I ran across a really superb article by one of my favorite relaxed-learning-style champions, John Taylor Gatto. His article, The Exhausted School, is located here. It’s not a quick read so allow some time or read it in chunks. So many great points in favor of relaxed learning or unschooling or child-led learning or whatever you want to call it. I say we put all these labels into one like, “Life Learning”. I’m sure someone who is better at catchy terms could do better than that but there’s my five second contribution. But I digress…

An excerpt from that article:

Much daily misery around us is caused by the fact our schools force children to grow up absurd. Any reform in schooling must deal with its absurdi-ties: it is absurd and antilife to be part of a system that compels you to sit in confinement with people exactly the same age and social class. That system effectively cuts you off from information you need to be sane, and cuts you off from your own past and future. It seals you into a continuous present much the same way television does. It is absurd and anti-life to be part of a system compelling you to listen to a stranger read poetry when you ache to learn to construct buildings; it is absurd and anti-life to sit with a stranger discussing the construction of buildings when the rush of language inside you makes you want to write a poem.

Laurie's family is complete with four children, all about 2 years apart, who are unschooling.Laurie has also embraced the unschooling life for herself and is currently exploring geography. Today, she is in charge of publicity for her local MOPS group, involved in local homeschooling groups and has a blog about their unschooling adventures at http://www.learninglifethroughunschooling.blogspot.com