Radical Learning Talks

What is an Agile Learning Center, and how is it different from both school and homeschooling? Could it offer a glimpse into what learning looks like when young people have genuine freedom, responsibility and choice?

In this episode, we're joined by Tomis Parker, one of the co-founders of the Agile Learning Center movement, to explore what happens when education is built on trust rather than control. Together, we discuss the principles behind Agile Learning Centers, how self-directed learning communities work in practice, and why creating the right culture is just as important as creating the right curriculum.

We also explore the role of adults in self-directed education, what freedom really means, how young people develop responsibility without coercion, and why democratic decision-making can transform the way communities learn together.

Whether you're homeschooling, home educating, unschooling, or simply curious about alternatives to conventional schooling, this conversation offers a thoughtful introduction to one of the most influential models in the self-directed education movement.

Some of the questions and ideas we explore include:

• What is an Agile Learning Center?
• How is an Agile Learning Center different from school?
• What does self-directed learning look like in practice?
• How do children develop responsibility without being forced?
• What role do adults play in Agile Learning Centers?
• Why is culture more important than curriculum?

Looking for support as you navigate learning outside school? Explore free masterclasses, resources, and a community of parents asking similar questions → Join UN-SKOOL

Wondering what keeps shaping your reactions when parenting gets hard? → Discover Your Parenting Archetype

Have a parenting, homeschooling, or unschooling question? Send it to us and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter: → Dear Sari & Becka

→ Follow us on Instagram and come hang out with us between episodes.

→ Check out our website and explore more of our work, resources, and support.

Radical Learning Talks was named the #2 Democratic Education Podcast to Listen to in 2026 by FeedSpot. See the full list

What does it feel like to grow up unschooling? And if an unschooled young person could speak directly to parents, what would they want them to hear?

In this episode, we sit down with Ophelia Standing, an 18-year-old lifelong unschooler, to hear an honest perspective that is too often missing from conversations about homeschooling, home education and self-directed learning.

Together, we explore what helped, what was difficult, and why listening to children matters more than following any educational philosophy. Ophelia reflects on growing up unschooled, longing for connection, navigating neurodivergence, finding community, and the importance of consent, repair and treating young people as full human beings.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that homeschooling, home education and unschooling are never the goal in themselves. The goal is supporting the child in front of us.

Some of the questions and ideas we explore include:

• What does an unschooling teen wish parents knew?
• Can parents become too attached to unschooling?
• How do we know if we're really listening to our children?
• What role do consent and autonomy play in home education?
• Why is community so important for homeschooled and unschooled young people?
• How can parents repair mistakes and keep growing alongside their children?

Looking for support as you navigate learning outside school? Explore free masterclasses, resources, and a community of parents asking similar questions → Join UN-SKOOL

Wondering what keeps shaping your reactions when parenting gets hard? → Discover Your Parenting Archetype

Have a parenting, homeschooling, or unschooling question? Send it to us and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter: → Dear Sari & Becka

→ Follow us on Instagram and come hang out with us between episodes.

→ Check out our website and explore more of our work, resources, and support.

Radical Learning Talks was named the #2 Democratic Education Podcast to Listen to in 2026 by FeedSpot. See the full list

What if your child isn't reading yet? Should you be worried—or is the pressure to read at a certain age telling us more about society than about our children?

Many parents worry when their child isn't reading "on time." Whether you're homeschooling, home educating, unschooling or your child is in school, it's easy to wonder if they're falling behind.

In this episode, we explore why reading has become one of the most valued milestones in childhood, how societal expectations shape the way we think about learning, and what happens when children begin questioning their own worth because they don't yet have a particular skill.

We also reflect on the hidden hierarchy of skills, emotional intelligence, self-worth, learning at different paces and the deep deschooling work parents often need to do around their own fears. Along the way, we ask what really matters when supporting a child's growth—and whether reading deserves the special status we've given it.

Some of the questions and ideas we explore include:

• What if my child isn't reading yet?
• Should I worry if my child learns to read later?
• Why is reading considered such an important milestone?
• How do societal expectations affect children's confidence?
• What happens when parents carry hidden fears about learning?
• How can we support children without measuring their worth by academic skills?

Looking for support as you navigate learning outside school? Explore free masterclasses, resources, and a community of parents asking similar questions → Join UN-SKOOL

Wondering what keeps shaping your reactions when parenting gets hard? → Discover Your Parenting Archetype

Have a parenting, homeschooling, or unschooling question? Send it to us and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter: → Dear Sari & Becka

→ Follow us on Instagram and come hang out with us between episodes.

→ Check out our website and explore more of our work, resources, and support.

Radical Learning Talks was named the #2 Democratic Education Podcast to Listen to in 2026 by FeedSpot. See the full list

How do you set boundaries with your child without becoming controlling? What's the difference between a healthy boundary, a limit and a rule?

Many parents hear that boundaries are important, but what does that actually mean in everyday family life? How do you care for your own needs while also respecting your child's autonomy?

In this episode, we unpack the difference between boundaries and limits, explore why boundaries begin with understanding ourselves, and discuss how curiosity, empathy and honest communication can help families move beyond power struggles.

Whether you're homeschooling, home educating, unschooling or simply trying to build a more connected relationship with your child, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on needs, capacity, agreements and finding solutions that work for everyone.

Some of the questions and ideas we explore include:

• How do you set boundaries without controlling your child?
• What's the difference between boundaries, limits and rules?
• Why do boundaries start with understanding your own needs?
• How can parents communicate their needs with empathy?
• What happens when everyone's needs seem to clash?
• How can families find agreements instead of relying on control?

Looking for support as you navigate learning outside school? Explore free masterclasses, resources, and a community of parents asking similar questions → Join UN-SKOOL

Wondering what keeps shaping your reactions when parenting gets hard? → Discover Your Parenting Archetype

Have a parenting, homeschooling, or unschooling question? Send it to us and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter: → Dear Sari & Becka

→ Follow us on Instagram and come hang out with us between episodes.

→ Check out our website and explore more of our work, resources, and support.

Radical Learning Talks was named the #2 Democratic Education Podcast to Listen to in 2026 by FeedSpot. See the full list

Should you let your child quit an activity? Or should you encourage them to push through, even when they no longer want to continue?

Whether it's piano lessons, sports, surfing, art classes or another hobby, many parents worry that allowing children to quit will teach them to give up when things get hard. But is that really what's happening?

In this episode, we explore what might be behind a child's desire to stop doing something, why our own fears and expectations can make these moments feel so urgent, and how curiosity can lead to very different conversations than pressure ever could.

Whether you're homeschooling, home educating, unschooling or your child attends school, this conversation invites you to rethink ideas about perseverance, commitment, motivation and what it really means to support your child's growth.

Some of the questions and ideas we explore include:

• Should you let your child quit an activity?
• How do you know when to encourage and when to let go?
• Why do parents feel so much urgency when children want to quit?
• What can we learn by getting curious instead of pushing?
• How do fear and expectations influence our parenting?
• Can taking a break help children reconnect with what they genuinely enjoy?

Looking for support as you navigate learning outside school? Explore free masterclasses, resources, and a community of parents asking similar questions → Join UN-SKOOL

Wondering what keeps shaping your reactions when parenting gets hard? → Discover Your Parenting Archetype

Have a parenting, homeschooling, or unschooling question? Send it to us and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter: → Dear Sari & Becka

→ Follow us on Instagram and come hang out with us between episodes.

→ Check out our website and explore more of our work, resources, and support.

Radical Learning Talks was named the #2 Democratic Education Podcast to Listen to in 2026 by FeedSpot. See the full list

How do you build genuine trust with children? What helps young people feel safe enough to be themselves around adults?

In this conversation, we sit down with youth rights advocate, facilitator and long-time unschooling parent Alex Khost to explore what it really takes to build authentic relationships with kids.

Together, we talk about play, humour, curiosity, trust, self-directed education and why children thrive when adults let go of agendas and simply show up with sincerity. Alex shares stories from more than two decades of working alongside young people, reflecting on mistakes, learning and the surprising power of meeting kids as equals.

Whether you're homeschooling, home educating, unschooling, teaching or simply hoping to build a stronger relationship with the children in your life, this episode offers both practical ideas and a deeply hopeful perspective.

Some of the questions and ideas we explore include:

• How do you build trust with kids?
• Why is play such a powerful way to connect?
• What gets in the way of authentic relationships with children?
• How do expectations affect the way we show up as adults?
• Why do humour and shared experiences build connection?
• What does it really mean to treat children as equals?

Looking for support as you navigate learning outside school? Explore free masterclasses, resources, and a community of parents asking similar questions → Join UN-SKOOL

Wondering what keeps shaping your reactions when parenting gets hard? → Discover Your Parenting Archetype

Have a parenting, homeschooling, or unschooling question? Send it to us and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter: → Dear Sari & Becka

→ Follow us on Instagram and come hang out with us between episodes.

→ Check out our website and explore more of our work, resources, and support.

Radical Learning Talks was named the #2 Democratic Education Podcast to Listen to in 2026 by FeedSpot. See the full list

Find out more about Alex' work here:

www.flyingsquads.org

www.alexanderkhost.org

Is deschooling only for parents? Or is it something every one of us can experience, whether we have children or not?

Many people think deschooling begins when children leave school. In this episode, we explore a much bigger question: what if deschooling is really about questioning the beliefs, expectations and conditioning we've absorbed throughout our lives?

Together, we reflect on limiting beliefs, perfectionism, scarcity, identity, personal freedom, intuition and the courage to question what we've always been told is "normal." We also explore how deschooling can help us reconnect with ourselves, challenge oppressive systems and create lives that feel more aligned with who we truly are.

Whether you're parenting, homeschooling, home educating, unschooling or simply questioning the life you've been taught to live, this conversation invites you to see deschooling in a whole new way.

Some of the questions and ideas we explore include:

• What does deschooling really mean?
• Can you deschool without having children?
• How do limiting beliefs shape our lives?
• What does it mean to reconnect with yourself?
• How can we question the expectations we've inherited?
• Why is deschooling about much more than education?

Looking for support as you navigate learning outside school? Explore free masterclasses, resources, and a community of parents asking similar questions → Join UN-SKOOL

Wondering what keeps shaping your reactions when parenting gets hard? → Discover Your Parenting Archetype

Have a parenting, homeschooling, or unschooling question? Send it to us and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter: → Dear Sari & Becka

→ Follow us on Instagram and come hang out with us between episodes.

→ Check out our website and explore more of our work, resources, and support.

Radical Learning Talks was named the #2 Democratic Education Podcast to Listen to in 2026 by FeedSpot. See the full list

Unschooling can sound incredibly inspiring in theory. But what happens when you try to live it—and suddenly find yourself overwhelmed by fear, doubt and uncertainty?

Many parents begin homeschooling, home education or unschooling because they want a different life for their family. Then real life happens. Conflict, screens, risky play, friendships, food, social pressure and old beliefs start surfacing, and it can feel like everything you thought you believed is being tested.

In this episode, we explore why the practice of unschooling is often much harder than the philosophy, and why that's completely normal. We share some of the most common fears we've seen while supporting families over the years, along with the mindset shifts that help parents move from control and certainty toward curiosity, connection and trust.

Whether you're just beginning your homeschooling or home education journey, or you've been unschooling for years, this conversation is a reminder that struggling doesn't mean you're failing. It often means you're growing.

Some of the questions and ideas we explore include:

• Why is unschooling harder than it sounds?
• Why does homeschooling bring up so many fears?
• How do I know if I'm falling back into control?
• What do I do when I lose trust in the process?
• Why do fear and uncertainty show up so often?
• How can I move from fear to curiosity and connection?

Looking for support as you navigate learning outside school? Explore free masterclasses, resources, and a community of parents asking similar questions → Join UN-SKOOL

Wondering what keeps shaping your reactions when parenting gets hard? → Discover Your Parenting Archetype

Have a parenting, homeschooling, or unschooling question? Send it to us and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter: → Dear Sari & Becka

→ Follow us on Instagram and come hang out with us between episodes.

→ Check out our website and explore more of our work, resources, and support.

Radical Learning Talks was named the #2 Democratic Education Podcast to Listen to in 2026 by FeedSpot. See the full list

Will your teenager be okay without school? What happens when homeschooled, home-educated or unschooled children reach adolescence?

Many parents feel confident about alternative education when their children are young. But as the teenage years approach, fear often creeps in. Will they become rebellious? Will they make friends? Will they be motivated? What about university, work and their future?

In this episode, we explore some of the biggest myths surrounding homeschooling, home education and unschooling during the tween and teen years. We discuss why adolescence isn't something to fear, how respectful relationships change the parent-teen dynamic, and why trust, autonomy and open conversations become even more important as young people prepare for adulthood.

Rather than asking how to control teenagers, we explore how to support them as they develop their own identity, values and path through life.

Some of the questions and ideas we explore include:

• Will my teen be okay without school?
• Do unschooled teenagers become rebellious?
• How do homeschooled and home-educated teens prepare for adulthood?
• What if my teenager doesn't want to go to university?
• How can parents support teenage autonomy without losing connection?
• What does success really look like for young people?

Looking for support as you navigate learning outside school? Explore free masterclasses, resources, and a community of parents asking similar questions → Join UN-SKOOL

Wondering what keeps shaping your reactions when parenting gets hard? → Discover Your Parenting Archetype

Have a parenting, homeschooling, or unschooling question? Send it to us and we may answer it in an upcoming newsletter: → Dear Sari & Becka

→ Follow us on Instagram and come hang out with us between episodes.

→ Check out our website and explore more of our work, resources, and support.

Radical Learning Talks was named the #2 Democratic Education Podcast to Listen to in 2026 by FeedSpot. See the full list

Do you ever wonder what it's like to build trust with kids, or intentional culture, or what the role of the facilitator is in breaking habits to fully support ourselves and young people to thrive?

 In this episode we are joined by Anthony Galloway, a professional facilitator and self-directed education practitioner with over 10 years of experience in building intentional culture, community and collaboratively supporting young people in various learning spaces. 

It's definitely an episode you don't want to miss!