About

In Medieval folklore salamanders were believed to have the ability to withstand the flames and emerge from fire unharmed. In a world where a child’s innocence is attacked daily and their moral imagination is no longer valued, Allison Desautell desires to honor their imaginations and equip students to withstand the cultural heat just like the mythological salamander.  She believes this is best done by feeding them a feast of traditional stories (Bible stories, legends, fables, myths, folktales, fairy tales, and Shakespeare) while teaching them to understand the basic structure of these stories and guiding them to read these tales metaphorically.  

Too often teachers and home school parents expect a child to read a higher-level novel, often one of the great books, and comprehend it without any guidance. This is like expecting a building to stand without a foundation. However, students who are rooted in traditional stories and who learn to read metaphorically are able to understand the meaning and allusions found in more complex texts, as well as develop a strong moral imagination which enables them to better stand against the assaults of modernity.  Stories have the power to shape the character and soul of a child. 

It was one of her greatest joys to homeschool her three sons from kindergarten through high school and all three have since graduated from college. For the past twenty-five years, Allison has been leading book discussions in home school co-ops and out of her home, as well as teaching classes in writing, literature, reader’s theater, and study skills at two different home school tutorials in Massachusetts.  Beloved by her students (and their parents!), she is an engaging instructor with a knack for breaking down daunting academic tasks into small, manageable chunks. Her classes fill up quickly and usually have a waiting list as she is a highly sought-after home school teacher.  

Her Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation with a minor and additional coursework in Behavioral Science and Education have always enabled her to understand educational pedagogy, yet think outside the confines of the typical schooling box and reach all of her students, even some of the most resistant.  Allison’s passions are in rekindling the flame for traditional stories in a child’s education, inspiring all students to learn to read more effectively and metaphorically, mentoring home school parents through the journey, and advocating for school choice for all students.