Unschooling is Whole Life Living

I love the freedom of Unschooling. Probably my favourite thing about Unschooling is that when particular knowledge is needed, we're free to pursue it. There is no hoarding away "learning" just in case we might need it in the future. The knowledge and learning we receive unschooling is practical, practiced and retained. Historically, that is exactly how humans learned. There was no time to be wasted on quadratic equations or the history of because they were never going to be a part of future life. No pop quizzes or end-of-term tests because living out what you had learned was test enough. Critics of Unschooling may say that learning in this way creates a small field of knowledge or that Important Subjects can be left out. In fact, this criticism should be pointed at curricula-based educational models because they limit learners the most by demanding that every student receive a cookie-cutter lesson plan. There is no individuality and if a student is seen as "weak" in a subject, s/he is humiliated and forced to continue on even if the actual lessons are never learned.

Unschooling avoids this frustration, I would posit that it is because the first lesson an unschooler learns is how to find and learn the information needed. That is how babies figure out how to feed themselves, how to utter syllables and words and how to walk. Despite those attempting to cash in on concerned parents, there truly is no Baby Curriculum because babies don't need to be told how to learn and problem solve! Do we really need physics or to know the Latin root of a word to be a positive, fully functional member of society?

The lie that any educator that wants to see children in a school setting puts forth is that learning must be taught by those trained to teach it. When in reality, everyday living is learning. LIFE IS LEARNING Any child or adult with an open mind and a curious nature cannot help but learn. And the lessons they learn will be much more meaningful and long-lasting than those that were forced.

Learning in freedom, from life brings joy to every day. Rather than reluctant students of useless trivia, we are avid knowledge-seekers becoming and growing each day. By learning in freedom we are able to bypass the obstacles to true enlightenment (peer pressure, others' standards, differences in learning abilities) and focus on truly pursuing the knowledge that will aid us in our lives.