The Unconventional Ideas of John O. Andersen:
Homeschooling Can Liberate Both Children and Parents
IT MAY NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE, BUT FOR US IT'S A PERFECT FIT

Homeschooling is not for everyone, and it's not necessarily the best way to learn. Nevertheless, it works well for us, and here are three important reasons why:

1. Homeschooling enables exposure to a broad range of people, ideas, and places.

We live in a fascinating cosmopolitan city. Nearby are mountains and the ocean. W ithin a short drive there are state parks, a renowned aquarium, lighthouses, historic sites, art museums, stately homes, a zoo, libraries, botanical gardens, science museums, factories, farms, orchards, a hydroelectric power plant, a variety of bridges, forested areas, a state capitol, etc., etc.

The flexibility of homeschooling allows us to take a family field trip each Friday to one of those places. We like to think that taking tours, meeting knowledgeable people, or volunteering to help at a cultural institution, are all great ways to learn. We particularly enjoy field trips during the week rather than on crowded and busy weekends when time and tempers can be short, and tour guides, or educators may be too busy to answer our individual questions.

In conjunction with our weekly family outings, our children find related books and videos in the library (they know their local library well, they are volunteers there each Wednesday), write thank you notes to tour guides, do written reports, draw pictures, and sometimes give oral presentations to other homeschoolers.

All of these experiences have helped us to realize there are good teachers in every walk of life; not just in public or private schools. Mandy and I take pains to search out these special people, and bring our children in contact with them. In the past few years, we've run across dozens of such people.

I'm thinking about the inventor of the self-cleaning house with whom we shared an entire afternoon; or the volunteer who took us through a local botanical garden; or the science museum educator who spent an hour explaining skull characteristics to my daughter and me; or the other homeschooling parents, many of whom have significant formal education, who share their interests in co-op courses; or the tour guide at the military museum who let us climb into the armored vehicles and took us into the vault with the extensive collection of small arms dating back to the Civil War; or the marine science volunteers on the beach who showed us examples of tide pool life; or the self-taught ethnobotanist who took us on a very interesting walk through a local state park; or perhaps the weaver at a woolen mill museum who let our children actually operate a hand loom. The list goes on and on and on.

Mandy and I like to believe that when we bring our children into regular contact with some of our community's great yet often unheralded teachers, we are laying the groundwork for a superior education for our children. We also believe that our childrens' regular contact with many local homeschooled peers is an integral part of that education.

2. Homeschooling provides opportunities to teach our children business skills.

Homeschooling enables our children to be a more active part of our family carpet cleaning business. We think this is an excellent opportunity to teach them skills which will serve them in any livelihood they might choose as adults.

I've shown our 11 year old daughter how to do basic bookkeeping on the computer. With the attention to detail she has already demonstrated in many ways, she will soon be able to do all of the daily bookkeeping entries.

Our 9 year old son helps me clean the van and do minor repairs. He holds tools for me, fetches things, and watches me work. Perhaps in not too many years, he will be able to tackle small engine maintenance.

Our children may not want to run the family business when they grow up, but we think regardless of what they choose, they will be well-equipped to either run their own business, or be valuable employees to someone else.

3. It allows great flexibility for vacations.

For us, another benefit of homeschooling is the freedom to take vacations in the off-season when prices are significantly lower and crowds are rare.

One winter, for instance, we took a long distance train trip. It was great to travel at a reduced rate, enjoy the scenery, meet lots of interesting people, and not have to worry about getting back at a specific time for school to start, or some other deadline.
We also enjoy camping as a family. Because, especially in Oregon, so many other people like to camp, we take advantage of our flexible schedule by going during the week, or in the weeks before Memorial Day and after Labor Day.

Perhaps when our children reach their teen years and can better handle the physical rigors, we might be able to take a post Labor Day extended backpacking trip down the Oregon Coast (one of my dreams); or we might go rockhounding; or maybe live on the road in an RV for an extended period of time.

Conclusion

We homeschool because it allows us to do so much of what we truly love to do. In a nutshell, that's why it works so well for us.
November 26, 2001

Education, Employment, and the Life of the Mind:
IS EDUCATION SOMETHING YOU PURCHASE AT A UNIVERSITY, OR SOMETHING ELSE ALTOGETHER?

A popular notion is that "educated" people are those with degrees. And I guess depending on your definition of education, that may be true.

For instance, if you consider university-based training for a high status, high-paying white collar career to be "education," then yes, the educated people are those who have degrees.

On the other hand, if you see an educated person more as someone who lives the life of the mind, who has original thoughts, then college degrees may not be the ultimate, defining yardstick.

The life of the mind exists independent of one's paid employment. A trash hauler can be every bit the intellectual, as the highly esteemed medical doctor, or the fabulously compensated corporate officer.
Perhaps the trappings of status can actually get in the way of the life of the mind. I take solace in the fact that Albert Einstein would've probably agreed with me. He said the following in November 1954, just months before he passed away (April 18, 1955):

"If I would be a young man again and had to decide how to make my living, I would not try to become a scientist or scholar or teacher. I would rather choose to be a plumber or a peddler in the hope to find that modest degree of independence still available under present circumstances."

The life of the mind is about curiosity, a passion for learning, a desire to explore, a love of logic, a fascination with history, a yearning to know the questions, and an ability to live without all of the answers. Yes, formal education can promote the life of the mind, but it isn't the only or necessarily best source.

Real, adventurous living, sucking "the marrow out of life" as Thoreau put it, is a far wiser option. Such a course of study is tuition-free and open to virtually anyone; no cut-offs, deadlines, or rejected applications!

It might include a massive program of independent reading, seeking out and associating with people who have active minds, traveling to expand one's intellectual horizons, or participating in community learning opportunities like library discussion groups, book clubs, cultural events, and service projects.

Such a deliberate education is to a mainstream college experience what a fine, chef-prepared meal is to a Big Mac, fries, and Coke. And the surprising bonus? The exquisite education feast will likely cost you but a fraction of what you'd pay for the fast-food version.

Yes, it's a tremendous bargain, but sadly, you won't read about it at the newsstands. Only those with inquiring and open minds will even realize it's an option.

The rest will just have to be consigned to follow the herd until life experiences prod them to think there might be another, better way.
October 1, 2002

To High School Graduates and Their Parents Who are Serious about Education

Society would have you believe the best thing to do immediately after high school is to go straight off to four years at the U, and after lots of cramming and test-taking, come away with a diploma.

I'm here to tell you there might be an even better way. You see, too many college students today are missing perhaps the most important ingredient of all for a true education:

REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE

I think of the many young men and women I knew during my Air Force days; the people who couldn't afford to go straight to college, but wanted a bright future. So they joined the military.

They learned a trade, perhaps they became an aircraft hydraulics specialist. Day after day, between the ages of 18-22, they would be out on the flightline fixing hydraulic problems on the multi-million dollar jet fighters. Night after night, they would take classes on the base to work toward their bachelors degree. On the weekends they would seriously hit the books. And when they had time off (we were in England), they would spend a day in London, or perhaps go to Scotland for a week. Several times a year, they would deploy with our unit to places like Italy, Germany, or Turkey.

Were they getting a good education?

You betcha. Sure, the going was tough. But they had the perfect blend: some book learning, and a generous helping of real world experience.

And I see young people who don't join the military also getting a similar education. Perhaps they do two years at the U, and then alternate between real work, and classroom work for a semester, or year at a time. They get lots of hands-on experience, and also the excellent benefits that come from having to get out of bed each morning, show up at a job, meet deadlines, and learn to get along with co-workers.

Sure, these extended excursions away from the college classroom may put a person "behind" in terms of getting that diploma. And sure, they may miss some of the frivolity and fun of college life which has its place in the grand scheme of things.

But in the long run, I'm betting those with the broadest, most diverse experiences, especially including a few stints in unglamorous and challenging jobs, may just become the best educated people of all.

Because when you think about it, education is not a race. It's about breadth of thought and experience. It's about relating with people from all levels of society, and from widely divergent backgrounds; not just college roommates, fraternity brothers, or sorority sisters. It's about having a working knowledge of lots of things, not just a theoretical knowledge.

Working knowledge usually results from actually working, not from reading a book, or taking a multiple choice test.

So, if you're one of those young people who truly cares about getting a top-flight education, may I recommend paying less attention to college selection or choosing a major, and perhaps a bit more to creating a plan that involves an intelligent blend of classroom work, with real world experience. Think in terms of the university as merely an educational resource, not the sacred and holy fountain of all wisdom. Permit yourself to see and value learning opportunities everywhere: on the street corner, factory floor, riding the bus, or just gazing at the squirrels outside your bedroom window. View your education as far more than just taking tests and accumulating credit hours. Cast a wide net, and regularly gather it in. Feast on the bounty.

Do that, and you'll come away with far more than just a college degree. You'll have the foundation of a superior education; one that will not only serve you on the job, but perhaps more importantly, enable you to be a thoughtful, articulate, and contributing member of society for the rest of your life.
August 18, 2002

From the author’s bio:
“I am John O. Andersen, the spouse of Mandy. We have a daughter (14) and a son (11). We do lots of fun things together like travel, family walks, and bicycling. I make my living as a professional carpet cleaner.
In my spare time, I write essays, and volunteer as a docent at the Oregon History Center and the Portland Classical Chinese Garden. Previously, I was a tour guide on the US Navy's last diesel-electric submarine, the USS Blueback.
Currently, we are in a "travel" phase of life. Much of our spare money goes towards funding family vacations. Also, we do a fair amount of day-tripping (yes, we've "got a good reason for taking the easy way out"). For more information on this aspect of our life, visit the Unconventional Family Travel page.”
Visit John’s interesting and extensive web site where you can read his essays (and others) online, sign up for email updates and visit his blog.
www.unconventionalideas.com