We teach students how to learn, not what to learn.
We are empowering our students with the tools they need to own and drive their education. Our overarching goal is to help our students become life-long learners so that they can do whatever their heart desires and thrive in the life God has given them.
Children are born with a natural curiosity and joy of discovery. With our youngest learners we capitalize on that and give them opportunities to make choices within a framework of hands-on and engaging tasks set up as invitations or provocations. They are taught early how to set goals and to work towards them step-by-step. We celebrate and normalize mistakes and failures so that they can become jumping off points and learning tools instead of a hindrance to learning. Cognition and communication skills grow and develop when we ask learners to discuss what they notice and wonder about new concepts and ideas.
Our goal for our older learners is to rekindle the desire for learning if it has been lost or continue to expand and support it if it is present. Goal setting, planning and prioritization, focus and diligence, flexible thinking, and a growth mindset are just a few of the executive functioning skills we address. At this level, students are given more and more ownership as they prove they are capable and trustworthy and those that need more support receive that as well. The content of the learning follows the general tract laid out by curriculum and standards but the process becomes much more important than the content itself. If a child can learn to learn, then a wealth of knowledge is at their fingertips.
