“Unschooling” is the natural way of learning. See John Taylor Gatto, John Holt.
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Exactly. This is why I cringe when I hear elementary school teachers whining about things like their pay, their benefits, etc. Most kids up until the end of 6th grade absorb stuff like sponges. Also, it isn't that hard to keep the kids in check and civilized at that age ... the hormones and the like haven't kicked in yet ... the kids are far less likely to do the retarded things they'll do as teenagers (I speak from experience :-) :-) ).
Elementary school teaching jobs shouldn't require the set of credentials they require these days. Keep in mind that most teachers less than a century ago were housewives, single women, or nuns with no formal education. The USA's education system was much much much better then than now.
Moreover, people have to blow $50K or so to get an elementary teaching degree (thus forcing teachers to ask for salaries to pay that back). What government has morphed elementary school into is a fucking Greek tragedy though we are all well aware of why they did it.
Also, by the time 7th grade rolls around, many kids have an idea of what they like. Instead of focusing on what maintains their interest, they choose to force them into one-size-fits-all classes that will teach them absolutely NOTHING. This is why kids kind of check out in school. Their minds are not stimulated and they are smart enough to know that what they're subjected to is a total waste of time.
In my case, English was the prime example. I was forced to read and write about garbage fiction of which I had zero appreciation. All of that time was a total waste. I could have more than likely advanced my electronics/computer skills if I were "forced" to read and write about that stuff. Despite my loathing of English class, I did OK, but I fucking hated it ... I knew back then that courses like history and even geography were the classes where kids took their writing skills to the next level (starting around 7th grade).
Add all of that up and you start to understand why kids sit in classrooms for most of their first 18 years of life yet need even MORE education to start a career. Its both sad and disgusting not to mention a total waste of time and money.