I have three young-adult children who love cooking and do it well. There was a time during COVID in which all three were unexpectedly living at home, and Clare and I never ate better. We often remarked that the meals they prepared for us were “restaurant quality.” Frankly, they were better than most of our restaurant experiences. At this stage of their lives, it might be fair to say that cooking is one of their strongest skills. While we may have inspired them through travel to enjoy good food, we didn’t teach our children to cook. They learned to cook by watching cooking shows and experimenting. In other words, they chose to pursue an area of interest on their own, accessed information about that skill online, and mastered a skill through independent practice and feedback. This experience makes me wonder whether we could integrate this approach to teaching and learning more intentionally into our school programs.

The term for this type of pedagogy is "self-directed learning." As defined by the Institute for Self-Directed Learning, it occurs when learners, within the framework of an interdependent community of peers, trained educators, and caring adults, take charge of the learning process. Students choose content, and then determine skills, learning pathways, and outcomes (while maybe not using this exact vocabulary), all while benefiting from guidance, accountability, and support from others. This self-directed learning thrives when young learners are guided to embrace responsibility within a community of relationships—not through magic, but through intentional actions by educators.

This kind of learning is the opposite of being explicitly told or explained what or how to think. The more we emphasize explanation and direct instruction, the more dependent students become on these methods. As educators, our concern for students not learning is valid, but when taking the long-term view, we must consider what's more important—students knowing something when we expect them to, or students developing the ability to learn for themselves? 

Many people think school is mainly about getting to the next grade or level and ultimately about getting a good job. However, we could also see it as preparing students for a well-rounded life. To truly thrive—it's not just about having a job; it's about making informed choices for a life that feels right in terms of relationships, community, personal growth, and health.

This idea of flourishing is similar to what Aristotle called "eudaimonia," which means making choices that align with our values and personal preferences. According to Aristotle, we flourish when our basic needs are met, when we have freedom in our lives, and when our choices feel meaningful and fulfilling.

So, having control over one’s own learning gives young people the confidence, skills, character, and beliefs to make choices that are meaningful and fulfilling. As John Gardner, an American statesman, puts it:

"Meaning isn't something you stumble upon; it's something you build into your life. You create it from your past, your feelings, your experiences, your talents, and your understanding. It's built from what you believe in, the things and people you love, and the values you're willing to stand up for.”

If education is only about acquiring knowledge and doesn't let kids learn for themselves, how can we expect them to figure out how to create meaning in their lives? How can we expect them to flourish?

So how do schools teach in this way? Importantly, as implied above, self-directed learning doesn’t remove the role of the teacher at all. On the contrary, it makes the teacher’s role even more crucial—it takes unique skills and knowledge to shepherd children to learn independently. Teachers become the architects and facilitators of environments that foster deep learning, combining intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to inspire engagement, as well as building trust and support that will guide students toward independence.

Teachers also need to be hands-on in managing the classroom, providing necessary resources, setting up desired learning activities, maintaining educational standards, providing direct instruction of methodology, offering valuable input, and ultimately assessing and evaluating progress. Rather than acting as a director of learning,  the teacher functions more as a facilitator of student voice and choice—of their personal passions and freedoms to learn. 

In 1968, Paulo Freire, in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, wrote, "Education either functions as an instrument to integrate the younger generation into the logic of the present system and enforce conformity, or it becomes the practice of freedom—the means by which men and women critically and creatively engage with reality, discovering how to participate in the transformation of their world." More than half a century later, in this information age, it seems we have an even greater opportunity and imperative to design schools in ways that students learn the practice of freedom. Through self-directed learning opportunities, young people are empowered to discover and pursue their life purpose. And, in so doing, independent learning fosters the personal and public leadership our world so desperately needs.