Episodes
-
How do you navigate between trusting your kid’s natural learning process and supporting them in doing really hard things that they might feel they’re not ready for? How do you let go and help them spread their wings when you don’t know if they will fly?In this episode Sari asks Becka to share a recent intimate moment when her son had to renew his passport and she wasn’t allowed to accompany him, leaving him to fly solo. Finding ways to support our kid’s process without interfering ain’t easy! But it’s necessary to find balance as we’re moving into unknown territories with our kids.//
As mentioned in this episode:
- You can find information on our Deeply Deschooling program here:
https://radical-learning.thinkific.com/courses/deeply- deschooling-2024
- Please consider making a donation to support the production of this podcast here: https://paypal.me/RadicalLearningLLC
- And/or check out more information on our site: www.radical- learning.org
-
What are the differences between homeschooling and unschooling? And why is it that so many homeschooling kids aren’t thriving? When we leave school behind without also ditching the structures and patterns that make up the schooling experience, it can have some unwanted effects in our kids.
In this episode we explore some important questions for homeschooling & unschooling parents alike:
Who decided what makes up a curriculum?
Who benefits from the conventional school structure, and who dosen’t?
Are you advocating for young people’s voice, choice and agency?
And is what you do consent-based?
Listen to this episode to gauge if there are some adjustments that could be made in your homeschooling approach and also to have a better understanding of why unschooling could potentially be a great option for many homeshooling kids!
//
As mentioned in this episode:
- You can find information on our Deeply Deschooling program here: https://radical-learning.thinkific.com/courses/deeply-deschooling-2024
- Please consider making a donation to support the production of this podcast here:https://paypal.me/RadicalLearningLLC
- And/or check out more information on our site: www.radical-learning.org
-
Missing episodes?
-
In this episode of Radical Learning Talks, we talk about what culture creation is and why we find it to be one of the most important things to focus on when choosing to walk the unconventional path of Self-Directed Education.
Culture creation is about putting words on what is important for everyone, and consciously embodying those values.
This link is often what’s missing for most people who want to make the paradigm shift from conventional schooling to SDE.
Whether your family is unschooling or you’re running (or thinking about starting) an SDE learning center, it’s crucial to understand WHAT exactly you’re walking away from so that you don’t copy/paste those systems in the new path forward. -
Have you ever heard of Not Back to School Camp?
In this sparkling interview, we chat with NBSC-camper Zoe and ex-camper now advisor Christian, about what this intentional space for unschoolers to connect and explore together is all about!
They share stories from previous camp years, the purpose and philosophy of camp, how camp supports youth autonomy and agency and what plays out the weeks that the camps take place in both Oregon and Vermont.
If your unschooling teen is looking to foster deep connection with other young people and lean into their interests and adventure, pull up a chair with them and listen in!
You can find Not Back to School Camp Info & Registration here:
https://www.nbtsc.org
//
Sign up for our Free Webinar - Not Back to School:
https://radical-learning.thinkific.com/courses/not-back-to-school -
As we celebrate Pride month, join us for this deep and joyful conversation around authenticity and the right to be who we truly are!
We have Cuee in the house: a black trans man and hip hop artist that we got to know over a year ago in our Shift training in Puerto Rico. We chat about the importance of belonging to yourself instead of trying to fit in, and the difference it makes to grow up surrounded by people who love you for who you are.
We also discuss the fear parents can experience when they discover their kids are transgender, because they want to protect their young people from harm. And… we talk about how the best protection we can really offer our kids is to be loyal with/to them.
This is not only a conversation for parents, relatives, neighbors, friends and teachers of transgender kids. It’s for anyone who wants to focus on the joy of being alive in a world that needs and thrives on diversity.
-
How do you deschool friendships?We don’t really have an answer to that, but in this episode we explore our respective journeys through friendships.We share how our perceptions around what a friendship is have evolved; what we’ve learned from having been ditched by some and what has lead us to walk away from others; how our capacities for holding another have developed; and how our own friendship is taking on new dimensions as we expand as humans and lean into our deschooling & unschooling journeys.Ready for a deep conversation? Join us!
-
Marni Kammersell is a neurodivergent parent to three neurodivergent children and passionate about a lot of things, including the neurodiversity paradigm, self-directed education and non-coercive relationships.
As a neurodiversity educator, Marni specializes in supporting parents and families in understanding experience through the lens of the nervous system.
This unusual and thought provoking conversation takes many turns, through disabilities & ableism, nervous systems and diagnosis, leading us into asking some really important questions:
Who would we be if we hadn’t learned to fit into a mold? What could that look like? Would neurodivergence not be such a stigma if we all had more wiggle room to show up as our authentic selves? And what does “neurotypical” really mean?
Join us as we explore these questions and more!
//
You can find Marni’s work and contact her here:
https://wanderingbrightly.com/about/
Additional Resources Neuroqueer Heresies by Nick Walker
We're All Neurodiverse by Sonny Jane Wise
Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors by Robyn Gobbel
A Different Way to Learn by Naomi Fisher
Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau
Disability Visibility by Alice Wong (Editor) -
In this episode we address a question proposed by one of our listeners… Is it possible to unschool an only child? What does unschooling look like to children with no siblings? What are the challenges? And are there any benefits to that?
In this episode we share our thoughts around unschooling only kids through our lives experience and perspective as mamas to two only children!
Also… If you have suggestions for topics that we still haven’t covered: please feel free to send them to us! We’d love to explore them! You can reach out to us at [email protected]
-
In this episode we chat with Amanda Diekman, also known as Low Demand Amanda - an autistic adult, parent coach, author in the neurodiversity space and leading voice in the movement for low demand parenting practices.
Amanda shares about the low demand approach to supporting neurodivergent kids by dropping demands, centering their humanity and moving away from ableism.
We talk about so much including stepping away from societal “norms”, authenticity, embracing neurodivergence, PDA (Pervasive Drive for Autonomy), privilege and more!
You can find Amanda here:
www.amandadiekman.com
http://www.instagram.com/lowdemandamanda
http://www.facebook.com/lowdemandamanda
You can sign up for Radical Learning Offerings, including Freedom to Learn here:
https://radical-learning.thinkific.com/collections/products
-
In this weeks episode we have Meenadchi in the house! Meenadchi is a somatic healing practitioner and the author of Decolonizing Non-Violent Communication. We invited her to Radical Learning Talks to talk about money and how we can deschool our relationship to money.If you think money is the root of all evil… or feel bad for having more than others… or are having a hard time generating enough for yourself and your family… this episode is for you! Meenadchi has been an instrumental companion supporting us to deschool, entangle and embrace our relationship to money and we are super excited to share this very tender and real conversation with you.Meenadchi’s Healing Money Trauma Program:https://www.meenadchi.com/healingmoneytrauma* give the code/reference “Radical Learning for a 5% discount!Website: https://www.meenadchi.comInstagram: @with.meenadchihttps://www.instagram.com/with.meenadchi/Free ancestral healing activity: https://auspicious-block-866.myflodesk.com/h2hvtsx9kfResources mentioned in podcast:It Didn't Start With You by Mark WolynnAnother Selfon NetflixSarah Peyton
-
This episode is an unsual conversation that took place on the last day of our The Shift training we did in Ojai, February 2024. It was requested by one of the participants, and so those of us who wanted gathered and talked about the relationship bewteen peace and self-directed education. The conversation was recorded but not initially intended as an episode for Radical Learning Talks. It was after having recorded that we got the idea to include it on our podcast. Why? Because these kinds of conversations tend to happen during The Shift, but it’s the first time we recorded one, and why not share the beauty?
All participants have given their consent to share the recording with y’all. We hope you like it! Participating are Jennie, Spence, Tomas, Rosemary, Janice, Becka and Sari. -
Burnout is real.
And it’s no stranger to unschooling and/or running alternative education projects!
But what does burnout even mean?! Well, it’s not just about being exhausted or simple tasks seeming impossible. It’s when your system actually starts breaking down and you begin loose cognitive functioning because you are operating well above your capacity or means.
Too many of us have been there and/or feel stuck in it
Why?
Well, it’s because of society’s result driven systems that are based on perfectionism, urgency, and the need to constantly be on top of your game.
In this episode we chat about our burnout, what caused it, how we are recovering from it and how we are working to shift a lifetime of programmings in order to not just survive, but heal and thrive.
Wanna join us for the ride? Listen in!
~
Resources mentioned in episode:
Burnout support: Sanna Koritz @ https://www.sannakoritz.com
Freedom to Learn Course: https://radical-learning.thinkific.com/courses/freedom-to-learn
-
Once again, we have the great honor of having Dr. Sundiata Soon-Jahta on our podcast!
This time, we talk about how social justice movements can often perpetuate the very systems of oppression and power-over dynamics that we’re trying to walk away from, resulting in what Dr. Sundiata shares is a system archetype called a “feedback loop”.
The solution? Well, as a systems thinker and anti-oppression organizer, Dr. Sundiata suggests that we all engage in some serious inner work. He believes that change is fractal and when we change within, it affects our outside reality and those around us.
So, instead of feeling disempowered by all the injustice we see in our world, we can empower ourselves to be the very change we dream of and show up for our young people, families and communities in the ways we truly strive to.
~
You can find all of Dr. Sundiata's work including his Theory of Indivisibility and other think pieces and resources mentioned in the episode here:
https://drsundiata.com
https://drsundiata.com/blog/
And if you enjoy what you hear, please consider supporting Dr. Sundiata's work here:
https://www.patreon.com/LiveIndivisible/posts
-
It’s not often we decide to get together and offer The Shift, our 7-day in person Deschooling Intensive.
For those who’ve taken it, they know the magic that is involved. For those who haven’t yet, it might be hard to understand what the fuss is all about.
So, we decided to record an episode on what’s up with The Shift, so that you can get a clearer and better understadning of why this offering is a must if you’re a parent or if you work with kids!
And… if after listening you still have questions, please reach out! We’d love to talk to you.
-
For us, unschooling is about so much more than learning or who gets to decide what it is and how and when it unfolds. It's about dismantling the power structures that keep all of us less than who we are or have the potential to be. And this starts with looking at our own limiting thoughts and beliefs. In this episode of Radical Learning Talks we chat Orion, a healing companion and trans man who helps us dive into the topic of being transgender. How can you support a trans kid? How do you work through your own discomfort and fears to be present and fully show up for them in their growth, learning and discovery? This is for all of us who have or know kids that identify as non binary and/or trans and want to better understand how to support them in their journey.
-
Many adults spend so much time preparing kids for adulthood in ways that society has predetermined as the necessary or “right way”. Yet, we don’t realize that this comes at the expense of their childhood. And, many of us have even lost touch with what childhood is all about.
In this episode we talk about the clash we often see between what many adults seem to want for their kids, and the societal pressure and fear of the future that disconnects us and our kids from the essence of childhood.
-
We like to think about deschooling as meeting and expanding beyond our edges into new versions of ourselves that better align with our desired way to live and show up in the world. But what happens when our change rubs people we care about the wrong way? What happens when we or they don’t quite feel like we belong anymore? In this episode which is coming out juuuust in time for the holidays, we talk about what can happen when our transformation causes friction with others and how to stay true to ourselves while honoring where everyone is at.
-
Raising kids with respect, consent, autonomy and freedom in our society is definitely going against the norm.
It can then be very confusing to see our free-ranged kids question their independence and freedom, push back against limits and behave in ways that society would easily label as “spoiled or bratty”.
On one hand, it’s easy to blame our parenting and on the other, let’s face it… it’s triggering as fuck and hard to deal with.
In this episode we explore all of it, including some big triggering moments and how we are learning to be more gentle with ourselves as we and our kids balance between freedom and responsibility.
-
Language and how we use it are important and can be one of the many ways we either move towards or away from individual and collective liberation.
So many of us are questioning systems of oppression in our deschooling work, yet if we aren’t vigilant we can easily slip into old ways of thinking, speaking and behaving - especially when we are faced with language and ideas that rub up against our current beliefs.
In this episode we talk with our friend Meghan from The Unschool Files about language policing and advancing the liberation movement through solidarity.
-
Kids are usually brought up to tell the truth, but the truth is adults lie all the time. So, why do we lie? What does it do to us and to our relationships? How does it make us feel? And when kids lie to us - what is that really about? And what can we do about it? In this episode of Radical Learning Talks we explore the phenomenon of lying!
- Show more
