My Philosophy
I oppose many of the practices of modern schools both public and
private on the grounds that they suppress the development of the individual,
they restrict real learning, and they promote dependency and passivity
rather than independence and self-direction.
Forcing young people into learning through the mechanisms of
testing, grading, constant supervision and rigid scheduling is backwards.
When coerced to learn material irrelevant to their lives
students lose a sense of self; they forget what is important and of
personal value to themselves and instead do what others deem important.
A rigid curriculum is also backwards; curricula are "one size fits
all" solutions that too often restrict the ability of students
to learn at their own pace. Finally, the idea that young people are
"blank slates" to be filled by an all-knowing teacher is backwards;
all students are natural learners and should be treated as such. It
is only when we assume that children can not be held responsible for
their own educations that they become irresponsible.
My belief is that to become a successful adult today,
a young person must grow up in freedom. This begins with education.
To educate in freedom is to put trust into the student.
Students
must be respected, and feel respected, as individuals capable
of making important decisions for themselves. The myriad benefits
of student-directed education begins with these two simple ideas:
trust and respect. Once these are established, a student will begin
to self-direct, to pursue personal interests, and to take charge of
life.
Some students can
self-direct naturally, with little adult assistance. Many other
students have the potential to self-direct, but they first need the
spark that lights the fire, especially if they have been raised in
a coercive educational environment. This is where I come in as a homeschooling
tutor and mentor.
My goal is to show my student that they can learn, with great effectiveness
and great joy, on their own. Through intense one-on-one mentoring
and academic tutoring I help my students realize that the only person
responsible for learning is you and that the quality of your life
is directly contigent upon the ability to educate yourself.
After tutoring your student will know how to effectively and happily
approach learning (both self-initiated and assigned). Your student
will have experience in vigorously pursuing personal interests and
the feelings of accomplishment that accompany it. And your student
will take education more seriously and begin learning naturally,
without the pressure of threats, bribes, and rewards.
Literature that has contributed to my philosophy includes:
- A Different Kind of Teacher - John Taylor Gatto
- The Teenage Liberation Handbook - Grace Llewellyn
- No More Nagging, Nit-Picking, or Nudging - Jim Wiltens
- The Sudbury Valley School Experience - Daniel Greenberg
- The Happy Child - Steven Harrison
Related websites and articles which I recommend include:
