Top 5 Reasons to Reschool Yourself
1) Cure yourself of Impostor’s Syndrome.
2) Be a content grown-up with no regrets.
3) Start with a clean slate.
4) Give up people-pleasing and perfectionism.
5) Envision the life you want to live — and start living it.
Fall Back: Revisiting the Past in the School Classroom
My intention in returning to my classrooms in the fall was not to criticize schools — particularly my own — but rather to explore the question, “Who have I been until now, and how has school shaped me into that person?”
At some point in my education, my schooling began to shape me, instead of my shaping it. By tracing my formal education from its beginnings, I hoped to understand when I began living by other people’s rules instead of my own, and to reverse the process. I want to do school over again on my terms so I feel at peace with my education and have no regrets about it. I hope that the blog inspires readers to reflect on how their own school experiences shaped their identities and patterns.
Spring Forward: Creating the Future Beyond the Classroom
After processing my educational past, I moved forward to explore the question, “Who would I like to become, and how will I shape that person going forward?”
Starting in the spring, I began to live out the education I wish I’d had, to seek out experiences that challenged the limitations I’d put on myself. I’ve already done things that I never thought I’d take the time to do, like learn guitar and plant an organic garden. Though the year of official reschooling ended on June 20th, 2009, a year after I left my full-time job, reschooling has become a lifestyle rather than a finite project. I’m continuing to blog about my personal development and learning.
Overall, I’ve met my goal of becoming a happier, more courageous person than I used to be, and one who is better equipped to help others. I always think about the airline safety instructions to “Secure your oxygen mask before helping others with theirs.”
When I feel compelled to help others before myself, I know that I won’t be of much use if I can’t breathe myself. Now that I’ve secured my own oxygen mask by reschooling myself, I hope to help other grown-ups breathe more easily.
Updated 1.26.11
This is an amazing thing you are doing. After our recent elections, I was inspired to go back to school and obtain my Masters in Education and my Preliminary Credential. I am very interested in the social constructivist theories for education and hope to seriously gain and lend my talents to our future generations.
Thank you for doing this!
~Denise (SVHS 1998)
Thanks, Denise! I hadn’t known that you’d gotten a Masters in Education, or that you were interested in constructivist theories. From what I know about them, they’re in line with my values about helping kids answer their questions about the world. I’m glad you’ve hopped on the education transformation bandwagon. 🙂
I chose it because its like “old-school” music that has been re-sampled and re-produced and giggled around until it becomes something re-schooled. Similar to what you have done with your life.
I love the concept that you followed through. Its an awesome idea and I would love to do the same. Clean slates are nice but forgiving and forgetting helps with all the stuff that you cannot wipe clean.
Enjoy life.
I chose the word as a twist on “unschooling” and “deschooling,” both words used within the democratic education movement. I wanted to communicate redefining for yourself what education means, both letting go of the past and taking charge of your own future.