Ellen Rowland's Blog, page 33

Carpe Diem: Unschooling is All About Living in the Present

It seems that everyone these days is in search of a way to reconnect: with ourselves, with those close to our hearts, and with what is essential in life. We read and hear a lot about getting back to center, stripping away the extraneous, silencing the noise. We are distracted by instant access to news … Continue reading Carpe Diem: Unschooling is All About Living in the Present

Broken Glass

  “You Would Never Talk to an Adult the Way You Speak to Me” Last night as I was making dinner, I heard a loud crash—broken glass—and a familiar wave of anger rushed over me. Something lost, another thing to sweep up and throw away. I stormed into the dining room. My son had tried … Continue reading Broken Glass

Silencing the Voice of Conformity

My twelve year old unschooled daughter has been waking up late these days. Around 9 am, the sticky, stubborn residue of conformity whispers in my ear that perhaps I should wake her. There are things to do. It’s a beautiful day. The sun’s been up for hours. So has her brother. At 10:15, the insistent … Continue reading Silencing the Voice of Conformity

On Seeking Unschooling Advice

I love to write about and share how my children learn without school here on the blog. And I feel it’s important to share not just the abundance of good stuff and the leaps and bounds of learning, but also to show the underbelly: the doubts, insecurities and fears around taking risks or being judged. … Continue reading On Seeking Unschooling Advice

The Opening of Pandora’s Box: Honoring Ourselves in Menopause

    At some point in the last year, I ceased menstruation and officially entered menopause. On what day, at what time, and in what manner, I couldn’t say. Just a seminal phase of my woman-life ushered in with little fanfare. We don’t acknowledge this rite of passage like we do the others.  I wonder … Continue reading The Opening of Pandora’s Box: Honoring Ourselves in Menopause

The Essence of Pie

“Mom, can you pass me the paring knife and the cutting board?” I look up from my recipe box, the hand-inked index cards stained with sauce and spices and god knows what else. Crumbs have found their way into the corners. I’ve been thumbing through them and can’t find “the best apple pie you’ve ever … Continue reading The Essence of Pie

Against a Xeroxed Education

    “Xerox” is a great metaphor for our educational system. It’s one of those brand names that has become synonymous with the product it represents due to successful marketing, longevity, and popularity—like Band-Aid, or Popsicle, or Q-tips. We identify strongly with the brand name because we’ve heard it, read it, seen it on TV, … Continue reading Against a Xeroxed Education

The Great Turning

Originally posted on Laura Grace Weldon:
I’m thrilled to offer a guest post by Ellen Rowland. This essay is adapted from her recently published book, Everything I Thought I Knew: An Exploration of Living and Learning.  I sat at the small table by the kitchen window this morning thinking about hope. The news was bad. Again. Acres…

Unschooling my Spirituality

I grew up with two imposed givens in life—education and religion. Education happened in school, a place I was obliged to go Monday through Friday. Religion, reserved for Sundays, was fortified and demonstrated by my family’s regular attendance at church and rewarded with warm donuts and scalding coffee served in styrofoam cups in the community … Continue reading Unschooling my Spirituality

Book Release

Dear Blog Readers,  Friends, Fellow Unschoolers/Worldschoolers and those interested in Self-Directed Education, I haven’t been posting much here lately and I apologize for that. I have a good reason though. I’ve been busy writing a book, a true labor of love, and one I hope you will all enjoy reading. It’s a collection of essays … Continue reading Book Release