Watch out for schoolish beliefs
A parent told me the other day, ''𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸!''
It is tempting to claim credit, but all we forest school coaches did was a whole lot of nothing.
And that is exactly the point.
For context, the aforementioned child is considered ‘neurodiverse’ and had ‘behavioural issues’ (not listening to instructions, prone to anger, screaming if irritated, etc.).
As forest school coaches, we give space. Space to explore without any adult-directed notions about what children should do. It is about trusting children, whether they want to explore a stream, dig in the mud, or sit down and eat snacks.
And it is the opposite of what children normally experience: being told minute-by-minute what to do. A lot of ‘behavioural issues’ are completely normal reactions to the crappy way children are treated.
And then those ‘behavioural issues’ are diagnosed as if the problem lies with the children. Many ‘neurodiverse’ children are the proverbial canaries in the coal mine - the early warning system that tells us it’s time to rethink schools.
But we should be more concerned about children who seemingly thrive in such a school setting. That is because school teaches a schoolish mindset:
1) ‘Other people are better at making decisions for me.’ Children are constantly told what to do, commented on, compared to, made to sit down and be quiet, boxed in with dozens of same-aged peers, and have to ask for permission to stretch or go to the bathroom. This creates learned helplessness: the feeling that hoping for change is pointless.
2) ‘My worth depends on the approval of others.’ Many classrooms have star and sticker charts to showcase everyone who the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ pupils are. Conformity is emphasised. This creates an environment of strong peer pressure and bullying.
3) ‘My interests are a waste of time.’ Children are told, ‘First do your schoolwork, then you can play.’ The lesson is that ‘learning’ (filling out worksheets and other busywork) is more important than other activities. Nobody likes being controlled, so children eventually come to dislike ‘learning’. But the lesson often gets internalised, and children lose the connection with their own preferences. They lose their playfulness.
4) ‘The questions I have don’t matter.’ Firing loads of questions at the teacher, even if they are on-topic, will be considered disruptive to a lesson. Children learn to ignore their own questions if they don’t feel relevant to passing an exam. They lose connection with their own curiosity.
5) ‘What I do is pointless.’ Teachers ask questions they already know the answer to. ‘Learning’ is separated from real-life context. All the schoolwork over 12 years produces nothing of value for anyone. Yes, children do get tested, but that often means they become good at test-taking rather than becoming more educated. And the real labour market has zero demand for test-takers.
In contrast, Self-Directed Education is the educational approach in which learners decide what, when, and how they learn based on their interests. To make this work, we have to rethink our own schoolish beliefs. Including the idea that all children must learn the same things in the same order. And that children only learn when an adult makes them.
In Self-Directed Education, children get the opportunity to discover and develop their own uniqueness. They have space to try new things, ask questions, and hone their skills. It allows them to discover lifelong passions and define their values. This approach is currently called ‘alternative education’, but in due time, it will become the new mainstream.
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