My educational heroes
Apr. 8th, 2008 09:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mamagotchaA writer doing research for an article asked me to describe who I believe to be the strongest homeschooling pioneers and advocates.
The request: "My question for you is: Who do you feel was (or were) the greatest advocate(s), pioneer(s) in the home education movement? Please explain why you feel this person (or these persons) had the greatest impact. What do you see as their greatest contribution to it's growth."
My response:
On a personal level, my pioneers were my parents, who co-created a homeschooling cooperative in San Francisco as a response to the busing crisis in the late 1960s; the teenage Grant Colfax, who I knew from the dairy goat show circuit and was one of my first "real live homeschooler" exposures (long before his parents ever wrote their book); and Kate Raymond and Heather Smith, two young mothers I met nearly 20 years ago in Davis, CA who were planning to homeschool their own children and became my bridge to the homeschooling community. All these people inspired me by opening my eyes to the possibilities of alternative routes of education.
The families who trusted their children to lead their own educational process (ie, unschoolers) were the catalyst for my own conversion to that path in the early 90s. John Holt and John Taylor Gatto's written experiences were key, illustrating to me why public school DIDN'T work, but it was the real-life examples of day-to-day lifelong learners that finally won me over. Magazines like HEM, Mothering, The Doula, and The Compleat Mother gave me even more concrete examples from around the world, and helped me realize that we weren't just a little enclave of California hippie freaks... we were part of a global movement towards intentionally parenting our kids, in a way that celebrated each unique child and allowed them to fully blossom according to their own needs, skills and dreams.
Not exactly a hero or advocate, but my ex-husband forced me to re-examine and recommit to my unschooling philosophy by trying to legally force me to send my children to public school. Not only did I have to explain (multiple times to many professionals) why I would choose this method of education and how it played out in our family, but I had to defend it in court and witness my children each undergo a grueling series of interviews and test procedures to determine the veracity of my statements. To my relief (but not amazement), they passed with not only acceptable but utterly fabulous scores. We continued our homeschooling uninterrupted.
My children are my current advocate heroes. All three of my teens are pursuing their interests in creative and intentional manners (and, incidentally, getting great grades and reviews from their teachers and mentors ). The youngest will benefit from their legacy and create his own dreams to follow. Their actions will speak louder than any articles or speeches, letters to the editor or books... they will be the ambassadors of autodidactism to the next generation, solid proof that homeschooling (and specifically, unschooling) is an entirely appropriate and even excellent choice that produces happy, honest, intelligent, peaceful, productive and aware adult members of the community.
The request: "My question for you is: Who do you feel was (or were) the greatest advocate(s), pioneer(s) in the home education movement? Please explain why you feel this person (or these persons) had the greatest impact. What do you see as their greatest contribution to it's growth."
My response:
On a personal level, my pioneers were my parents, who co-created a homeschooling cooperative in San Francisco as a response to the busing crisis in the late 1960s; the teenage Grant Colfax, who I knew from the dairy goat show circuit and was one of my first "real live homeschooler" exposures (long before his parents ever wrote their book); and Kate Raymond and Heather Smith, two young mothers I met nearly 20 years ago in Davis, CA who were planning to homeschool their own children and became my bridge to the homeschooling community. All these people inspired me by opening my eyes to the possibilities of alternative routes of education.
The families who trusted their children to lead their own educational process (ie, unschoolers) were the catalyst for my own conversion to that path in the early 90s. John Holt and John Taylor Gatto's written experiences were key, illustrating to me why public school DIDN'T work, but it was the real-life examples of day-to-day lifelong learners that finally won me over. Magazines like HEM, Mothering, The Doula, and The Compleat Mother gave me even more concrete examples from around the world, and helped me realize that we weren't just a little enclave of California hippie freaks... we were part of a global movement towards intentionally parenting our kids, in a way that celebrated each unique child and allowed them to fully blossom according to their own needs, skills and dreams.
Not exactly a hero or advocate, but my ex-husband forced me to re-examine and recommit to my unschooling philosophy by trying to legally force me to send my children to public school. Not only did I have to explain (multiple times to many professionals) why I would choose this method of education and how it played out in our family, but I had to defend it in court and witness my children each undergo a grueling series of interviews and test procedures to determine the veracity of my statements. To my relief (but not amazement), they passed with not only acceptable but utterly fabulous scores. We continued our homeschooling uninterrupted.
My children are my current advocate heroes. All three of my teens are pursuing their interests in creative and intentional manners (and, incidentally, getting great grades and reviews from their teachers and mentors ). The youngest will benefit from their legacy and create his own dreams to follow. Their actions will speak louder than any articles or speeches, letters to the editor or books... they will be the ambassadors of autodidactism to the next generation, solid proof that homeschooling (and specifically, unschooling) is an entirely appropriate and even excellent choice that produces happy, honest, intelligent, peaceful, productive and aware adult members of the community.