by Ashley Logsdon

I Am Not A Teacher (But I Unschool)

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This last week, we had a 48 Days Coaching with Excellence event out at my parent’s property.  Many of you know my role with 48 Days, and in this event, we work with people to see how coaching can be a viable part of their business.  I speak on DISC personality styles, and we spend two days diving in to the details of being a (successful) coach.

kidpreneursNow, my daughters always get geared up for these events, as they know a crowd full of eager entrepreneurs just love to support their business endeavors.  So as not to pull away from the main event people paid for, the girls set up an outdoor bazaar behind the building, all displayed for customers to browse during breaks.

Jules rocked it with caricature drawings and an insane amount of cuteness, Ellie sold mini muffins and did hand massages for tips, and Clara sold her greeting cards and her new book she co-wrote and illustrated with my mother – “What If It Were Possible?

 

These girls worked it.  They love to work a crowd and talk to people about their business endeavors.  In this, the topic always comes up on how they are schooled.  We “unschool” – and this concept is hard to grasp, as it is so opposite of what we know in the traditional school setting.

If I could boil it down to one fabulous quote, this one speaks to me:

I am not a Teacher Robert Frost

 

At the event, Clara made such an impact on people – not just selling her products, but giving it the personal twist by autographing the book, taking pictures with those who bought, and speaking in front of the room about what all she is doing and learning.  One of the attendees wrote this blog post about her, which hit a cord with many in his audience: Simplicity Lessons from Kidpreneur Clara Isabel Logsdon, and another was set out to prove to Clara that dogs really can climb trees (and anything is possible)!

My daughter just turned nine, and she’s on her fourth business venture.  The only time she’s stepped foot in a traditional school setting is when she spoke to second and third-graders about her book (you can see the full presentation here) that will be released through a publisher in October (but you can buy now – and have it signed by her – on her website!)

For us, teaching our children encompasses the quote above.  We don’t have subjects, tests, or comparisons to peers.  If Clara were to be dropped in a public school third grade class, I have no doubt there would be many things she does not know that we’ve not even addressed.  But…my goal is not for her to mark off the list all that she’s memorized.  It’s…not even for her to learn.  (what??)   Let me say that again – my goal is not to teach my children.  

Then what is it?  If not to teach, and they are “homeschooled, unschooled, whatever”…how are they learning??   They are learning by life.  They learn by experience, and by desire.  I don’t want to simply tell them how to think or what to think.  I want to awaken them.  

  • I want to expose them to opportunity, and allow them to learn as they navigate it.
  • I want them to know how to find answers – through reading, research and talking with others.
  • I don’t compartmentalize their learning into subjects any more than we as adults say we are only learning “reading” when we pick up a book, “cooking” when we prepare a meal, or “shopping” when we are buying new furniture.
  • I want them to challenge what “is” and think outside the box.
  • I want them to problem-solve and come up with something that works, even if it’s not the way I would do it.
  • I want them to never, ever want to stop learning.

kids learn naturallyClara has learned how to read, all about art, perspective, math, economics, profit/loss, business, public speaking, language, history and geography (I could go on and on) based on her own creative desires.  She loves art, so she has been exposed to all kinds of variety.  She loves movies, so we’ve explored all the things that go into making a movie, and she’s learned how to create her own.  She has interviewed a veterinarian, basically lived at the zoo, been to art exhibits and in art shows herself, visited the Smithsonian, Williamsburg and DC, lived a month in another country, and more.

I love the concept that I don’t teach, but awaken.  Yet I can also say that we are all teachers – each and every one of us.   I believe we all have the opportunity to learn from one another.  And when the learning comes from that deep desire within you to understand, the grasp of knowledge runs solid.

I want to dive into education a bit more over the next few weeks/months.  Time and time again this comes up, I have had an eBook in the works for a while, and I’d like to open up the conversation to ensure I can give you resources you want.

Let me know your thoughts on “education” below.  And, let me know how you learn best – hands on, video, audio, reading, etc!

 
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This is the first post in the unschooling series. Read them all here:

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About the author, Ashley Logsdon

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Ashley Logsdon is a Family and Personality Styles Coach and Lifelong Learner. She and her husband Nathan are RVing the States and unschooling their 3 girls. Her mission is to shift the mindsets of families from reaction to intention, and guide them in creating the family they love coming home to. Looking deeper than the surface, we assess the strengths, triggers, and simplifying your lifestyle so you truly recognize how the uniqueness in each of us strengthens all of us.

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  1. Wonderful post, Ashley. Since meeting you and your sweet family last year, I’ve really expanded my view of education and what we want it to look like for our family. I’ve given myself permission to view education differently than I had for the first 26 years of my life. You have provided me with so many resources and so much encouragement. I look forward to hearing more about your unschooling adventures and watching your children flourish. Way to go, Mama!

  2. Thanks Celeste! I completely agree with you – there is no schooling option that works for everyone at all! In reference to working parents, yes, I talk about how I have the “privilege” of being able to unschool – not every family can have a parent be at home with their kids, and then you get into a single-parent house and it’s even harder. This is why I advocate for ALL education, and not just for unschooling. The traditional school setting is the only option for many – when you start to pull out your child as an individual entity, you are investing more time and/or money – through homeschooling, private school, tutors, etc. Public school is free childcare – that is HUGE for many families.

    Just like in Dad’s business http://www.48Days.com, he talks about finding work you love – and he focuses a lot on being an entrepreneur. But that lifestyle isn’t for everyone, either. So the biggest thing I think 48Days can do for all is to offer a paradigm shift – that EVERYONE is their own boss – THEY are in charge of the life they choose. It’s shifting the focus of responsibility onto their own two shoulders and giving them the power to be intentional about their lives and not simply a victim of circumstance.

    Same goes for schooling – before you even decide what school option is going to work for your family (and each individual child), you first shift the focus of responsibility being on others for your child to learn. You focus on how to create a lifelong learner, so the responsibility falls on them to grow and see everyone, everything, every experience, as a learning opportunity. Regardless of what childcare or school situation they are in, learning (and education) is not limited within those walls.

    I love that you are looking at a morph of different options. Co-Ops are huge and a great way to go for non-traditional schooling while not taking it all on yourself when you work. For us, I have a nanny two days a week, and I have a tutor that randomly comes in as well. They have done mothers-day-out programs, co-ops, and extracurricular activities as well.

    Finding a tutor/nanny is an awesome solution to have a more customized path that works for a dual working or single-parent home. However, the cost can be pretty intense. Adding in other families is an excellent idea, and I’ve done this as well. Few words of caution – when parents choose something other than public school, they are doing so intentionally and most likely have a strong opinion on what they want. The more families involved, the more varied expectations – this is why in larger school systems you have to go by a herd mentality and act for the greater good. So keep in mind that the bigger the group, the cost will be lower, but the voices can be more and more diffused. Create a common vision, have clear and open communication, and regularly check in so all families are on board as a team and feel heard. I can definitely go more in depth with you on this option.

    And yep, I started with eBooks, and then took a step back and realized that if I were marketing to mamas like me, I wouldn’t have the time to read an eBook, so I shouldn’t expect other busy mamas to, either! I have my eBook on DISC for families available now, but next on my to-do list is to create an expanded audio version of it to offer as a standalone, plus a physical product. I am looking at adding more audio and video to the mix!

  3. Sure thing – I love spreading inspiration, and I’d say my #1 way to spread love and inspiration is to raise little world-changers that are doing it themselves!

  4. Ashley, this was beautifully written and a great way to describe “unschooling.” Working in the public education sector for many years taught me that traditional schooling is not right for everyone, though – to be fair – neither is homeschooling. I was homeschooled myself for health reasons for a brief period at a time when parents were offered no resources whatsoever… and we got by just fine! I’m really interested to learn more about your e-book, and specifically I hope you’ll address how parents in dual income homes can work homeschooling into life. I’ve actually seriously contemplated hiring a professional teacher to homeschool my child and a class of 10 from our city, because I think many working moms love the idea of homeschooling but simply can’t leave the workforce for so many years. In answer to your question, I’m a big fan of audio lessons because I can listen while I commute, cook, etc. Thanks, Ashley!

  5. Hi Ashley,
    It was a pleasure to meet you and your beautiful family.
    You and your husband are doing an amazing job with your children. You are an inspiration to us all.
    Thank you for the opportunity to share Clara’s story.

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