Very little has changed about how traditional schools* work in the United States since they began almost 200 years ago. Sure, some new technologies and various teaching fads have come and gone, but the main feature common throughout has been that young people must attend and do as they are instructed. Almost all the important decisions about what they do, … Read More
It Depends
“It Depends.” I say this alot. I’m the staff member at Princeton Learning Cooperative who initially meets with interested families. They come with lots of questions about PLC and I almost always respond with some variation of, “it depends.” The reactions families have to hearing this over and over again range from mild amusement as they start to understand how … Read More
Boy, You’re Gonna Carry that Weight
We just went through a wild year. And that is putting it lightly. A pandemic, everything that goes with the pandemic, civil unrest, a riling election, climate disasters, you name it. Weren’t there also aliens at some point? And here we are now, in 2021, still going through it. We’ve all been going through it in our own individual ways … Read More
Time Well Spent
I have to be honest. There was a period when my kids were younger that I just didn’t feel like playing with them, ever. I was going through big ordeals in my life and the thought of making slime or playing Barbies didn’t appeal to me in the slightest. In fact, it felt downright torturous, and every time I promised … Read More
Going Down the Rabbit Hole of Learning
When I describe the Learning Cooperatives as a self-directed education center, it’s not uncommon for people to need more of an explanation. Truthfully though, it’s as simple as it sounds. We are a center that encourages self-direction in education. But what does that look like? I’ve been attending some of the Black Lives Matter protests, where we are asked to … Read More
Weaning Teens (Off Dependency)
We all know someone whose maturity, for no apparent medical reason, is stunted somewhere in adolescence. It may be a friend, a coworker, maybe even a parent. This person may be attention-seeking, self-centered, irresponsible, people-pleasing, prone to tantrums, or simply unrealized. How is it that the body matures without a hiccup, but the mind doesn’t always follow? The body grows … Read More
The Trouble with Growing Up
Growing up is supposed to be this natural part of life that happens to everyone, but it doesn’t feel natural at all. One year, you’re too young for something, and the next you’re expected to know how to do it…but you don’t.
Getting Back to the Garden
Natural curiosity, love, and a fertile environment are enough to allow the growth of an intelligent and happy young being who walks and talks and, by playing, continues to learn.
Getting Through “The Dip”
In a perfect world, young people would choose self-directed education, figure out what they want to do with their lives, use their time well, make progress…and all the rest. But real life is more messy than that.
Failure to Launch: The Story of a Caterpillar
The number of young Americans ages 25-34 who live with their parents has increased more than 10% since 2000.