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Natalia
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| Posted: June 20 2005 at 8:58am | IP Logged
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I was reading this passage form Homeschooling with Gentleness:
"I periodically remind myself that I have retained very little of what I learned in grade school and high school. Furthermore I continue to delve into new areas of study that awaken wonder and enrich my life, In my mid thirties I became fascinated by birds, and have sshared this newfound enthusiasm with family and friends. Having spent most of my life knowing almost nothing of the natural world, Ihave now enjoy filling in the gaps (craters actually) left yawning after twenty three years of formaal education" p. 70
And it made me think about how much I have learned as an adult in a very much delight led way. After all I don't have syllabus to fulfill for myself. I just want to know so many things that are out there for me to grasp,and learn and restle with.
It made me think about how I tackle cooking - I didn't know anything about it when I got married and how from reading, researching, experimenting, and watching the Food Network, I have come a long way in my learning.
I think about all the great authors of children's literature that, not having grown up in a English speaking country, I had missed and now have discovered.
It makes me think of the things that one day want to learn more about: photography, American Lit,
What have you unschool? What are you learning right now or want to learn?
Natalia
PS I hope this is the right forum for this question 
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juliecinci
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This is my biggest reason for believing in the benefits of unschooling. My joy in self-education is total. I listen to the promptings of my own heart and discovered that knowledge is wonderful because it is (it is enticing in and of itself). No one has to push me to learn.
The quote you cited could have been me. I had the same epiphany with bird watching and the natural world.
I've learned about birds, theology, bread baking, gardening, quilting, poetry, classic literature, knitting, postmodernism, writing (never ending education), teaching acting, fractions (never understood these from school), running a business, taxes, stage combat, art appreciation (especially Van Gogh), classical music appreciation, Shakespeare, drawing, painting rooms, html, Internet researching, and Arabic all due to personal motivation and interest.
I have gone on to study theology in a Master's program because that interest went into overdrive and I wanted more challenge and direction.
I see my adult life as a good example of what unschooling might look like for kids too.
And, one thing I love - I didn't read all the classics as a kid. I have had the joy of reading Jane Austen for the first time as an adult, and found it so thrilling! That has happened so many times - like these treasures still unearthed so that I could have special joy in adulthood.
Good post Natalia.
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Julie
Homeschooling five for fourteen years
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Willa
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| Posted: June 20 2005 at 10:14am | IP Logged
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You know, I was thinking about your question, Natalia. I call my own childhood education "unschooling" because I was an underachiever in school (put books on my lap so I could read while the teacher was lecturing on math, etc). I think I may have been a bit ADD. I scored well on achievement tests etc but my "Real" education, I always felt, was reading in the library at lunch, doing projects at home, writing stories etc. I read EVERYTHING and learned a lot.
More recently, since I've had kids, I find that I can learn fine on my own but I always have some trigger for my personal learning.... some kind of "need to know". I read pregnancy books when I was pregnant, child-raising and ecological breastfeeding books when I started taking mothering more seriously, Catholic books when I was discerning whether to convert, homeschooling books when I started homeschooling.... and so on. When my oldest started high school I got more seriously into reading literature, so I could share that with my son. There's many, many more mini-units I haven't mentioned.
Some things I've learned because one of my kids is interested and constantly narrates to me about it... reptiles, botany, folk music, computer programming, etc.
Me, I'd like to learn more about our local ecology -- Nature Study -- and our community history. I'd like to get better at drawing and calligraphy. I NEVER have enough time to read all I'd like to about our Catholic faith -- so many spiritual treasures out there. I'd like to learn Latin and Greek -- my oldest ds keeps hoping I will catch up to him so he will have someone to talk to!
I'd love to get a better handle on virtuous home keeping and the domestic arts. Right now I just do the minimum to get by, but I know some people who really make an art of "managing their home".
Great thread, thanks for starting it! I usually spend summers catching up on some kind of self-education. Last summer dd and I learned to sew. Rather, she learned and I refreshed my rusty beginner-level skills.
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Willa
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Take Up and Read
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amiefriedl
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Since leaving college (17 years of formal schooling), I have studied heavily much of the same things as posted by others (all these are of course still on going):
cooking/nutrition
pregnancy/childbirth
household finances/small business finances
child rearing/temperaments
yardwork/landscaping
Catholic faith
charity with family 
and of course learning to teach my own children.
I feel like most recently my best headway has been in the area of cooking/nutrition. Lately I have had more yummy meals than flops (after 8 years of more flops than yummy).
And with a baby due in 4 weeks I've been doing a crash course in childbirth again. Using Bradley this time, have a great Doula/Bradley instructor.
Oh and as I'm going to post somewhere else, I've found a new book that I have to crow from the rooftops about. _Character Building_ by David Issacs. Looks to be a real treasure.
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In Christ the King through Mary our Mother,
Amie
Blessed with an awesome hubby and Mom of ds10, dd7, dd3 and dd 10months.
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Natalia
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| Posted: June 22 2005 at 8:23am | IP Logged
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juliecinci wrote:
| This is my biggest reason for believing in the benefits of unschooling. My joy in self-education is total. I listen to the promptings of my own heart and discovered that knowledge is wonderful because it is (it is enticing in and of itself). No one has to push me to learn. |
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You know Julie? I frequently think about your BHAG and have tucked the thoughts away for when the time comes. What you have accomplish and continue to accomplish is inspiring.
Thanks. Sorry for all the typos, I just noticed them 
Natalia
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Natalia
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| Posted: June 22 2005 at 8:29am | IP Logged
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WJFR wrote:
More recently, since I've had kids, I find that I can learn fine on my own but I always have some trigger for my personal learning.... some kind of "need to know". I read pregnancy books when I was pregnant, child-raising and ecological breastfeeding books when I started taking mothering more seriously, Catholic books when I was discerning whether to convert, homeschooling books when I started homeschooling.... and so on. When my oldest started high school I got more seriously into reading literature, so I could share that with my son. There's many, many more mini-units I haven't mentioned. |
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My learning has been like that too, prompted by a need or a need to know. It amazes me how my son (8) can wake up one morning and have something in mind he wants to know more without any apparent trigger.
WJFR wrote:
| Some things I've learned because one of my kids is interested and constantly narrates to me about it... reptiles, botany, folk music, computer programming, etc. |
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This year it has been bird and trains for me
WJFR wrote:
| Great thread, thanks for starting it! I usually spend summers catching up on some kind of self-education. Last summer dd and I learned to sew. Rather, she learned and I refreshed my rusty beginner-level skills. |
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So do you have anything planned for this summer?
Natalia
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Natalia
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| Posted: June 22 2005 at 8:32am | IP Logged
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amiefriedl wrote:
I feel like most recently my best headway has been in the area of cooking/nutrition. Lately I have had more yummy meals than flops (after 8 years of more flops than yummy). |
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 Great for you! Isn't it a good feeling to see progress when we have been working towards a goal?
Natalia
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Willa
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This summer I have to revise our chore list because my oldest is leaving  . While doing that, I'm researching housekeeping and homemaking. I'm trying to think of it as a noble calling rather than just something to get done so I can get on with my life. I'm reading a book called Spirit of the Home: How to Make your Home a Sanctuary -- CAUTION, it's more than a little New Agey but if you can get past that, it's a good book which expresses something of what I feel I'm missing in how I treat my vocation... I wish I could find an equivalent Christian book. I have a book called "The Hidden Art of Homemaking" by Ruth Schaeffar (Susan Macaulay's mother) that I intend to read also -- I picked it up once before but got discouraged by how far I was from where she was!
I'm also trying to read up about healthy eating and activity -- first reform my own habits, then work on my family's -- DH says he will get me a grain mill this summer. I have a couple of young athletes (first time, really, in this sedentary household) so I want to adjust our diet accordingly.
Then I always have a sort of home retreat every summer and read lots more spiritual books than I get to read during the school year.
Also, I'm planning the next school year so I'll be reading some of the books I want to give my kids.
Finally, I need to read a bit about parenting preschoolers because I seem to be a bit rusty on bringing up a "typical" 2 year old and he is running rings around me right now -- !! I need to refresh my skills!
I guess those are all "need to knows" in a way -- maybe someday I'll be able to get into the pure "want to knows" -- but they are delight-directed in that I'm working on them because I WANT to.
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
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juliecinci
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It's Edith Schaeffer and that's the book I was going to recommend. It's lovely.
Also, I really like the Thomas Moore books: Care for the Soul is his first one but there's a book called The Renechantment of Daily Life that speaks to home environment that I love.
Julie
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Julie
Homeschooling five for fourteen years
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tovlo4801
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I think recently it's been primarily what my kids have been learning. I love relearning math and grammar and science. I love reading classic literature that I never read before. But my favorite thing has been discovering history. I'm loving filling in the blanks in my understanding of history. I'm tackling the same general time periods as my son is working on, but I've been taking it further and doing my own studies. It's because I'm personally interested, but what I learn does seem to come up as we cover my son's work. Of course I'm also trying to understand educational philosophies.
One of my future unschooling wishes would be to learn to sing. I was passed over for the lead in the school musical as a senior because I couldn't sing well enough. It's been a desire to learn how to use my voice well for years. The money for voice lessons just isn't there. But I talk with people about singing and play with it on my own and I think I've improved. I'd also love to learn to take beautiful photographs or write in an engaging way to express myself. Gosh there are just so many things that pop up that I'd like to tackle. Most of them I think about for a while and then let go, but many of them keep popping back up. I suppose when the time is right I'll manage to work on each of them at some level.
This really is a fun question to ponder.
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Unschooling yourself
