Wouldn't it be great if all students had passion? Think how much they'd learn!

But be careful what you ask for.  Passion allows--and is often associated with--a level of effort that can overwhelm bystanders.  Just ask Thomas Edison's grade school teacher.

According to legend, little Thomas was not content to sit quietly, absorbing information that he could parrot back to his teacher.  Instead, he dared to ask questions--lots of them, apparently.  Out of frustration, the teacher declared him a bad student who simply could not learn. Shortly thereafter, Thomas' dear mother removed him from school and set about the task of schooling him herself.

Such is the lot of parents raising children who do not respond to the world as expected, who refuse or are unable to meet established norms of conduct. Focusing on one's passion at the expense of what is expected of us can often be disatrous. And yet, most of the world's greatest ideas have come about because of individuals who were willing to challenge the status quo, who questioned what they were told and sought other answers.

The choice to unschool is contentious. Many would say that it results in children who are essentially uneducated.  But to parents like me, who have been given a child with a keen sense of focus and passion, I say. "So be it." The risk of mediocrity is, in my mind, far worse than the risk of failure.

In failure, we continue to learn. And, when we continue to learn, we gain the most meaningful education of all. This is what Thomas Edison's mother knew.

The rest is history.