The Living Room Becomes the Classroom: Exploring Unschooling with Judy Arnall
In today’s episode, we discuss the concept of “unschooling”, a learner-directed educational approach popularized by John Holt, contrasting it with traditional schooling.
Traditional? Actually what we know as “unschooling” was considered pretty normal until the Industrial Revolution introduced the concept of the 8-hour work day, parents working far from home. What to do with the kids?
Voila! The modern school environment was born. And while there are some pretty good public and even private institutions, even the best of intentions can’t undo basic humanity and how we’re programmed to learn how to live life, learn a trade or a profession, etc.
Our guest, Judy Arnall, is the author of ‘Unschooling to University’. Judy shares her journey into unschooling driven by her dissatisfaction with authoritarian school environments and her commitment to non-punitive parenting.
Judy explains the benefits of unschooling, such as fostering a child’s innate curiosity and self-directed learning, and addresses common concerns like gaps in knowledge and the role of screens in education. We also touch on the practicalities of unschooling, such as transitioning to formal learning for university preparation and overcoming societal misconceptions about educational authority.
The conversation includes Judy’s insights into brain development, discipline versus punishment, and the advantages of personalized, interest-driven education for children.
Be sure to tune in to my follow-up interview with Judy which focuses exclusively on the concept of non-punitive parenting. If you’re exasperated with trying to get your kids to “do the right thing,” you might want to give it a listen!
In this interview with Judy, you’ll discover:
01:59 Judy’s Journey into Unschooling
04:04 The Concept of Discipline vs. Punishment
05:04 Critique of Traditional Schooling Methods
07:21 Impact of Traditional Schooling on Children
08:14 Unschooling and Special Needs
09:28 Common Objections to Unschooling
15:09 The Role of Video Games in Education
18:43 Transitioning to Unschooling
24:44 Challenges and Considerations in Unschooling
26:22 Addressing Concerns About Unschooling
26:37 Teaching Commitment and Grit
27:22 Personal Experiences with Commitment
29:53 Managing Screen Time and Activities
31:30 Transitioning to Formal Education
33:49 The Role of Khan Academy
35:42 Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling
43:10 Parental Rights in Education
45:48 Resources for Unschooling
46:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Resources mentioned:
About the guest:
Judy Arnall, BA, CCFE (Certified Canadian Family Life Educator), DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) is an international award winning professional keynote speaker and a well-known Canadian parenting expert, having given advice for television interviews on CBC, CTV, and Global as well as publications such as Chatelaine, Today’s Parent, Canadian Living, Parents magazine, and newspapers including The Globe and Mail, Sun Media and Postmedia News.
Judy is certified in the Brain Story and many training programs such as The Growing Brain: 0-5, by ZeroToThree.org, Terrific Toddlers by AHS-Alberta Health Services, P.E.T. Parent Effectiveness Training, Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (Durrant), and Attached At The Heart by API-Attachment Parenting International.
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