Remember that grown unschooler questionnaire I posted quite a while back, the one that lead to the publishing of a lovely bunch of interviews with grown unschoolers? Well now I am thrilled to be resurrecting that series, with this interview with Chloe! I hope you enjoy reading it, and if you're a grown unschooler, I hope you'll consider filling out the questionnaire and becoming part of this series as well. And now, I'll hand things over to Chloe:
I am Chloe, I have been educating myself since I was 9 years old. Instead
of schoolwork or "homework" I spent my time doing other things.
Instead of Phys. Ed. I was riding my bike with my brothers or friends every
day, and hiking in the woods with my dad and
my dog. Instead of English class,
I read Jack London and Anne Rice and Shakespeare (among countless
others), and when I was twelve I wrote a two hundred page Adventure novel with
characters based on friends. I then got myself a copy of the current writers
and illustrators market and learned about how to get a book edited and
published. Instead of science, I watched the Crocodile Hunter religiously, I
read the origin of species, and numerous zoology books from the library, and
then I went outside and hunted down frogs, salamanders,turtles, snakes, I
taught myself how to identify them, and where they lived. I had the time for many "Extra-curricular activities" such
as volunteering at the library, horseback riding, martial arts classes,
training my dog, tye dying tee shirts, going to music festivals, museums, or
just to the park to play, hike, or swim.
Now I am an adult but I still feel like a kid, and an unschooler, because
my learning didn't stop when I walked out of school. I am always learning, I am
always seeking out what I want to know, what I want to do, and how I can make a
difference in the world. Unschooling has made me who I am, and I am an
unschooler for life.
When did you become an unschooler?
4th grade officially, I realized it at about 12.
How long have you unschooled/did you unschool?
10 years.
How old are you now?
20.
Do you have any siblings? If so, did
they/do they unschool as well?
Yes I have two younger brothers who have never been to school in their
lives.
If your parents chose unschooling, do you know how/why they made that
decision?
At the time I think I was too busy enjoying life to pay attention to my
parents motives, but I can say that I know their decision was influenced a lot
by other local families who unschooled.
If you chose to leave school, can you talk a bit about what led to that
decision, and how the actual process of leaving went (how did your parents,
friends, teachers, etc. react? What were
the challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?).
My parents made the ultimate decision, but I was fine with that! I was
lucky enough to be leaving school in the same year as two of my best friends,
who's parents were also deciding to home school. So I was pretty fearless about
leaving, I couldn't wait.
I remember being so happy that I was going on summer vacation and never
coming back, I told all my teachers, I don't remember their reactions but I
wish I did.
What do you think the best thing about unschooling is?
The best thing about unschooling is freedom! The freedom of your mind: The
freedom to read what you want, do what you love, be friends with anyone you
want, follow your dreams, and to question anything. The freedom of your own
time, to pursue what you want. The freedom of being able to live life in the
real world instead of just preparing for it.
What do you think the worst (or most difficult) thing about unschooling is?
Probably other people's ignorance and closed mindedness. Schools train us
so well to believe that we cannot learn or be successful without them, and it's
difficult to tell people who think this way that you don't do schoolwork at
all.
Did you decide to go/are you going to college or university? If so, could you talk a bit about that
experience?
I went to college for two years and just recently took a semester off. I
really just wanted to try it out of curiosity. I was very excited, and loved
most of my classes.
Did you decide not to go to college or university? If so, could you talk a bit about that
experience, and what (if anything) you decided to do differently instead of
college?
I decided to stop at the moment to step back and decide what I want to do
with my life. I don't look at college as the only option for creating a happy
and successful life. If I decide to become an English teacher or a zoologist,
then I'll be going back to College. If I decide to become a novelist, a world
traveler, or a farmer I will have no use for it.
Are you currently earning money in any way?
I am currently working for my boyfriend's family's business in which we do
catering making pizza on a firetruck. It is a lot of fun!
What jobs/ways of earning money do you, and have you, had?
My first job was as a volunteer at a local horse farm when I was 12, it was
hard work and long hours but I loved it more than anything, I learned about
working as well as learning about caring for, riding and training horses. If I
had been in school I would not have had nearly as much time to spend doing
this.
I worked in a small pet store when I was sixteen, I worked there for two
years and made some lifelong friends in the process. I was able to work a lot
more hours than the other high school age kids working there.
When the first pet store I worked at closed, I worked at Petsmart, doing dog
training and grooming, but I ended up leaving because I hated being told what
color socks to wear and having a script to spout to each and every customer.
I have also done waitressing for the past two years, along with numerous
other restaurant jobs, which is a little hectic but good money and sometimes a
lot of fun!
Have you found work that's fulfilling and enjoyable?
Yes. Because of my working experience I know how important it is to me to
have a job that I really enjoy, something which I can dedicate myself to.
Have you found that unschooling has had an impact on how hard or easy it is
to get jobs or earn money?
I never once had a potential
employer look down upon the fact that I did not go to high school, And when I
was younger I had a huge advantage being able to work weekday hours, when the
high school kids had to give up their weekends.
Do you feel that unschooling has had an impact on what methods of earning
money or jobs you're drawn to?
Unschooling has taught me to be self motivated and to do what makes me
happy. I never had someone telling me that work isn't supposed to be fun, and
so I only sought out and kept jobs which I enjoyed.
What impact do you feel unschooling has had on your life?
I can't imagine what I would be like
if I had gone to school! I know I would be less mature, due to cliques etc.
Thanks to unschooling I didn't have to try to impress anyone, and I become
friends with whoever I like.
I know that I would not read as much
as I do. My appetite for reading would be suffocated by being forced to read
things that are not of my choosing and having no time to read the things that truly interest me thanks to 6 hours a day or more spent in school as well as
homework.
I would not be so independent in seeking out the things that I am
interested in.
I would not question authority as
much, or at all.
If you could go back in time, is there anything about your
learning/educational journey that you'd change?
I would have kept doing Ballet,
which I gave up on when I was 13 because I saw that most girls had been doing
it since they were very young and I had not. But I love Ballet and wish so much
that I had kept to it.
If you have children, are they unschooled?
Alternately, if you were to have children, would you choose to unschool
them?
I cannot wait to unschool my own children someday! It is one thing that is
very, very important to me.
What advice would you give to teens looking to leave high school?
Read the Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn!! It is inspiring
and funny, and full of resources! It will give you the information to know what
you are doing, as well as the confidence to do it.
What advice would you give to someone looking to skip, or to drop out of,
college or university?
Follow your dreams! What do you love most in the world? What could you
spend your life doing that would make you happy every single day? Do that! And
if College is needed, then go, if not don't go!
What advice would you give to unschooling parents (or parents looking into
unschooling)?
Also read the Teenage Liberation Handbook, it is written for teens but it
is a wonderful book for parents as well. Also try Dumbing us Down by John
Taylor Gatto. Go to some conferences, meet some local unschoolers (because
there are more of them than you think!). Think about your own values, what kind
of people do you want your children to grow up to be? Independent, self driven
thinkers and learners? The first thing
to do is educate yourself about it.
Is there anything else you'd like to talk about or add?
I am forever thankful to my mother, for always believing in myself and my
brothers, for educating us in ways school never could, and for showing us what
life is about. I only hope I can be as good as you someday.