Unschooling is a term coined by John Holt (1923-1985), an American author and educator, who believed that “children who were provided with a rich and stimulating learning environment would learn what they are ready to learn, when they are ready to learn it”.
He pointed out that children did not need to be coerced into learning; they would do so naturally, if given the freedom to follow their own interests and a rich assortment of resources. This line of thought came to be called unschooling.
The decision to Unschool your children should come from your family’s inherent values and virtues. It must spring from a place of understanding what you deem important, to achieve the answer to Life’s Ultimate Questions: Who am I and What is My Purpose in this Lifetime?
Self learning is the highest form of education, because it all stems from Self motivation.
Self motivation is the highest form of emotional quotient because it stems from the desire for continued Self Improvement.
Education as an institution will always have a place in our modern life system. We need the institution to teach and refine the knowledge of Math, Science, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine, Research, the Rule of Law and such. But is it for your child?
With the recent pandemic that forced an unprecedented closing of schools, many parents were at a loss on how to motivate their children to continue their traditional schooling at home. A good number of parents reported that their children eagerly continued with their favorite subjects, but were dragging themselves to finish their “least” favorite ones.
And I tell this to them: This is your clue. This holds the key to your child’s gift and purpose!
Focus on encouraging your child to advance and learn everything that he/she finds exciting and interesting.This is where their power lies! There is a famous albeit anonymous quote that stated:
“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
I am raising two teenage boys. The eldest at 21 years, and the youngest at 18.
My husband, Odyssey M. Flores is the most awarded Director of Photography (Cinematographer) in the Philippines. His movies are consistently screened at Cannes Film Festival. He’s been awarded as Best in Cinematography in Spain’s Las Palmas FilmFestival, South Africa’s Durban International Film Festival, and Singapore’s Spikes Asia Awards. He studied Cinematography at Mowelfund Film Institute, and pursued further studies at New York University.
I finished my International Studies Major in World Politics and World History at Maryknoll College. I then decided to pursue my love for Beauty at Cinema Makeup School in Los Angeles, California. I am a Professional Makeup Artist for TV Commercials.
When it was time to school our children, it was imperative for my husband and I that the school’s focus was discovering and building our children’s strengths, their innate talents. We are a highly artistic and creative family and we knew early on that our children would thrive in an environment that would celebrate and nurture their God given gifts. My husband and I decided that the Montessori style could work for our children. Their emphasis on self-learning, independence, and equality was something close to our beliefs.
As the years went by, we saw how our children were slowly losing the light and happiness that we thought schooling would provide. Tests, competition, the dimming of their sense of self… we had to intercede and decide what was best for our children.
The turning point was when my youngest, while stuck in traffic nonchalantly said, “If family is the most important unit in society, if family is the most important thing in the world; why is it that we are only given 2 full days in a week to be with our families? Why are we only given a few hours each day, for 5 days to be together? Why do we have to spend 7 hours a day, 5 times a week away from our families?”
Our way of “learning” is so far away from traditional. My husband and I believe in Child Lead Learning. We all have our innate talents as our Gifts to the World. It is the parents’ responsibility to discover this in their children. Once discovered, it is the parents’ duty to provide all the necessary tools. A sweet, gentle, and safe environment for the seed to blossom.
We hired personal tutors that guided our children to pursue their own interests, in subjects that they were curious to learn more about. We discovered that one on one learning is the best way to go, our children were thriving at their own pace. We were able to do away with the unnecessary pressure to keep up and conform with the norm.
My children are into creating- music, film, photography, acting, painting, cooking, martial arts, and sports. They are very much into History, Philosophy and the Arts. And they are evolving into self-aware individuals.
My eldest son currently works as a Teen Mentor at John Robert Powers, Philippines. He is also doing Theatre acting with focus on Filipino drama.
My youngest directed his first music video at 16, got work as a Cinematographer/Photographer for Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Calvin Klein, and New York Times at 17. He Directed and did DOP work for a TV Commercial at 18 ☺️
My children have tremendous self esteem. They know how to take care of themselves and explore their full potential because they discovered their strengths at an early age. They are smart, respectful and compassionate human beings. They know their place in the world.
The world is their school. Their thesis is Mastery of Self.
Be bold, be brave…. gently stir your children’s lives and watch them bloom to be your Gift to the World long after you’re gone.
Images courtesy of Sunshine Flores via Instagram
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