A child's own purpose in life is to educate himself and to explore experience; consequently, secondary-school children will benefit from English teaching that encourages their imaginative creativity rather than forces strict adherence to arbitrary rules. When considering their childhood memories and the adult experiences before them, children reveal in their writing a powerful search for maturity. Their creative work, written directly from the unconscious, is sincere and relevant to other students. Once the child's idea exists as a completed poem or story available for discussion, argument, and stimulation, it becomes a part of his educational process from which may emerge growing attitudes toward human experience and capacities to deal with it. One technique for stimulating students' creativity is to ask them to transcribe their feelings while listening to music. All attempts to help the child make the best use of his potentialities are hampered, however, by the poverty of popular culture, which tends to promote false emotional values. Curiosity about sex and love is a large part of the adolescent experience, and teachers must overcome their own embarrassment and guide students to develop personal beliefs. Textbooks and tests are of little value in student education. (LH)