Kids running the show?

Unschooling is a vast topic not easily grasped in one sitting. I should know.

I had never heard of it until I met an unschooling dad and his son about 5 months ago. My first thoughts I admit were: Is it legal? They're allowed to do that? Is it a good thing for the kids?  (It's legal b.t.w. in many states and provinces based on some basic guidelines). 

Despite these reflex-doubts, I didn't give it much thought right away. It was so profound a concept that I had to let it simmer. 

Little did I know how solidly the subject would eventually hit home. The reason being, I am a natural unschooler since birth! (we all are, but that's the topic of another post)

I was actually crying out for an unshcooling experience since grade school- though I didn't know how to articulate it. Most vividly when I told my French teacher that I had no use for learning french and deliberately failed i.e. made no effort to complete assignments, participate in class or fill in the blanks on tests. It was a conscientious protest that in the end she respected, giving me a passing grade (?) but by only one point (being compulsory she didn't want to see me again next year?)

I flunked French and was proud of it. For three years straight.

But my beef was with the system- not French. Years later as I trained with passion to be a chef that I would then want to learn kitchen french and aced it without much effort. Amazing what you can do if you want to do it and are not systematically coerced. 

I am a very well accomplished guitarist. Had someone forced me to take boring guitar lessons for years from an assigned teacher, I wonder if it would have turned me off of it. As it was, I came to it naturally and when I was ready at age 11.

In fact, I fired about 10 guitar teachers (I exaggerate not) before I found the one I knew was not in it for the money and who really 'got me' and what I was passionately pursuing in this splendid instrument.

Sadly he was only around 6 months before moving out of town (I was in St. Catharines Ontario), but after he left I felt I had enough basics under my belt. So I never had another lesson, but continued self-learning. For years. And years. And years. Hey- learning never ends.  I've even given lessons to about 10 students. And teaching is not really teaching. It's helping your students to see they already have all it takes to teach themselves-- you just help them get going the same way you pull the cord on a lawnmower to get the blades spinning enthusiastically! And it they don't 'have it' maybe they should move on till they discover what it is that they're already good at -but just don't realize it yet. 

This is the best way to learn. Get a little help getting started, some guidance and encouragement, and away you go. You know best what you want to learn. You know best what interests you the most. You know best (in your heart and intuitions) what path is best- where your strengths will be and are....Nobody else- regardless of how well-intentioned-  can know these things. 

Self-directed learning is the way to go.