Pepper Paints

The Real Meaning of Unschooling Success

CNN posted an article on Unschooling this week-UNSCHOOLERS LEARN WHAT THEY WANT, WHEN THEY WANT. I thought the article was good up until the “Professional” stepped in with what he thinks the world needs from our kids and how they need “trained adults” to get them there. The article also uses the unschooled child of a Doctor (professor of alternative learning at that!) and Sudbury Valley Schools and their alumni for most of it’s examples. Which might at least seem like school or a bit of organized education to the general public-along with the voice of “learning expert” to give the article some clout–Because those of us that unschool and don’t belong to a democratic school are just too far out there and definitely not to be taken seriously! We have all seen the mainstream news and TV run with those stories!

My biggest issue with this article though, is their use of attending college as their measure of unschooling success. (Unschoolers who go on to pre-med and Harvard  none the less are interviewed for this piece).  This is certainly not limited to this CNN article. (Which happens to appear under the heading PERRY’S PRINCIPLES: SCHOOLING FOR SUCCESS.) As a parent of three unschooled kids one of the first questions we are often asked is, “What about college?” Because if you don’t go to college, what will you do? At some point these same people will hopefully realize that we aren’t going to conform just for the sake of it! Unschooling doesn’t just end when you are 18 or 21 and it’s time to get a real job. Unschoolers do not embark on this lifestyle for the payoff at the end. It is for learning and happiness now and in the future.

Unschooling will continue to creep into the mainstream in bits and pieces. Peoples ideas about education will change. Yet unschooling success will never be understood as long as the end all, be all success of education (and most lives) are based on if and where you go to college and what type of job you perform.

True unschooling success is about choices and happiness. It is about getting up and  choosing to go to college or a job you enjoy or even choosing not to go to work!  One that you have chosen not just because it is pays the bills or because that was what you graduated in or because that was just the next step you were supposed to take.

Unschooling unveils all the choices one has in life. Choosing your own path to follow is true success. Happiness is true success. That may be college but for many unschoolers it may not be. Until the world stops assuming everyone should go to college and then to work just because that’s what you are supposed to do–the United States education sytem will not improve and unschooling will never be rightfully understood.

Our Holton Rower Tall Paintings aka Pour Paintings

It’s been a long time since I last posted! To say I have been busy is an understatement! Less than two months ago, several members of our local unschooling group met at a local coffee shop to talk about starting an unschoolers co-op and today we held our first day of classes with about 25 families and 60 kids! We have 4 sessions in which we offer several different classes. Some classes are taught by outside teachers and many led by parents. Several of us have really worked hard to get this up and running so quickly…it is sort of  unbelievable that we made it happen…and happen so well I might add!

I am teaching 2 sessions of art. My head is so full of possible ideas it might just pop off and my kids are so glad I have a new audience to share all these ideas with! (Although both of them chose to take my class!)

Today we talked about artist, Holton Rower. You may have seen his YouTube video of his TALL PAINTINGS that has been all over the internet lately. I loved it so much and thought it was a perfect project for a first class discussion about process vs product. My husband I built a smaller version of Rower’s pedestals using a piece of 4 inch 2×2 on its end screwed on to a 4inch  2×4 on it’s side and finally screwing those to a 12 x 12 piece of plywood.

Rower uses acrylic paint and there was no way I could afford to buy that much acrylic paint. Then I realized that latex house paint is acrylic paint! Perfect!! We visited a few Habitat for Humanity re-stores and Home Depot’s for some cheap paint before remembering we have a friend with a painting business and TONS of extra paint. Perfect again!!

We looked at a few prints of Rower’s Pour Paintings and I let the kids try to guess how he put the paint down.

Then we watched the video and talked about product vs process.

Luckily I had tons of helpers today! This project was A LOT of set up! First I covered everything with tarps and cardboard. We poured small amounts of paint into dixie cups and let the kids pick their colors.

And the pouring began!

Each of my students made 2 pour paintings and luckily we were able to leave them undisturbed until next week. Hopefully they will dry by then!

I am so happy with the way this project turned out! The kids loved making them too! I would love to try this on a larger scale someday. I certainly have enough left over paint!!

Taking The Power Away From The Screen

“We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.” – Lord Alexander

This is a quote shared on facebook recently. It really stuck with me because the night before some friends and I were talking about unschooling and about “screen time” in particular. Or in our cases a lack there of. It has been so long since any of us have fretted over how much time our kids spend in front of various screens; tv, computer, game systems etc…It sort of took us a minute to think about each of our kids and how much of their usual day is spent in front of a screen. Some days more than others. Sometimes in spurts, sometimes for hours at a time. Each kid not only different in the amount of time spent in front of a screen but also how passive or engaged their viewing is and even how they use screens in general. Some for background noise, some for quick info, sometimes for games and sometimes out of boredom.

We talked about how taking the limits off screen time takes so much pressure off of kids to get everything they need done in an allotted amount of time. ( and then spend the rest of the day trying to figure out how to get or sneak in more time.) Also it removes the need to over indulge because they know there is no limit. We took the power away from the the screen, it is there when ever you want or need it. We also took the power out of our own hands, enforcing the limits that we decide are appropriate and put it back in our kids hands. They know what they need and they meet those needs appropriately.

I know often when I am on the computer reading something that mentions something  interesting, that leads me looking something up or off reserving  a book. The same thing is happening with our kids and freeing up those constraints certainly allows them the same opportunities for “relay information”. I would hate to think my daughter couldn’t go and look something of interest up or delve deeper in a subject because she only had x amount of time on the computer or that her time was all used up. These winding, will nilly paths of information are such great learning opportunities–not knowing where your next question will take you— or like the quote reminds us -what learning we will just happen upon, are some of the unexpected yet unavoidable side effects of questions.

I don’t talk unschooling here all that often because just like I don’t really keep track of my kids screen time I often feel like we are just living life and I forget that  may be interesting to some people. Being unschoolers isn’t part of our day to day “to do” list.  I am not raising prodigies and we aren’t finding cures for diseases or even winning spelling bees. But we are living happily following our interests and  often finding more and more questions each time we look for an answer! A real life education.

Poinsettia Sponge Prints

First I set out a little inspiration!

I cut up some sponges into long petal shapes and shorter ones into leaf shapes. Squirted a little tempra paint onto a tray. Squirted a little more tempra onto a dish with some q-tips  and voila…..

The kids got down to business!

And made many , many beautiful poinsettia sponge prints!

Thanks to Deep Space Sparkle for the idea! I especially love her blue ones!

Thursday’s Recipe – Witches Brew (homemade rootbeer + dry ice)

oooooohhhhhh

Growing up my family had many traditions…things we we looked forward to doing over and over again. It is the same with my kids now.

Halloween included—most years. This started when Jake was 4. He had a Halloween party for several of his preschool friends and it sort of became an annual thing for us. But  because now we always travel in October, it is hard to fit in our family Halloween party every year. We always manage a night of pumpkin carving and seed roasting and some years we include a few games and surprises!

This year we had a few of our traditional games we play:

Bobbing for apples

Catching a doughnut on a string

GHOST (bingo)

But this year we added something new!

Dry ice and homemade root beer. I found this idea in The Hungry Scientist. They don’t call it witches brew–they call it Uber-Bubbly Root Beer –I had to make it a little more festive! They have a recipe for lemonade too. As well as a good scientific explanation of what is happening.

1 gallon of hot water and a bucket or pitcher to put it in–note glass or plastic bottles can break from the stress of extreme temp changes–so no shaking or using irreplaceable containers. That’s why we used the popcorn bucket!

2 cups sugar

2 Tbs root beer extract (ours came from The Winemakers Shop up the street)

1 to 2 lbs dry ice (we got our at Grater’s Ice Cream)

Add sugar to the hot water and stir to dissolve. Add the root beer extract—stir

Using a long handled wooden spoon–to avoid frostbite- stir in 1 to 2 lbs of dry ice —–oooooooohhhhhhhh and prepare to be amazed!!

A thick cloud of water vapor will form over the bucket

You will need to stir it every once in a while to keep it from freezing

The majority of the fog will stop after about 15 minutes and then you can drink it!

If you dare!

Success!! It tasted good!

************** This was super fun and a little dangerous! So SAFETY DISCLAIMER INCLUDED!!!! *************************

Don’t touch the dry ice with your bare hands–watch your eyes if you chip it up—-don’t eat or drink any dry ice even if it is a small chip!! These are just a few good ideas—I am sure this doesn’t cover all the mishaps that could happen–Don’t say I didn’t warn you–be careful!

Or 50 slaps by the bloody hand!

Our Holiday in Review

I absolutely love where we live. I also love tradition. I go out of my way to make sure we are making  memories together and carrying on family traditions. The 4th of July is one holiday steeped in tradition that  my kids really look forward to. Growing up, my parents always had a big 4th of July party–it started in the morning with everyone coming over for breakfast outside. Family came and went all day long. We swam and ate and then  moved the party into the garage in the evening. My dad and older cousins would blow off fire works in our back yard and a great time was had by all.

The apple must not fall too far from the tree.  We start each 4th of July at our Clintonville Community Breakfast. We walk over to the park early in the morning to begin our day.

One or more of my kids always participates in the pet parade

Then there is the fishing derby

And the party preparation

It is the part of the day that is the calm before the storm. Because the next thing I remember– It looked more like this

And this

This was before the fireworks show and the post fireworks snacking!! It was a late night. And today after cleaning all that up, I took a long nap–in the air conditioning. Hope your Holiday weekend was both fun and relaxing!!

Reminding Myself To Say, “Yes, Kids! Yes, You Can!” More Often

Ice Cream for Dinner? Yes!

So, when my almost 15 yr old son asks for the 1 millionth time if he can drive home, I say YES – when you have your temps. And when he asks to drive around a vacant parking lot, I say YES. When my kids ask for ice cream for breakfast, I say YES- because you only live once and what really is the difference between good ice cream and a bowl of cereal or a yogurt?  Both are Dairy and sugar…. maybe some fiber? When my kids ask to have a friend spend the night, YES on Friday. Instead of the typical, NO! It’s Tuesday night and your Dad has to and I have to and  blah   blah   blah…(I bet I lost them at NO). Yet when I say YES, even if it is YES tomorrow, YES next time, YES I’ll ask Dad, YES when the moon falls from the sky…..They hear YES. It buys me some time to decide if I really need to say NO or can I somehow make this happen for them.

Saying YES is a meeting in the middle and my kids are really appreciating this. I would love to be able to give my kids everything they want, even their crazy, ridiculous requests! And each time I begin with a YES it feels like I can, even if it is when pigs fly.

I wrote this post back in March for another blog but was thinking a lot about it yesterday. I needed the reminder to take a deep breath and start off with “Yes” instead of  the arbitrary  “No” Old habits die hard-or maybe it’s the heat getting to my brain!