Sunday 18 May 2014

Hack Schooling.

The topic of schooling is currently a large one in the World of my ex husband and I.

I've always been fascinated with the idea of homeschooling and discovering different ways to teach and learn. But now that the impending Primary Education of my eldest, Master 4 is looming - everything has spiralled into one big stand-off disagreement.
I bought up the idea of "Hack Schooling", a practise spoken about in the YouTube video I will link below.
The main ideas of cultivating happiness and LIFE, instead of burning yourself out and making a LIVING, being a leading point.

I like the idea of utilising passions and ideas already prominent within a child's mind to facilitate education.
I like to the idea of teaching them about things that will actually benefit them in life, instead of following a set curriculum that is targeted at the general population, instead of at the individual.

Firstly, since its fair to be honest, I hated school. I should also mention however, that I was very GOOD at school. I was almost always an A student, and although I was incredibly tardy (preferring to work from bed, or at 1am in the morning sprawled out in the lounge room) I did incredibly well.
Aside from the bullying, the lack of subjects that interested me, and the manner in which we had to follow a strict curriculum, I would like to point out that most of what I learnt (and retained) over my school years was not actually taught in school.

I do not remember Pythagorastheorem. I couldn't sing you a scale in C Mixolydian if you payed me (now, for those playing at home, I just targeted a math and a music subject. I'm not playing favourites with "oh, all art subjects are good, and all sciencey ones are bad", so you may cease your inner dialogue.)

I learnt a lot about history. History that interested me. Spiralling from a Studio Arts project, where I was doing slap together pieces (on the old practice of blood letting), I researched Vlad the Impaler ad Elizabeth Bathory. I did a small history assignment on them, not so I would be getting higher marks (I didn't), just because I was captivated. I still remember everything I learnt. Learnt, if I remember correctly, whilst smoking in the park around the corner from school, cause I just couldn't deal with the class room environment.

The things I learnt in the classroom are more or less entirely lost on me now. I don't know Math Methods anymore, and anyone who has seen me bake knows that Home Ec was a total waste of time.
The stress put onto children in school repulses me. What should my career be?
Good God, I don't even know what I want for lunch. That said, if you really do know what you want to pursue, should you not be allowed to throw yourself into it utterly? Why learn Native American History if you really want to be an engineer?

I don't actually believe school taught me any real "life" skills. I was totally inexperienced for the World and the thing is, I really believe there are some simple 'classes' that should absolutely be taught in every school that would help prepare our youth far better than geography or German.

* Tax Returns - seriously, I've only just started to wrap my head around them, and I'm 26.
* Loans - whether for the home, a car, to get by, or a holiday. Wouldn't it be nice to be so educated on all the pit falls that we don't make catastrophic mistakes that so many or our peers, if not we ourselves, made straight out of school?
* Basic car care - I still don't know how to change the oil, or even check the coolant levels.
* Communication. We live in an age of technology, and as such, focus should be placed on learning how to communicate effectively with other people. Everyone commuicates differently. We should understand and respect all those different ways in order to function at our up most within society.
* Politics. I understood sweet F/A when it first came time for me to vote. So I did what every idiot does, I threw my vote away with a Donkey Vote. Stupid, stupid, Tara.
* Basic cooking. Learn how to use pantry staples. Learn how to make 8 different meals from scratch.
* BUDGETING. This, just this. Budget, budget, budget. Learn how to do it. You cant live off Mi Goreng and Fruity Lexia all your life (although, it can be fun trying). You need to pay bills, rent, and eat. You don't need the new iPhone.

*World religions, the share market, economics, bank accounts, identifying and protecting yourself from scammers, the importance of charity, animal and social welfare - these and so much more would improve the calibre of people coming into the world far more than the current system .

Also, how cool would it be to have a class dedicated to Life Hacks? You know, like anything here..
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/10/clever-life-hacks-to-simplify-your-world/

I had something similar to the Life Hack idea when I was in school.
My boyfriend and I could create a bong out of a neighbourhood garden hose, a coke bottle, a coke can, a lighter, and Hubba Bubba. Little MacGyvers, right? What if we had have been encouraged to make something constructive?

I believe in a loose routine. Not the kind of regimented structure modern school imposes.
My kids know they will always get breakfast, do they know exactly what or exactly what time? No. And you know what. They're just fine.
Why wake up at dawn, to yell and scream, and rush and get ready, just to venture out in the cold, to arrive at a place stressed out, and over it already by 9am.
I don't know about you, but I would be far more receptive if my first 'class' was held in pajamas, in the warmth, with a side of bacon and eggs.

And yes, I can already hear you, "But, Tara! You're not preparing them for the real World! How will they hold down a job if they believe everything should always be so flexible?"
I have an answer for that actually; to prepare for the workforce, they get a casual job in the workforce just like every other kid does at 14 and 9 months.

Work is work. Work is meant to be fixed and slightly abhorrent (unless you're very lucky).
School is not work, at least it shouldn't be.

Do we really want the youth of our kids' spent with them spending 6 hours a day, if not more,  in a "work" environment.

Work is the place for uniform, not school. "But Tara! Stop trying to turn your kids into little versions of you!"
I'm not. If they want to wear Demonia boots, pierce their face and colour their hair - hooray!
If they want to wear comfortable tracksuits for the majority of the time - hooray! If they want to study in their bathers on hot days so they can jump into the pool or the waves when they take a break - hooray!
If they want to learn wrapped in a doona because it gives them comfort - hooray!
I really don't care.
The way you dress should not effect the way you learn. And yet, although I went to a public school, I remember spending more time discussing the hole in my face (where I would put my labret piercing in after school hours) and my shoes, then anything about what I was apparently being 'taught'.
Does that sound right to you?
I actually got send home because I had the wrong shoes. That's right kids, you just cant learn in sneakers - its impossible.

And the fear of not having soicially adjusted children? I'm not planning on keeping them in the house all day (you weirdos) I want them to learn within the community. I want them in sport clubs, music groups, whatever their interests are. I want them to be knowledgeable about all aspects of society, not just about who Amanda shagged at Marks party.

I'm not saying we should totally boycott the current school system, I'm simply saying there is no reason why an alternative system wont turn out young adults just as adjusted, if not more so, than the current one.

Most readers with still think I'm crazy I guess, and that's OK. I have no problem with my peers sending their children to normal schools, it just amuses me that so many have an issue with the concept of my children being taught in an alternative manner.

Happiness is key. I want my three beautiful children to experience life, not read it from a text book.

So, in the words of the very delicious, and very talented Chris Cornell - "Show me how to live"



To see the video that made up my mind.....

Hack Schooling


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