Unschooling NYC

I hold a Bachelors Degree in German language/literature and English literature from a well-respected liberal arts college.  During the 4 years I spent there, I read countless books in German and English – countless classics which I dissected, wrote about and discussed.

But for all that, I see myself as an imposter.

As the debate about the pros and cons of higher education rages on, one of the issues centers around the humanities and the liberal arts.   You see, the people who argue that college is  vital for a successful career will often switch gears (when they feel they are … Read more

Something has been bothering me.  I listen to people talk politics – hear them argue about what government should and should not do, and I realize; what we are most interested in is what is convenient for us personally.   Running second is what fits in with our own personal beliefs about right/wrong, good/bad.   A very distant third is what might be best for our society as a whole.    People will of course argue this; they will say that their own personal beliefs constitute what is best for society as a whole.

I don’t think that’s always, or even often, true.… Read more

In discussions around education, we talk a lot about success.   Often we talk in terms of monetary success (usually referred to as ‘financial security’ which makes it sound less greedy).   Less often we refer to success in terms of happiness, fulfillment, spirituality or family; it is assumed, perhaps, that career and financial success inevitably lead to the other types of success.

Of course a lot of financially successful people are miserable in their personal lives, and on the other hand it is more difficult to appreciate the beauty of nature when you are busy wondering where your next meal will … Read more

You know what I find really interesting?  The same people who will tell you that the only path to success – career and financial stability – in life is by going to college & probably grad school are the same people who will get all high and mighty when you point out that there are other ways to create financial stability; less expensive, more comprehensive ways.   THEN those people go on a long tangent about how college is not about pursuing a career; it’s about expanding your mind, reading the classics and being pushed to deeper levels of thought.

In … Read more

When my daughter Maya was a baby, I made the mistake of thinking it was my job – my duty – to teach her  boundaries and to effectively control her.   We had some struggles over this as you might imagine – she didn’t like it and for a while I tried to hold on to the “because I said so” method of parenting.

But I was never very good at it.

After a natural birth in a drug-free birthing center,  I carried Maya in a sling till she was a toddler and preferred the stroller.    She nursed until she was … Read more

A teacher I know was relating a common occurrence in her 4th grade classroom.  In a discussion about the early days of westward expansion and pioneers, a story included a mention of sand.   One of the children raised their hand and said, “I don’t know what sand is.”   So this teacher paused the story to explain that sand is that stuff you see at beaches, or often in playgrounds….  blank looks all around.    (It must be noted that the geographical location of this classroom is within a mile or two of sand beaches.)

The lesson continued, and  the kids didn’t … Read more

Scenario #1:

You and your spouse enter an elevator.   There is one other person already in the elevator – a woman.   Once the door closes, she smiles brightly at you and says, in a voice that is a bit high and slightly over-enthusiastic:

“Hi!”

You smile briefly or say hi back, and she says, smile still on her face, “How old are you?”

You hesitate because your radar is scanning for possible crazy, and your spouse nudges you and says, “Answer the nice lady, sweetie.”

You glare at him and answer through gritted teeth.   The doors open and the overly … Read more

Tragedies like these shouldn’t happen.

20 children aren’t eating dinner tonight because of a crazy person armed with 4 guns.

People can go on and on about how “guns don’t kill people, people do”.  I don’t really follow that line of reasoning, especially at the moment.   Without the guns in the shooter’s hands, 20 kids are at home right now, begging to be allowed just a little more time on the computer.

Instead their parents are living a nightmare beyond imagining.   Oh to be able to go back in time and change one thing; just this one thing.

But we … Read more

Remember the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”?     When it was released I felt it was somewhat oversimplified and annoyingly repetitive.  (It would get stuck in your brain for days – in fact, you’re humming the melody right now aren’t you?)

Twenty four years later, I think it should be a mantra we all learn and attempt to live by.

The recent hubbub over the (failed) vote to support the U.N. Treaty on the Rights of People with Disabilities has revealed yet again how most of us allow our lives to be ruled by fear, anxiety and worry.   At least one … Read more

I’ll keep this as brief as possible.

I am disappointed that homeschooling families played a role in defeating our support of the U.N. Treaty  for the Rights of People with Disabilities.

Are we so susceptible to fear-mongering that we would believe the tripe being bandied about that says if we support such a treaty (one which is based on our own law, I might add) men in blue hats will storm our houses and take away our right to homeschool a disabled child?

Please.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that no U.N. Treaty will ever override the sovereignty of … Read more