Have you heard of Unschooling?
How about Deschooling?
Roadschooling? Worldschooling?
I’m sure you’ve heard of homeschooling, and the bizarre words above are (mostly) all variations of homeschooling.
Parents this year are facing an uncertain fall school start. Some districts have already gone to remote learning, some are aiming to go back, and others are in between.
The only certain thing is this: No school will open exactly like they did last fall.
With all of this uncertainty, some parents (who are able to) are considering taking some time to either home school…or hit the road for some travel and “road school” their children.
It’s a complicated topic, but today’s guest will help guide you towards some answers.
Karen Ricks from OurKitchenClassroom.com is a 25+ year teaching veteran, she opened and later sold a Montessori school in Japan, and she has been traveling and world schooling her son for years.
Karen’s love for teaching children is obvious, infectious, and will make you smile. It’s a big topic so you won’t walk away with a master plan. But for those thinking about homeschool that might be overwhelmed, I bet you will walk away inspired to try.
Please enjoy!
Selected Links from the Episode
Karen was generous enough to send a lot of very helpful additional information and links, see below:
- OurKitchenClassroom.com
- As an established nomadic Worldschooling family, this is our extended community around the globe! Find resources for every aspect of the educational journey, including authoritative articles, hours and hours of interviews with experts and parents who have studied and lived this way for years, and so much more! This is the perfect place to start for everyone, from those who attend traditional school and supplement during breaks to full-time traveling families like my own, and everyone else in between!!! There’s also a free Facebook group, too.
- The Homeschool Legal Defense Association has updated information for families in the U.S. dealing with the prospect of homeschooling under COVID-19.
-  I’d encourage parents to read any and everything by Dr. Peter Gray, especially his book Free to Learn. Here’s his TED Talk about the importance of PLAY.
- Akilah S. Richards’ Fare of the Free Child podcast is another wonderful resource for parents during their deschooling journey. There are so many discussions that can help to raise questions about how and why we educate our children the way we do, and why we might want to consider a different approach.
-  The Alliance for Self Directed Education has a lot of resources for parents and families looking at homeschooling right now.
-  The Montessori Foundation is the organization I mentioned, with continuing education resources for educators like myself, as well as courses and free weekly webinars for parents on how to “Follow the Child” at home.
Show Notes & Timestamps
- How Karen classifies their style of home learning 00:03:12
- On the montessori style 00:04:07
- The “organic path” of teaching 00:07:02
- The concept of “de-schooling” 00:08:54
- The De-Schooling process 00:11:35
- Un-schooling 00:18:26
- On the fear of kids “falling behind: 00:22:00
- Addressing the social aspects 00:25:13
- Biggest challenges and how to overcome them 00:28:21
- What Karen wishes she knew when starting 00:30:14
- On the “fear” many parents have of homeschooling 00:31:29
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them 00:32:54
- On TV and gaming 00:39:38
- Final tips for success 00:41:21
Listen
