Does Teaching Have a Place in Self-Directed Education or Unschooling?
Episode 52: Does Teaching Have a Place in Self-Directed Education or Unschooling?
We read a Substack article by Esther Jones, Unschooling and the Magic of Teaching and were inspired to peel back the role that teaching might play within self-directed learning and a number of aspects that are related. It turned out to be a very interesting topic and we’d love you to have a listen!
We Discuss:
The distinct difference when an activity, subject area or skill is chosen
The feeling in our body when we realize we are pushing an agenda on a disinterested learner
How there can be safety for a child, knowing they can step away if something isn’t a match, that allows them to relax into what they’re learning
Really feeling liked and respected by someone who is passing on information or teaching a skill and the difference that can make
Nervousness on the part of the parent of accessing and facilitating new and expanded opportunities for their children
That for some kids, spending time one to one with a mentor might actually feel more daunting than being in a group, or maybe they wouldn’t prefer either — kids are all so different
Not enjoying conferences and direct teaching even as adults if we can’t sit still very easily, but that’s so often it’s about whether or what we choose
How sometimes with teaching, there’s a performative element and the learner can actually also take on a performative element to help meet the teacher’s goal
How large group presentation and instruction is the most commonly known way of doing things
That focussing on something that has no real relevance or meaning can be really difficult
The potential difference between teaching knowledge versus a skill
Giving ourselves and kids opportunity for movement during instruction-type activities
The opportunity to pause and ask questions that often exists in a small-ish learning environment and the greater likelihood we will stay engaged
How sometimes we do want the diffusion and generality of a larger group – we don’t always feel comfortable with zooming in either to the information or within a small group
How nobody who is teaching something is wanting people to be disengaged – what feedback can be given to shift things for the learner?
The richness of accessing knowledge and skill from people who are specialized in certain areas
That partnered learning and different degrees of support are okay and often really beneficial as kids are beginning to learn
Understanding what the range of options are
The tendency to possibly take more risks when you know you have an experienced person teaching/mentoring
The potential joy for the person teaching
Reflecting on our motivation for helping our child find a teaching/mentoring opportunity … Is it personal growth and enjoyment? Or are we hoping they will come back with a skill that we deem important?
That our energy in the way we approach an arrangement with our child may feed the nature of the teaching/learning relationship
How no person learns everything they know just on their own (but the best learning does happen when they have a vested interest and self-motivation)
Finding the win-win situations even in school/conventional programs — that great partnering can happen when relationships and trust are prioritized
How a good match can make all the difference
The value of information and relationship sometimes happening from someone other than the homeschool parent
That kids may accept/appreciate direct instruction based on something they need towards a goal they have but aren’t necessarily feeling passionate about
The perseverance kids can have when there’s a drive to meet a goal or necessity — there might be struggle, but so to is there often struggle with kids who have come up through the school system the entire way
How when kids have an abundance of time and freedom in other ways, they have the opportunity to really study or dive into the external activities that they are doing
The fear parents and other adults often carry about the future that may lead to over-scheduling kids
Whether the pace of kids’ lives during adolescence affects the pace of their future lives — will they know how to find a healthy pace?
The large amount of external input coming in for conventional high school students during an already intense period of development
The larger needs for sleep and space to identify a sense of self in the teen years as well as a continued need for play, even if it looks different
That it’s not necessarily easy to find the right fit in learning a new skill and might take some trial and error – the factors will be different for each child
Financial considerations around lessons, programs and mentorships, both for accessibility for the family and also in fairness to the mentor/teacher
Volunteer opportunities as low-cost or no-cost ways to learn and grow
How homeschoolers can really like a good deal ☺️, but that supporting the people in their community by valuing their time monetarily can be a nice gesture when possible
Seeking out teens or other young people to teach or mentor something they enjoy
Facilitating teacher-led experiences even when it feels like it might fly in the face of all the deschooling a parent might have done
How it just naturally makes sense for kids to be curious about being a student, having a teacher and being part of a larger group given that these are the primary examples all around them
That choice is the key
Resources:
Unschooling and the Magic of Learning – Esther Jones Substack
Unschooling – What’s in a Name?
Episode 19: Home Ed Labels and Jargon: Sorting Them Through
Homeschool High School Ideas – The Beauty of Mentorships For Teens – Ever Learning