The Hannah Frankman Podcast

Claire Honeycutt: From Academia to Homeschooling

Sep 12, 2024

Claire Honeycutt, a former professor with two decades in academia, shares her journey into full-time homeschooling. She discusses the challenges of fostering intrinsic motivation in large classrooms and why many students struggle to love learning. Claire combines classical education with unschooling to create a coaching-centric style, emphasizing personalized experiences. She explores the significant role of mental health in education and offers advice for parents navigating the homeschooling landscape.

01:26:09

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Episode guests

Claire Honeycutt

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Quick takeaways

Claire Honeycutt emphasizes the importance of allowing children to have a voice in their education to foster deeper engagement and motivation.

The hybrid educational approach that combines classical education with unschooling empowers children to become independent, critical thinkers while maintaining foundational knowledge.

Claire's transition from academia to homeschooling highlights the emotional challenges of redefining one's identity and the importance of prioritizing family and personal fulfillment.

Deep dives

The Importance of Individualized Learning Paths

Finding the right educational approach for each child is crucial for fostering a love of learning. Approaches should be tailored to make subjects interesting and relevant to the child's interests. Allowing children to have a say in their education helps them engage more deeply with the material. This personalized touch can transform challenging subjects into enjoyable experiences, thereby enhancing intrinsic motivation.

Intro

3min

From Academia to Alternative Education

2min

The Journey of Educational Transformation

15min

Navigating Apathy in Education

10min

From Tradition to Homeschooling: A Journey of Transformation

17min

Navigating the Journey of Homeschooling

3min

Overcoming Homeschooling Challenges

18min

Navigating the Homeschooling Transition

19min

Claire Honeycutt is a former academic spending 20 years working inside of academia. She was a professor at Arizona St. University from 2015-2024 when she resigned to become a full time homeschooling mom.

Expect to learn about Claire's insights on how we learn and why she became so interested in intrinsic motivation and self-directed learning. She'll discuss taking a mastery-based learning approach in classrooms of 50–100 students, why many kids in her classes struggled to love learning, and why she feels strongly about fostering a love of learning in her own children. Claire bridges the philosophies of classical education and unschooling to create a coaching-centric approach to learning and education.

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro

3:07 - Claire's History in Academia

5:45 - Developing a Love for Teaching

9:42 - Making Education Entertaining

11:01 - Intrinsic Motivation and Mental Health of University of Students

21:03 - Trying Things Before Committing to a Degree

28:24 - Claire's Journey to Becoming a Homeschooling Mom

34:35 - Developing a Love of Learning

39:34 - The Relationship Between Classical Education and Unschooling

42:39 - What is the Objective of Claire's Homeschooling Style

54:49 - Prioritizing a Love of Learning