Radical Learning Talks

"What's the magic word?"; "Say thank you/hello, "; "Sit up straight".... We have either heard these things, been told these things, or said them to others (most often our kids) and the question is who made up these invisible manner rules and why are they so important?! In this episode we look at manners and begin to deschool and unpack the layers of belief, fear, criticism and judgment around them and examine how, as a society, we have been told how to act and behave at the cost of authenticity and - worst of all - the relationships with our kids.

For us, the main role of unschooling parents is to support our kids to be who they are and explore their independence, autonomy and critical thinking. The question then is how do we as parents support our kids to navigate their own evolution while being faced with the pressures of societal norms? And, in our case, what can that look like for a neurodivergent teenager and their parents? In this episode we dive into it all as Becka shares her perspectives and experience with her soon to be 18 year old son as he transitions into adulthood.

This is a deep episode where we share personal stories around how we’re deschooling shame and guilt as it relates to pregnancy, birth, miscarriage & abortion. For us, it means looking at how we have responded to and internalized societal expectations on experiences that are both profound and personal. We also talk about what that’s done to our confidence and self-worth, and how we are working to heal from so much of the harm that we’ve been exposed to.

What happens when our partner or co-parent doesn't seem on board with unschooling? Or, they say they're on board, but they don't seem to undertand and/or engage in the deschooling process. And what does being “on board” even mean?  In this episode we share our experience and perspective about the traps we can find ourselves in when we feel we aren’t in flow with our partners in our unschooling journey and how we can repeat the very systems of power that we are trying to step away from.

"Is my kid really gonna just sit there and do nothing?" This is a question we hear a lot and have even thought about ourselves during our own deschooling process. It comes from moments of fear and lack of understanding of what is really going on for our kids. In this episode, we dive into what can actually happen for kids that are deschooling, what happens for adults and how we can support our kids in their deschooling process without slipping into control or fear.

The podcast discusses the challenges and opportunities when a child wants to try or go back to school after being unschooled. It explores the fears and anxieties about time constraints in education, rethinks societal expectations and timelines, and emphasizes the importance of creating a counterbalance at home centered on consent, respect, and strong relationships.

In this episode, we hang out with Tomis Parker, one of the co-founders of the ALC model and of the ASDE, and dive deep into the diversity, struggles and evolution of the agile learning world.  Tomis is an unschooling dad and is passionate about sharing the ALC model and contributing to systemic & social change through building bridges to and through the work of SDE.  We also talk about our shared experience of having unschooling kids who prefer learning outside a learning center, and the challenges that are present when you are the one running it!  This episode is definitely for anyone who wants to know more about ALCs, who might be running one and having challenges and or/who is considering starting one! But also for parents who are navigating how to live as a self-directed family or feel like going bold and brave and start unschooling.  

Meet Ophelia, an 18 year old Unschooler that shares their perspectives around unschooling and the ways parents can get so invested in unschooling that they forget the most important part: consent and needs of their kids. Who does unschooling really support, the parent or the kid and how can we move towards more connection and collaboration with our kids?

There is a really clear idea in society of what skills have more value than others for our growing young people, and usually on top you will find reading, writing and math. But what happens when your kid (or even you) aren’t big readers and what are the feelings and fears around that?! In this episode we scratch the surface of this multilayered theme around hierarchy of skills and what lurks beneath. We kinda slip slide all over in this episode, so bear with us as we explore our own programmings and the work we are doing to free ourselves and our kids.

Limits? Boundaries? What's the difference? What are they about? In this episode, we dive into the deep waters of needs, emotions and what boundaries are really about: self-discovery and understanding ourselves, and how to learn how to honor our needs and develop empathy with ourselves and with others.