Back to Teaching Basics... No, Really!

Today the word pedagogy describes the art and science of teaching.

I like it's Latin origin: children, to lead.

It puts an inescapable responsibility on the parent (like me) and on the teachers to lead

as in:

not talk down to;

not talk at;

to be an active practitioner of what is taught (otherwise, why teach it?).

Is it really honoring a child's intelligence if you merely see yourself as someone who enters data- like a computer programmer entering code? Is this the true essence of teaching? Are children mere automatons?

My feeling is that teachers can only show you to something-- can demonstrate it in some way by good example, but that the onus was always on the student to actually do the learning:  first by thinking and contemplating,  and then by doing it. This would never need to be forced anymore than you'd force the rosebuds in your garden to bloom by peeling them back like a banana!

The basis of one-size-fits-all compulsory education is not about this soulful kind of legitimate, genuine honor-filled learning because it doesn't respect children's uniqueness and individuality. Instead it brusquely categorizes and force-fits them into predetermined slots.

Education in a Free Society

Link: This is a great essay by some guy in Quebec who really gets it!

Revealing Quotes on the origins of the schooling system

"The children who know how to think for themselves, spoil the harmony of the collective society that is coming, where everyone would be interdependent.

Independent self-reliant people would be a counterproductive anachronism in the collective society of the future where people will be defined by their associations."

— John Dewey, 1896, educational philosopher, proponent of modern public schools.





*in·de·pen·dent 

adj.

1. Not governed by a foreign power; self-governing.

2. Free from the influence, guidance, or control of another or others; self-reliant: an independent mind.

3. Not determined or influenced by someone or something else; not contingent: a decision independent of the outcome of the study.

**Interdependent comes from the Latin word inter meaning "among, between," and dependere which means "to hang from, be dependent on." When two people are interdependent, they have a sense of dependency between them. Married couples are often interdependent. They rely on one another — whether for income or child care or love — to get by.

*from thefreeonlinedictionary.com
** from vocabulary.com

Seth Godin on School

"Grades are an illusion...
passion and insight are reality."

"Persistence in the face of a skeptical authority figure is priceless."

"Fitting in is a short term strategy that gets you nowhere; standing out is a long-term strategy that takes guts and produces results."

Online Interview with Dayna Martin, Radical Unschooling Mom

http://youtu.be/14rzJhGD5M4?t=1h39m20s

The above link is cued up to where Dayna's interview begins.

unschooling as reported on US tv

Regurgitate

re·gur·gi·tate  

/riˈgərjəˌtāt/

2/ Repeat (information) without analyzing or comprehending it. 

ALSO: To contrast the opposite of Critical Thinking:  1) the mere acquisition and retention of information alone...

School vs. Prison (Think about it)

from: 

http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2012/07/how-i-would-unschool-my-kids/

Beware of "kids these days" generation-bashing

It's a common scene. A few adults having a conversation, maybe over coffee, and the sneering dragon of hypocrisy rears its head:

"I told my son that I had only 3 channels when I was growing up- and he wondered how I survived! We used to play outside, catch grass-hoppers. Kids theses days- no imagination!"

This is the same group that often has detailed discussions about TV shows they watched; how they recently saved money by switching cable companies; how they have a TV in every bedroom; of discussing in horror how the cable didn't work for one day and the unfolding drama involving phone calls and repairmen in their house!

No matter how hard we try to compare ourselves to our children we'll come up way short.

Our children deserve better. They are growing up with new sets of individual and collective challenges. The last thing they need is any attitude from us 'grown-ups'.

Threats Threats Threats

I care deeply for my kids, but why do we parents resort to threats to get our kids to do things?

Being human, I guess I default into the Western cultural malaise of believing that children don't always have to be treated with the same respect as grown-up human beings!

Immediately after yelling at two of my dear kids: "You're not going to get any pizza until you clean up that mess!!" I realized I could have done better!

I mean, yes, they made a mess and they will need to clean it up, but why resort to threats and shouting?

Kids running the show?

Unschooling is a vast topic not easily grasped in one sitting. I should know.

I had never heard of it until I met an unschooling dad and his son about 5 months ago. My first thoughts I admit were: Is it legal? They're allowed to do that? Is it a good thing for the kids?  (It's legal b.t.w. in many states and provinces based on some basic guidelines). 

Despite these reflex-doubts, I didn't give it much thought right away. It was so profound a concept that I had to let it simmer. 

Little did I know how solidly the subject would eventually hit home. The reason being, I am a natural unschooler since birth! (we all are, but that's the topic of another post)

I was actually crying out for an unshcooling experience since grade school- though I didn't know how to articulate it. Most vividly when I told my French teacher that I had no use for learning french and deliberately failed i.e. made no effort to complete assignments, participate in class or fill in the blanks on tests. It was a conscientious protest that in the end she respected, giving me a passing grade (?) but by only one point (being compulsory she didn't want to see me again next year?)

I flunked French and was proud of it. For three years straight.

But my beef was with the system- not French. Years later as I trained with passion to be a chef that I would then want to learn kitchen french and aced it without much effort. Amazing what you can do if you want to do it and are not systematically coerced. 

I am a very well accomplished guitarist. Had someone forced me to take boring guitar lessons for years from an assigned teacher, I wonder if it would have turned me off of it. As it was, I came to it naturally and when I was ready at age 11.

In fact, I fired about 10 guitar teachers (I exaggerate not) before I found the one I knew was not in it for the money and who really 'got me' and what I was passionately pursuing in this splendid instrument.

Sadly he was only around 6 months before moving out of town (I was in St. Catharines Ontario), but after he left I felt I had enough basics under my belt. So I never had another lesson, but continued self-learning. For years. And years. And years. Hey- learning never ends.  I've even given lessons to about 10 students. And teaching is not really teaching. It's helping your students to see they already have all it takes to teach themselves-- you just help them get going the same way you pull the cord on a lawnmower to get the blades spinning enthusiastically! And it they don't 'have it' maybe they should move on till they discover what it is that they're already good at -but just don't realize it yet. 

This is the best way to learn. Get a little help getting started, some guidance and encouragement, and away you go. You know best what you want to learn. You know best what interests you the most. You know best (in your heart and intuitions) what path is best- where your strengths will be and are....Nobody else- regardless of how well-intentioned-  can know these things. 

Self-directed learning is the way to go.

How Big Is Your Blog?

I just realized: if you're genuinely interested -even passionate about something you could probably measure this by the extensiveness and consistency of a well-maintained online or private blog.

Can I keep this one up? I've started a few blogs in my day. The vegetarian one didn't have much mileage :-(  (reflected in my still eating meat!). But this one has started off strong (13 entries in about 3 weeks).

I hope it will prove a useful/helpful reference and support to others thinking deeply on this topic. 

List: College Drop-out Billionaires

College drop-out billionaires

Influential High/Grade School Drop-outs

HERE

What I Really Learned in School

Some Things I learned in School: 

• teachers were always careful to 'keep their distance' from us kids
• detention wasn't all that bad an experience. In fact I kind of liked being alone in the classroom with my teacher, even if he ignored me for the 30 minutes (there may have been one or two other detension-ees some times)
• that i could be very very mean to one unfortunate girl for one or two grades (it bothers me to recall- oh well) and get away with it
• that I could tease classmates who excelled at their grades and get away with it
• that exceptionally great teachers who were passionate about what they taught were equally exceptionally rare
• that teachers' had fears, like for their reputation or their job, but less so for concern if their students actually learned anything of any depth
• that teachers didn't have much time for me- not always because they didn't care all that much, but they just didn't have the time or energy, which of course leads to: 
• teachers were always very, very busy busy busy
• the clothing brand you wear is VERY important
• that when a teacher disliked me they were faintly able to disguise it
• some teachers were perverts
• some teachers were caffeine addicts
• some teachers were very interested in flirting with other teachers
• my principle was very unimpressed that I used the word 'damn' in a part of my speech depicting a stereotypical angry spouse talking to her seemingly dumb husband about the hazards of using a gas stove after a nuclear air raid was in effect
• that the school library rug was an excellent place to rub my socks and distribute static shocks to my school mates
• that I liked being up in front of the class making students and teachers laugh
• that I liked playing cello
• that a classmate could get 1st place instead of 2nd place by crying and sobbing and generally making the teacher feel very guilty
• that some teachers liked it when you tattled, but others strongly disliked it
• that in general most teachers were generally friendly, kind and respectful as far as human beings are concerned
• that all teachers avoided any one-on-one communication of any significance- and quickly retreated whenever I wanted to talk and get some moral support I craved as I lacked it in my home life

Thoughtful tv interviews parts 1 & 2 (1991)

Grown Up Unschooler gives amazing one-off talk about her experience

mini doc on unschooling

John Gatto giving a blunt talk (and he as award winning former teacher)