Creating Routines as Neurodivergent Unschooling Families
How can unschooling families who live with neurological disorders create and maintain routine? Choosing unschooling or self-directed education, even when it’s the right choice, doesn’t mean it’s all easy peasy lemons. For neurodivergent families or neurodivergent learners, however, the response is itself what becomes challenging. A great read for neurodivergent homeschooling families and educators!
Creative Ideas for Hands-on Activities for Teens (with examples!)
Parents, families, and educators often inquire about hands-on activities to engage teen learners. “What can I do with him?” Maybe your thirteen year old can’t stop playing Roblox. Maybe your fifteen year old is interested in Anime, Manga, and YouTube. Maybe your sixteen year old is taken by hearing and sharing jokes. If the topics of interest are either on screens or in speech, then how do we transfer learning into hands-on activities? This post outlines what hands-on means, what it does not mean, and how it can impact the development of a teenager.
Tools for Building Confidence: For Unschoolers, Homeschoolers, & Unconventional Learners
In the world of homeschooling and particularly in the world of unschooling and self-directed education, there is this common struggle that children are “not doing anything” or “not learning anything.”
There are two tools I will share in the name of building your confidence: 1. A practice of non-judgmental observation and 2. A practice of gratitude.
Fear in the Land of Alternative Education
A commonly observed challenge in alternative education is that we fear that we aren’t qualified to guide young people.
Fear is not inherently bad. Like any emotion, it’s a signal. Emotional intelligence partially means being able to tune in to that emotion, listen to it, make meaning, and respond. So, when we can, we must pause. Take the time to sit with our fear and have a much needed conversation. Why are you here, fear? What do I need from you? Tease out its function, search for validity. In all likelihood, there’s some truth to find. By pausing, being curious, and demonstrating courage, you will better understand and own your insecurities, thereby conquering them.