Rosie Sherry, Founder and CEO of Software Testing Club and Ministry of Testing delivered a presentation exploring her journey in home schooling her children and how the changes she had to make in their approach to life as a result of unschooling were also applicable to the Testing world.

1. How To Deschool
(Your Testing Career)
by Rosie Sherry

2. This Is My Life

3. I have a problem with boxes. Life is full of them!
We are obsessed with putting people in boxes.
what do you want to be when you grow up?
what do you do?
what qualifications do you have?
oh, he’s the quiet/loud/smart/ stupid/lazy one…
oh, he’s great at xxx
she’s a mother…
Once you are in a box people make it incredibly hard
for you to get out.

4. “We ask children to do for most of a day
what few adults are able to do for even
an hour. How many of us, attending
say, a lecture that doesn’t interest us,
can keep our minds from wandering?
Hardly any.” - John Holt

5. How do you really know that
you are asking your team to
do is the right thing?

6. To Understand Deschooling,
You Need To Understand Unschooling

7. UnSchoolSchool
No set subjects
Self guided goals
Empowerment
Anything goes!
Changes like the wind
Think for themselves
Learn at own pace
Learning all the time
Subjects
Goals Set By Others
Handed Down Knowledge
Set Books
Structured
Follow Instructions
Learn at pace set by others
‘Learning’ happens at school

8. Deschooling is what happens
on the journey
of transitioning to an unschooling
life style.

9. [In other words, deschooling messes with your mind]
“In a practical context, it refers to the mental process
a person goes through after being removed from a
formal schooling environment, when the "school
mindset" is eroded over time. Deschooling may refer
to the time period it takes for children removed from
school to adjust to learning in an unstructured
environment.” - Wikipedia.

10. Surely it’s a piece of cake?
(hint: change is hard)

11. UnTestingTesting
Collaboration!
Self Management
Be agile!
Empowerment
It’s all about the context
Be creative
Be Exploratory
Real Learning and Value
Ability to say ‘I don’t know’
Job Roles
Goals Set By Others
Documentation
Handed Down Knowledge
Set Standards
Structured
Follow Instructions
Pleasing the bosses
Pretend to know it all

12. UnTestingUnSchool
TestCases
Certification
Job Titles
Metrics
Rules
Be Exploratory
Grow in your own direction
Learning does not stop,
ever.
Worksheets
Curriculum/Tests
Labels (age, ability, years)
Grades
Control
Follow Instructions
Learn at pace set by others
‘Learning’ happens at school
The Things We Probably Get Rid Of

13. UnSchool + UnTesting
Trust
Understanding
Freedom
Excitement
Passion
Choices
Respect
Real work
The Things We Probably Introduce

14. Stephen Mounsey, he’s deschooling!

15. The Modern World Is Not Built For This

16. Want to learn more?
Or follow what I get up to…
www.rosiesherry.com / www.unschool.me
www.ministryoftesting.com / www.softwaretestingclub.com
Stephen Mounsey’s talk amongst other great talks and content are available -
https://dojo.ministryoftesting.com