Some months ago, I was interviewed for a Pacific Standard piece on unschooling. The conversation I had with the reporter was long, winding, and enjoyable. The final piece inevitably left a lot out, but I thought it represented what we talked about fairly well. Then I read Gracy Olmstead’s interpretation of the interview in The… Read More Unschooling: they just don’t get it
Last night I saw the movie The Wolfpack. It tells the story of six brothers, mostly teenagers, growing up in New York City. Their father rarely let them emerge from their sixteenth floor apartment, so they spent the majority of their lives inside. They were homeschooled, and boy, were they isolated. They had no friends outside… Read More ‘The Wolfpack’
Today I read an excellent post by John Taylor Gatto, responding to a mom asking How Do I Rekindle Curiosity in My Teenagers? His answers were spot on, and they should be. As a New York City public school teacher, he helped rekindle the curiosity of countless young people. One thing he said jumped out… Read More Why are we doing this?
Everywhere I turn today I’m seeing pictures of and reading about Caitlyn Jenner. Why didn’t she use a K? She looks like Jessica Lange. And more than anything else, she’s absolutely gorgeous. I agree she’s gorgeous. So does Laverne Cox, who is also gorgeous. But what does that mean? After appearing on the cover of… Read More Caitlyn, Laverne, & The Butterfly Music Transgender Chorus
Just the other day I posted about how sitting still is overrated. Yesterday, the New York Times published an opinion piece on the downside of early academics, which is linked to sitting at desks. Let the Kids Learn Through Play, the headline urges. To which I respond, what do you think we’ve been doing? By… Read More Play’s the thing
Today I came across an article titled Vindication for Fidgeters: Movement May Help Students With ADHD Concentrate. I realize that labels and diagnoses are helpful to some people, but when I was homeschooling my young children, I didn’t think much about them. Schools can be especially difficult environments for active kids, but mine weren’t in… Read More Fidgeting and learning
Careful the things you say/Children will listen/Careful the things you do/Children will see and learn – Stephen Sondheim Today is National Teacher Day. It’s been a long time since I went to public school, but I remember all of my teachers. If I had to pick one to honor, it would be Miss Woodruff. I… Read More Thoughts on National Teacher Day
Last weekend I attended events at Visitas, a chock-full weekend for students admitted to Harvard College and their families. We are local to Harvard, and quite familiar with the neighborhood and the campus through community events, arts events, and the Extension School. I’ve been in the audience and on the stage (thank you, Revels) of… Read More Thoughts on Harvard & homeschooling
Did you know that Screen-Free Week is coming right up? It’s May 4-10. During that time, people are encouraged to “rediscover life beyond the screen.” These days, screens are everywhere, but once upon a time there was just the television. My husband and I decided to live without one many years ago. The old clunker we had… Read More Life without television
Last week I attended a homeschooling book group discussion about The Legacy of John Holt. We were fortunate to have Pat Farenga in attendance. He shared stories about John Holt the person — his ideas, his journey, his quirks, and his commitment to his beliefs. The meeting inspired me to read Holt titles I haven’t… Read More Inspired by John Holt
A Potluck Life 