Have you wondered what school actually looks like for teens today? Aaron, a high school teacher and home educating father to three girls (aged 6, 5 and 2) is here to lift the veil. In this episode he shares his perspective on the challenges students are facing and grants all parents permission to take the pressure off kids to perform and follow the path of joy instead. SUMMARY Aaron fondly recounts his own positive schooling experience in Devon, England attending an all boys Grammar school where he thrived in a competitive academic and sport centric settingAccidentally becoming a teacher and how his experiences of teaching in both Australia and the UK differHow his perspective has changed from climbing the career ladder to focusing on enjoyment as the benchmark of successWhat high school looks like today for teens and the rise in mental health challenges he has witnessed over his careerAnxiety, stress, competition, rankings - Aaron shares stories of the pressures his students apply to themselves that he believes they needn’t be worrying aboutAll schools are judged by their results and until the end game changes you won’t see whole scale changeWhat school would look like if Aaron were principal for the dayHe advocates for always choosing the path that you know will bring you joyKeep kids being kids for as long as possible. It’s easy to grow up early, especially in schools now and they've got plenty of time to be oldMany of the issues he sees arising in kids at school are based around interactions and technology, and misguided use of technologyYou don’t need a VCE certificate and if you do get a VCE certificate it doesn’t mean you are going to do well at life. It doesn’t matter. Find something you love doing and do more of that. INSPIRATION Doughnut Economics - Kate Raworth Practising Simplicity - Jodi Wilson This One Wild & Precious Life - Sarah Wilson Stolen Focus - Johann Hari Consider asking your local library to order in a copy of these books if they don't already have them in their collection The Imperfects Podcast Futurestead Podcast Australian Homeschool Stories - Episode 3 - Sarah CONNECT [email protected] Have you got a story to tell? Connect with us on instagram @australianhomeschoolstories or email [email protected] Sign up to our substack to be notified of new episode releases: Australian Homeschool Stories Mailing List This podcast is recorded on the lands of the Bunurong people of the Kulin nation. I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. This always was, always will be aboriginal land. Original Music by Daniel Garrood @garroodcomposer Listen on Spotify here