The Unschool Space

My guest this episode is Naomi Fisher. Naomi is a clinical psychologist and mother of two. Her children were unschooled for six years and now attend a self-directed learning centre. Naomi has just published a wonderful book about self-directed learning, entitled Changing our  Minds, which explores the theory and research behind autonomous learning, alongside lots of real-life examples. In this episode, we talk about why autonomy is so important to learning, why school can be particularly tough for  our neurodivergent children and how these children can truly thrive in an unschooling environment.You can find my blog, workshops and courses at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/estherjones.unschoolingFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

Today, I’m joined by writer and mother-of-two, Sophie Lovett. Sophie has two sons, aged eight and three, and found her way to unschooling as a natural progression of attachment-style parenting. Sophie was formerly a teacher, but found it hard to reconcile how she wanted her children to live with the demands of mainstream schooling. Like so many of us, she has found the journey into unschooling to also be a journey into her own learning and into the ways that her own experiences of education continued to manifest in her life long into adulthood. For Sophie, this has in particular meant unpicking the power imbalances that are so prevalent in our society, and understanding how they serve to disempower us. Since having children, she has rekindled her passion for writing, and she is currently writing a book about how we raise children. You can find out more about Sophie on her blog www.raisingrevolutionaries.co.ukYou can find my blog, workshops and courses at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/estherjones.unschoolingFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

In this episode of The Unschool Space, I'm delighted to be talking to my friend Sophie Larcher. We met when we both lived in Barcelona, and I remember being so excited to finally come across another unschooling family. Sophie is French and is a costume designer. She, her partner Claudio, who is an artist and teacher, and their two children, Rita and Sacha, have just moved to London. Sophie's journey into unschooling began when they took their daughter out of school after just three weeks. From there, she has never really looked back. In this episode we chat about living an authentic life with our children,  all the things we discover about ourselves along the way, and how we can stay grounded in the midst of it all. Like most unschooling parents, Sophie has found the journey to be one of intense learning and discovery for herself.You can find my blog, workshops and courses at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/estherjones.unschoolingFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

Today I'm joined by Nicola Corcoran, whose journey into life without school began as a search for wellness and happiness. Nicola was diagnosed with cancer 11 years ago, when her children were just three and six. She left her job as an illustrator and took time to focus on her healing. The following year, after her son became seriously ill, she and her husband decided to take both children out of school and find a new way to live as a family.  They moved from the city to a small town in  pursuit of a less stressful, more joyful life. Nicola has found her healing process often reflected in her parenting choices. Not only in the need to cherish every moment of life, but also in how important it is that each of us has autonomy to make the choices and decisions that are right for us. Whilst she been nurturing trust in herself, she has also nurtured it in her children.Nicola shares the wellness knowledge she has cultivated over 11 years of learning through workshops for young people and wellness packages. If you'd like to know more about Nicola or connect with her, you can find her at: https://www.facebook.com/Nourish-and-Grow-2009320902518392/https://www.instagram.com/nourish_and.grow/You can find my blog, workshops and courses at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/estherjones.unschoolingFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

Artist and single mother, Jenny Arran, joins me to chat about the process of our own deschooling. We talk about cultivating trust in our children, the ways they direct their own learning, and what we need to do in order to support ourselves on this sometimes challenging journey. As an artist, Jenny brings a wonderfully observant eye to her own process, and shares how being in nature and making time for reflection help keep her nourished.You can find my blog, workshops and courses at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/estherjones.unschoolingFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace