Self-Directed Learners: Ryan's Story

By Marsha

When I began homeschooling my fifth and second graders, I thought I'd homeschool for a couple of years to get them back on track. Before long we were no longer saying, "We are doing this a year at a time." It had become a part of who we were as a family. A few years into homeschooling my children, my focus changed from trying to develop curriculum that fit each child, to how I could develop life-long learners. I didn't want them just to be able to read a chapter, answer the questions, and take a test, kind of a short-term memory sort of learning, but I wanted them to be able to teach themselves, and find the resources they needed to learn what they needed to know, and beyond that, I wanted them to want to learn. I knew that many of the things I was taught in school were long gone, but many of the things I had learned out of interest were still retained in my memory. I wanted to teach them how to think for themselves, to have good research skills, and develop an interest in learning that would last a lifetime. I wanted to learn how I could develop self-directed self-motivated learners.

Louisa May Alcott, author of children's books such as Little Woman and Little Men, was almost entirely educated at home. A voracious reader and writer, she produced her first book at 16.   Although her parents provided some direction for their children, they also seemed to be comfortable allowing their children enough time to pursue their gifts. Following the lead of the Alcott's I have learned to keep my curriculum plans flexible enough to allow me to follow my children's lead as they develop interests. With my oldest son it was engines and things mechanical. Some of the things we did to help Ryan learn about engines included:

• Buying him an electronics kit to learn from.
• Purchasing a Chilton's manual for small engine repair when he was thirteen so he could rebuild a rototiller, his first hands-on mechanical project. By the way, after the rebuild, it started on the first pull!
• Encouraging him to use some of his educational savings to buy the Small Engine Repair Course from Foley-Belsaw. He completed the course in record time and as a result was rewarded with a free transmission repair course.
• Supporting his decision to open a small engine repair business at fifteen, in our garage and yard.
• Letting him work on our old Jeep.
• Letting him rebuild the engine in our van, our primary vehicle. I'll never forget the look on My parents’ faces when they walked into our garage and saw the engine lying in pieces on the floor and workbench! They immediately offered us a ride to an event we were planning to attend the   next day. By this time I had confidence in his ability. I firmly told them I thought we'd be riding in the van. I know they thought I had finally lost my mind. Guess what? We rode in the van!
• Finding an independent mechanic who would mentor Ryan; Ryan worked as a volunteer in his shop for several months.
• Registering with the state and the local school district so Ryan could take classes at the Intermediate School District Technology Center in the Automotive Technology program.

Then after he knew without a doubt that his career choice involved working with engines, there were times when it was difficult to follow his lead. Some examples:

• Ryan told me all through high school that he wasn't going to college. His instructors at the Tech Center told him he would do well in college, but he wasn't hearing it. Finally, the night of his second Student of the Year award he announced he WAS going to college, but only for the certificate program, which didn't require any English, History, or other classes that didn't relate directly to automotive technology. I didn't encourage or discourage, I just listened because I was amazed he was going to college at all. He hadn't taken any SATs or ACTs.  He had always hated to write papers and given me a hard time about doing them. However, he passed the assessment tests and was accepted at a local community college with an excellent automotive department.   Taking a class or two a semester while working about 36 hours a week, Ryan still made impressive grades in his classes. He soon proved to himself that he could handle college work and decided to go for the Associates in Applied Science.

• After working in industry for three years, Ryan was approached by a recruiter from the Technology Center where he took his training. Offered the position of project manager, he would be basically running the shop in the Automotive Technology Program. He would make appointments, teach the students how to diagnose and repair the vehicles, test-drive the vehicles, and prepares the paperwork for billing. Ryan wasn't sure whether he wanted to make such a big career change and asked my advice. I said he was young enough to try it for a year or two and then decide. So he applied, went through the application process, and although he was the youngest person interviewed for the position, he got the job. 

• Ryan amazed himself and us, his parents, by loving teaching! He identifies with the hands-on learners who often take his class. He understands the kids who have learning differences, and need to have the instructions repeated or things demonstrated more than once. His students seem to identify with him, as well. It's not uncommon to find a couple of his students working on one of their vehicles in the garage at his house. I think the most amazing thing was hearing his students refer to him as "Mr. Ransom." When he was only twenty-two years old himself! Now he’s twenty-seven, and after teaching for six years at the Tech Center, he applied for and got a job as a teacher for the Coloma School District. Due to a new plan introduced by the governor, public schools can hire non-certified people to teach, while holding a temporary certification for them, as long as they are pursuing their certification. Ryan now has his associate’s degree in Applied Science/Automotive Technology and is close to receiving his BS degree in education. 

Following Ryan's lead has brought him to a career he loves, with the ability to do some work on the side as well. We don't have to worry about him making a living; he has excellent benefits, and a good work environment.

A freelance writer, Marsha serves as a homeschool resource for her local library and has written articles for "Home Education Magazine" and a column for "Home Educator's Family Times." She has served on the planning committee for her local homeschool cooperative, taught creative writing, edited the newsletter, and been a member of the HUB (Homeschoolers United Building) advisory committee.  Her book, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Homeschooling" was published in February 2001, and she has spoken at homeschool conferences and curriculum fairs in Texas, California,and Michigan. She also works part-time outside the home as an office manager for both the family business and at a local church.

 

Comments

[rory]

Of course if he had followed a more traditional path he might of gotten a degree in mechanical engineering and been the one who designed engines and cars.

[Robin]

Homeschoolers can pursue any degree that they desire to pursue. Seems Ryan is doing what he wants to do with his life ("a career he loves"-teaching), while helping others and performing a noble service for society. He is also free to change his mind and pursue mechanical engineering.