Lately, I've been looking into unschooling and I had a few questions...?

Question

How will I be able to convine my parents of letting me start unschooling? At ypical conversation would be me asking to quit school, and my dad saying I'll be a loser if I quit. Also, if I do quit, will I be able to learn by myself without a parent or somebody to guide? Yes, I know it's childlead, but the parents play into it somehow. I've also been wondering about college options if I do. If I'll be able to attend/get a degree, how? Thanks for all the help. I may post more questions later.

Right now, I'm in 8th grade. And I don't want to here about how unschooling is bad. Both my parents work most of the week.

Answer 1

Homeschoolers do NOT have to get a GED, in fact, it's a huge mistake if you do. It says you dropped out instead of homeschooling, so get that idea out of your head. Many colleges accept homeschoolers (and for that matter, so does the military), and have different applications for them, in fact, go to any college website and look at admissions standards. For most it will say that homeschoolers need an ACT or SAT score, a special application, and one or two reference letters.

I would start talking to your parents about homeschooling. I wouldn't use the term unschooling because it's very apparent that your parents would not understand. I would plan very carefully what I wanted to do with my time, what would be learned from it, and present it to them very logically and showing how this pathway is beneficial. You can't appeal to emotions, because it doesn't not show maturity and that is precisely what you would need. Just because you quit school doesn't mean you quit learning! You could learn by yourself, but would you? Do you honestly think you could stay committed to learning without answering to someone else? Would you be willing to start homeschooling with your parents and then prove to them that you are motivated to do this without as much guidance? Knowing that blowing it once would probably get you back in school?

Homeschoolers aren't lazy, and they don't lay around all day. it takes a lot of committment on both the parent's part and the child's part. Especially with unschooling, because the assumption is that you are totally immersed in the world and in life...and learning from that. Lots of activities, lots of social stuff, lots of selfmotivation to read and do and explore without fear of being judged.

Good luck

Answer 2

I really don't like the term unschooling. I think homeschooling is more appropriate. Unschooling has been so misrepresented lately in the media that even mentioning may prejudice your family against it right away.

Before you go to your parents you should have a plan of what you want to study, and how you plan to accomplish it. If you are highly motivated, then you can even plan for concurrent enrollment at a junior college during your junior and senior years. This will also help in the area of college admissions.

Also, you need to check what your state laws are regarding homeschoolinging. In some states (Idaho, and Oklahoma for example), the laws make it quite easy to homeschool. Other states (like Washington) require homeschoolers to register AND take yearly assessment tests just like the public schoolers. This could also be a motivator for you, if your parents decide to homeschool based on you keeping at grade level on the tests.

Having your parents help and support is important. There are also co-ops that can help with tutoring in the harder areas.

So, be informed before you talk to them, and don't force them to give you an immediate answer. Find a homeschool support group in your area that your parents can get information from.

Answer 3

Take a look at what you just wrote, and count the spelling errors you have made? That's not a good example of why you should be even thinking of unschooling.
What is it about school that you don't like? How are your grades? The thing is, if you want to change the way in which you learn, asking to quit school isn't the way to go about it. You have to present a positive alternative. The notion of a child schooling him or herself is all very nice and idealistic, but what happens when you tackle a puzzle you can't solve and there is no one there who can help you with it? Do you think you have the dedication and determination to stay on a program by yourself, with no supervision, no set challenges, no grading, no exams --- I somehow doubt it. Expecting your parents to fill that gap may be a little presumptuous on your part. What are their time committments? Do either of your parents work? Could you take direction from either or both of them on an all day, every day basis? Or would it cause too much friction. Not all adults are good teachers. When it comes to that, not all teachers are good teachers, but they have at least had some training, which most parents have not had.
College isn't a problem - you can challenge the entry level courses and if you pass, you're in.

Answer 4

What is it about unschooling that appeals to you? At the high school level, parents tend to be very, very hands-off because usually the kids have had years of unschooling, have been exposed to a lot and are self-driven.

Instead of making such a drastic change as being in school to unschooling, what about just talk to them about homeschooling? It doesn't have to be very different from unschooling--you would still be the one to pick what you are studying and at what time and all that, but you'd work toward SAT's or diploma or whatever you have where you live, your parents will be reassured that you are getting an education and you will be reassured that you are doing what you need to in order to get into college and get a degree.

Answer 5

To begin, you would not be "quitting" school if you wanted to unschool. There is a distinct difference. When you leave school to pursue unschooling, your parents would have to provide the school district with a plan to home school. By quitting, you are implying that you are dropping out.

Unschooling is a great option for a student who has clear idea of what they want to learn. For instance, if you wanted to study to be an astronaut, then you would simply focus on that, allowing all of the "core classes" you have in school to be dictated by what astronomy would entail. You would still have your lessons in math, science, reading, grammer, etc. except that they would be focused primarily on your area of interest.

I know several students who have unschooled and have not only gone to college, but receieved full-ride scholorships to some of the top universities in the US. Typically, an unschooled students is going to learn faster because there is a high level of interest in the subject matter and they also do not have other students impeding their progress. You just have to be very focused and dedicated to make it work. Unschooling is not like have a summer vacation all year long...it is hard work and you have to motivate yourself if you want to be a success!

Good luck!

Answer 6

I strongly encourage you to finish your high school education. If you are having problems at school you can speak with your school social worker or guidance counselor. Depending upon the state that you live in your age will dictate what age you can leave high school and whetehr or not you need your parents' permission, as well as which programs you can participate in. It varies largely by state. Now, if you decide (after much thought and the support of your parents) that you are not going to be able to finish your high school education in a traditional setting there are many options available (again it may vary where you live). One option is that you can pursue a GED. You can do this at a community college while taking classes towards a degree (usually there is at least a 17 y/o age requirement). Also, some high schools offer evening GED programs. In some schools you can participate in a GED program while learning a trade (1/2 day of each). Normally with a GED you will need to start at a community college. After passing classes and doing well in a 2 year school you can apply to a four year college. This all sounds good...no high school and a college education BUT it is very hard from some kids to stay on task without the structure of a school day. Also, some kids feel defeated and never go on to pursue their GED/college education. Also, if your state allows it you can see if there is a qualified adult (sometimes a parent) that can home school you. If you have emotional or physical problems you might qualify for a teacher to come to your home each day and graduate with a regular diploma. Personally, I value education very highly and would think twice about leaving school. How many years left do you have until graduation? How are your grades? Can you double up on classes and graduate a year early? Are other kids making life miserable? Do you think that you can commit to an education and getting a GED/diploma? Would you feel adequate with a GED? Is there some accomodation that your hs can make to make you want to stay there longer? If you decide to drop out of school, you can be successful, but things might be harder and you will need to be twice as motivated to succeed.

Answer 7

Just have an honest conversation with them about why you don't want to attend school anymore. And plan out some things that'd you'd be doing with your time. What are some things that your interested in? What are you wanting to do with your life? You don't have to know everything and plan everything out at once,but just throw some ideas out there and start exploring those things. Maybe show your parents some articles on unschooling..Blake Boles is an amazing unschooling advocate and has many resources on it. I actually wrote a post on my blog about unschooling.
So basically;
Plan some things you'd spend your time doing;find someone to mentor you in something your interested in. So for example; your very interested in art. You could plan a weekly trip to the local art museum, galleries, studios.. Or simply search for a local artist or someones work you admire and contact them. Build connections and relationships, and who knows they could end up mentoring you and maybe eventually hiring you to work for them... And this isn't just for people interested in art. It could be anything.

I encourage you to check out Blake Boles' blog and resources.
And you might even find some help in the article i wrote..

http://www.blakeboles.com/
http://www.squidoo.com/the-freest-education-there-is#


[P.S I know this is like 7 years late,but hopefully this will help someone searching through YA]

Answer 8

I have to tell you I do an amount of unschooling with my children, and it takes more amount of work on the parent I feel than regular homeschooling. For example, instead of using a textbook for science, my daughter expressed last week that she wanted to learn all about water, so I hunted down all the books on water that we had in the house, we went to the library to check out additional books on water, and did experiments on water. I am trying to think of a cool field trip involving water, too, still working on that one. But anyway, you get the point, more than just sitting at a desk and opening a book for a parent, and it sounds like your parents are quite busy.

We also have been studying animals, the human body, and dinosaurs recently etc. all which required hunting down books, computer websites, and field trips mostly. If you are up to the challenge, you could figure out what your interests are, write them down, figure out what books, websites, and field trips you would like to handle. You also are almost old enough to probably handle some mentoring/externships as well; I would guess when you turn 15 you would be old enough maybe to work part-time if you have interests like baking at a bakery, photography at a photographer's studio, etc. I think you get my point. I started working part-time at 15 at a very boring cashier job and if you do that, work at a more meaningful job you will probably get more out of it.

Although we unschool for a majority of our curriculum, we still use math books/math curriculum. I think it is very difficult to unschool for math, and I think esp. in your case when your parents are very busy, I would recommend a math book/curriculum. I think math is very important in case later you decide you want to go to college or any other option in your future that has any math requirements for admission.

Another option you might want to consider is a cyberschool like K12.com. They are free in many states (don't know which you live in). You could check their website to see if you are one of them. They provide you with their curriculum and a free computer. They also have a supervising teacher to which you occasionally mail sample work and you do have to do the standardized testing that public school students do, but the advantages are that you have the diploma and will be able to get admitted to college the same as a public school student (since you are still considered a public school student schooling at home). Your parents may more easily agree to that option than unschooling so that may be another option for you to consider. Good luck with whatever you and your parents decide!

Answer 9

I read about "unschooling" and I think it's a load of crap. Basically, it's another excuse to let children do whatever they want. And, at your age, it's going to be considered "dropping out". You will have zero career options. Not even the military takes drop-outs any more.

Home schooling is an option, but not if your parents aren't ready to teach you. It takes alot of preparation on their part. Have you checked if your high school has courses you can take online? That would give you relief from the traditional classroom situation but still give you the credits you need.

Answer 10

Hey, how old are you? Honestly, I'm only 19, but why quit high school? You just have to show up.