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 conv...
Mar 15, 2024•40 min•Ep. 65
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 p...
Mar 01, 2024•44 min•Ep. 13
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 cha...
Feb 16, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 63
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...
Feb 02, 2024•30 min•Ep. 62
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 th...
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 61
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....
Jan 05, 2024•38 min
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...
Dec 22, 2023•44 min•Ep. 59
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 triggeri...
Dec 08, 2023•38 min•Ep. 58
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 ...
Nov 24, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 57
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!
Nov 10, 2023•32 min
"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 ...
Oct 27, 2023•35 min•Ep. 55
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...
Oct 13, 2023•35 min•Ep. 54
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.
Sep 29, 2023•39 min•Ep. 53
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....
Sep 15, 2023•37 min•Ep. 52
"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.
Sep 01, 2023•36 min•Ep. 51
You’ve discovered unschooling and LOVE it! You take your kids out of school, they start deschooling/unschooling and... suddenly they tell you they want to go back to school?! Or, maybe your kid has never been to school and keeps asking you to start. Regardless of whatever situation you identify with, it might totally freak you out! And we get it. It's scary and annoying when our kids reject the lifestyle that we have put all our efforts into co-creating. In this episode we talk about the many op...
Aug 18, 2023•27 min•Ep. 50
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 chall...
Aug 02, 2023•59 min
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?
Jun 19, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 48
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...
May 30, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 47
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.
May 12, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 46
Ahhhh our kids want to quit something! What do we do? If they dont push through they will never learn.. These are thoughts old versions of ourselves can relate to and we see so common in parenting. We often fall into wanting to "support" by pushing our kids - or let's be honest - manipulate them. We think there are so many benefits to sticking to whatever it is they're doing, and often we might feel some urgency - like as if it's now or never. But there are so many more things to consider that h...
Apr 28, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Does unschooling really work? Well, in this episode of Radical Learning Talks we chat with Alex Khost a long time unschooling father , facilitator & youth right’s advocate who shares how it’s not only possible, it’s in fact a reality for many. He shares stories from his 20+ years of advocating for & supporting youth on how to be present & build trusting relationships with kids and how he has witnessed youth thrive outside of conventional systems. Whether you are an unschooling parent...
Apr 15, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 44
“But Sari & Becka, how do you deschool without kids?” We were recently asked this question and it’s also one that we have been trying to find the words to speak to as we offer deschooling intensive training for both parents & adults supporting youth! The answer... deschooling actually has nothing to do with kids or school, it has to do with the many layers of conditioning that we peel back in order to heal and reconnect to ourselves. Sounds fluffy? It's a hard thing to explain in a podca...
Apr 04, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 43
Unschooling can sound really wonderful, and in theory so many of us are totally on board with the concept. But then we start practicing it with our kids, and suddenly it no longer feels that amazing. Doubts and fears pop up and we wobble and wonder if this is really for us. Maybe it doesn't work? Should we just throw in the towel, or are there other options? In this episode we talk about all of this and what we can do instead of giving up on what can turn into the most amazing lifestyle for all ...
Mar 24, 2023•33 min•Season 2Ep. 42
There is so much talk in unschooling/ deschooling circles around supporting younger kids, but we seldom hear about what unschooling with tweens/ teens does or can look like. What we tend to hear most is lots of fear or assumptions around supporting these youth… they are gonna be lazy, rebellious, lost, unsuccessful, etc. etc. In this episode we bust these and more myths and talk about what has been helpful for us in supporting tweens/ teens in their free living & learning process....
Mar 17, 2023•38 min•Season 2Ep. 41
Do you ever wonder what it's like to build trust with kids, or intentional culture, or what the role of the facilitator is in breaking habits to fully support ourselves and young people to thrive? In this episode we are joined by Anthony Galloway, a professional facilitator and self-directed education practitioner with over 10 years of experience in building intentional culture, community and collaboratively supporting young people in various learning spaces. It's definitely an episode you don't...
Mar 08, 2023•51 min•Season 2Ep. 40
Deschooling is all about challenging oxidized beliefs and it extends past what we think about learning & education, encompassing how we view and treat ourselves and others. In this episode, we specifically chat about the judgements society holds around body image & aging and as a result, the limiting beliefs that we are personally struggling with in our own deschooling process. We chat about beauty standards, patriarchy, how all of these things influence our thoughts around self worth &a...
Feb 15, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 39
There is no one size-fits all approach to unschooling. What works for one young person/ family may not for another and we definitely do our young people a disservice if we have unrealistic expectations of them or try to force them to adapt to circumstances that they may not be ready for. This is especially true in supporting neurodivergent kids and in this episode we share some of our discoveries and learnings in supporting our own neurodivergent unschoolers in their process.
Feb 01, 2023•43 min•Season 2Ep. 38
Let’s talk about a hard side of unschooling… sitting with discomfort! As we dig into our deschooling work of looking at and shedding limiting beliefs around relationship, learning & community there are many times when it seems like our world gets flipped upside down and we want to try to remedy and fix things, falling back to old patterns. In this episode, we share our perspective about how these moments are in fact opportunities to pause, reflect and evolve in our care of and for ourselves ...
Jan 06, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 37
In our last episode of the year, we chat with Bria Bloom, a born and raised unschooler, youth rights advocate and Executive Director of the Alliance for Self-Directed Education. Bria shares her perspective on the different flavors of unschooling, the intersectionality of deschooling and about her experience in the SDE world.
Dec 23, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 36
