Self-directed Learning
What is self-directed learning? It’s what humans have been doing since the beginning of time. We’ve just been sold the idea of “school” and for some reason, most of us have never questioned it. It’s certainly well past time we do.
From John Taylor Gatto:
“Children learn what they live. Put kids in a class and they will live out their lives in an invisible cage, isolated from their chance at community; interrupt kids with bells and horns all the time and they will learn that nothing is important or worth finishing; ridicule them and they will retreat from human association; shame them and they will find a hundred ways to get even. The habits taught in large-scale organizations are deadly.”
How does this above quote sit with you? Does it spark curiosity? Why DO we force our children to go to school? Sure, there are some kids that love school. But for the ones that hate it, why must they continue?
What most parents wonder:
“What if my child wants to go to college? Don’t they need to have a transcript?” The answer to that is No.
“What will they do if they don’t go to school?” Every child is different but I’ll venture to say, the fact that your child is given agency to do what he/she feels strongly is right for themselves will speak volumes. Just the act of being seen, heard and valued is going to be much more conducive to their well-being than getting straight A’s doing mind-dumbing work for 12 years.
It might be helpful to understand why and when schools were invented.
What can it look like if we don’t send our kids to school? In this interview with Bruce Gates, a father who allowed all eight of his children to flourish at home shares his experience and why. “We are all natural learners. You can’t stop a kid from learning!” says Bruce. Of course, he means in a free environment when kids have agency over themselves. We are natural, curious beings…when we aren’t being dumbed down by our environment.
Before you decide to close out this email because you think we are all crazy, all 8 of Bruce’s kids are thriving, five went to college by choice, and actually almost all of them began their foray into college at age 16.
Be inspired. Bruce and his wife offer coaching at Tao Farm Consulting.