect!!! I know this video is about education and important, it seems petty to comment about how good Megan and Mike look, but dang. You guys are all glowy and pretty.
Melody Loewen lkmlkkm
M )Oppp🧐🤯🤬🧒🏾👣👄👳🏾♀️👳🏾♀️👄👄👄🇦🇪🀄️🇨🇼🇵🇫🇫🇰🇩🇯🇨🇰fholklbnbj
I really wish I had resting happy face.
So true... The wisdom n unity is palpable MashaAllah.
I swear I watch this at least twice a month 😅 I need to hear these words often.
Wow! So glad we could help keep you in a good headspace!
Many of us don't know our options. We don't question things and just do what we think is expected.
So true
Hslda.org
I love your unschooling. After teaching for 25 years in the public school system, I totally agree with this philosophy. Many times I told parents that children learn in spite of going to school. Good for you and your kids!
My mind is blown right now… I’ve been feeling a real urge to start homeschooling. So I’ve been watching other RUclips videos of parents who have been homeschooling and it’s been so enlightening! And now after watching your video, I feel like I can really do this and basically I won’t screw them up lol. Unschooling feels so right for our family. Thank you!
I needed this. I just started homeschooling my three girls, and have been feeling like a failure already because I have no desire to use curriculum or tests or grades. I love the approach you guys take, and you honestly have given me a peace regarding my own approach to this unschooling journey. 😊
As a third generation teacher I can tell you I am 100% in favor of homeschooling. My husband is also a teacher and our son went to school where his dad was. We also paid for a number of private lessons and learning experiences outside of school. It was odd to me that he was often the only one in his class doing things outside of the dictates of the district. He more or less tolerated school so he could participate in school musicals etc. His teachers learned quickly that they were accountable to us and not the other way around. As a teacher, my experience is that far too many parents drop their responsibilities off along with their kids. That does not work.
@@FreedomTruth47 i don't quite understand what you are saying. I would suggest you trade places with one of these amazing parents before criticizing. One look at their kiddos shows how tremendous they are.
@@FreedomTruth47 you definitely are a liar
I AM A LIAR .... You have very obviously watched at the most a handful of their videos. It has only been the last year or so that they have gotten up to 200k on RUclips. Their lifestyle and utter devotion to their children and themselves today hasn’t changed at all in the 3 1/2 years I have been one of their subscribers. They work hard everyday. RUclips is not their only job/income. And in case you didn’t notice..., their video was 55 minutes and had one commercial when they can have more than that. So even though it was monetized, I guarantee they work much harder on their jobs than they probably get paid by RUclips at this point. However, there is nothing wrong with them and all the thousands of others who create content on RUclips and provide a living for themselves. If you disagree with that, then do your own thing, nobody is forcing you into doing it too. It’s not like they are hiding anything.
They have adopted five beautiful children and provided them with a loving family where they didn’t have one before.
You’re obviously entitled to your own opinion, but when you start throwing hate, maybe you should take a look at who you really hate... Their lives have zero impact on you, don’t watch if you aren’t interest. Period!
@@Cynthiaa315 .. My thoughts too...
I AM A LIAR you’re calling kind, educated people stupid? Please take a look at your grammar before calling people names.
This is fascinating to me! I've been homeschooling our 4 year old for a year now. He was just pointing casually to 25 states saying them by name like it was no big deal. I was absolutely amazed! He'd be sitting in the cart in a grocery isle murmuring, "G", "G, mommy." & when I turned around he was pointing to the letter G on the cart handle. He pointed out numbers at the registers in stores. Once I was hiking with him- He kept saying "California mommy!" I said, "what do you mean?" "Look, California," & he pointed to the disposable water bottle with the California state right there on the label. All of this happened before he was even 4! I had no idea this boy was so capable of learning.
It's been such a privilege to see him learn & every time he gets something his face lights up. I couldn't put him in school now; I'd miss that sweet face too much!! Teaching him has been such a pleasure- I was homeschooled growing up too. My mom passed away after my 28th birthday & I'm tremendously thankful for her time and energy with school. I felt close to her because of that. Now home schooling him makes me realize how much she must have enjoyed it too (mostly, when I wasn't bringing garden snakes in the house, or bringing tadpoles home in jars) My husband is off only on Wednesday and Thursday, so if our son went to school he'd barely see him. With our schedule, we take those days off each week. We milk our dairy goats, drive my mare in a horse cart, ride the horses double, kayak, go to museums, & read together. Home schooling (& unschooling) both seem to keep family close & I'm all about that! It's rare these days. Thank you for sharing this video!! ❤ much respect
❤️
Been thinking about how to rename unschooling. John Taylor Gatto coined the term "Open Source Education". I like that.
I like free learning
Claire Haslam Free learning is a much better term. “Unschooling” sounds like someone is raising dumb children. Their children are obviously not dumb.
The parents in this video described “unschooling” as child led learning...I think that is a better description than unschooling.
Claire Haslam Freestyle learning sounds cool too.
How about calling it "Life Learning"?
I think the knorpp and south family need to do a ted talk!
YESSSS
💯💯💯💯💯
I second that!!
Yes! I would pay to go to it
It’s amazing what kids do on their own when they find interest. When I tried to push my daughter to fit the mold she bucked against me and hated schooling. Once I started letting her run with her interest she does things like take notes at a museum, write letters and thank you notes without being prompted, making meal plans, reads non stop etc. Taking a step back and letting her lead has been so amazing and she knows things I don’t even understand.
I can relate to this so much! Our third child was such a joyful learner until he started public school. The light was fading. That's why we started homeschool. I'm so glad to have my excited, self directed learner back. He is 11 now and amazes me with his knowledge and drive to learn and understand the world around him. 💚
That's how it goes when we go with the way we were designed to learn. You can't train a tree to be a seahorse and no one would try. Child lead parent directed education is what was always the Plan from pre Torah days
I cannot express how much I love this video. On my first day of elementary school, I was a new student in the class. My parents had taught me how to read and my teacher didn’t believe that I could read the book that she put in front of me. I told her I had the book at home and had read it. She told me not to lie. I insisted I had read it and she then forced me - a shy little girl on her first day - to get up in front of the class and read the book out loud. I did read the book. The teacher didn’t appreciate me showing her up. I entered the school system a curious, eager-to-learn, eager-to-please child and I left the school system at 17 having learned nothing in school. Whenever there was something I couldn’t discover on my own, my parents helped me. At the age of 17 to realize that I had wasted about 12 years of my life was the cause of an existential crisis. I didn’t go to university, which I now regret. If I could go back and do it all again I would absolutely have chosen unschooling. As it turns out, I developed a most wonderful and satisfying career in graphic design, some of which was self taught, and supplemented by course work. You and your family are such a wonderful example of how this absolutely works. It’s not for everybody, but neither is public school. Your children are such an amazing example of how this works; they are all very individual but you can see their confidence growing and they seem like fine people. You are to be congratulated. Especially for putting together such a well thought-out and eloquent video.
My hubby is a principal - But -- We homeschool! 👍
How does his colleges react to that?
@@DrZlessons -What do you mean , keep his ear to the ground?
I know so many who share your story. One teacher that I know explains to the other teachers that his wife doesn't need to be an expert on classroom management or even education as she is just learning with their two uniquely different children and providing for their special needs and she has 12 years to reach goals and as the mama bear she will do whatever it takes to get there. If he sees other teachers getting defensive that "your wife isn't doing what I am doing" and he agrees and kills them with kindness pointing out teaching a class of 40, grading papers, and writing reports according to school policy and having a different set of kids with different needs each year is a different skill set verses having years to figure out what works best for your own children and learning along side them. Being the parent responsible for their success is motivator enough to learn any needed skills that might be lacking. And when an involved parent finds out there is a reason behind the child's struggle degree or not they become an expert in that area for the sake of survival. Again, homeschooling is a chance to only deal with your own children's needs and you have years to do it. Even as a teacher school does not prepare you for most of what you face.
I’ve actually heard this many times. Very interesting. I’m proud of your decision.
I have friends who are both teachers. One teaches full-time high school, the other does part-time consulting for special needs. They homeschool all 5 of their children. And their oldest is now an attorney!
This video is amazing, subscribing now. I started "homeschooling" when my daughter was in TK(4 yrs old). After discovering John Gatto I essentially started unschooling. Her day consists of experiments ALL DAY (that she leads). Documentation of her findings, through photography & video recordings, drawings( she is a legit artist). Some of her activities take multiple days. It is amazing.
Hi Elsa. I’m wondering about documentation because I am required to keep a portfolio. So you just take photos and keep them in a file or what?
This is exactly how i raised my boys. They teach me things all the time. Kids are so smart if you let them be themselves. Peace!
I'm an elementary teacher and love reading and following homeschoolers, as it always gives me so many ideas and reminds me to be flexible about students' learning. A part of me is always jealous about the freedom homeschooling kids get, but I know that homeschooling is not really an option for most of my students. I'm at least happy to say that as a child I attended school in a progressive district and I had a lot of freedom to learn and grow and direct my learning. I also think many schools and curriculums now give students more real-life learning experiences, though not all teachers take advantage of them! Thanks so much for this video, probably the longest youtube video I've ever watched!!
maiathebee I love and respect your comment SO MUCH🙌❤️
Yeah like Montessori schools! I'm homeschooling right now (kindergarten) but am seriously considering sending him to a Montessori school where he can learn at his own pace.
Maiathebee thank you for serving the kids who need to be in school for whatever reason. Thank you for putting in the extra effort to learn from other sources and for embracing flexibility as much as you're able within your school. In my opinion the school system is broken, but it is people like you who are making a difference despite the challenges. You are truly a gift.
Awe... you are one of the special teachers who are going to be fondly remembered by both students and their parents.... my son had several wonderful teachers in K-4th... And one awful teacher in 2nd grade... my son is intelligent and was quite shy...His 2nd grade teacher never encouraged any of his students and he was tall (and scary to many of his students)... Several kids cried every day in my son’s class.. they spent all day with that one teacher and my son cried every morning for months..Finally, the principal intervened (at our demand, we were way past requesting).., she’d pop in on him several times a day... it was November I believe when my son came home happy for the very first time. He told me he had a great day and I asked what made it so great? He replied “ my teacher said I did a good job on my homework.” That was equally sad and appalling for me... It took that teacher over 2 months to say one word of encouragement to my child... From that day on, he happily got on the bus every morning..
My son was so lucky to have 2 amazing first year teachers, one in 1st grade and one in 4th.... his 1st grade teacher set up fun work stations in the back of her class that the kids could go to and choose something to do during their free time... she made sure every kid go some free time...
and his very experienced 3rd grade teacher let him work ahead of the others and when done he was allowed to go pick out a book, or worksheets on his favorite subjects to do for fun...
Sorry for rambling... I just want you to know that kids and many of their parents will always remember you and speak of you fondly. The time you spend with your students (outside of the minimum standard curriculum or daily schedule) will change their life for the better... By incorporating different types of learning - you may connect with children who are otherwise forgotten.. or help those kids succeed for possibly the first time in school...
Thank you for continuing to improve yourself and for thinking of your students outside of the school day... I wish more parents would become more involved with their child’s education... rather than just handing them over to the school.. Thank you for all you do!
The school system in my area has strict schedule for each subject....and you better not deviate from it. If the principal walks in at a time you are supposed to be doing math and you are still on a geography lesson because a student wanted to know something specific about that day's lesson, you would be reprimanded. No freedom there.
You randomly popped up in my suggestion feed, and I believe it’s divine intervention.
I have been faced with a fear of beginning the journey.
You have inspired me. My daughter who is 8, has so much life and creativity inside of her.
She’s a natural leader and a caring server.
She loves to learn, to write, to tell story’s and it’s amazing!
However, she’s “failing” in the public school system, and I feel like I’m always failing her, by keeping her in the system.
You’ve helped me. And I wish I could just hug you for helping me process my thoughts and gain confidence in this journey!!
♥️♥️♥️
I love you! I just pulled my youngest out of private school because of the same reasons. How are you two doing with your unschooling?
Grace Lameyer We have had a very different year due to covid, however, I am so thankful that I took the leap when I did! How are you doing on the exciting journey?
I know in my heart that this would be SO much better for my son than public school. He has ADHD (pretty severely) and had a horrible teacher last year, who really crushed his spirit & desire to learn. He has an amazing, wonderful brain & heart, and the natural curiosity of all kids. As a personality type who DID flourish in school & loves learning, it breaks my heart to see him forming beliefs that learning is boring & awful. He is going into middle school next year & I’m so worried about how he’d handle that. Seriously considering this “unschooling” path, but I’m terrified that I won’t be able to give him all he needs. He is not an independent worker (which I also worry about & somehow need to change.) He needs me right next to him to focus or accomplish anything. I have a full time job that I’ve done from home this year due to covid, but I need to go back to work. Even at home doing distance learning, it’s become a battle & I worry that making myself the teacher would permanently damage our relationship. Sorry for the long comment, I just wondered how you’re doing with this & if you have any suggestions for me. Any advice is appreciated! I believe he COULD do so much better with unschooling (or some form of it.) Just not sure if I could pull it off. I really admire these parents & the way they’re doing things with their kids. I applaud anyone who is doing this!
@@silvergirl8581 you dont have to be his teacher, thats what unschooling is about, he will be his own teacher, u just need to be his mom and help him out whenever he reaches for you, as you would even if he is schooled.
I truly beleave a lot of children with ADHD have a hard time at school because It has no sense for them to have to learn that, 'cause they dont have any problem when they are playing a game that they truly like (at least most of them)
Cheers and hope 🥰
Edit: sorry if any spelling mistakes im from Catalunya english is my third language...
@@laia4argerich Thank you for that reassurance! You’re right- the whole point is for him to lead the way, not me. I needed that reminder, thank you. I agree about public school not being ideal for most kids with ADHD. Unschooling (in theory!) seems to be much better suited to the way my son’s brain works. And you’re right- the hyper focus they get when they’re interested in something, could be harnessed as a real strength under unschooling conditions... whereas it is often a hurdle or challenge to overcome in a public school setting. I had to look up Catalonia. Wow, I’d love to live in Spain! And speaking 3 languages is very impressive! Thank you again for your comment & support!
Had this method of learning been available when I was in school in the 80's & 90's and my parents had the resources & understanding of it- I feel that I would've been more successful. My sister is currently tiptoeing into homeschooling my niece & nephew and I couldn't be happier about it!
Hslda.org
Very Empowering
Maybe you should share this video with her....I know it is two years later, but I assume the learning is still going on.
What a coincidence! I was listening to Pride and Prejudice on audiobook and heard this part in which Lady Catherine is questioning Elizabeth about her education which, if you replace the word "governess" with "school", this passage is basically talking about unschooling! Elizabeth is saying she and her sisters were unschooled, given perhaps less structure than others who had a governess, but never lacked in getting to learn.
`Has your governess left you?''
``We never had any governess.''
``No governess! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without a governess! -- I never heard of such a thing. Your mother must have been quite a slave to your education.''
Elizabeth could hardly help smiling, as she assured her that had not been the case.
``Then, who taught you? who attended to you? Without a governess you must have been neglected.''
``Compared with some families, I believe we were; but such of us as wished to learn, never wanted the means. We were always encouraged to read, and had all the masters that were necessary.
I LOVE this...!!!
K Yu I always think about Elisabeth Bennet when i think of unschooling.
This is fabulous! Thank you so much for pointing this out!
Definitely a classic. Great connection.
Revolutionary...Jane Austen got it. Even back then.
Wow wow wow. I taught kindergarten for 12 years in the public school system...FL and NC. My philosophy has always been we must teach the children HOW to learn...not what to learn. My three older sons went through public school...and have all graduated college and have careers. My youngest went to private until 5th grade...then public. Pulled out mid sophomore year and we are homeschooling. I think I’m doing unschooling 😉 by what you’re saying and I love it. 🙌🏻
Sara Spalding I totally agree with you. A primary observation I sadly have of too many students (I sub teach) is that they don't have the tools they need to learn. I truly believe that three main reasons students fail/struggle is that 1) they don't know how to learn 2) the system pushes them along without ensuring that they are ready for the next level 3) they are not excited about learning.
The 'how to learn' is exactly what I focus on in homeschooling.
I love ALL of this. This is exactly what be believe about school but I’ve never shared on it for fear of being misunderstood. You’ve articulated it so well.
Homeschooled for my high school years, best decision of my life. When I finished I went on to see what life really is like after on my own, got s job apartment then I traveled a little. Now I’m finally in college at 25 with a grant for my AA and currently looking to transfer to either Berkeley CA or Leiden in the Netherlands.
I wish I could sit down with a cuppa coffee and talk more about the day to day of unschooling! We are homeschoolers who have just discovered the joys of lifeschooling (unschooling).
Lifeschooling! What a great term!
TheVixthemom Isn’t it such freedom?!
Life schooling is definitely what the new name should be
I agree, would love to sit down with this couple and just talk unschooling. I think this approach would be good for my son, but my state does require a well-defined curriculum and certain subjects. I wonder how I can work those in with unschooling. Definitely, more research on this subject. Great video, thank y’all for sharing.
@@sweetpea22000 The first year I really crammed my son with book work and tried to do a traditional approach. Like this couple I tried to use my experience from school and kind of copy it. Let me tell you it was painstakingly hard! I'm not very well at following a schedule because every day is different and things get in the way of doing everything uniform. Also every time it came time to do school work my son would whine and moan, I felt bad because it seemed like it was really depressing him. So this year (his second year homeschooling) I've been a lot more lax. Instead of making him sit at the table and do work I let him go in the living room and sit on the couch, or go in his room and lay on his bed and do it. I used to make him do certain pages with a plan and now I just let him do what he wants as long as it pertains to work. I'm trying to mix traditional schooling with "unschooling" to find a happy medium. Now that he's proficient at reading, writing, and math I feel a lot more comfortable in letting him explore and do more for himself in the order he wants to do it. I know if he were to get tested he'd pass with flying colors so I'm just like why worry. I still get him books and I'll note all those in my outline that I send to the superintendent, so far I haven't had any problems. In my state I either have to do an end of the year review where I submit some of his work to a teacher or a test. I know he'd pass a test with no problem, I also know that he has enough book work to prove that he's where he needs to be. He just turned 7 and is already doing 3rd grade curriculum like it's a walk in the park. This upcoming school year will be my third year homeschooling and I'm excited to add more of an unschooling approach more than ever. I think getting the basics through to a kid is first priority and after that why should it matter. If they can read, write, and do basic math (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) then in my mind I have more time to focus on other things. This year I want to do more with other languages. I also think I'm going to ask my son what he would like to learn about and then just get him tons of books and instead of making him do work books all the time have him read actual books with information and choose his own activities. That's the beauty about homeschooling there's so much freedom to kind of take our own direction instead of the strict uniform direction public schools go by.
“I think you should be seeking a life that brings you joy and that excites you” in regards to having to do things you don’t want to do.
Exactly!! So many people just get through the day because it’s their life and they don’t have a choice. But you DO have a choice! You can take steps to change how your life is, and create one that you love and enjoy each day.
I would love to see interviews with your kids about their unique eperiences: What kinds of things do they do in a typical day? What are they most focused on right now? What are they aiming to achieve in the long run? Reflecting on their childhoods, what experiences were the most meaningful for them?
Thank you for sharing how unschooling works for you. I'm homeschooling 3 boys and have seen how much initiative the youngest has in learning and growing in skill and responsibilities simply by watching the older ones and his parents. He's been unschooled by default and shown the proof of human nature not needing a conveyor belt school system to become educated.
On the topic of creativity, you couldn't have said it better. My youngest (now 6) would write her name in rainbow colors (6 letter name 6 colors - excluding indigo) and she would get told not to do that. I had the same feedback in middle school. I wrote my feedback in colored pens and was told to use a normal pencil or black pen -.- and on top of that, I got marked down for it, like I was penalized for using a bit of color. To this day, I still find that ridiculous. At 28, I am still so drawn to color. I have a field day and feel the happiest when I go down the drawing utensils in Office Max, the yarn in Michael's, the spray paint in Home Depot.
That's awful! My college professors had no problems with my use of color in reports and assignments so long as it wasn't the light hard to see colors (lime green, yellow, etc.)
I did not enjoy school because so little time was spent doing the things I love, like art and music. I think we got a half an hour every week. Creative pursuits were considered sidebars to life, not to be taken serious. As a creative, I never felt actualized. The box, "does not live up to her potential" was always checked. I wish someone had asked me what I wanted to do. Thank you for putting out this video. It was presented well.
rafaella rose that is soooo sad I’m sorry that happened to you. My potential for being a writer was also squashed.
I loved art and science ducked at all the rest. Never have I ever felt smart enough or capable enough while in public school. I spent a lot of energy trying to hide a learning disability rather then learning and gaining confidence.
Ditto. I had no idea that art wasn't just an "extracurricular" until I was in my 30s. I know I'm an artist now. 👍😊
Wow!! 3y ago… and so needed. Thank you so much. I couldn’t balance unschooling with my need for scheduling and setting limits but thank you so much for sharing this. I’m so excited to finally get started and drop all of the stress and guilt of forcing them to “do school” the way I’ve been doing it. I’m going into my 8th year… 6 kids in and still figuring it out.
My wife and I started homeschooling this year. Our 2 daughters are in 4th and 6th grade. We were scared starting out and, of course, we bought the entire set of books for each grade. We've been teaching "school at home" and it's been tough at times but as the year has gone on we've gotten more lax about it, always being strict about math and language. I was skeptical when I started your video but after listening to you for 35 minutes so far, I'm very very intrigued by what you're saying. In fact, I love what you're saying and it makes so much more sense than what we're doing. My oldest daughter is a braniac and seems to love learning with her books. She loves to cross off lists and get things done. She loves to get 100% on her papers. My youngest hates it, lol. It's like beating my head against a wall trying to teach her sometimes. I need what you have! The way you explain how they learn and how it applies so much more to life makes so much more sense than cramming useless information into their heads. Thank you. I'll definitely be exploring this more! Subscribed.
Sometimes you have to give them time after being in mainstream school to learn how to relax, get board, find their way back to getting interested in things. school really does kill natural drive to learn in most kids.
Other great books you can check out are A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille and Phases of Learning by Oliver and Rachel DeMille. They are incredible!
Home schooling a great child that doesn't fit in the regular school box I started home schooling him at age 5 he is now almost 11. He is so funny, smart and interesting. I started out with all the books but I am slowly eliminating that feeling of institutional school at home. O have begun a more unschooling method. Thankyou for a peek and explanation of how unschool works for your family, Insightful.
Is this the future? I really feel like it is. Our concept of time may be changing too. As for public school... I can only remember five excellent teachers. They brought their subjects to life AND made the effort to know their students. Those were the best kind of educators in college too. 💖
This way of thinking is the reason we chose to homeschool our 5 kids. It's been 22 years since we made the decision. I never called myself an unschooler. I use curriculum. I used co-ops. I use umbrella schools. We had "school" schedules. We had school rooms in our house. We had worksheets. We have one college graduate who is employed and thriving. We have one professional dancer who has not gone to college but is living her process in a way that makes us proud. We have one who is a HS senior and applying to college right now. The last two are working their way up. Everything you said is at the heart of what I do and struggle to remember as a homeschooler. The world has changed so much since we started. The homeschool world itself has changed. In some ways, it's the same rat race as if everyone was still in public/private school. Your video really inspired me all over again! How is that even possible?!!! Thank you for sharing. Great to be reminded!
“You’re probably not gonna be an engineer” 😂 I love it! If more parents would encourage this I think it would boost their kids confidence in learning. Don’t drill and force a child to learn something they dread. Why fry their brains! Find creative ways to allow them to learn the skills using everyday life and don’t expect them to be smarter than the next kid. My husband and I take this same approach and it empowers our children to become excited about learning. Our families are always so astounded at how intelligent our kids are. They were convinced our kids would be behind the rest of their lives when we decided to homeschool. Fooled them!
I have been thinking and praying over unschooling for at least 2 yrs now. I watch my kids doing these amazing things durning the day and thenI pull them away to do school and they don’t want to sit and learn that way. Especially my oldest who LOVES to learn but has dyslexia and can not read well but loves learning on you tube and recreating his own version of whatever it is. Thank you for making this video!!
Amanda Gonsman so true!
I love all of this but particularly the part about children learning through play. I have a 20 month old and he learns SO much just by playing its amazing. He will run around the house pretending to clean or cook because that is what he has seen me doing. Now anytime he spills something he runs up to me and says "towel!" so that he can go clean it up and I never taught him that. He picked it up by watching me and by pretending to do it himself. Children are amazing and can learn so much just by watching us or by "pretending".
This is the best explanation of unschooling that I’ve ever heard! Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences.
When I first started homeschooling we used the unit study approach. It sort of worked for us. We eventually ended up "schooling at home". My girls thrived on the structure. It is appreciated that you make sure to let people know that one size fits all schooling doesnt work for everyone. That is basically the whole reason for homeschooling. Find what works for you and your kids. And I LOVED having my girls home with me.
I'm just sitting here crying my eyes out just hearing your story about Unschooling. In 2001 I was frowned upon because being a Preschool teacher at the time, that I should have kept my children in Public School. My husband and I decided after having continual struggles with Public Schools and my children being bullied upon, that we decided to start homeschooling and finally when it did not work for my children we started using other methods till we found out that we should do Unschooling. Which at that time no one was doing it. Well, where I lived and I suffered constant talk, criticism about how we were ruining our children's lives. Anyhow long story short, they excelled in the Arts and being who they should of been and not what we or anyone wanted them to be....thank you so much for doing this video. I wish there was more info about Unschooling back in 2001 we really felt so alone...but so thrilled that others will not suffer like we as parents did. Blessings to you and your family.
I just found this episode and your channel today and this video was perfect for what I needed! I know it’s four years old and I just wanted to thank you for putting it out there! Helping me make the decision to continue my homeschooling journey rather than giving up on it. It was so helpful to hear your story and I also appreciate you sharing how you do things and yet not being judgmental of others who may make different choices. All the best to your family!
I agree with your college talk especially. I have over $40K in loans to pay back and still (at 41) don't know what I want to be when I "grow up"! LOL, I do know it is NOT what I have my diploma for though!
Gulf Winds Sandy Dollars same here!!!!
This seems to be most people raised in the US. What do public schools do to people? I don't understand how Americans don't see the opportunities in their own country. Documented immigrants come to the US and work a normal job only to keep out of debt and save till they can go back to school or start a franchise or business of their own. If you are happy, great, pay off your debt and be happy. If you are still not unhappy even once debt is paid off figure out what you want to do to be happy and do it. People in the US make more money than anywhere in the world but they do not know how to live in a way to not have debt. Because of this those poorer than them become the owner and employ those enslaved by debt and forced to work at a job they don't love.
Be the owner, that might mean you live humbly and get looked down on. You don't need to start with something big but figure out the steps to following your passion (on your own) and make it pay you. Take only the classes you need (maybe marketing) and don't worry about if your classes get you a degree.
Many come to US with less than what is made working at a Starbucks and a few years later they have success with broken English because they leave their old job and start their own thing because they don't need to work to pay off debt they can work hard to reach their dreams.
It's not always easy. I know many who needed to go to school twice for the same thing because their needed degree (such as medical) is not as worthy in US. Success takes being willing to leave comfort and just keep trying even if it's not working out as planned. You many not know what you want to do so look at what you already like to do and have it make you money. Figure out what enslaves you and don't allow that. And if your happy, be happy, you already are doing what you want to do even if others look down on it. Success is marked by your own standards of what you see success as. Achieve whatever contentment and success is to you within the next five years. Figure out how to get there.
Absolutely!!! 💯
I am SO there! Thank you for saying what I wanted to.
Same. I majored in elementary Ed and now I’m a professional photographer 🤦🏼♀️
As a teacher in an international school in Germany it was so very interesting to watch and learn from you. I am very happy that in the system I came from (Dutch school system) there is a lot of following the development and choice. So I feel the public system is totally different from the american. And I love what you are doing with your children. In the Netherlands we have a lot of different public schools that cater to various different styles and even have an (unschooling type) free school. I do believe children will need to be able to somehow show what they can do. As all of our life is about proof nowadays and I do feel kids also need to be prepared for being tested every day (when as an adult working in a certain field) so I hope to be the teacher that is fun to go to and hands the children the ingredients they need to know for life. I do not have a set curriculum I work with I create my own every week. So I do follow the children in the class that way. I have learned so much from you already to make my classroom even more child learning orientated. Thank you for you in depth explanation. Love from Germany.
A good portion of my family is against homeschooling and get angry when I talk about my boys being homeschooled but they are doing great and having a ton of fun! Keep it up and God bless your whole family!
Your family sounds toxic
It took me a while to realize also that public school at home does not work. When you realize this oh the freedom that comes. It’s a beautiful thing to realize you can teach your kids how you want to and at the pace you want to! I really enjoyed this video!
"hot pans.... And drugs...." 😂😂 Best line in the vlog! Loved this video!! Thanks for sharing your heart!
Hello Knorpp household!! I completely agree on all accounts here. We too homeschool. And although I wouldn’t have called us “unschoolers” we might be more so than I knew. Especially after watching this. LOL 😉 Raising four boys and I KNOW the public school system would hold them back or label them or whatever and sadly on accounts of the simple reason that are simply the way boys are designed. I have one who has to be moving to do math. It drove me crazy I didn’t get it at first, but making him sit still was worse. 😆
I love the freedom in homeschooling and the way our children thrive.
Also love “Dumbing is down” by Gatto!!! Such an eye opening, great read! 🙌🏻
We are an unschooling family. Quite often people get the wrong impression of unschooling simply from the word itself. We have dedicated our RUclips channel to showing what unschooling looks like on the day to day to try and dispel that theory. I’ve always loved you guys and I think it’s awesome that you are showing such a large audience how amazing unschooling can be. Thank you for always inspiring. 💕
On the topic of college, it is still probably my biggest regret in life (and I'm not one to usually regret life-learning decisions). I became a single mom real quick. I had a 5 month old and was like 2 weeks along with my second. I had no idea how I was going to raise them alone, physically, emotionally, and especially financially. My mom was also a single mom and went to college; and that's all you hear about to be a successful single mom. So, not having any idea what I wanted to do with my life, I picked an online college and got my AA in accounting (I mean, I do love math and computers but I wasn't like set on being an accountant for sure). Then I switched to IT for my BA (took a few courses, did good on the business ones but not so much the programming stuff and got my first F). Then I switched to human services case management (I do want to help society but after volunteering at a DHS, I learned I don't want to help in the form of case management). I even applied at a few places for an entry level position and was told I didn't have the experience they were looking for, when I just spent almost 5 years going to school AND the position says it required a degree. How was I to get experience first when the degree is needed to get the said experience?
So basically, I'm 55k in debt, still unsure what I'm doing with my life. I know the basics of what I want to do (a combination of math, data entry, and helping society); I just don't think that much in debt was really worth it, and it continues to go up (damn interest!).
Basically, I don't think people should go to college because they feel like they have to, to live up to societal norms; but to go if you need it for your dream position.
I agree with you and I feel for you. Best of luck
I totally agree with you. Here I am almost done with my AA 61 credits (which is basically your AA) but I need to do two more classes to finish it 😒 I am already 13k in debt
And I have 2 semesters left in school...
I’m not finished this but I did laugh at the fact that it took 19 + minutes to give one sentence to explain what unschooling is 😂😂 - now I’m gonna continue watching 😎
The most intelligent conversation about homeschooling I've heard. I don't feel so crazy now 😅 THANKS!
I love this!!! We just started homeschooling with my 3 & 6 year old. We have a fun curriculum but I feel like I'm forcing them to participate. I am starting to think that unschooling may be a better fit for us! 😊
Dahlorian Delights I’m feeling this for my 5 year old too. At least in the beginning when he is just starting out. I want him to love learning. I just don’t know how to get him to get started... I’ve tried getting books on topics he likes, watching documentaries, drawing, asking questions... not sure how to start.
I’m SO glad I came across this video! I’ve been homeschooling for 8 years now and with 8 kids, I’ve been moving towards unschooling. I’m so much happier when I allow each child to learn and develop at their own pace. The hardest part is the pressure my kids feel from their public-schooled friends drilling them about what math they’re doing or what college they’re applying for. This video has given me a boost of confidence that we CAN learn this way and my kids CAN grow up and be great people. Thank you both so much! God bless.
Perfect! We've been unschooling our kids from the beginning and often I feel like I am not doing enough because it's so counter cultural. This was just what I needed to hear to reaffirm I am doing what's best for my kids and our family. Thank you! Now to take on the world!
Homeschooling is getting more popular here in the UK. There is a couple on my street that homeschool and they say their children have on come leaps and bounds since leaving public school. Even the children's old headmaster agrees that they are doing so much better! And he believed that it wasn't possible.
Spot on ! ! !
As to thinking out if the box none of my children even know the box exists.
I graduated from a k12 school in Georgia and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. Parents deserve school choices that are the best fit for the family.
Yes, choice is important. Public, Private, Homeschool, Public Charter, Public Charter Virtual, Private Virtual, Unschooling, Apprenticeship, Dual Enrollment, CHOICES!!!
God works in amazing ways and he knew I needed to hear this information! We have 5 kids all which attended PS until last year when our oldest was relentlessly being bullied at school. We researched homeschooling and started that journey last year while I continued to work FT. Jesus knows how awful of an experience that was, constant arguments and tears to the point we thought this year we will just send him back to PS. This is what I needed to hear, off to read the books your recommended!! Thank you all so much!!
I’m not really sold on the math question, because the level of math required in every day life is just at elementary school level. How do you find opportunities in life that would require your kids to learn math from middle and high school level? Sometimes these math topics are completely useless but the process of learning them really trains the brain. And not to mention science like chemistry. They may never be used on someone’s future life or job but the knowledge helps them to understand things in the world. What about discussions? Like when they have a question about a topic they don’t understand. I found that discussion with other people really helps to bring more depth to what one learns, especially in the Humanities. Learning from a video can be very one-dimensional.
Research Sudbury Valley School. I would love to see this type of school available everywhere ❤❤ it's child led "schooling" with responsibility for self, the school, and the democratic system in place. Not a single child is ever pushed or even questioned about what that want to learn. It's been open for over 50 years and there are alumni who have provided feedback on their experience and how it's impacted them as adults.
I'm so glad that more and more discussions like this are happening! As long as we are learning to be confident, love ourselves and others everything else falls into place. Our children are growing like beautiful flowers learning on their terms instead of feeling like weeds!
Every child has different needs. Those needs can change and evolve. I homeschooled one child for high school. Both went to charter JR High schools. They also went to private and public school some years. When they were in public school, I was VERY involved. Our school district had a good homeschool program. You have to be flexible and follow the best path available for your child at the time. My kids did well in college and still love to learn.
Notifications are on! I love watching your videos, I’m 15 and the oldest of 9! I’m also homeschooled 🙃
Oh cool! I'm around your age - do you have any advice for me? I just started homeschooling and it's tough. Also, your pfp is very cute
This is exactly what I was planning to do with our daughter (and had already sort of started). I went to college to study anthropology and I remembered reading about several Native American tribes that didn't teach their children anything until the child showed interest in it and I thought that was such a positive, empowering way to do things. I've always encouraged my daughter to seek out more information when something sparks her interest (she has now watched more nature documentaries in her 5 years than most do in a lifetime). While no one in our extended family really understands what we're trying to do and most speak out against it, this is what works for her. I've already seen it working for her. Thank you for sharing this and really helping me to feel more confident in following this path.
I was homeschooled/unschooled from birth to college and people kept asking my freshman year “was it a big/hard change?” The biggest thing I dislike is that I am bound to the school year and their vacations. I was explaining to a friend why I will homeschool my kids (far in the future) listing all the attributes and she was so surprised when I explained how much freedom we had and the learning process relied on our pace not the curriculum or “testing” (which we never really did)
You explained it beautifuly. We have been unschooling for 19 years and love it. ❤️
What I have always hated about the education system is that it’s a mold. And not a flexible mold either. You can either learn the way they teach or you can’t. Which became very frustrating for me. I barely graduated because of it.
I agree, I have always refereed to it as a Swiss cheese factory. Their is something called the Swiss cheese effect, basically a cumulative effect, so missing out enough fundamentals so by the time a big problem arises you do not understand any of it.
The system take's away you autonomy, creativity, passion for learning, individuality and your heart as payment for enterance.
I have felt called to homeschooling but it has felt like such heavy drudgery. THIS is freeing and exciting!!!
Completely agree about not going to university until you know if it will benefit you! I took a year off between high school and university while I figured out what I wanted to pursue. And even then, a year in, I changed my program! I’m now one year away from graduation, and I’m glad I went, but even more glad I took that year off.
A friend said to me during that year, “But now you’re a year behind in life!” That kind of mindset seems to have little intention, just going through things because you’re “supposed to”.
Love this so much!!! My husband and I just enrolled our children in public school for the first time this year. It’s been 5 days. And I hate it. This makes me feel like homeschooling is what is best for us. I couldn’t agree more with all of your views. Thank you for this video!
Bring your babies home! With all respect, you know best.
We have a saying in The Wild Wild West, "Education has ruined a lot of good Sheepherders."
ZOOM: Mike Robinson amen!
Thank you for taking the time to explain what unschooling means to your family. I homeschool my children, and I use a curriculum. I love the freedom it gives our family. Several things you said resonated with me and will help me. I love that you restrict screen time. Something I have seen bring value to our family is a basic moral code - how we treat each other. The book of Proverbs is rich with timeless wisdom. Blessings on your family and your journey.
Creativity is key! Allowing kids the time and space to do things they naturally enjoy is such a cool thing to be a part of.
This is the number one reason why I watch this channel. I am halfway through the video and I think this is one of the best discussions on unschooling I have ever heard. I really appreciate the way the Knorpps have addressed this topic and I wish I had people in my life like them! I unschool my two (14 and 10) and would consider us "radical unschoolers" ---my kids have never stepped foot in a public/private or other school building/classroom and it has been truly amazing. :)
I’m so glad that I’m learning all of this before I have children. My mom has used K12 and Connections Academy for my sister and brother, but it was just as stressful as traditional school.
Thank you, you are my inspiration! We took our son out of school and started homeschooling, he would be in 8th grade. I have had been nervous about teaching him calculus, but realized through your vlog why! He can learn it if he wants or needs it, or just not! But now he can focus on his wants. We had horrible times in 6th and 7th grade. Beside of a couple of nice teachers we had to deal with high pressure, hours of homework after a 7 hour day with only a 15 minute lunch break and drugs! We are so happy now and my boy wants to do Nationbuilding, his own that is, so we do! He is totally into politics and he can live that now, experimenting, creating, inventing and sometimes rethinking!
Doing up your own house will be a great opportunity for unschooling. Desgin, maths, sewing. Andrew could write a log of it all,
I am 4 years into homeschool started “5 th grade” with my 10 year old and I feel God leading me to unschooling... those who read this may not understand but those who get it will.. I feel like trying unschooling might save my relationship with my daughter... there is something about teaching math the conventional way that inevitably starts a yelling match! That is not why I wanted to homeschool!
Thank you for sharing this! Thank you for being willing to open up to your followers, so those of us who needed it could be encouraged and motivated!
Sassy Tink You don't have to teach her math yourself. Have you tried any online programs? She can watch videos and rewind when she needs to hear or see something again. They offer tests online, and some programs even do the grading. You can look up progress and print out reports as needed.
Jeffery Alpha I wish she were independent enough for that but she’s just not... we currently do a video program and I watch it with her.. I tell her when the teacher asks a question you need to answer it.. and she says it goes too fast.. so I started pausing it after every question to give her time to answer.. that helped a little... but most of the time when it’s a completely new concept and I ask her questions or it’s tome to do the work, she doesn’t understand... I’m thinking we may need tutor to take over but finances always play a part...
Sassy Tink Do they demonstrate how to do it? It may help her to write out the example exactly the way they do it. It may take some going back several times. Have you tried Teaching Textbooks? Maybe you could try using manipulatives, like blocks. Find a way to make it more interesring to her based on her personality and way of learning. It doesn't have to be conventional.
Jeffery Alpha not yet.. using “math you see” now... I’m worried that with teaching textbooks I well get so far removed that I won’t know how she is doing (even with the parent tracking) and when she needs help I won’t know how... if this year doesn’t go as well with math you see I will be trying teaching textbooks.. we started with abaka, then right start... now math you see... all had the same issue... she is not interested, starts giving attitude, shuts down and I get frustrated... trust me I know self control and obedience have a lot to do with this.. FOR BOTH OF US... no one said homeschool was easy... but they all say it’s worth it!
Jeffery Alpha that basically what my original post was saying! Teaching things conventionally is not working and I want to try something new! I’m adding the osmo to our school this year and I’m hoping the math games will be fun to try.. also I’m going to focus on practical math like change making, by playing games... it’s just hard.. that’s all..
Ha! Yes. John Taylor Gatto. I saw him in a documentary when my oldest was a baby. Changed everything. We’ve homeschooled from the beginning in large part because of his books.
This just came up as a recommended video for me, and I'm so glad I watched. My husband and I decided we were going to homeschool even before we got married, and we always envisioned it as child-led more like the unschooling you described here. Our oldest is 5 and for about the past year the friend and family pressure about how we are going to "educate" him has really ramped up. We have enrolled him in a homeschooling supplemental program, and he likes it, but it's still feeling a bit restrictive. He's been reading really well for a while now, and he definitely loves math and applying it in every day life. He seriously just loves to learn things, as does his 3 year old sister. Anyway, this video is just helping me realize that I'm not crazy for wanting less structure to learning, even if family and friends don't understand it.
Wow! So good! We currently homeschool and looking into ways to give our kids what they need and it being a more enjoyable experience for all of us. I cried and laughed and was so encouraged by your video. Thanks so much!
I love how Mike smiles while you talk because he is just so proud of how intelligent and witty you are. You guys are truly soulmates. Love to everyone ❤️
Totally of topic but I love how Mike looks at you with such love when you are speaking. It’s so wonderful to see a couple so in tune with each other who actually are listening to each other with intention. Yay team Mike and Megan!
So glad I found this! I have been officially homeschooling for 1 month...and it's been super rough. This is seriously revelation to me! It feels freeing to know I can help my kids find their passions (and I can find mine as well! I truly love learning but always felt like I never had time to learn Spanish, read books, learn new skills....etc). Anyway. Suffice it to say, I am excited and am going to sit down with my kids tomorrow to ask them what they WANT to learn. Thanks for sharing!!
Hey Ariel, did you end up doing unschooling? How has it gone so far?
I am about to withdraw my seven year old son from online public school, and plan on using some Waldorf Methods and Unschooling! This is so helpful to help me just relax and find a rhythm!
Natalie Bourgeois we followed Waldorf recommendations in our homeschooling journey..loved it..eldest daughter now teaching in a public Waldorf charter😊
Just encourage reading. If you're struggling there, life is unnecessarily hard.
We also do Waldorf homeschooling which we love! It’s not unlike unschooling...but we do a lot of art!! Like everything is art. I love it! 💕
Minnesota has testing requirements and also has a list of subjects we are required to teach. Not a super unschooling friendly state but if you get creative in making up a "plan" for how you cover those subjects it is totally doable. Just basically put on a piece of paper "Math is being taught through every day life. Examples include cooking, making purchases etc" There are totally ways to record it if the state requires it. -Tanya
Mike & Tanya yep- PA is one of the top 3 states for regulations in homeschooling and unschooling is still possible- parents just have to be creative with documentation 😉
I want to start by saying that I completely respect your decision to unschool and educate at home. I know that public school is not for everyone, and that's totally fine. But I would like to respond to something. You said that when children are in public school, their learning is not related to their interests and that they are not allowed to choose what they learn. I work as an aid in a school for kids with special needs, and I have tutored since high school. I have found that teachers try their best to relate what the students need to learn with their interests, like cooking and math or relating math with building homes. I also CREATED a class that I wanted to take while I was in high school. I wanted to take a theater class, so I spoke to the qualified teacher in my school, found other students to take the class, and brought it to administrators to put in on the schedule for the following school year. I understand that it might be easier for children to do that when they learn at home, but it isn't impossible and was actually quite simple.
Love your channel, and I'm sorry that comment was so long!
Sounds like a pretty good school district with (at least) decent resources, I'm glad that was your experience.
I've been struggling with finding a approach for my homeschooling and this made so much sense to me!! What a relief
I'm only 10min into your video but I had to stop and say how fabulous those shelves look behind you guys! I love how they're arranged and how you've put items from your travels on them. I'm not a fan of clutter & knick-knacks but your shelves have a very clean, stylish & eclectic look to them. Bravo! 👏
LYacky1 I just can't stop looking at her tassel earrings.
Great vlog! Totally agree with you on someone not going to college just because that is what is expected. I went into my freshman year of college at 17 years old (because that’s what everybody else I graduated with was doing) and I was totally not ready for it after my regimented public school education. I had a general idea of what I wanted to study, but no concrete plan of making it happen. You go from being told what and how to study to total freedom to skip classes. Total waste of time and money at that point! It took a four year stint in the military to help me become more disciplined and focused about my education. Time and maturity definitely helped me to return to college with a renewed sense of energy and purposeful study. Unschooling sounds pretty good for preparing a kid for success in college, if that’s what they want to do.
WOW. This is so amazing. So much to say. I'll start by saying that I find your attitude of not restricting them to info within your faith is so refreshing.
This is our 7th year of homeschooling. For the better part of the past 3 years, I have been itching to send my firstborn back to trad school, feeling he is being shortchanged and I am absolutely overstretched.
But... over the past 3 years too, we have found more and more homeschooling friends and are now involved in different projects with them that the idea that my firstborn will miss out on the emerging opportunities and experiences for us just feels sad.
Also, we are only now more able to embrace each child’s learning style and strengths. While I still insist on some structure and standards, I now celebrate more fully the child who would be amazed over a church’s history with the same joy and wonder as the other child who preferred to count the same church’s pillars and steps.
May more families get the support they need for their educational goals for their kids.
More power to us homeschooling families too, for going counterflow and believing our kids will still land on their feet.