worldschool with me
I have a PhD in Worldschooling. Okay, not really…
Because that would be kind of silly, and if you know anything about worldschooling, you’re laughing because you get the joke. If not, hang with me.
Worldschooling is a form of alternative education that uses the whole world as a classroom… we don’t stay home, we travel for the educational benefit of our kids. It’s a thing. A lot of people are doing it.
And it works. Like, works, works. Your kids aren’t going to be at a disadvantage, and you might even find them at a massive advantage in the end.
How I can help you…
Four kids, lots of learning styles, lots of phases of life, from birth through university… about 45 countries, six continents, a decade of full time family travel… it’s possible that we’ve experienced some of what you’re going through, and if I can share something that helps, I’d be happy to!
I do a lot of writing and speaking about alternative education and worldschooling, and learning in general. I’ve helped a lot of families find the path that suits them (even when it’s very different from mine).
- I’m happy to talk with you about where you’re stuck
- I can help you define your educational plan
- I can help you figure out the university entrance piece of the puzzle
- I do some formal consulting
- I’ll come and talk to your group or conference
- I can connect you with likeminded families
- I’m happy to help you get the “travel” part off the ground, if that seems harder
Join my weekly how to worldschool email for inspiration, encouragement and answers to your questions:
Check out the things I write for some inspiration and help with the basics.
Or contact me directly for help.
What I know about education…
… is that there is NOT one way to do it. Every family finds their own way. I trust parents who are intrepid enough to undertake it in the first place to be the sorts of people who are going to find the best path for their kids. No one is more invested in those kids than you are.
You don’t have to do it “my way” or anyone’s way to do an amazing job and to turn out kids that will rock life, in any field they choose.
That being said… it isn’t easy. It is possible to jack it up (like with anything in life) and sometimes, we just feel stuck.
If that’s you… I can probably help.
If you’re hyperventalating at the thought, start here, with Worldschooling in 5 Easy Lessons: A Primer for Petrified Parents. And then read this which is a deeper dive into my vision for Integrated Education.
If I can do this, you can do this…
My experience…
My degree is in education (don’t get excited, it’s not really an asset in facilitating an education, and sometimes it’s a liability), but my real qualification is in my kids. I have four. All grown. None who have been to school until university. Three who have been accepted to universities… because the proof is in the pudding, here are their stories:
Hannah…
was one of those kids you could have put into a pasteboard box with a book and she would have taught herself to read. She absorbed every single thing I threw at her and asked for more. She was the one I went around the back door on with teachers and asked them to PUSH HER. And so they did.
She’s an artist. A musician. A writer. She started her first business at seven and made money hand over fist: selling cookies. She started her first “real” business at 16 and was self supporting when she moved out at 18… she graduated with Distinction in Geography, at Queen’s University, and now she’s an entrepreneur (running her own digital marketing agency) who lives and works anywhere.
She met her partner traveling. She’s lived alone in three countries on two continents. She speaks and writes extensively about how worldschooling ruined her childhood.
Fitz…
spent most of his early childhood in a Davy Crockett style “skunk” skin hat with a yellow vest with corks tucked into every pocket. He once packed a peanut butter sandwich and took his container of worms, left me a note on the counter and was gone before I woke up… for eight hours… in his rowboat, fishing. He was seven. Once, he poured gasoline on the deck to “see what would happen.”
He hated to read. He abhorred writing. His spelling was a train wreck. So… we bought a mini-trampoline as a school item, got creative with every damned thing, and rarely sat for more than 15 minutes at a stretch for, like, years. He was the epitome of the “active” child. If he’d gone to school they’d have medicated the joy out of him, without question.
He began his university work crossing the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, under sail. But then realized uni wasn’t going to be the right path for his career choice, so he created his own, and he’s self supporting. He’s worked on tall ships and boutique cruise lines, and is well on his way to captaining them. He’s also a boat builder and specializes in restoration. He’s an avid reader. His writing brings me to tears (not the same kind we had at 10!) He plays guitar and grand theft auto. He got his first job on a tall ship based on his excellent social skills… which made us laugh and laugh… because what’s the FIRST question people ask? Yeah. That.
Eli…
is known in our community for his compassion for the very young and the very old, and his willingness to work. He was my “easy” child as he grew up. Not a boat rocker, but also marched to a very different drum. He pays attention to what he wants to, not what everyone else does. He notices things we don’t. He has always liked to work with his hands, and for a long time he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to go into construction and building of some sorts, or culinary arts. He chose the latter.
He’s had his own businesses since he could ride his bike to them and he worked four jobs this summer, two in his industry, two “for the money.”
Funniest “school” story so far… near the end of his first semester at college he got an 82% on a math test… he went to his professor and said, “Whew, that was a close one!” She didn’t understand… “Well,” he said, “You know anything below 80% is a fail and we’ve gotta redo it until I really get it.” The prof died laughing. He came home and gave me that kidult stink eye of realizing that I’d hoodwinked him for 18 years. I always figured it wasn’t a race, or a rated contest, it was about learning the thing, really owning the thing, and 80% seemed like a low bar to set. We weren’t trying to replicate school, after all. Elisha took a gap year (don’t laugh) before studying to become a chef at George Brown, in Toronto. He graduated spring of 2021, pandemic and all.
Ezra…
was the kind of child who I swear woke up most mornings thinking, “This is a good day to die… and I think I’ll take her with me.” Strong willed doesn’t touch it with this one. The question has never been would he do amazing things and run the world, the question has been would he use his powers for good, or for evil. I’m happy to report… GOOD. So damned good.
This kid at 16 was SO WORTH all of the fits, fights, and character work of his early years. He taught me more about communication, patience, community building, and perseverance than all of my other children combined. He also taught me the deep value of that ferocity.
He started working on his pilot’s license when he was 15, got derailed by the pandemic, but didn’t lose his focus. He starts commercial flight school later this year. Travel, and flying, are in this one’s blood.
Do you need help or encouragement?
work with me
