Unschooling: Culture versus Grades
I have been thinking a lot about unschooling and culture. Meaning when we unschool, we attempt to immerse our children in the best of life itself. We allow them to learn from nature, from libraries, from museums, from art, from movies, from books, from language, from whatever culture has to offer. It's not about making a grade. It's not about getting the right answer. It's not about memorizing definitions.
That often causes a lot of misunderstanding in a world that is focused on kids knowing right answers and definitions in order to receive good grades. I mean, if we really think, how often do we ask kids their opinion on something in everyday communication? How often do we ask kids to think? Instead, we expect kids to listen to what we have to say. We expect kids to regurgitate the facts that we find important. We expect kids to obey and be on their best behavior to prove to others how good they are (and how good of a job we have done in teaching them to listen, regurgitate, obey, and prove).
I do not want that for my children. I want my sons to think for themselves. I don't care if they can give a textbook definition or not. I couldn't care less if they would receive an A or an F on a traditional test. I want them to be able to see a situation - from the past or present - and think about the implications of that situation. I want them to think about how that situation affected those involved and think about whether another decision would have or could change the course of history - if at least for those involved. I want them to consider the feelings of others, while not lessening the importance of their own. I want them to enjoy the experiences of what life has to offer. I want them to be themselves in a world of differences that are supposed to be hidden. I don't want them to hide the real them out of fear of not being accepted.
Today, we are planning a family trip to celebrate the culture and history of the state we live in. I'm sure my sons will have some good comments on the way home. I cannot wait to hear their thoughts.
That often causes a lot of misunderstanding in a world that is focused on kids knowing right answers and definitions in order to receive good grades. I mean, if we really think, how often do we ask kids their opinion on something in everyday communication? How often do we ask kids to think? Instead, we expect kids to listen to what we have to say. We expect kids to regurgitate the facts that we find important. We expect kids to obey and be on their best behavior to prove to others how good they are (and how good of a job we have done in teaching them to listen, regurgitate, obey, and prove).
I do not want that for my children. I want my sons to think for themselves. I don't care if they can give a textbook definition or not. I couldn't care less if they would receive an A or an F on a traditional test. I want them to be able to see a situation - from the past or present - and think about the implications of that situation. I want them to think about how that situation affected those involved and think about whether another decision would have or could change the course of history - if at least for those involved. I want them to consider the feelings of others, while not lessening the importance of their own. I want them to enjoy the experiences of what life has to offer. I want them to be themselves in a world of differences that are supposed to be hidden. I don't want them to hide the real them out of fear of not being accepted.
Today, we are planning a family trip to celebrate the culture and history of the state we live in. I'm sure my sons will have some good comments on the way home. I cannot wait to hear their thoughts.
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