From The Student Whisperer by Oliver DeMille and Tiffany Earl:

Gallup reports that about 80% of people aren't happy with their work and life path...  Education has failed such people.  Indeed, based on this statistic, around 80% of us are under-educated - or mis-educated.  The years such people invest in studying and making the grade did not lead to make the choices or acquire the knowledge, skills, habits, and abilities that facilitated their happiness, fulfillment and meaningful contribution.  Is such a process, therefore, perhaps mislabeled?  Is this really what we want from "education"?

 

The Educational Conveyor Belt

In A Thomas Jefferson Education, Oliver DeMille describes what he calls "conveyor belt" education: one in which everyone receives the same thing (lesson) at the same time and in the same manner, with the same results expected.  Implicit in this is the idea that education is something that is done to you.

In contrast, he calls for an individualized education where each individual learns at his/her own pace, following his/her own interests.  He also acknowledges that for those of us who were brought up in the conveyor belt system (that would be the vast majority of us), it can be very difficult to get off the conveyor belt.  He calls this a "conveyor belt hangover".  It can be especially difficult to get off it when everyone around you is not even aware that there is an alternative, or they just don't see the value in doing things a different way.

Whenever I start to suffer from conveyor belt hangover, my two children (one in particular) let me know loud and clear that that is not their preferred way of learning.  When I can take a step back and take a deep breath, I am grateful that they are so good at letting me know what they need.  Just imagine if I had complacent, eager-to-please children...

Wait, why don't I want that??

Oh yeah...I don't want them to be complacent, eager-to-please adults.  Or to be too eager-to-please with their peers.  I want them both to grow into adults who aren't afraid to stand up for their rights or to just be who they are.  But, oh my goodness, they do challenge me sometimes! :)

So what do you do when you find yourself with one foot back on the conveyor belt?  First of all, go easy on yourself.  You may have accepted emotionally and intellectually that an individualized education is best, but old habits die hard.  Sometimes we don't even realize that we are slipping back towards the conveyor belt, through our actions and expectations.  Sometimes we're acting from a place of fear: fear that if we don't follow the traditional sequence of events, we'll ruin our kids' chances for a productive, self-sufficient adulthood.

Read books by people who have been down this path before you and re-read them from time to time.  There are many out there.  Here are a some good ones that I have read:

A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille, mentioned above
Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn
Project-Based Homeschooling by Lori McWilliam Pickert (haven't quite finished this one yet, but there's lots of great stuff in it!)
anything by John Holt

Surround yourself with others who are on a similar path, whether in person or online.  You don't feel so alone if you know others following the same or similar path.  And it helps if you can get some tips and advice, or at least some reassurance, from others who have been through this before.

We all make mistakes from time to time, slip from the path we want to be on, but luckily children are resilient.  We can adjust our course and get closer to our ideal.  We'll probably never quite get there, except for rare moments, but so long as we keep trying we may come close.  If we just give up and hop on the conveyor belt, we'll never see the true potential of our children.

10 Reasons We are Eclectic, Relaxed Homeschoolers

If you have read the "About Me" section of this blog, you know that I consider us eclectic homeschoolers.  I have also always considered us "relaxed" homeschoolers, meaning that we are not school-at-homers, but not quite unschoolers either.  Being certified as a Montessori teacher (primary level, AKA: pre-school) I started out homeschooling thinking that we would use the Montessori method.  I quickly discovered, however, that the more money and/or time I spent on Montessori materials, the less likely my kids were to use them.  They're contrary like that.  But that doesn't mean that I abandoned the philosophies that drew me to the Montessori method in the first place.  And I found many of the same philosophies in other methods as well, such Charlotte Mason, and to a greater extent, Thomas Jefferson Education.

So these are the top 10 reasons we homeschool the way we do:

1. We prefer an individualized education.  No two people are exactly alike, so why should their education be exactly alike?  Everyone has their own unique combination of strengths and weaknesses, interests and aptitudes.  Education should reflect that.
2. No boring textbooks.  Nothing kills interest like a dull, dry textbook.  I think back to how much I hated science and history in school, and it was because of the boring textbooks.  Once I was out of school and started learning from real-life sources and "living books", I found that science and history are two of my favorite subjects!
3. We are more relaxed in the early years.  Young children learn by playing.  My children always made it abundantly clear when I started being too structured and formal for them.  So I would take a deep breath, remember why we were homeschooling in the first place, and "follow the child".
4. They naturally will start to get more serious about their studies as they get older, particularly in their areas of interest.  They are also more open to working on areas of weaknesses, as they are able to envision goals for their lives (even if they just want to go to college, but don't have any plans beyond that, for example) and can see where that area (read: math) may be helpful. 
5. I try to follow my children's interests.  We are all more likely to remember what we are interested in.  Yes, that makes more work for me.  But I would rather spend my time inspiring them to want to learn something than forcing them to do something they don't want to do, because then they're just going through the motions and not really learning anyway.  Then it's just a big waste of time and effort for us all.  And yes, sometimes in life we all have to do things we don't really want to do - ask my kids about cleaning the bathroom.
6. I love the flexibility this allows us.  We are not tied to any arbitrarily imposed schedules or a canned curriculum's lesson plan.  We can take a day off if it's nice out and we want to meet some friends for a hike, or go for a field trip, or even if we're all out of sorts and just need to get out of the house.  Or if we're learning about xyz and it's just not grabbing us, we can drop it, and either come back to it later, or not at all, depending on what it is.  If it's something like fractions, we come back to it later, because they will need to know how to work with fractions at some point in their lives.  But they didn't seem all that interested in watching the hawks on the hawk-cam fledge.  I don't think their lives will be negatively impacted for not having seen it, even if I thought it was pretty cool.
7. We want our children to be life-long learners.  By following their interests, often on their own, they are learning life habits of, well, learning, which is something we want them to see the value in continuing. 
8. We want our children to learn how to think, not just what to think.  This is definitely a work in progress, and probably always will be.  So often in traditional schools, the emphasis is on memorizing and spitting the information back out on the test.  We want them to be able to apply that information, rather than just memorizing it.
9. Books, lots of books.  If we are going to learn by reading living books rather than textbooks, we end up having lots of them around.  And I love books and reading!
10. I have time to pursue my own learning.  When they were younger, they spent less time on academics, and now that they're older, they work more independently.  This allows me time to read and do activities of my own interests, like writing a blog.

What are some of the reasons you homeschool the way you do?

This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday at  http://www.manylittleblessings.com/

7 Keys: #7 - You, not Them

If you find yourself getting worried that your child isn't doing xyz, instead of pushing him/her to do it, do it yourself.  S/he just might become interested in xyz after all - although this will backfire if that is your sole purpose in doing it yourself - I speak write from experience here!

Where are your own gaps in your education?  We all have them.  No one can possibly know everything there is to know!  Start reading some classics.  Or maybe you just always wanted to learn to knit, or play guitar, or...you fill in the blank.  What better way for children to learn that learning is a worthwhile pursuit and that it never ends?

I have been reading some of the classic books that I had always heard of but never read.  I learned to knit a couple of years ago.  This year I also started working through Algebra I, and now Geometry, both of which I took in high school but remember almost none of.   My husband has been learning to make his own fishing lures and also how to fix his boat motor.

Of course, this doesn't mean that you ignore your kids.  The point of working on your own education is to improve yourself, yes, but also to inspire your children.  So share the interesting bits with them, and show your interest in their passions. The result will be a lifestyle of learning.

7 Keys: #6 - Simplicity, not Complexity

Keep it simple: read the classics and biographies of the greatest characters in history, write about what you've read, and discuss with others who have also read and written about the same book/character.  Do some related projects or activities. 

Many schools today have so many requirements that just complicate the process of learning.  I was talking with some extended family members recently about all the hoops my niece has had to jump through this past year, her high school junior year.  Apparently, junior year is when they take the SAT's - in the fall and again in the spring, the ACT's if they're taking those, and possibly an AP standardized test or two.  In my niece's state, they also have to take another standardized test as a requirement for graduation, plus they also have a year-long project that is a graduation requirement.  With all of this, it's easy to lose sight of the ultimate goal: getting a great education (not merely finishing/graduating).

I've always kept things pretty simple in our homeschool, which I think is typical for most homeschoolers.  After all, we don't have to answer to a board of education (at least in our state).  But I do need to keep this key in mind while planning for the marine biology course we'll be studying this summer.

7 Keys: # 5 - Quality, not Conformity

Quality for younger students is more about personalizing their education.  Why should Johnny learn the properties of magnets when he's really interested in animal classification?  Because that's what all the other kids his age in town are learning?  But if he's thinking about animals while you're trying to teach him about magnets, he won't remember much of it anyway.  And chances are, he will become interested in magnets at some point in time.

For older students - the more self-motivated "high school" level students, Quality, not Conformity comes more in the form of "This is good, but I think you can do better."  (And they will be self-motivated if allowed to follow their interests.)

For both younger and older students, this is about encouraging them to become their best selves.

7 Keys: #4 - Structure Time, not Content

Once again, this is similar to Montessori theory.  In Montessori schools, children are given the freedom to choose their own work, as well as how long they will spend on it.  The time in the classroom is the structured time for children attending a Montessori school, but homeschoolers need to set up a routine of study/learning time.  This is something that most homeschoolers do.  However, instead of setting a time for math, then for writing, then science, etc., I set up a time for studying and let the girls choose what they will do during that time.  They are strongly encouraged to do a bit of math each day, and sometimes there are other things that need to be done, such as homework for a class taken outside the home.  But they do have a choice of what order they will do it in, as well as what resources they will use.

Swimmah, at 15, has set up a schedule for herself: first, she practices piano (usually for 30-45 minutes, although occasionally she plays for an hour or more).  Then she studies French, then does her math lesson for the day (Math U See Geometry, which she helped choose).  Recently, she read a book of retellings of some of Shakespeare's plays, and today she picked up The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and started reading. 

Turtlegirl, on the other hand, is 2 years younger and has a different personality.  She prefers to spend most of her time feeding and caring for her animals.  Right now, she has a mini nature center in our "all purpose" room.  She has tadpoles at various stages of metamorphosis (in different containers based on how many legs), another tank with the new toadlets, a bigger tank with adult newts, a small tank with newly hatched newts, another with fish, and finally, a big tank with 2 turtles.  She also has a lizard in her bedroom.  This all takes a lot of her time!  I do need to remind her to do a little math and writing and practice trumpet most days.  But, my goodness, she knows more about reptiles and amphibians than I ever will!

During this time, in addition to being available for any questions or to give needed help, I do my own studying.  I have been working through Math U See Geometry myself, and I spend time reading whatever book I have going at the moment, or perhaps work on writing a blog post.  I am setting the example that studying is a worthwhile activity and that learning never ends.

By choosing what to work on when and for how long; in other words, by taking ownership of their education, students learn that their education is their responsibility.  Ultimately, they must educate themselves.

7 Keys: #3 - Inspire, not Require

This is one of the most misunderstood of the keys.  People often hear "not require" and think that means they can't require their kids to do math, or whatever.  They then either take it as gospel and let their kids do what they feel like, or they decide that it sounds like unschooling and, therefore, TJEd is not for them.

Or, people think this means they need to be all-inspiring and get overwhelmed.  Luckily for me, as the words "contagious in her enthusiasm" are generally not applied to me, we do not need to be an all-inspiring being.  What we need to do is create an inspiring environment.  Again, this is similar to what Maria Montessori said: that we should create a specially "prepared environment" that would draw the children to it.  And how to do that?  Set up a routine of studying and learning that works for your family.  Keep inspiring books around the house, read some with your children, and let them see you reading some to yourself.  Talk with them about what you are reading and share passages that you think might interest them.  Have educational games they enjoy at hand.  Get outdoors regularly and enjoy nature.  Go to museums.  Vary the daily schedule now and again.  Most importantly, you need to be learning about something you are interested in yourself.  Sure, study algebra if you want to, but learning to knit is great, too!

What this all comes down to is that no one can educate another person. In order for your children to get a great education, they need to be drawn to it.  So I pay attention to what their interests are and I find resources to spark and sustain those interests.  That's not to say that there have not been days, or weeks, or even months, when one of my daughters has seemed uninterested in just about everything I tried.  But I kept trying.  And I think we've turned a corner - she seems much more enthusiastic now than she did most of the winter.

7 Keys: #2 - Mentors, Not Professors

Montessori called an adult who worked with the children in her schools a "directress", rather than a teacher.  ("Directress" probably sounds better in Italian.)  Anyway, she said that their job was not to teach the children, but to direct, or guide, them to activities beneficial to their individual development.

Likewise, in TJEd, we are called to be mentors, rather than "professors" or teachers.  This is not to disparage professional teachers or professors, but to make a distinction between teaching and mentoring.  Teaching involves telling the students what they need to know and grading them, or rewarding/punishing in some other way.  Mentoring, on the other hand, involves getting to know each student personally - their interests, talents, goals, etc. - and helping him/her to develop and carry out a plan to achieve those goals.

As a homeschool mom, I feel like I know my students pretty well.  We do spend a lot of time together, after all, and because of my Montessori training I have always observed them to see what they are interested in and would watch/listen to what they pretended to be and do in their fantasy play.  It seemed so simple 7-10 years ago.  It was fun to think, "Oh, Swimmah loves dinosaurs, let's get some books from the library and we can also go to the museum of natural history."  Or: "Turtlegirl loves to paint, let's read that picture book about Jackson Pollock I saw at the library and then set up a big sheet of paper in the back yard and let her have at it!"

Now it's all starting to seem so serious.  Not that I think they need to decide at 15 and 13 what they want to do with the rest of their lives, but adulthood is just a few short (to me, not them) years away.  I do know that there's still time for exploration, but as I said, it just seems more serious now.

So I have been reading books like The Student Whisperer to help me be a better mentor.  Never having had a formal mentor myself, I'm learning on the job.  To a certain extent, it's an expansion of what I have always done, but I have been trying to involve them in the process more, to get and keep a dialogue going.  (Easier said than done - neither of them are the most forthcoming of youngsters.  No idea where they got that from...)

Mainly it comes down to the homeschooling advice I have read/heard countless times from various sources: focus on the relationship first.  When your relationship is healthy and nurturing, the learning comes much easily and effectively.

7 Keys of Great Teaching

Thomas Jefferson Education, or TJEd, is based on principles of great teaching, such as that received by Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers, as well as many other great world leaders.  There are seven principles described in the book A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille.  I will write a post on each of the seven principles as we use them in our homeschool.

1. Classics, Not Textbooks

 Maria Montessori believed that the books children are given to read should be of interest to him/her, which would preclude most textbooks.  Although she did not have a specific term for the type of books she recommended, Charlotte Mason did: she called them "living books", or books that are written by someone who is passionate about their subject, so that the people, places, and events in the book come alive and it "touches your heart and mind". How else can we expect a person to develop a love of a particular topic, or for reading itself, if only exposed to dull, dry books?

A "classic" can be defined as a book/work that is timeless, uses beautiful language (in the case of a book), and speaks to you personally.  A book (or artwork, piece of music, etc.) may be a classic to me, but not necessarily to you, regardless of how many lists of classics it appears on.  In fact, most lists you find will likely have different books listed, for this very reason.

I try to find "living books" or classics for all the subjects we study.  You may have noticed, however, that I did mention back in my post on marine biology, that I bought a marine biology textbook (gasp!).  That is mainly to use as a guide to ensure that we cover all the important areas of marine bio - not to say that we won't read it at all, but it won't be our only source.  We will supplement with other books that will bring the subject alive, such as biographies of people like Jacques Cousteau, and books about specific marine animals.  We have also watched a couple of TED Talks by marine biologists and will continue to look for more of these, as well as other videos related to the ocean/ocean life.

Recently, Swimmah, Turtlegirl and I were waiting in line at a big box bookstore, looking at the display of bookmarks.  Turtlegirl noticed one with a timer on it for keeping track of minutes read.  With a horrified look on her face, she said, "What do you need that for?!"  I explained that often school kids need to read for a set amount of time every day.  She had surmised as much, and exclaimed, "Just give the kid a good book!" 

Exactly.