Homeschooled Adolescents Find Their ESSENCE

Sharon Barkan, a homeschooling mom whose son attended Rock-it Science classes for several years, wrote her master’s thesis about the Rock-it Science method of teaching. We thank Sharon for allowing us to present it here. Below is a brief Synopsis of Sharon’s thesis, along with a link to her complete thesis, with references.

Here is the handout Sharon distributed at her thesis presentation.
Here is the Complete Thesis, with references

SYNOPSIS

Summary

This study looked at homeschooled adolescents at Rock-It-Science (RIS), a unique science program, and the ways in which their needs, defined as the ESSENCE (Emotional Spark, Social Engagement, Novelty, and Creative Exploration)(Siegel, 2013) were supported by participating in this program. The study was a qualitative research, and data was collected by interviewing five parents of homeschooled teens who have been at RIS for at least four months. Based on the participants’ responses I concluded that John McChesney, also known as Mr. Mac, director and founder of RIS, personality, and pedagogy created an environment that supported the ESSENCE needs as well as contributed to the families’ homeschooling journey. The environment at RIS was emotionally safe, accepting, encouraging, conducive to creativity, socialization, collaboration, and fun learning. Another theme that emerged was the power of teaching through a story.

Introduction

Daniel Siegel says the unique characteristics of adolescence, ages 12-24 years old, have reasons and purposes (Siegel, 2013). School, one of the main foci of adolescents’ lives, where they spend much of their time, is a source for social interactions, emotional challenges, and creative opportunities or lack thereof (A. Faraji, personal communication, March 4, 2016; Robinson, 2006). The search for a better education that fits and prepares students for adulthood while supporting their well-being has been an ongoing process. (Kohn, 1999; Robinson, 2015b, Stuart & Woodard, 2015).

Sir Ken Robinson, Alfie Kohn, Vicki Abeles, and many other researchers describe the crisis of the educational system. Three main reactions to this crisis: (1) Alarming increase in teens’ distressed behavior such as depression. (2) A steady rise in the number of homeschooling families, and a shift of acceptance and appreciation towards homeschoolers. (Jones & Gloeckner, 2004; Lips & Feinberg, 2008; Ray, 2016). (3) More opportunities for entrepreneurs in teaching and educating (Robinson, 2010). An example of that is Rock-It-Science.

In his book Brainstorm The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, Siegel (2013) described a new perspective that supports understanding, connection, compassion, empathy, and deeper relationships between adolescents and the adults in their lives. He summed the needs of the adolescents in the acronym ESSENCE. These four domains represent what the teenage brain seeks and explore (Siegel, 2013).

  • Emotional Spark is about the intensity of feeling that influences thoughts, brings passion, interest, motivation, as well as moodiness.
  • Social Engagement is about the emerging need to have more quality and quantity time with peers, and shifting attachment from parents to peers. This also relates to increasing in impact and need of connections with mentors.
  • Novelty represents the physiological need for thrill and high stimulation to get the satisfaction of excitement, it supports risk-taking and expands the comfort zone.
  • Creative Exploration represents the new type of thinking, one that is original, outside of the box, challenging the rules and thinking set by adults, and holds the potential for inventions and new ideas (Siegel, 2014c, 2014d).

Adolescents undergo important and crucial development of many aspects, well-being can become jeopardized by stress levels that are the result of several stressors such as family life, school, social media, and extracurricular activities. The reality and situation of adolescents in the school system appear to be very different from that of homeschooled adolescents here in the Bay Area, and it seems that homeschooled adolescents benefit from more protective factors when it comes to emotional and social well-being (M. Gustavson, personal communication, March 31, 2016).

Homeschooling and Homeschooling Adolescents

Homeschooling used to be the primary way children were educated (Lips & Feinberg, 2008), until the late 19th century when attending school for children ages 6-18 became law (Goldin, 1999). However, since the 1970’s and 1980’s homeschooling numbers have once again started to rise (Lips & Feinberg, 2008), and by the mid 1990’s homeschooling was legal in all 50 states of the U.S. (Somerville, 2001).

Homeschooled adolescents have many options when it comes to what and how to learn. From a more traditional path to a total child-led or project-based learning, to name a few options. The autonomy, freedom, and being tuned to the adolescent’s needs and wishes are a natural and integral part of homeschooling.

Rock-It-Science

RIS is a non-profit organization. It was established by John McChesney, in 1989. RIS Mission Statement includes two main principles, bring science to underprivileged schools and youth, and promote and develop children’s ability to learn science in a meaningful way. Some of RIS’s accomplishments over the past 25 years have been creating a unique way of teaching that integrates storytelling with hands-on science exploration and serving over 100,000 children K-8th grade. The homeschoolers’ program serves students from age 5 to 16 years old (McChesney & Gow, 2016b).

Mr. Mac (personal communication, March 11, 2016) says about himself that he was a curious child, he tested, tried, and explored ideas. This state of mind combined with his engineering years became the inspiration for RIS. In 1991 Mr. Mac started teaching homeschoolers and discovered that they were eager to learn, open to new ideas, and asked very different kind of questions than schooled children. Since 2009 there has been much documentation and videotaping of all the lessons and ideas that Mr. Mac accumulated, to promote training for new teachers. More than 100 lessons have been edited, transcribed, and made available an open source to all educators within the RIS online teacher community (McChesney & Gow, 2016b).

Rock-It-Science’s Theory and Pedagogy

RIS pedagogy has two main parts. The first is the backward kind of planning. Unlike the regular lesson planning that focuses on a concept and then looks for a way to demonstrate, Mr. Mac starts with designing the experiment, thinking about what children and adolescents like to do, figures out the science behind it, and creates a story that explains the relevant science concept. This backward system has proven to work well over the years, and children of all ages learn as they play (McChesney & Gow, 2016b). The second aspect of RIS’s pedagogy stems from Mr. Mac own life experience as an engineer (McChesney, 2011). Presenting a challenge, generating ideas, working in groups, using some tools, and coming up with solutions. This is where the crazy story comes into the picture.

The Crazy Story is one of the pillars of the teaching at RIS, and it is woven into the lesson. It is an interactive tool that keeps students focused, and ignites their imagination for the hands-on exploration part. The story serves as a way to anchor the science concept at the end of the lesson (J. McChesney, personal communication, March 11, 2016). There is purpose in how the story is built: Jack and Jill are stick-figures, and anyone can identify with them, characters in the story are the same each time, there is lots of humor and laughter, phrases that repeat every time, the middle part will always be a cliffhanger, students’ involvement and ideas are valued, and imagination is crucial.

Methodology

The research question was, In what ways does RIS provide for the ESSENCE of homeschooled adolescents? The study follows a qualitative method and data was collected using semi-structured interviews with five participants. Participants were homeschooling parents of teens, ages 12-16 years old, who participated in RIS’s teen classes. The research plan, interview questions, and communication tools for this study went through the rigorous process of IRB review and approval. Participants were asked the same 7 questions in the same order. (1) When and why did you start homeschooling your child? (2) What is your homeschooling style? (3) In what way does your child feel safe to express his emotions at RIS? (4) In what ways does RIS provide opportunities for your child to connect and communicate with peers? (5) In what ways does RIS provide exciting and unique experiences for your child? (6) In what ways does RIS provide chances for creative thinking and exploration? (7) What experiences do you see as meaningful for your child here at RIS?

After I interviewed the participants, I transcribed the interviews, organized the data in tables, summarized, categorized, coded, chunked, coded again, found themes, and after more reflection found overarching themes.

Summary of Results

With the data I collected and the detailed process of analyzing I was able to shed light on specific ways in which homeschooled adolescents fulfilled their ESSENCE by participating in Rock-It-Science program, spearheaded by Mr. Mac.

  • RIS provided opportunities for teens to experience emotional sparks by creating a safe environment for both emotional and physical aspects, setting high expectations, and trusting teens’ capabilities. Having a relaxed, and accepting environment affirmed the invitation for their teens to be their true selves.
  • RIS promoted social engagement among teens by setting opportunities for homeschoolers to regularly meet and work collaboratively, develop stronger social skills, and to plan the majority of class time on interacting. RIS also set opportunities for parents to teach their teens valuable life lessons regarding social interactions.
  • RIS supported teens’ need for novelty, by celebrating and elaborating the sense of wonder and curiosity, a mindset of fun science, cool nerdiness. Novelty was fulfilled by providing a place in which explosions, burning, and smelly stuff happened and was expected. Participants reflected that RIS filled up the gap between what they could provide for their teens and what their homeschooled teens sought. From Mr. Mac’s intention was to teach teens how to take risks safely and instead of avoiding them.
  • Lastly RIS promoted creative exploration by many of the details mentioned above. More ways for exploration came from the way lessons were planned, and the pedagogy of the crazy story. Participants viewed that lack of homework, tests, and textbooks, as an invitation for students’ exploration during and after class.
  • The last question added the personal point of view of the participants of RIS and its contribution to their teen and family. Meeting the needs of the child is one of the values of homeschooling and what parents reflected on when they mentioned their homeschooling style. The main themes that came up were deep appreciation and reflection on Mr. Mac’s pedagogy, recognizing the support RIS provided for both the teen and the family, and specific part of the ESSENCE that was most meaningful to their teen at that time. For many of the parents, Mr. Mac and RIS become an integral part of their homeschooling journey, as it provided shared values and a mentor.

It was exciting to find these results that show how adolescents can be supported well within an educational setting when it is one that holds values and practice pedagogy that aim to promote creativity, collaboration, and happiness.

Overarching Themes

  • Mr. Mac’s personality and pedagogy.
  • Supporting parents’ values.
  • The values and priorities of RIS for creativity, curiosity, exploration, and joy, created an environment, an
    educational setting, and methods that met the ESSENCE needs.

Realizations about the Process and the Data

  • One participant shared in her interview that the math curriculum they use, Life of Fred, had several similarities to Mr. Mac’s at RIS. This was an encouragement that the magic, care, and values, that Mr. Mac offered students and families at RIS, could be replicated and implemented in other subjects and frameworks of teaching, to support, mentor, and guide creativity, exploration, knowledge, connections, and well-being.
  • The bridge between school and home. Mr. Mac was valuable and meaningful to the parents, he became part of the team that nurtured and educated their child. We are all part of the village that it takes to raise and educate children.
  • The advantage of choosing RIS as the setting for this study. RIS reflected an environment that was free of the limitation standards and testing brings. It was a vital ingredient in being able to analyze how and if the ESSENCE needs were met.
  • Mr. Mac’s personality was vital in this experience. His warm personality, ongoing support, unconditional acceptance, and encouragement was evident in the years my son was his student, and every time we talked. I discovered Mr. Mac was not only a role model for the students, but for the parents as well.
  • The power of play and story in teaching adolescents. I knew about how play as a meaningful part of children’s lives, but have not connected that to teens’ education. It brought the students’ engagement, creativity, imagination, and joy.

Theory Building

Some thoughts and new constructed knowledge.

Standards and Testing
Mr. Mac shared that the focus on testing shifts the emphasis of teaching science to memorization and vocabulary instead of exploration and joy. He also noticed that when tests and grades were the end game, kids tended to ask fewer questions and curiosity was seen as a distraction (personal communication, March 11, 2016).

Alfie Kohn’s work, as a pioneer in progressive education, said that while rigor is appreciated by many, it is joy and creativity that support learning (Kohn, 2011a, 2011b). Maidan & Ariely (2012) said what we are tested on becomes what is important to us. Robinson (2010) quoted Abraham Lincoln who said on December 1862: “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present… we must think anew and act anew…” (6:04-6:40). Robinson was calling for revolutionizing education. I believe that testing stands in the way of love of learning or knowledge. Instead of testing we could focus on conversations and meaningful projects so both, teacher and student, can sense the level of mastery. Assessment can be part of a child-led education

Nurturing Creativity
During this study, I learned more about the importance of including creativity in education. Robinson (2013) summed up three principles that are needed for people, to thrive. Acknowledging our uniqueness and diversity, seeing curiosity as the lifeline for thriving, and that both teaching and learning must be individualized. Perhaps homeschooling and child-led learning is the materialization of what Robinson suggests.

Homeschooling is One Option
Looking back at the process of this study, I see homeschooling as one of the options for better education. No method will fit everyone, and it is all about individualizing education. The growing numbers of homeschoolers, suggests that people vote with their feet to revolutionize the education system. For many, homeschooling supported freedom, meeting the needs for connection, respect, and support, and promoted the well-being of the children and adolescents.

Supporting Better Connection
Siegel’s (2013) book Brainstorm was key in my study. From this book, I adopted the framework of the
ESSENCE. I also found his work to be bridging between the science, of neurobiology, and mindfulness and reflective practice. Investing in creating and strengthening the connection between adolescents and adults in their lives, must become a priority for us.

The Power of Stories in Teaching
I found new literature that supported my finding. Wilson (2002) wrote about teaching science via the power of stories. Kawalkar and Vijapurkar (2015) looked at inquiry and traditional modes of teaching science and showed how deeper the learning could be when it is discovery-based. Both support the pedagogy of RIS, the creative exploration, and the crazy story.

I chose to end with the poem that is quoted at the end of Daniel Siegel’s book Success:

To laugh often and love much; To win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To give of one’s self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a beautiful child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived –
This is to have succeeded. (Siegel, 2013, pp. 306-307)

May all the children we know, raise, and the one we once were, succeed, be happy, and well.