“It is not possible to spend any prolonged period visiting public school classrooms without being appalled by the mutilation visible everywhere—mutilation of spontaneity, of joy in learning, or pleasure in creating, or sense of self. . . . Because adults… — John Holt Copy Share Image
“When children are very young, they have natural curiosities about the world and explore them, trying diligently to figure out what is real. As… — John Holt Copy Share Image
The idea of painless, nonthreatening coercion is an illusion. Fear is the inseparable companion of coercion, and its inescapable consequence. If you think it… — John Holt Copy Share Image
“Fear, boredom, and resistance--they all go to make what we call stupid children.” — John Holt Copy Share Image
Schools assume that children are not interested in learning and are not much good at it, that they will not learn unless made to,… — John Holt Copy Share Image
“John, if you ever get a family, there’s one thing you should know. No matter how well you get along with your children when… — John Holt Copy Share Image
It is hard not to feel that there must be something very wrong with much of what we do in school, if we feel… — John Holt Copy Share Image
“Why do they do this? Because it gives them a license to act like tyrants and to feel like saints. “Do what I tell… — John Holt Copy Share Image
Since we can't know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead,… — John Holt Copy Share Image
“Leaders are not, as we are often led to think, people who go along with huge crowds following them. Leaders are people who go… — John Holt Copy Share Image
