S5E86: Why Learning Is Happening Everywhere: Jenn Sutherland

S5E86: Why Learning Is Happening Everywhere: Jenn Sutherland

Author: Robyn Robertson January 4, 2021 Duration: 1:02:58

Jenn Sutherland and Beyond School

I am joined by Jenn Sutherland, worldschooling mom, entrepreneur and CEO of Beyond School. In addition to homeschooling her own four children, from birth to university entrance while traveling the world, full time, for over a decade, Jenn has a degree in education and over 20 years experience in helping families build world class educations for their children outside the four walls of a classroom. Now the CEO of Beyond School, she's focused on building a school of the future for families of the future and creating a third path in education, acknowledging that learning is happening everywhere.

What You'll Find In This Episode

In this episode Jenn and I explore the meaning of why learning is not an occurrence that happens only in school, within a certain timeframe of life. We talk about why and how learning is happening everywhere and learning is happening always. And why it is up to us as parents to shift our perspective on how and where learning can happen and let go of the fact that we have to control and measure every form of learning. This conversation included;

Living A Life Of Adventure & Worldschooling

  • Living a life of adventure and worldschooling- How her family went from a year of travel in 2008 to a life of travel and why it was the best decision they ever made
  • The crash of 2008 and losing it all while on the road- How tragedy can be a catalyst to step back and re-evaluate what you really want out of life
  • Travel full time? What Jenn and her husband did to be able to travel full time and recreate their careers.

Learning & Homeschooling

  • Learning and homeschooling-Does having credentials make you a better homeschooler or is it a liability?
  • Prioritizing needs, wants and dreams. What is the difference between needs and wants? Who do you want to be in 1 year, 5 years? How do we make that happen for you?
  • The most valuable things to teach in homeschooling
  • "Everything I thought I knew about education from a classroom perspective had almost no bearing on getting the job done at home."-What Jenn had to learn to let go of in homeschooling
  • Deschooling- unlearning and then re-learning
  • Shifts in in beliefs and perspectives

The Joy Of Teens

  • The shift in our view of teens that needs to happen in our world
  • Teenagers- why we need to start saying YES to their dreams
  • Trust, failure and raising capable children to become capable adults

School Of The Future- Beyond School

  • The ways that COVID has shifted education and perspectives in education
  • School of the future, Third Path education- why Beyond School began
  • Child centred, learner centred and unique to each individual
  • How Beyond School is cradle to grave learning over a lifetime, supporting young kids to adults

"Homeschooling is not about teaching your children from a top down management perspective. It's about Celebrating the fact that learning is happening everywhere, learning is happening always and we are in it together. Everybody at a different stage." Jenn Sutherland

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more about alternatives to traditional school, I suggest you also check out these episodes:

A Case For Self Directed Teens: Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids To School? with Blake Boles

Self Directed Learning- Blake Boles

Village Home Learning Community- with Lori Walker

Alternatives To School- SHINE Together Holistic Learning Center- with Mandy Spiczka

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Beyond School website- beyondschool.co

The Teenage Liberation Handbook- Grace Llewellyn

Not Back To School Camp

Disclosure: When I recommend a product that I believe have will add value, it may contain an affiliate link, and when you click the link and decide to make a purchase through that link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Robyn Robertson hosts Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids, a conversation that goes far beyond curriculum choices and into the heart of what it means to learn and grow together as a family. This isn't about presenting a perfect blueprint; instead, each episode feels like an honest chat with a friend who gets it, exploring the nuanced realities of choosing an educational path outside the conventional system. You'll hear from a diverse range of voices-experienced homeschoolers, unschooling advocates, educational researchers, and parents just figuring it out-all sharing their stories, challenges, and triumphs. The discussions naturally weave through parenting philosophies, cultural perspectives on childhood, and practical advice for nurturing a rich, engaging home life. Tuning into this podcast means finding a supportive community and thoughtful reflections on creating a family culture that prioritizes connection, curiosity, and joy. It’s for anyone curious about alternative education or simply seeking inspiration for a more intentional and fulfilling life with their kids.
Author: Language: en-ca Episodes: 100

Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids
Podcast Episodes
S6E147: Modern Miss Mason: Leah Boden​ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:58
Modern Miss Mason: Leah Boden​ Leah Boden is a mom to 4 kids and a long time home educator. She is a speaker, a podcast host, homeschool coach and runs workshops sharing the beauty of a Charlotte Mason approach to childh…
S6E146: Reflections For The Homeschooling Year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:17
Reflections For The Homeschooling Year As we get closer to the end of season 6, I invite you to take a moment of pause and reflection. Season 6 began as a time and place to step further into Deschooling and growing witho…
S6E144: How Are You Able To Work And Homeschool? With Erika Brown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:01
How Are You Able To Work And Homeschool? With Erika Brown “How are you able to work AND homeschool your boys?” Erika Brown is asked this question at least once a week as they are out and about meeting people. Unfortunate…
S6E141: Setting Up Your Homeschool Space [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:48
Setting Up Your Homeschool Space I get it. As a homeschooling or unschooling parent we want to create the best learning environment ever. We don't want to just replace school. We want to be better than school. So what do…
S6E138: Reading & Writing With Phonics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:55
Reading & Writing With Phonics As a homeschooling parent, are your worries focused on your children learning to read? Are you unsure where to start? What to do? Or how can to make it fun and engaging, instead of difficul…