Reschool Yourself

Why Reschool?

Reasons for Reschooling

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.

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How Reschool Yourself Can Help

I hope that by reschooling myself, I can become a happier, more self-sufficient adult and help readers do the same.

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Fall, Phase 1: 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?” 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 hope to understand when and how I began to limit myself and begin 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 will inspire readers to reflect on how their own school experiences shaped their identities and patterns.

I hope to open dialogue with parents and teachers, to ask them to envision an ideal education for themselves and their children. I believe that we often recreate our own educational experience for the next generation, including its flaws, without stopping to consider whether we were satisfied with it ourselves. On a broader scale, innovations in education will continue to meet resistance unless adults intentionally reflect on their own schooling and what they would have changed about it.

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Spring, Phase 2: Creating the Future in the Global Classroom

After processing my educational past, I moved forward to explore the question, “Who would I like to become, and how will I shape my continuing education?” 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, 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.” While 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, I hope to help other grown-ups breathe more easily.

Updated 7.22.09