In our culture (and many others in the world), adults have a special status of control and coercion over kids. It's time to move beyond this discrimination.
It is very strange for me to have homeschooled/unschooled my own children and find myself agreeing with what you say while working for the school system now that my own kids are grown. I see the dysfunction of the system every single day. I’m fortunate that in my position I see the kids who are not “successful” in their general education classrooms. They come to me for extra support in academics and for emotional/social learning. I have enough freedom to employ new ways of helping them learn what their IEP (Individual Education Plan) goals dictate, but find myself part of the coercion inherent in the system. I try to be a safe and gentle place for the kids to come to, but it’s a tough spot to be in. I do what I can to make it fun, but there are days when it’s just not fun no matter how you dress it up because it’s not a choice.
It is very strange for me to have homeschooled/unschooled my own children and find myself agreeing with what you say while working for the school system now that my own kids are grown. I see the dysfunction of the system every single day. I’m fortunate that in my position I see the kids who are not “successful” in their general education classrooms. They come to me for extra support in academics and for emotional/social learning. I have enough freedom to employ new ways of helping them learn what their IEP (Individual Education Plan) goals dictate, but find myself part of the coercion inherent in the system. I try to be a safe and gentle place for the kids to come to, but it’s a tough spot to be in. I do what I can to make it fun, but there are days when it’s just not fun no matter how you dress it up because it’s not a choice.