swellmomma Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 So usually about this time of year like many here I start evaluating what is working or not working and start thinking about next year's curric choices so that I know how much money to put aside. I already knew what I was doing with the little ones and have nearly everything already so that was no problem. The bigs on the other hand are a problem. I am not sure if I am putting them in school and if so which one, the crap one in my town or the not quite crap one the next town over. If I put them in the not quite crap one I can not continue with my homedaycare and will need to go back to work outside of the house yada yada. If I decide the school suck too much then the key becomes figuring out what to do with them that does not cause me to want to hide in a cave in solitude. Especially with my oldest and all his issues. I don't see them getting better in school, I do see getting the break each day from him to be sanity saving. Anyway dd12 came about me making my lists while reviewing curriculum choices and such. And announce she wants to unschool next year. :001_huh: Does she realize I am a box checker and list maker? Does she realize that while we don't always have school go the way I hope it will we do make it through the things I find important? I gave her an assignment to prove to me that unschooling will work for the both of us. She is off thinking of a topic she wants to study along with a list of ways she wants to learn about said topic and a list of how she will showcase what she has learned (we have portfolio assessments each year so we have to have proof on hand of learning). I am giving her a chance to prove to me this term (while still doing things my way) that she can actually learn in that way. Sounds bizarre to write out that I gave her an assignment to prove unschooling will work but it makes sense to me and her, hmm maybe she does realize I need boxes to check and lists to make :lol: I told her I would support her in her topic and if she needed supplies and such for it I would get them, but she is on her own with it, in her own time to study it and have something, anything to showcase what she learned. I certainly would not make her showcase everything she ever learns if she did unschool next year, but I was "proof" that she has the motivation to do what is necessary to learn rather than just wanting out of schooltime. SHe is a brilliant capable child, I think if she really wants to unschool she will succeed at it. Though I also made her accept the terms that she still had to do assigned math and assigned reading, and our writing curric no matter what method of schooling I allowed, she is delayed in math and writing so I am not ready to give up on those, the reading to be sure she reads about more than horses :tongue_smilie: What have I gotten myself into if she proves to me she is able to really take charge of her learning? How will the box checker/list maker/lesson planner in me ever cope? ;) I hope she can do it, I think it will do her good to see how awesome she is but I have always been against the unschooling philosophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 How are you going to handle it when she comes back and says she will be learning about horses? Care, grooming, showing, ect. I would love if my kids unschooled but to them it would mean playing legos all day our in their secret hidout in the woods. Not actually any book learning. Please keep us updated on your experiment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 How are you going to handle it when she comes back and says she will be learning about horses? Care, grooming, showing, ect. I would love if my kids unschooled but to them it would mean playing legos all day our in their secret hidout in the woods. Not actually any book learning. Please keep us updated on your experiment. I'd be fine with her actually learning about them, I am like you and worry that she will use it as an excuse to slack off. I know my oldest would want to do nothing but play video games, he has never, even a small child wanted to learn anything new. He was one of those kids that NEVER asked why to anything, who never cared about the world around him. I worry that she would be like that, but she is smart enough that if she put her energy into learning she could accomplish anything she wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I would try to have a series of respectful conversations with her, examining her future goals and making sure that (for example) college prep requirements can still be met with this current course. I probably would compromise and have 2 basic subjects she MUST do every day, and leave the rest up to her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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