Scratch the record, slam on the brakes, pull the plug, & don’t take another step forward. Since the last blog, precisely one week ago, I’ve completely changed up what we are doing with our schooling journey… again. And you know what the best part is? I’m allowed to do that because I am the mom, teacher, principal, & board of education wrapped into one 5’4” ball of fire. (And also because I have a supportive husband who is willing to hear my ideas & either support or question them as needed, haha!)
Last week I wrote this in my blog:
"While there are time requirements and intended subjects to teach, there is also way more opportunity for that kind of learning to happen daily."
And even then it didn't fully click in my head that there IS freedom in homeschool. I further went on to explain that I was attempting a public school schedule in a homeschool setting and it wasn't working. Did I listen to myself then either? Apparently not right away. That is until I hesitantly clicked on this unschooling article I found on Pinterest. I'm telling you that Melyssa's blog was absolutely hilarious and felt like I myself could have written it.
My initial thought was that unschooling was something someone did in the middle of the jungle with their rope swinging infants as they made their own loincloths out of large leaves & lived among the wildlife. And it very well could! But it doesn't have to, if that's not what works for your family. Unschooling, while poorly named, is more conceptually defined as child led learning. It is all dependent on your child(ren), their ability to learn, their interest in learning, and their overall understanding of themselves. The idea behind unschooling is that every person on the planet has a different skill set, based on their personal interests, motivations, and end goals. Child led learning allows children the freedom to explore their own skills throughout their lives as opposed to waiting until they are in their mid-thirties realizing they have no idea what they even like.
In public school the idea is that every child is meant to follow the particular standardized guidelines laid out for them. They are then given a success/fail grade based on their ability to "stay on track" in whichever subject. At the end of the day, the expectation is that everyone operates in the same way, regardless of actual interest or ability. This expectation ends up prohibiting children from actually learning what they are interested in and requires them to fit into a "one size fits all" box. It's easy to see that when that doesn't happen, the self-esteem takes a major hit, along with confidence levels, willingness to learn and overall understanding of themselves and the world they are expected to live in and contribute to.
Unschooling removes the boundaries of curriculum, guidelines, and subject, giving the children the opportunity to choose what they want to learn.
I am sure there are those of you thinking, "But you have to have knowledge in all subjects and a lot of kids won't choose to learn certain topics!" Here's my understanding of this particular concern and why I don't think it will be an issue for my children (or most children if they are given the freedom to actually follow their interests):
My son enjoys drawing. In order to accomplish this he is going to figure out how to use a pencil and a paper. If he wants to develop his art further, he likely will ask to watch a YouTube art lesson for kids. In order to find the video that he is looking for on YouTube he needs to know how to both spell and read, or the search bar won't return any viable results. After watching those specific videos over and over again, he will likely find that he needs to move on to different art lessons, ones that challenge his artistic ability more. He may find that the history of art itself is intriguing and seek to find more information on those different topics. He often gets bored with a pencil and will often ask to use either markers, crayons or colored pencils. Likely that is because he isn't aware of oil pastels, chalk, or coal in the use of art...YET. When he wants to practice more with a specific drawing he uses tracing paper, a lot of patience, and fine motor skills. When he gets tired of drawing, he asks to create with play doh, clay, kinetic sand, paint, Lego, Bunchems, or other stem toys to further develop in the mediums he actually cares about. This is true of art or any other topic that he may be intrigued by because it's led by his personal investment into himself.
"But Alex, what about MATH?!"
I'm so glad you asked! Anyone else's kids enjoy shopping for toys? No? Just mine...? Yeah, I doubt that. In order for Lucas to buy new toys (read: Dragon Ball Z cards) he needs money. Like us, he has to earn the money, giving him a sense of work ethic and earning ability. In order to spend the money, he needs to know how much money he has, how much money is needed and what will be left if a certain amount is spent. He has to understand saving toward whatever he wants. Furthermore, when he asks to go mini golfing, we get to remind him that instead of saving for admission to mini golf, he spent his money on cards. He then has to experience the hard lessons of immediate gratification and delayed gratification. Not only are we utilizing money as a method of behavioral engagement, we are also utilizing it exactly how he will utilize it in the real world. He has to have an understanding of math and how it will work for him in the real world as opposed to knowing how many apples Sally will have if she splits them up with her friends and her pet goat. It takes math out of the unrelatable context and brings it directly into Lucas' own reality. It makes it tangible.
"But what about the requirements?!"
In the state of Colorado, there are requirements that need to be met in order to continue the homeschool path. He will need to take standardized testing starting in 3rd grade and then every odd year after until graduation. As of right now, the requirement for the first test is to have a basic understanding of reading, writing and math. Fortunately, there are rubrics available online for the grading system that allows us the ability to narrow in on those specific topics. The beauty of unschooling is that he is already willingly learning these topics, because they all benefit him personally. He will have the next three years to refine these skills all while growing in the ways he actually wants to before ever having to take a standardized test.
We have been doing unschooling for a week now and I cannot express enough in words how freeing this change has been for our team. I have spent countless hours trying to get a handle on this homeschool thing, and while some of the work I put in was unnecessary, much of it still holds. While we are not currently using the curriculums we were, we are utilizing all of the learning tools he received for his birthday. While we aren't following a "schedule", we are fully compliant with the requirements of the state and would be able to produce proof if asked to do so because I put in the time and effort with the calendar and attendance log. We are still able to cultivate relationships and social engagement through the homeschool co-op and sports!
For Team Yearley, we are unschooling with freedom, intention, and grace. There are still expectations in place, but rather than a solid line, it's dashed. We're allowing for the changing of lanes, with the understanding that if there is only one lane available on this stretch of the learning highway, we will stay the course until another lane is opened up for us. Lucas is in his own driver seat and his sister, at almost 2, is in hers. Each has the opportunity to go, with the understanding that they are responsible for deciding the destination, figuring out the route to get there, and ensuring the wellness of the vehicle. Obstacles are inevitable, but we are raising them to understand that daddy and I are available 24/8 if they need extra guidance and while we will do everything in our power to produce resources when they need them, we are also giving them the space to work through things as they arise.
The end goal is for the kids to know a strong work ethic, the joy of learning, how to be resourceful, how to be an active participant in community and have the ability to make it through whatever obstacles they come across. As we continue unschooling, I plan to share more tips and tricks, as well as honest takes on how it's going for our team. I hope that you'll continue to join us on this journey!
I pray that wherever you are today you know that you are loved!
Xx,
Mama Yearley
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