Category: Parents OL FAQ
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As a parent of an open learner, what is my role?
Think of yourself as a co-passenger. So more than a parent, you yourself become an open learner. Yes you would guide and support your child, but please expect your child to guide and support you equally. If we can interact everyday, sharing as well as listening, understanding as well as challenging, co-creating our life together…
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I am not a good teacher, nor qualified, how will I teach my child?
It’s actually a good-news that you are not a good teacher, else we would end up teaching. We aren’t supposed to teach children, rather guide and support them and they will find out from whom and how and using what they want to learn and do what they want to learn.
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What skills do I need to develop to be able to support my child in their open learning journey?
Actually none. Just be with the child: listen, understand, discuss, debate, argue, and mostly allow them to fail. And since you already have all these skills, you are ready!
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What if when the child becomes an adult, questions our decision of choosing Open Learning?
Two important points here – Any child can actually question any decision of their parents at any point of their life. That in itself does not mean that we need to take all right or safe decisions, because perhaps any decisions which might look right or safe can be questioned and seen as otherwise later.…
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What role does the extended family play?
It is a Co-creation journey and whoever in the extended family is ready can be a co passenger, more the merrier. Open learning invites all in the family to become open learners.Also do invite them to play the role of questioner – constantly questioning the child and the parents. Perhaps that is the most important…
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What kind of environment should we create at home to foster open learning?
Simple – a learning environment: Where your children see you as a learner (and only as a teacher), where failures, mistakes, incapabilities are seen as much part of our life. Where each one is W.I P – Work in Progress.
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I am in sync but my spouse or the grandparents or the relatives are not in favour of this decision.
Super – this means there can be so many discussions, explorations, perspectives etc. The idea in open learning isn’t to convince others (since we are not wiser or smarter). The idea is to even see this as an opportunity to learn and explore and discover.