Expensive art lessons are all well and dandy but....

The Homeschool Buyers Co-op is offering art lessons for a fee. This is all well and dandy but over the years I've discovered the best way to submerge a young child in the world of art is to give them the tools and turn them loose. As an art major in college I recall countless hours of frustration with instructors who would control our every stroke of the brush or line of the pen. Mind you one of those professors has made millions of dollars selling his schlock paintings but he couldn't instruct an art class if his life depended on it. Only one gentleman among them had the good sense to give us the tools, tell us how to use them and then step back to allow us the freedom to create with those tools.

When our children were young we simply made sure their shelves were filled with pens, pencils, paints, scissors, canvas, brushes, glue, sketch pads, crafts, clay, crayons, charcoal, ink, paper, rulers and whatever else caught their fancy. We stepped back and let their creative mood take them wherever they chose to go. If they had questions we answered them. If they needed help learning how to use a tool we demonstrated. What they did with it after that was up to them. We supplied the materials. We provided the transportation and funds to attend galleries, museums and the like to spark the imagination. Art is personal. Creativity needs to come from within and by allowing our children the freedom to experiment, test and explore they produced copious amounts of prints, poetry, paintings, drawings, sketches, pottery, scripts, cartoons and more. By the time our daughter was 16 she had her own business. Our son is becoming a graphic artist and web designer.

Don't feel compelled to spend money for 'lessons'. Stock up on supplies instead and then get out of the way so your child can learn in freedom.

Should homeschoolers be concerned about grades?

This is a good article by Michael Mclaren concerning grading in your homeschool. For us grades were never really an issue. We weren't concerned about them and grading work or activities seemed irrelevant. Once in a while our children would be curious about a grade system because non-homeschoolers would make such a fuss over them, so we'd total up a few pages of book work just to show them what happens in a public school setting. Besides, we were always too busy learning and having fun to worry about grades. Grades weren't an issue for getting into college either. Both of our children entered community college without a high school diploma, SAT scores, transcripts or a GED. If you think about it every homeschooler is a valedictorian so why bother to keep score?

James O'Keefe takes on the New Jersey teacher's union...gotta love it!

You have to wonder what sort of parent entrusts their child to these buffoons. Teachers like this are not limited to New Jersey. We have hundreds like this here in Vermont and have had them for years. The parents who finally do catch on to what is really going on in public schools tend to opt out and homeschool because they know there is no way to battle this sort of arrogance and pathetic behavior. I did some student teaching and substitute teaching in the public schools years ago and you'd be amazed at what goes on in the teacher's lounge and behind the scenes. Not much has changed and our property taxes that support these losers continue to rise with no end in sight. Kudos to O'Keefe for yet another terrific expose!

DC Students Receive Dinner at School

DC Students Receive Dinner at School

These meals are made by a CHEF...and from scratch???

"And the best news of all is this is a federally-funded program."

Of course it is. Where else would they get the funds if not for robbing the taxpayers? So, where's my unschooler's free meal?

Worthy proposes jail for parents who skip kids' school conferences | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Worthy proposes jail for parents who skip kids' school conferences | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Well, isn't that special!

Robert Kiyosaki interviews with Alex Jones...a financial education...Part 3

Kiyosaki gives a run down of what is in his books during this interview but it's always nice to hear his voice giving expression and passion to his writings. He knows we're headed for a major financial crisis in this country and tells us we need to learn to take care of ourselves because the government isn't going to. Kiyosaki explains in this final part of the interview how financial education was taken out of the schools in order to train children how to work for the rich. We used Kiyosaki's books in our homeschool to teach financial literacy. Kiyosaki has two great books for youngsters too titled 'Rich Kid, Smart Kid' and 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad for Teens'. Wouldn't hurt to get copies for your unschooler.

Robert Kiyosaki interviews with Alex Jones...a financial education...Part 2

Robert Kiyosaki interviews with Alex Jones...a financial education

Kiyosaki isn't just trying to sell his books. I've read most of his books beginning with his 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad', his first book that will improve your financial education. Kiyosaki predicted the coming stock market crash and he makes understanding economics easy. Kiyosaki is not a big fan of public school and explains why.

A lesson in white slavery...things they never taught us in school...Part 4

A lesson in white slavery...things they never taught us in school...Part 3

A lesson in white slavery...things they never taught us in school...Part 2

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A lesson in white slavery...things they never taught us in school

Lawsuit: CPS pushing Democrats

Lawsuit: CPS pushing Democrats

"The suit alleges three van loads of Hughes High students arrived at the Downtown Board of Elections offices at 1 p.m. Wednesday, supervised by a school employee. School lets out at 3:15 p.m.

When they got out of the vans, the students, the suit alleges, also were accompanied by adults who appeared to be campaign workers or supporters for U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus, D-West Price Hill, the congressman being challenged this fall by Steve Chabot. When the students got out of the vans, the suit alleges they were given sample ballots containing only Democratic candidates."

It's not the school's responsibility to see to it these 18 year olds get to the polls. Maybe the schools figure these 18 year old students are too incompetent to find their way to the polls on election day! That wouldn't surprise me since the schools main goal is to keep these kids ignorant and dependent for as long as possible. Union workers have no shame and will try anything to sway the vote. After all, it's their jobs that are at stake.

Unschooling is like riding a 50 speed bicycle

Unschooling is like riding a 50 speed bicycle. We have more choices than the average 10 speed public school counterparts and we're free to switch gears faster and choose the pace at which to learn. Unschoolers are also like the Marines because we can overcome, adapt and improvise whereas public school teachers are locked into dictatorial state mandates and stiff curricula. Without much funding we've learned to be like our Depression Era grandparents because we recycle, use it up, wear it out or go without and our unschooled children still excel beyond their public school peers who have millions of dollars diverted into their programs. Freedom is a beautiful thing!