The Unschool Files

in the 5th episode of season 2, a series on SDE spaces and the tools and frameworks they use to meet the unique needs of their communities; Meghan chatted with Mel Compo about Agile Learning Centers and their beautiful story of partnering with youth, finding their self and belonging at ALC New York.

About Agile Learning Centers: agilelearningcenters.org

ALF Trainings: alf.agilelearningcenters.org

in this conversation with Andria of The Humorous Homeschooler on Tik Tok, we talk about her journey from sex Ed school teacher to this unschoolish, reverse planning, tik tok bestie that she is! she talks about attempting to use classroom management style tools to implement pandemic homeschooling for her young people. her self described “neuro spicy" family could not function in that way, but did need rhythm and routine. they also still need to do mandatory reporting - in comes the tool she shares of REVERSE PLANNING! so cool, and a great way to still partner with your young people to spend their days how they want and also find the ways that they are engaging with materials and play that you can later categorize into subjects to meet the state requirements. -> Find Andria on Tik Tok and Instagram @thehumoroushomeschooler

episode 38 of the podcast is all about teens! Meghan chats with Erin Jantz, a Southern California mama of 4 young people ages 9-18. this conversation covers connection, partnership, and the nuance of life without schooling as our young people emerge toward adulthood! we even offer 6 huge tips for connecting with your teens! if you’re a Spotify listener, you can now submit your questions for Erin and I and maybe we can come back together for a q&a! find all the things i’m up to on my website Www.theunschoolfiles.com Support my work by becoming a patron Www.patreon.com/theunschoolfiles Find all the things on my website Www.theunschoolfiles.com Supprt my work by becoming a patron Www.patreon.com/theunschoolfiles

in episode 36 Meghan speaks with Lane, a mother of two self-led daughters from a snow globe town on the upper peninsula of Michigan. they discuss how unschooling was a doorway to look at life differently and even unschooling requires deschooling! • find Lane over in instagram as @liz.lemonade • head to www.theunschoolfiles.com/resources/ for links to research, book recommendations and blogs on unschooling. • join Meghan in community on Discord • zines can be found here-> www.theunschoolfiles.com/shop/ • support Meghan’s work and help her save for recording equipment! www.patreon.com/theunschoolfiles

In episode 34, Meghan takes to the mic alone to talk about mutuality, empathy, fearless listening and how it’s connected to the way we are raising children while unschooling. with a couple of F bombs because… language is powerful! Visit the website to connect with Meghan in various ways from being a guest on the podcast or supporting the zine to joining the Discord community - theunschoolfiles.com -as a reminder, the zine is limited print, deadline for this issue is April 15th,2022- The panel mentioned- on mutual dialogue with bell hooks, George Yancy and Harry Brod; philosophers of/by both formal education and in existence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PErPxdEBdn8&t=3093s Licity Collins on Fearless Listening https://licitycollins.com/blogs/fearless-listening/posts/what-is-fearless-listening Alok Vaid-Menon Instagram post https://www.instagram.com/p/CcODs3zONYe/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Tammi Lenski on 5 bad listening habits https://tammylenski.com/bad-listening-habits/

In episode 33 of the podcast, Meghan is talking with Nikolai Pizarro of @raisingreaders on the concept of decentering school, to center connection and relationship. this discussion touches on educational trauma, the pressure to uphold the school system and the values it thrusts into families. Nikolai is very aware that many families do not have the ability to leave school, and wants to empower parents and young people to know their humanity is priority. she gives real examples of ways folks can walk their children thru their agency while remaining in school. not focusing on the metrics that sort and divide children, and not letting schoolishness dictate how we see ourselves and our humanity. we talk about the great lie of school with our feet firmly on the ground and in truth for parents who just can’t stop sending their young people to school. find Nikolai on Instagram @raisingreaders and don’t forget to follow the backyard forest school @liberatorium and toss some funds toward the groundbreaking (literally) work here -> https://givebutter.com/KStbEI - subscribe to the zine over in Patreon.com/theunschoolfiles follow @theunschoolfiles on IG support the work of the new zine production team by sending some loose change via PayPal (theunschoolfiles@gmail.com) or Venmo (@iamsilenth) visit theunschoolfiles.com to connect with Meghan - whether you’d like to be a guest or share your story privately / you are welcome here! Join the discord community, a place for Unschoolers to come together, while we prioritize the safety and well-being of people of the global majority; to find connection, answers, and reflect on schoolishness and how pervasive it can be. we also have a lot of fun, play games and support one another from afar!

in episode 30 of the podcast, Meghan is speaking with an Austin based unschooling Mama named Demetria on raising Neurodiverse children without school. they discuss her transition from school to a restful home life, strategies for coping to be able to self-direct, and reflect on some vulnerable things as it relates to school and the harm it perpetuates. find meghan at theunschoolfiles.com on Instagram @theunschoolfiles and you can Email me at theunschoolfiles@gmail.com Demetrias Resources! Tik Tok @destini.ann @domesticblisters @oneausomemom @carringtonlbruton @ellaellaw @harrythompsonpda @unschooledandunbothered IG @asiatu.coach @makeba_celeste @prntgdcolonized @fareofthefreechild @theintuitivehomeschooler @neurodivercity @actuallyautisticalien @neurodivergentrebel @actuallyautistictiktoks @unschoolingmom2mom Podcasts Fare of the Free Child Honey I’m Homeschooling the Kids Exploring Unschooling Sage Family Use Your Outside Voice! unschooling podcast Audacious Autistics (YouTube & Spotify) ADHD Experts podcast ADDitude Strategies and Support for ADHD & LD ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka Self-Directed Learning & Neurodiversity, Terri Cox YouTube Lucy at Life Without School Books Ross W Greene, PhD: Raising Human Beings, The Explosive Child Alfie Kohn: Unconditional Parenting, Punished by Rewards Shefali Tsabary: The Conscious Parent, The Awakened Family Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto Free to Learn by Peter Gray Children Learn by John Holt Introverted Mom by Jamie C Martin The Highly Sensitive Child by Elaine Aron Differently Wired by Deborah Reber The Whole Brain Child by Daniel Siegel MD & Tina Payne Bryson PhD Unschooled by Kerry McDonald & Peter Gray Deschooling Gently by Tammy Takahashi **Demetria always emphasizes extracting what works for your family/lifestyle, and leaving the rest when it comes to any types of resources**

in this episode, meghan is speaking with fellow unschooling parent and Phd candidate Noah Romero, on how we can begin intentionally decolonize our thinking, and practices and center the stories and experiences of indigenous people and people of color for a more just and equitable society. Much love to everyone here, and wanting to do better. I see you, and I’m glad you’re here! RESOURCES: Noahromero.org noah.romero@gmail.com Article on Critical Unschooling https://jual.nipissingu.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2018/06/v12233.pdf Convention on the Rights of the Child- https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-11&chapter=4&lang=en Sex Ed law- https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/08/23/545289168/abstinence-education-is-ineffective-and-unethical-report-argues https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27098762/ https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(17)30260-4/fulltext Brian Ray article compilation of homeschooling facts and statistics derived from empirical research- https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/ PODCAST on Self Directed learning for a socially just world - https://www.raisingfreepeople.com/164/ Yes Magazine, decolonizing issue - https://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/decolonize/ A MUST READ for all parents- https://www.latinxparenting.org/post/parenting-world-so-white