Radical Learning Talks

Have you ever known something needed to change, but found yourself waiting until you felt less afraid? Whether it's leaving school behind, changing careers, moving across the world, or simply choosing a different way of parenting, many of the biggest decisions we make ask us to step into the unknown before we know how things will turn out. In this 100th episode of Radical Learning Talks, we re...

Have you ever found yourself questioning the school system, only to worry about what your family, friends or the teachers in your life might think? For many parents, stepping away from conventional education isn't just about making different choices for their own children. It also changes how they see the world around them. Conversations about school can suddenly feel loaded, especially when t...

Have you ever imagined who your child might become? Most parents do. We picture their future, notice their potential, hope they'll use their gifts well, and quietly carry dreams for the life we want them to have. But what happens when those dreams begin to shape how we relate to the child standing in front of us? In this episode, we look at one of the most subtle forms of control in parenting:...

What if the biggest obstacle to creating a more compassionate world isn't a lack of knowledge—but the wounds we haven't yet healed? Whether we're rethinking education, parenting, activism or the systems we live within, it's easy to focus on changing what's around us. But what if lasting change also asks us to look inward? In this conversation with our dear friend Chemay Morales...

"Just trust your child." It's advice many parents hear when they begin questioning conventional education or exploring self-directed learning—but what if trust doesn't come naturally? What if your own experiences have taught you the opposite? In this episode, we answer a beautiful question from one of our listeners: How do you actually learn to trust? Beyond asking for reassuranc...

What happens when hundreds of parents and young people ask the questions they've been quietly carrying? After sending out a community survey, we invited people to ask us anything. The result was a rich conversation that touches on some of the biggest questions we hear—from navigating criticism and trusting your intuition, to burnout, screen time, community, public education and what it really...

What if you make the wrong decision? It's one of the biggest fears parents face—especially when they're considering stepping away from conventional education or choosing a different path for their family. What if your child resents you? What if this doesn't work? What if you've made a mistake you can't undo? In this episode, we examine why these questions feel so overwhelming a...

Can I really do this? It's one of the first questions parents ask when they begin exploring unschooling. But underneath it are so many others: Am I doing enough? What if I get this wrong? What if my child falls behind? In this episode, we explore why beginning the unschooling journey can feel so unsettling—and why that's completely understandable. Stepping away from conventional education...

What if the hardest part of unschooling isn't leaving school? What if it's learning to live without certainty? Many of us have been taught that there is a right path, a right answer, or a blueprint for how life should unfold. But what happens when we begin questioning those assumptions? And what becomes possible when we stop trying to control every outcome? In this deeply reflective conver...

What does it actually mean to decolonize education? For many people, the phrase feels unfamiliar—or even uncomfortable. In this episode, we unpack where the idea comes from, why it matters, and how it changes the way we think about children, learning and the purpose of education itself. Rather than focusing only on history, we explore how colonized ways of thinking continue to shape our schools, o...

What happens after unschooling? For many families, questioning school is only the beginning. Over time, the conversation expands beyond education and becomes something much bigger: how we relate to ourselves, our children, our communities and life itself. In this deeply moving conversation with Akilah S. Richards , author of Raising Free People and host of Fear of the Free Child , we explore grief...

How do we prepare our children for a future that none of us can predict? When the world feels uncertain, it's easy to focus on protecting our children from what might happen. But what if the most important thing we can offer isn't certainty at all? In this conversation, we reflect on what young people truly need to navigate an unpredictable world. Rather than trying to control every outcom...

How do we create a different future without recreating the very patterns we're trying to leave behind? It's easy to spend our energy criticizing broken systems, pointing fingers, or wishing things were different. But what if real change begins somewhere else? What if it starts with the way we relate to ourselves, our children and the people around us every day? In this conversation, we ref...

Can you embrace unschooling if your child still goes to school? It's a question we hear all the time—from parents living in countries where school is mandatory, from families whose children have chosen to attend school, and from parents who simply aren't in a position to leave the system right now. In this episode, we explore why unschooling is much more than a decision about where your ch...

What does it really take for a self-directed learning community to thrive? Many parents leave conventional school hoping they've finally found the answer. But creating a different kind of educational space isn't simply about changing where children learn. It asks something different of all of us. In this episode, we reflect on what we've learned after founding, leading and supporting s...

What happens to learning when life falls apart? Whether you're navigating grief, illness, financial stress, postpartum depression or another difficult season, many parents wonder the same thing: Am I doing enough? What if homeschooling or unschooling has to take a back seat while we simply try to get through the day? In this episode, we question the assumption that learning only happens when l...

How do you care for yourself when your children are home all day? It's a question many homeschooling and unschooling parents ask—often after they've spent months or years putting everyone else's needs ahead of their own. But what if self-care isn't something extra to squeeze into an already full day? What if it's part of creating a healthy family life? In this episode, we chall...

What changes when school no longer becomes the measure of everything? For many homeschooling and unschooling families, leaving school doesn't mean leaving schoolish thinking behind. It's easy to keep comparing our children, our parenting and our daily lives to an invisible standard—even after we've chosen a different path. In this conversation, we reflect on what happens when that comp...

Why are so many parents, teachers and young people questioning the school system? Around the world, more families are wondering whether conventional education is still meeting the needs of today's children. Rising levels of anxiety, burnout and disengagement have led many people to ask deeper questions about what school is designed to do—and whether it prepares young people for the world they&...

What does it really mean to advocate for young people's rights? Many of us believe children have the right to an education. But what if the conversation needs to go much deeper? What if the real question is whether young people are being treated as full human beings—with agency, dignity and a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their lives? In this episode, we explore why youth rights ar...

How much freedom should children have? It's a question many parents wrestle with. We want our children to become independent, confident and capable, but we also carry the responsibility of keeping them safe. So how do we know when to step in—and when to step back? In this conversation, we reflect on how to navigate that tension without relying on rigid rules. Through stories about risk-taking,...

Can parents really be friends with their children? Many people believe the answer is no. They worry that friendship means giving up authority, losing boundaries or allowing children to "take over." But what if we've misunderstood what friendship actually is? In this episode, we challenge one of the most common parenting beliefs: that parents and children shouldn't be friends. We...

Can children really socialize without school? It's one of the most common questions homeschooling and unschooling families hear. Many people assume that school is where children learn to make friends, build relationships and become part of society. But is that really true? In this episode, we take a closer look at one of the biggest myths about learning outside school. We question what sociali...

Do you need to be a teacher to homeschool your child? It's one of the biggest fears parents have when they begin questioning school. If you're not trained as a teacher, how can you possibly support your child's learning? In this episode, we challenge one of the deepest assumptions many of us carry: that teaching and learning are the same thing. We reflect on our own experiences in scho...

Will unschooling prepare my child for real life? It's one of the most common questions we hear from parents exploring unschooling, homeschooling and self-directed learning. If children are free to follow their interests instead of being pushed through a curriculum, how will they develop resilience? How will they learn to deal with disappointment, frustration and life's inevitable challenge...