An Un-curriculum

New Jersey takes a delightfully laissez-faire stance concerning homeschooling. I remember feeling some slight shock upon learning that the state takes very little interest in children who don’t go to school. Homeschooling parents are not required to possess a teaching credential, no testing is required, and there is no oversight by the state. It was so ridiculously easy. I said to Lucia, “How would you feel about not going back to school in September?” She did the dance of joy. And presto! We were unschoolers. I did write a letter to her former principal and superintendent, but this was an act of courtesy. I was not legally required to inform them of anything.

Come September we’ll be New Yorkers. Things are different there. Not only will they want to know that Lucia exists, they’ll want to know what she’s learning. They’ll even want to have some say in the matter. They’ll want me to submit an IHIP (individualized home instruction plan), quarterly reports, and an annual assessment. Lucia will have to take tests!

So, I ask you, how exactly does one write an instruction plan for an unschooled child? I do want to remain honest and forthright, but the two ideas are entirely antithetical. Practically speaking, the best I can do is try to make predictions based on the interests Lucia’s pursuing at the time. I’ll also try to incorporate some of the projects we have planned as a family for the coming year – travel, holiday celebrations, seasonal activities, garden projects, etc. And, as a last resort, I’ll fill in the gaps with things we’ve already done. I’ll include some book titles that we may or may not get to. Then I’ll forget about it, go on with our unschooling lives, and hope the state doesn’t come knocking.

While I’m comfortable with that plan, I can’t help feeling some disappointment. If only I could be totally honest it might be fun to report on the things we actually do, the amazing learning that actually happens, and how it happens. If I could write something for this IHIP that would actually reflect some of the spirit and scope of unschooling, I would focus on the following four concepts. These are concepts that we encounter in many forms every day and that seem to flow organically from Lucia's exploration of the world around her.

Concept 1: Information is available and abundant.
Lucia will learn that her community is rich with resources. These include, among others, public libraries, museums, colleges and universities, research centers, nature centers, theatres and performance spaces, galleries, gardens, farms, and religious institutions. She will become comfortable using these resources. Lucia will identify her own interests and learning goals. She will locate and utilize appropriate resources, critically analyze and organize available information, and apply this information in the way that best suits her needs.

Concept 2: There are as many ways to live as there are people on the planet.
Lucia will explore many cultures. She will find that ideas are expressed in many ways: verbal, visual, physical, and sonic. She will experience different concepts of family, friendship, and love. She will understand that lifestyles are shaped by many factors, both internal and external. She will come to recognize that there are many forms of government in place all over the world and that some are more participatory than others. She will develop an idea about personal freedom and individual rights. She will be concerned with issues of social justice because they affect her and the people she cares about - even some she's never met.

Concept 3: We are part of a natural system.
Lucia will experience her life as part of a dynamic, living system. Evolution is a chance occurrence that happens in response to environmental change. It has no direction and no goal. The idea that humans are somehow separate and distinct from other living things is sorely misguided and is largely responsible for the environmental crisis in which we find ourselves today. The earth existed for billions of years before us, and it will end without us.
But before that happens Lucia will learn that natural resources are finite. Our actions have consequences. Our consumption creates pressures elsewhere. The food that sustains us is a product of the earth. The waste we generate must go somewhere. Lucia will have the power to live as a conscientious steward of the earth. She will help her family strive to reduce our negative impact on nature’s balance. This can be a challenge in our modern, technological society. It requires thought and effort. But a feeling of kinship with nature can only enhance our experience of the world, adding texture, depth, and a sense of fulfillment.

Concept 4: Everything is connected.
Lucia will notice the connections among all of the concepts above. She will see, for example, how access to information affects personal freedom, how cultural belief systems affect people’s attitudes toward the environment, how participation in government can bring about legislation to improve a community’s handling of natural resources. There are countless possibilities. And it is within these connections that Lucia’s true education lies. In making these connections, she will begin to construct new and original ideas of her own.