Welcome to The Village School

Education. Strangely, not a sauce.

2011-12-23T22:03:00.002-05:00

Unless one is writing a thorough and detailed curriculum in which every person must know everything in the shortest possible time frame. And then, yes, the process is the same as making a sauce: toss all the essentials in, add some extras in for flavor, and let it reduce to it's essence. Cool and pour into students heads. Open (their heads) and check frequently.

Repeat.

In all seriousness, what I am really trying to say is that one of my fundamental points of contention with systematic schooling is the reductionist nature in which teaching/information-transmission takes place. Which is to say that what is really fantastic and amazing about life and the world around us, what is practical and useful information, gets reduced to "subjects" which is further reduced to "units" which are even further reduced to "chapters" or "topics".

The sheer awe of learning about solar systems, blue whales, 5,000 year old trees, physics, atoms, photons, the stuff of LIFE... are reduced to "facts to study and regurgitate". Even practical knowledge loses it's value when it is taught as abstract concepts which are tethered only to themselves. (For example: I now know that Pythagorous' Theorem is supposed to be - or have been? - very useful for ... doing other things. When I was in High School I'm not sure I realized who Pythagorus was or what he was trying to say or do with this confounded "Theorem" I was supposed to memorize.)

It is quite unfortunate that it is only now, in the approximate middle section of my life, that I am understanding how everywhere and relevant math really is. I am referring, of course, to everything (one would learn) after addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division (but I never did) - even the teachers* couldn't keep the real use of those fundamental skills from me.

I digress.

As I was saying -
Life becomes lifeless, the
Awesome! becomes awful, and
that which is Truly Amazing is
lost in tedium and meaninglessness.
There it is.

Meaninglessness.

Rather, Meaning. Meaning is the true vehicle of learning. Meaning is the path that both leads us toward greater understanding and then past static understanding. Meaning is reason, motivation, reward. Meaning is questions and answers. Meaning is departure and arrival. Meaning is "Why?" and "Because." Meaning is a bit - if not exactly - like the hokey pokey: it's what it's all about.

Even if the only meaning is to satisfy curiosity - it is still meaningful to the learner.
Everything else is static. As in inert. As in, interference.
Who cares about an A in science if the learner is not genuinely amazed or excited by all she has come to understand? Both the grade assessment and the information has no relevance; no meaning.

It's gravy.

* This is not meant as a blanket statement about all teachers. I am, instead, referring to the self-perpetuating cycle I found myself in once I no longer "got" math, and then became the disdain of all the math teachers whose classes I struggled through feeling stupid and alone. Woe was me.

Regaining My Stride

2011-10-20T05:32:00.002-04:00

I've recently proclaimed that I find Education Reform is like a dip in the floor that I can't help towards; that this is the thing I cannot NOT do. Even if I have good reason to be on the other side of said floor, the dip invariably changes my course and I at least veer toward it. Lately, though, I find that I'm just walking right into it, stopping right there in the middle and settin' a spell.

Perhaps - from the outside in - it appears that I am taking the most circuitous path to my destination - which at this time, feels like the actual path itself. I'm OK with that though. The oft-quoted ... er... quote that the journey is the destination is very clearly defined by my path "of" (rather than "to") Progressive Education.

That said, I'm breaking out at least one of my bells and ringing it because I really feel Back!

As soon as I became aware of the International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) 2012 that will be taking place in Puerto Rico next March, I simultaneously became aware that I. Will. Be. There. I've met the good people that facilitate at the host school, Nuestra Escuela, and when I say good people, I mean Good People who are essentially giant hearts giving newness and life to the young people in their community, and therefore, to the community itself. I was incredibly fortunate to have attended the 8th Annual AERO (Alternative Education Resource Organization) Conference last year where I met so many like-minded people that I was on an education-reform-is-really-possible-and-kind-of-happening-right-now high for the duration of my time there. (You can read all about it here to experience it with me.) It was there that, among other very inspiring, fearless and passionate pioneers in education, I met Justo Méndez Arámburu, founder and director of Nuestra Escuela. Justo is the kind of person whom upon spending some 10 or so seconds with him you are instantaneously invigorated by his passion and love for his life's work which are immediately evident and welcoming.

My attendance of the conference in Puerto Rico is about meeting and dialoging with people from all around the world who are living and working in progressive education in their own contexts; it's about getting a first hand look at what Nuestra Escuela are doing to change the lives of the people who come through their doors and into their hearts. It is also about establishing a connection with a Caribbean counterpart in the journey. On my too-long list of things I intend to co-create, is the Caribbean Alliance for Progressive Education. I feel a pretty strong pull to help create any forward movement possible for education in the Caribbean. Having been born and raised in Jamaica, now living in The Bahamas, and learning about progressive education in North America, I understand that Caribbean people are different. Generally speaking, there are different ideals and, obviously, different cultural influences. While it's true that politically, Puerto Rico is aligned with the U.S., it is also true that geographically and culturally, they are more similar to the very large and diverse group often labeled "Latin America & The Caribbean". My hope is that this connection will act as a vehicle which will bring me that much closer to establishing the alliance. It would, after all, serve as the very first one.

Also, I need to practice my spanish.

Here, in conclusion, I publicly offer my deepest thanks to Isaac Graves for helping me to sift all this out of the debris of my thoughts when he emailed me an invitation to act as an ambassador for IDEC 2012. In some ways, the email was like a gentle but effective slap in the face of someone who was losing it. Now, fully conscious, clear and gaining traction - I look forward to the regaining my stride on the journey.

It Only Took A Spark

2011-07-25T23:32:00.000-04:00

It's been seven months since I last wrote words about education. Seven long months of silence.

Despite appearances (or lack thereof) the fire had not died completely. Under the ashes, there were embers that refused to die. Couldn't die. That fire was made of my essence - which itself, is greater than my personality or this life and it does not die. So, it glowed. And waited. And kept me warm.

Then came a spark. And some air. Then more sparks. And I felt the fire beginning to burn again. An early starter fire, to be sure, but a fire nonetheless. Complete with heat, light and sound effects. I am ready to be ready to change the world again!

Amazingly, sometimes I am moved by my Spirit and my deep connection to the world around me - a generally positive motivation that comes from aspiration toward great things for humanity. And sometimes. Some times I am moved by my strong, immediate and forceful reaction to injustice. The feeling that is a monolithic "This Cannot Be."

I see children being forgotten and left behind by the system and I think, This Cannot Be.
I see people hanging their child's every last hope and dreams on winning a lottery for a charter school and I think, This Cannot Be.
I see children being squashed, pressed - crushed by a system that does not care at all about them and I think, This Cannot Be.
I see parents struggling to put their children in a good school (in this case a "good school" is qualified by it's having basic amenities, moderate learner:teacher ratios and a variation-on-the-theme curriculum) and I know that This. Cannot. Be.

The spark meets fuel and the energy expands and becomes fire and I want to change how we do education ... again.

And soon all those around will warm up in it's glowing... I want to pass it on.

Slowing Down

2010-12-20T12:42:00.002-05:00

It is official: I have run out of steam.

This whole starting a school by myself business is taking it out of me and I am not sure how I can go on.

The Village School is certainly real: I can see it happening for our Bahamian children and families. I just need some help, preferably in the form of another person who is willing to dedicate her life to this in the same way I have.

I simply cannot do this alone.

And so, I continue to sow the seeds one at a time whenever and wherever I can. I must also take a moment to breathe. As we say in The Bahamas - to catch myself.

Am I stopping? No. Just moving a little more slowly.

In the meantime, I hold the vision in my heart praying for help to come.

"Teacher said..."

2010-11-27T13:31:00.001-05:00

I was having a conversation with my spirit sister and #1 supporter/fan the other day and she told me that she has been conducting an informal survey with the young people she meets (at her place of work) about what shapes their school experience. She asks them what the key factor is in making their schooling a positive experience.

The number one answer: My Teacher(s).

And I realized that she had, in her anecdotal research, hit the nail on the head. When I think back to my own schooling and discussions about schooling with other people, a prominent and recurring sentiment is that if the teacher was good, the learning was good. (This, of course, begs the question "What makes a good teacher?" but let's let that sit for a minute or 10 while we carry on the theme of this post.)

Even though philosophy and curriculum/free-learning are cornerstones of the ideas many advocates of education reform are using to propel education forward, the fact is that it is all about the people. The Village School can have the clearest vision and the most reliable funding and the best facilities in the world, but if we have "bad teachers" (forgive the 'dichotomic' figure of speech), it is all for naught.

Conversely, a child can attend a school which is (a part of a) theoretically flawed (system) - over crowded classes, metal detectors at the doors, low funding, you get the idea - and have a "fantastic teacher" that changes her life and puts her on the path to her own version of success.

Do you see what I am saying?

One Good Teacher can make all the difference in the world to even one child.

In my own story, the subjects that were my favorites and that I did well at, I had teachers that were passionate and alive and present and that Got me. It is true that I now wish that even one of them would have said "cian, you have the potential to be a great writer" or "cian, you have a knack for language." Anything at all like that would have been priceless.

I did not meet that teacher till I was a night student at a small local branch of an american college. She was my instructor for English (101?) and I had submitted an essay about my experience of my great grandmother's passing. When she returned it to me she told me that it was one of the best essays she had ever read and that I was a very good writer. I was about 25 at the time and I remember being completely shocked at the idea.

I tell that short story about myself to say that I really believe that it's true that teachers can make or break a person's education.

It is so much more about the Beings than the context.

What makes a "good" teacher or a "bad" one? While I certainly have some thoughts, I'd much prefer to hear yours.

The Extra. Ordinary.

2010-11-24T21:30:00.000-05:00

Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is a way of foolishness. Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life. Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself.

~ William Martin

And I'm not saying "There Is Only One Way"

2010-11-21T11:22:00.002-05:00

You may be shocked to learn that I am an idealist. (Take a moment to collect yourself.)

I wish I could pin it down and say THIS is the only way to do education. But that's the problem we are having right now.

I am currently auditing a course offered by AERO called School Starting 101. In the course I get to interact with people from around the U.S. and the world who are passionate about education reform and who are - you guessed it - starting schools. Thanks to Jerry Mintz, founder of AERO, for facilitating such a tremendous opportunity!

All that to say that, through the course, I have had the amazing opportunity to have a brief discussion with Chris Mercogliano, long time, highly respected alternative educator, about trying to pin down "a way" because I so desperately want to have a formula. He kindly told me that, well, you just can't do that.

Not every school is for every child.

Precisely my own thesis! I was at risk for becoming a fundamentalist alternative educator! Conventional schools may not be for everybody (probably not for most bodies), and the various methods of progressive education are not for everybody either. Wow. What a concept.

If I had the power to flip a switch and make a universal change to education - it would be that ever person involved in facilitating it would come to the awareness that all children are NATURAL LEARNERS who WANT to learn; that children are Whole People with basic human rights equal to those of their adult counterparts - so hey, let's design education around that!

The Village School isn't saying we are the answer, we're saying we're AN answer. So is The Dunmore School in Harbour Island, which doesn't necessarily share the same methodology as The Village School.

So while there isn't any One Way to do school, there certainly is One Truth around which to build it -

Every thing is not for every one.

We must continue to seek diversity in education.

Change I believe in.

2010-11-21T11:04:00.001-05:00

Never doubt that a small group of citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~Margaret Mead

I believe this. I believe this with all my heart. I also believe that a single person can change the world.
I have to believe it's possible because that's what keeps me going. It's what keeps me talking to parents, putting myself out there, writing emails to the minister even after he has attempted to ignore me via dispensation of the pat answer; it's what keeps me writing this blog, un-schooling my children, continuously searching for a home for our school - it is the very fuel in my dream machine.

Every now and again, however, I'll look up from the wonderland of our lives as natural learners together and see the world around me. And I get a little scared. Maybe the majority IS right. Maybe I am completely bonkers and I'm actually ruining my children's lives!

Panic! Panic! Panic! Panic! Panic! Panic!

Inhaaaaaaaale... Exhaaaaaaaaaale...

Then I ask myself:

What's so great about going to school?
What would a school teach that my children need that they cannot get from the rich and diverse environments I continually provide for them?
What is beneficial about projects that parents do and homework that takes children's (and their families') own private home life away from them?
What exactly do my children need to know that they have to be placed into age specific groups and spend lots of their time memorizing stuff so that they can learn it?
What is the point of being alive?
What is the purpose of humanity? (oh yes, i GO there!)
Are we happy?
Are they loving life-as-learning; learning-as-life?
Is there PA-LENTYof time for them to learn all the other stuff they need to know?
Don't they deserve to love their life NOW?

Sigh...... Yah. We're good.

Then I realize that by choosing this path, I am literally BEING the change I want to see.

Our little family unit, soon to become our little Village School is a small group of citizens (most of whom happen to be children) will definitely change the world.

I believe we already are.

For Whom Do The Bells Toll?

2010-11-10T00:25:00.002-05:00

The Village School.

Who exactly is it for?

Is it for people with learning differences?
Is it for crunchy granola children?
Is it for children from working class families?
What about people who want to go to college? (I'm dying to meet the four year old that knows this and is planning for it.)
Is it for "average joe" kids?
For "gifted" learners?

The answer is a resounding Yes! All of the above and all of the in-betweens, arounds and besides.

Who it's not for: people who are still bound to the conventional model of "doing life". That is, parents who believe that the only way to have a happy life is to be guaranteed a spot at a(n ivy league or comparable) tertiary institution, to be competitive in the job market, and to ultimately make lots and lots of money and all the accoutrements of that ~~lifestyle~~ account balance.

I am not judging. I am not trying to be exclusive (quite the opposite). I am being realistic. The Village School is about a new world; a new way. Idealistic? Absolutely.

We hope to participate in the lives of families wishing to raise people who:

know themselves
can find happiness in the simple things
know how they learn
can teach themselves anything
value community
are passionate about their place in the world
are pioneers who don't simply accept the status quo
are divergent thinkers
solve problems with innovative approaches
can see things from other peoples perspectives, yet value their own voice as equal
value their own voice as imporant and can see others as equal, even if different
can collaborate
are visonaries
can make their own way
are not afraid
get that the world is only one seven billionth about them (Anne Lamott quote)

The list of qualities of the kind of people we hope to foster at The Village School can go on much longer. You may notice, however, that there aren't any characteristics listed that a person can acquire through standardized, one-size-~~squashes~~-fits all curricula, testing, ("good") grades, jumping through hoops, or conforming.

I suppose the world needs conformists; people to follow the leaders, as it were.

Or do we?

In short, if you believe in children as natural learners (I assure you, they are - or else there would be schools to teach them how to sit up, "cruise", talk, walk and gain a basic understanding of the complex world around them) and if you believe that a new way is possible -

then The Village School is for you.

Your Voice

2010-10-28T18:04:00.000-04:00

I pray your kind indulgence in my efforts to understand more.

I have created a short survey. Please pop over to answer 10 easy questions through the link below:

Click here to take survey

Deepest thanks.

Learning about learning about...

2010-10-22T17:17:00.004-04:00

The donkey-like teeth of my mind have been working a question for a few days now. It's probably a question I am completely unqualified to answer and it feels like grizzle between my thinking teeth. [A vegetarian metaphor would be that it feels like the tough, stringy bits in snow peas.] Which means, of course, that I have to offer my best attempt at an answer.

The question can have many words and I'm not even really sure if I can actually formulate it. I will use the words I think I heard when the query was put to me.

How exactly does learning work? How does it happen? To put it another way: what are the mechanics of learning?

I can still feel it moving from side to side in my brain. Maybe I am not ready to proffer my answer. So let's pontificate together, shall we?

What have you learned? And how have you come by the learning. To learn is:

To acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience

We have learned to walk, talk, get dressed, sit, stand, run, throw a ball, comb our hair, tie our laces, floss, type, make a cup of tea, that some things are better left unsaid (and you can say them anyway), to write cheques, to drive, to trim our beards, to read, write, spell, call one's sister on her birthday, to bring a bottle of wine or something nice when you get invited to dinner at someone's home, to take phone messages...

The list seems as though it has the potential to be infinite. We have learned an immeasurable number of meaningful and random things. But - HOW?!?!

Here's what I know to be true for me: I learn best through experience. But it's not the only way I learn well or easily. I can walk into a room full of pre-schoolers and know all 17 of their names within 15 to 20 minutes. With adults, not so much. I cannot tell you why. Am I more open and receptive to children? I don't know.

The most important things we learn: walking, talking, functions of living are rarely [actively] taught to us. We don't hold our babies legs and show them how to put one in front of the other. One day your baby is watching you intently as you tell her a story; the next (it seems) she is telling you the very same words.

Could human beings learn everything we need to learn through immersion and imitation? Maybe. Maybe not. I honestly don't know. (*flounder flounder flounder*)

How does one learn how to be an adult? How does a person learn about themselves? How do people best learn and prepare for their chosen career?

I can say one thing with great certainty - we have gone waaaaaay overboard with "Book Learning". Text books can only give you a hint of the idea. If you really want to know how an airplane works, build some! Go to a wind tunnel and wear wings on your arms! If you really want to know how the law works, shadow an attorney and read the cases.

Could I be oversimplifying? (Nooooo. Me? Never.)

Our society's disproportionate value for framed certificates that prove the recipient spent time in rooms with teachers and correctly regurgitated (most of the) information is evidence of our mad obsession with status over humanity.

I spent years being taught how to be a graphic designer. I graduated and I knew nothing. Oh sure, I had a basic skill set (that could easily have been acquired on my own), but I had absolutely no clue what graphic design was or how it really worked in the world. My time (and parent's money) would have been far better spent if I spent the same amount of time doing grunt work at a good ad agency.

Immersion and imitation.

Is that my answer?

Maaaaybe.

What's yours?

I'm Late! I'm Late! For A Very Important Date!

2010-10-21T21:40:00.001-04:00

This whole idea of "Late Reading" has surfaced in my sphere of consciousness quite a bit lately and I feel the need to talk about it. "Late" readers. Who decides what qualifies as an on time reader? How do we know for SURE that age five is the absolutely perfect time for people to begin learning to read? That any time after that is Late?

Well- we don't! Have a gander at this article in which we learn about some interesting findings by researchers in New Zealand. As sited in the article, Waldorf schools do not teach their learners how to read until they are age seven. SEVEN! Gasp! Surely, those children are TERRIBLE readers who are completely illiterate as adults.

Surely, my friends, they are not. And don't call me Surely.

As a matter of fact, people learn to read without anyone ever telling them how - get this - all the time. But but but - children have be taught the things they need to know, especially reading. I promise you, they can. And they do teach themselves to decipher the code of written language.

We have all been fooled into thinking that the earlier a person learns to read, the more chance at success they will have as adults. Not only is this not true, it tends yield opposite results in terms of reading success. That is, when reading success is defined as a person loves to read and does so for their own pleasure and acquisition of new information.

Some children teach themselves to read as early as three years old, others as "late" as 11 (or later).

The point of this is that we must move away from the paradigm of learning timetables. For reading or anything. And for everything

We have created these arbitrary timetables based on what? Really. What? Whom?

As a result of this blind-leading-the-blind fallacy, these poor unfortunate souls are tortured, tracked, labeled, teased, pressured, robbed of their burgeoning self-esteem because they don't fit into this cookie cutter learning mold we try to squeeze them through.

I submit that this is:

...or The Wrong Way, depending on how you look at it.

I further submit that whenever a person learns to read at her own direction and choosing (though not necessarily alone, the learner is free to ask for help!) she is ON TIME for the tea party.
Haven't you ever noticed that the tea pot never runs out?

My Letter to The Minister

2010-10-10T22:00:00.002-04:00

As we all know, The Village School is not exactly "text book". (Pun totally intended.) Having witnessed my dear friend go through a Colossal Struggle to register a playgroup for two to four year olds, I can safely say that registering this new ~~progressive~~ "strange" school will be slightly more challenging than a cake walk in the park.

So, I figured, why not go straight to the top? Get the reigning Minister of Education - The Honorable Mr. Desmond Bannister - to be a supporter of the school so he can, well, put in a good word for us. (Read: Tell them to approve the school and don't ask any questions because I said so.)

I rang the Ministry and spoke with his very kind and helpful secretary, Ms. Pratt. (I am still having a hard time believing that I got through to not one, but TWO very helpful women who pointed me in the right direction!) Not only did Ms. Pratt give me his email address, she encouraged me to email it and bring the hard copy in to ensure they letter gets to Mr. Bannister sooner than later.

I emailed it to him on Thursday morning, first thing.

Here is the letter I wrote to him:

October 8th, 2010

The Honorable Mr. Desmond Bannister,
Minister of Education
Ministry of Education,
Teachers and Salaries Credit Union Bldg,
East Street South,
New Providence,
The Bahamas

Dear Mr. Bannister,

It is my understanding that, together with the Department of Education at The College of The Bahamas, your ministry has designs to create a laboratory school at the T.G. Glover School once renovations are complete. I further understand that this school will feature experience-based learning and that this will function as a test of alternative education in the movement toward broad scale educational reform in The Bahamas.

I am, myself, a specialist in Progressive Education and have been studying the various methodologies over the past several years. In addition to my in depth studies, I have also attended two conferences on leading edge educational methods in North America.

I am creating a new learning environment that will be quite unlike anything we have yet had in The Bahamas. This school will offer students the opportunity to learn in ways that optimize their capacity for critical thinking, self-motivation, self-awareness, strong ethics, community-mindedness and the passionate pursuit of learning; characteristics which I am certain you will agree will be beneficial to our society.

As I have said in my appearance on the television show, “Dialogue”, on JCN, “education is the foundation of our society”. Consideration of the whole person engaging a whole life learning process is imperative if we are to create a healthy, happy, sustainable community.

I realize that the model I will be using is outside our familiar territory and I believe that this is precisely the kind of innovative approach necessary for us to begin the process of addressing the educational system.

Below are some of the values of the school I am starting:

. Recognition that young children need a significant amount of free play time to foster intellectual growth and understanding of the world around them
. All forms of intelligence, including often unrecognized kinesthetic, musical, artistic, linguistic, spatial and mathematical intelligence
. Intentional cultivation of our core values of social justice, cooperative living and environmental sustainability
. Time for self-directed learning to allow learners to pursue what matters to them, thereby facilitating deeper knowledge and richer personal growth
. Mentors who are passionate participants in their field of work and in the community, helping to build strong inter-personal connections
. Hands-on projects that are collaborative and relevant to the learners’ experience.
. Full familial involvement and connection

These aspects, among others, will equip the people who graduate from this learning context with more than literacy, numeracy, and facts; they will also help each person to know how they fit into the society and how they can continue to make our country and our world a better place.

We the supporters of the school, like you, believe that an excellent education must be made available to all children. In effort to make this kind of learning accessible to all the people who may want to experience it, we will offer a considerable number of our spaces at significantly reduced or full scholarship tuition; a demonstration of our core value of social justice. Of course, we will rely heavily on fundraising and grants in order to facilitate this.

Bearing in mind our hope to make progressive education widely available, I would also like to discuss the possibility of introducing this method of education to the public school system as a lab school.

Please allow me to personally share my vision and invite your support for this venture. When you participate in making this pioneer school a reality, you will be creating invaluable opportunities for Bahamian children.

I look forward in earnest to meeting with you to further discuss this amazing school!

Kindest Regards,

cian t. sawyer,
Founder and Director
The Village School

As it turned out, I didn't need the hard copy after all because I opened my inbox the following day to find that he had actually responded! When I saw his name in bold sitting there waiting for me to know that he'd written back I had a nervous catch in my stomach. What did he say????? I wondered. Click.

Dear Cian T Sawyer:

Thank you for your letter. We appreciate your interest in starting a new school, and look forward to the development of your plans as you fulfil your goals.

Thank you for keeping me apprised of developments. Please ensure that you fulfil registratation requirements with the Ministry.

Best wishes.

Desmond Bannister

"That's IT? He's blowing me off?!?!" I said to myself. Not so easily. And I wrote him back:

Dear Mr. Bannister,

Thank you for your speedy response! While I fully intend to register the school through the proper channels, I am aware that I may face some challenges due to the non-traditional methods we will be using.

It is my sincere hope to present this to you in person to garner your ministry's support.

I look forward to meeting with you in the near future.

Again, many thanks for your consideration on this matter.

Best,
cian t. sawyer

That was Friday. It's a long weekend here, so I am assuming that he is resting and spending time with his loved ones, as we all are. I am hoping he'll write me back on Tuesday. I fully intend to be persistent, respectfully but boldly letting him know that I simply will not take "No." for an answer. It's not an option for me.

Stay tuned for an update early next week. Because, my friends....

I wanna be starting something!

(Even though the lyrics don't exactly match, this song popped into my head and I'm sharing it for entertainment value.)

Enjoy!

Been There, Done That

2010-10-06T23:49:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting here "braising" - not quite stewing, this heat is lower but it's still getting the job done. But what, you may ask, am I braising about?

I can't seem to type a single sentence to talk about what's on my mind without holding down the backspace key because it's too plain or inflammatory. (Here's my final attempt:) What I really want to say is that some of what qualifies as a Good Education (here and also "there") is failing our children in ways much more far-reaching than we as a society are really capable of thinking about.

I am speaking, specifically, about they way children are treated in pre- and elementary schools. About all the ways and means teachers use to get children to do what they want them to do in order to maintain the appearance of doing a good job; being a good teacher.

I know exactly what I am talking about because, as the title says, I have "BTDT" and bought the tee shirt.

You see, there was a time when, as a teacher, I believed that I knew what was best for a child - even better than the child's own mother. There was a time when I would cast subtle scowls at those whose actions as a parent were substandard to my own practices as a teacher. I've been on both the receiving and giving ends of the teacher-to-teacher glance, confirming with our eyes that yes, this mother was failing at her job.

I have been that person.

Now I ask myself, Who am I to assume that the systematic manner of classroom management techniques I employed to exercise crowd control are the best ways to parent a child? Particularly a small child. In a room full of young children where the ratio is one adult to average 10 children, the adult has to use crowd control/herd management techniques to maintain order. The people in her care are given absolutes. No one can dare buck the system because if one "breaks out" they all break out. That's how I ran the show. That, I dare say, is how most teachers must run the show; otherwise it would be utter chaos.

I had somehow arrived at the conclusion that because I could make these children do what I wanted with dangling carrots and looming threat of isolation (friendly term: time out), I was a good ~~psuedo mom~~ teacher for these teeny tiny precious little souls. Of course I love(d) them. I really did. But how can one woman really allow the 8 to 10 young children in her care to do what made them happy and maintain order and control? (The grown ups, we want Order and Control at all costs.)

I look back at myself now and I don't judge that me. I mostly feel sorry, knowing that I meant well and still ended up doing some harm in the process. That proverbial road to hell, however, must be paved and I have done my part, that old me.

Now I look on despairingly and shake my head at what some schools and teachers are doing in their classrooms (that really ought not exist because young children do not need a special room for CLASSES (fun or not), they need a PLAY room and a play ground, if you ask me... wait, I digress... right, I was saying that as I look on shaking my head, spilling tears because I believe - with all my heart - that all these rules and behavior modification techniques that are being forced on these wee souls fracture and break parts yet un-recognized, erode parts of still-new emotional and intellectual foundations and take so much more away from the person than they give.

I have been there and I have done that. With a kind of religious adherence.

And now - RIGHT NOW - I want to wish that I could give a magic talk or write a magic blog that will help all those well meaning teachers to "get it": that these children are still babies. That they still need their mammas to hold them when they're scared, it's still okay and good and right that they miss their parents when they are gone, that they need to be free and safe to explore their world without judgement from adults. Gentle guidance, yes. Judgement, no. I want to wish this but I know it's a process, a journey, gentle (sometimes not-so-gentle) new awareness upon gentle new awareness that has led me to a new understanding.

With deepest thanks to whatever Grace that falls my way, I am now here in my journey. A lovely place where the glass is a little less dark, the faces are a little more clear and the joy is a whole lot sweeter.

In closing, I feel I still have to say out loud to the world that as educators, we must realize that there isn't any one set of rules and standards that we can blithely and stubbornly try to make every person fit into. Children need to laugh and play and try stuff and cry when they feel sad, stomp when they feel mad, mess up and spill stuff, to work on finding and using their words, and most of all to run to their mammas when they want to.

Boxes and labels do not belong here among the holders of Apron Strings. I really believe the don't belong anywhere near any people at all.

Let's save those for moving day.

Raising Fun ...D ...s

2010-10-05T23:52:00.002-04:00

I have the best idea I have ever had for a fundraiser for The Village School!

I was experiencing my involuntary early morning awake time a few mornings ago and tossing pebbles and dust around in my head for fundraisers. Next thing I know they started coalescing into an actual idea - a good one!

I was thinking that we could have some sort of "art for education" auction. Then I was thinking if I had 40 pieces of donated art that sold for a thousand bucks a piece, I'd have my forty grand right there. Then I was thinking it would be awesome if it were some sort of giant mosaic on display in a public space and then the individual pieces - which would still make "sense" on their own - would be sold. Then I was thinking, it would be even better if the pieces were then given to some place public... liiike.... a public school!!!

And Voila! My idea was born!

So it would be a community driven effort and win!-win!-win! for all involved. Here's how:

The umbrella organization for the advancement of progressive education in The Bahamas, which will ultimately own The village School, will approach the artists and art community inviting donations of pieces a specific size (say, 24" x 36") and possibly theme (such as "Free to be Me"), and we would then host an opening reception at a gallery (maybe PopOp or The Hub) inviting people to come and see and buy. Everyone would be made aware that it was a fundraiser for the umbrella group with the intention of funding a new non-profit school. The pieces would be purchased by the aficionado-philanthropists and then re-donated, each to a public school of the buyer's choice.

The Artists Win because they have participated in an event that (a) demonstrates the value of art in public spaces (b) funds the founding of a school that values art and (c) gotten good publicity for their charitable act.

The Buyers Win because they have (a) donated money to the founding of a school that values economic justices and art! and (b) double donated by also giving the art to a public educational facility

The Village School Wins because (a) we are demonstrating our community minded approach to life, (b) the event will provide us with funding needed to give scholarships to people who need them and (c) will have been responsible for a community driven "art in public spaces" project.

I do think 40 might be a bit much. I'd be happy to have 15 to 20. We would invite press and stuff, of course.

So... what do you think?

Gestating... Waiting.

2010-10-05T23:26:00.002-04:00

The metaphor of gestation, labor and birth is an all too obvious metaphor for me to use; given the name of this blog is "Birth of a School".

So, I will use that metaphor to say that I am feeling like a first time mom; that is, like I might just be pregnant forever (forever... forever... ever...). I haven't blogged for a shameful three weeks because of a combination of writer's block and plain old nothin doin.

Well, not nothing, I have been home/un-schooling my three children (two by birth, one by spirit) and working part time at the playgroup. That's a part of it too. I have been feeling trashed dot com most nights and I've been known, over the past week or two, to moan that "I neeeeed to bloooooog" without really doing anything like opening the lap top, or switching from facebook (*shame*) and actually punching keys and making words and sentences... until Now!

And yet, I still don't have much to report. Except that I have just finished a mini labor over my letter to our Honorable Minster of Education, Mister Desmond Bannister. I am going to hand deliver - wait, I don't know, my funny valentine is telling me that I may go there (to Min. Ed.) (all decked out in a blouse with sleeves!) and be told that

"No, sweetie, you have to mail this with two fifty dollar stamps, and you have to find a stranger to lick it, and they have to be from Cat Island. Then you have to press them on with your left hand and mail it on a waxing (or is it waning?) moon in a month that ends with -uly and a day that ends with P."

I'd call to find out, but I will likely get the room with the phone and no one in it. Or the other room with the phone off the hook and no one in it.

Either way, this letter is going to Mr. Bannister!

You want to know what is in the letter? Me being all bold and telling him that I've been to conferences on the leading edge of progressive education. And that I know my school can change education in The Bahamas and that his participation by approval will be a pioneering move on his part - well, not exactly those words, but you know what I mean. I listed some of the characteristics unique to my school and talked about what it would mean for the learners. I told him that I want to discuss the possibility of doing a charter school too.

My hope is to get in front of him before Christmas and have something going in January.

If you know of anyone or have any resources at all that can cast a favorable light beam on to this project, please pass it on.

Good night and good luck to all of us.

Finding Balance

2010-09-15T23:21:00.001-04:00

Often times revolutionary movements are reactionary (I don't have any data to back that up, but let's just go with it). The People become frustrated with the status quo and when they are sick and tired and had it up to Here, someone stands up and says NO MORE! We know this isn't right, we know there is another way, we know that we can all move closer to this working for more of us. We are now dreaming very loudly in public of a different way; a different world.

Some times we go overboard and dive headlong into the other extreme and that doesn't serve anyone either.

Then we sit back - or are deep in the trenches - whichever you prefer, and watch the pendulum sway back and forth until it comes to the middle.

Some times... if we're lucky.

I am in the middle of some pendulum action right now, myself. I wouldn't even try to deny that I began (might still be) in a reactionary mode to the ills and ~~evils~~ harmful practices of the current model of education. (By "current model" I mean the mainstream way.) It began as a movement against "The System" for me. I find now, however, that while i recognise the shortcomings of the school system, it won't serve anyone if we go all the way to the other end of the spectrum and create a new system that is completely focused on the child/learner. Children have rights, that goes without saying. Learners have rights - this does not go without saying. We really need to put the 2 and 2 together on that one.

What I hope to move toward is the ever-elusive Happy Medium (not mediocrity!) where learners have a voice; have time at the helm of their destiny while they become familiar with driving the ship WITH adults who lovingly guide and help the learners navigate through the tricky spots knowing when to hold on, when to help and when to let go. Like John Gatto, I do not believe that teachers need to be an accredited group. We need deeply passionate individuals who want to be there, who have something to share, and who know about the folding and the holding and the walking away and all that. [Edited to add: Like this fabulous teacher who's blog I read this morning and thought "AHA! Like teachers that!")

We need places of learning - spaces - where learning is directed by children and adults. Because, in my humble (maybe not as humble as it needs to be) opinion, there are so many things children would miss if we didn't gently nudge them into the places we believe would be good for them.

I have spoken to adult unschoolers and free school grads alike and asked them what, if anything, they wished was different. The most common answer I got was that they wished someone had sometimes insisted that they follow through with one thing or another.

You see, even though I believe in the inherent value of democratic education, I also believe there is a place for some benevolent dictatorship. But I believe that the balance is difficult to articulate -even in my own mind. I am, quite frankly, uncomfortable saying out loud that I think some "bossing" needs to happen. (By "bossing" I mean "pushing/encouragement to carry on" or "try this thing that I really think you'd benefit from".) Because I don't trust adults to use that wisely (myself included).

For now, my best version of a happy medium - even as the pendulum swoops dangerously close to my head and my ideals - is to mix the methods by incorporating a structural framework upon which to build curiosity driven, free-spirited learning. Sound paradoxical?

Yes please!

Fan Mail!

2010-09-01T21:24:00.000-04:00

I've gotten my first "public" response (that is, a person I know not) from the appearance on JCN. I just had to share it with you as I was very encouraged and touched by the message.

Hello Cian T Sawyer, Just touching bases with you after seeing you on JCN jus now. I commend your thoughts and brains. we need some more of you around here so bad...Keep it up, it will rub off okay...

I am a P.E. Teacher at [A Public School]...

Take Care.....

[Name withheld]

Yay! There are people out there who resonate with Progressive Education - and they are already in the system! I feel so positive and hopeful. (I also know that I'd better hang on to this feeling because not everyone will be so "appreciative" of what I am saying. Which is fine.)

*giving a care bear stare to the whole educational system*

Can you feel the love?

The Public "I"

2010-09-01T10:15:00.002-04:00

Last night I made my debut as a "Progressive Education Specialist" (as it appeared on the screen under my name) on our local TV station, JCN. I am still a bit iffy about the term "specialist". It was the best i could come with on the spot when the host, Etoile, asked me for a descriptor. Nathan and I back-and-forthed about maybe using "advocate" instead but when we told Etoile, she thought specialist brought more of an air of authority on the subject, whereas an advocate comes across more as a person who simply believes in a cause without much inside knowledge on the workings.

That aside, it was a pretty good first interview. Even though I was feeling like I did a terrible job after the taping in the afternoon, when I watched it last night (crticizing myself all over the place, though I was) I felt good about what I was able to say (mistakes, blunders and disjointed comments notwithstanding). All in all, it was not a bad way to start the conversation.

We were able to show the IDEA clip as the intro, which was a perfect frame the conversation. Then she asked me what Democratic Education was. She asked me how old it is (90 years at least!) and I told her about A.S. Neill and The Summerhill School. I mentioned that people are not given grades at the school and then we talked about how the children are assessed without letter grades and/or tests. I explained the process of portfolio evaluation and peer accountability. I mentioned that learning is not a sport (a quote I picked up in one of the thousands of pieces of literature I've read pursuing more knowledge and inspiration about progressive education) and that the focus is on allowing a person to be measured up to her own self. I was happy about saying that because I think it's a very new idea for many people. Later on she asked if we would have desks and I said no because we are aiming to create and environment that fosters Co-operative learning rather than competitive learning.

She countered saying that people who aren't graded in school will be shocked when they get into the real world where employees are constantly being 'graded' and evaluated. I responded saying that people who experience self-directed learning recognize that what they put in is what they get out. And that, because there is a lot of learning that is project and or group oriented there is a great deal of accountability (read: evaluation) by their peers.

She then pointed out that that set up sounded more like "real life" than the other.

We talked, too, about Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences. I said that we only value academics and in so doing marginalize the other kinds such as musical, artistic, and kinesthetic. She commented that some of the most highly paid professionals are musicians, actors and athletes and that maybe that was pay back (no pun intended) for them being undervalued in school. Then I said that "jocks" are highly valued in high school (then Nathan said he couldn't believe I said that!).

I touched on the fact that people who are not academically inclined tend to be discriminated against in the traditional system; giving the example of three children in a give class - one with strong artistic ability (I, unfortunately used the words "good drawer" - eeek!), one with good reading skills and another with a knack for numeracy and the teacher comparing the artist to the reader implying that he was not good enough because he couldn't read as well as Hypothetical Susie. I went on to say that the beauty of democratic education is that in this case, the learners would all bring their individual strengths together toward a common goal rather than be pitted against each other and/or made to feel inferior because they are not all excelling at everything. This is a mirror of our adult society where we are currently competing to get more, have more, be more. In my vision, we would, instead use our individual strengths in a cooperative manner to create a better version of the world we have now.

We soon segued into a conversation about The Village School. She asked me about the process of starting a school. She asked me what we had to offer The Bahamian people. I feel I floundered a bit here as I was completely unprepared for those questions. I basically said that if we can help a few people to know themselves and their passions we can begin to move towards a more whole society. Then she asked me to describe three random days in the life of the learners at the school. (!!!!) This was the ultimate curve ball as I have mentioned before on this blog that it is impossible to tell you what the days will be like because of the real life characteristic of democratic education. I did pull something together giving examples from my life as an unschooling mom. I told her about Lauryn's curiosity about making/cooking things and that she wanted to know about making donuts. I explained that the entire process is multi-faceted learning from reading to measuring to budgeting to buying ingredients to cooking it to eating the fruits of our labour. Side lesson - donuts have a lot of fat and sugar in them! Then I said that we might want to learn about sharks on another day because of Ryan's interest. That this would lead us to the library and to seek mentors in the community who know about sharks - a good reason to be connected to NGO's and businesses as they would give us ways to learn about things in real life without being bound to a desk.

She asked me what I wanted to say that wasn't addressed and I floundered trying to find the ONE most important thing that I needed to say. After a bit of a false start, I finally closed saying that even in our small island nation we chase after the American Dream of the white picket fence, 2.5 children, two car garage and all that. I said that this is NOT the way to happiness. (I wanted to mention that it's not sustainable either.) That we need to redefine our definition of success. That joy and passion and loving what you do and knowing your place in the community are the real definition of success. Maybe you do something that pays you a little or maybe you do something that pays you a lot, as long as you are happy and loving what you do, this is all that matters. I quoted A.S. Neill saying he'd rather the school produce a happy street sweeper than an unhappy CEO. For me, this summarises the ethos that informed much of my ideology about The Village School.

At some point earlier, I said that I believe we are all working towards a better society where people are all treated equally with respect of self and others and kindness being values that we hold in common.

I'll wrap it up now by saying that over all I am pleased because I was able to say a few key words, phrases, sentences that I believe will have sparked at least a little bit of a "Hmmm..." response in the viewers. Which was my intent.

I just wanted people to stop and think and question. I really hope/believe that I was able to do that.

My deepest thanks to Etoile for allowing me the space and time and opportunity to become a Public I.

Deed Poll for Alternative Education

2010-08-25T22:16:00.000-04:00

Herbert Kohl made a comment in his keynote at AERO that we need to stop using the term "alternative education" as it doesn't do the movement any justice. That was in june and it has taken me just about two months to really absorb that, shake it up and make something new out of it. (Unfortunately that metaphor was headed a bit south, so I have elected to stop it right there.) Suffice to say, I think he's absolutely right (about that) and I am taking his not-necessarily-"kind"-advice and I am changing how I refer to the movement for educational reform.

You see even though "alternative education" functions wonderfully well as a quasi umbrella term for all forms of other-than-(so called)-traditional methods, the word alternative tends to make some implications that may not necessarily be true. Think about terms like:

Alternative Medicine
Alternative Lifestyles
Alternate route (DETOUR?!?! Grrr. Ugh!)
Alternative School

For a person like me who thinks of myself as a haphazard non-conformist, it's not a heavy word. I get it. I even like to see it. "What's this? Alternative bandaids? ? Yes please!"

But for our brothers and sisters entrenched - steeped - in tradition, that A word is a bit off-putting. They think of tie-dye and armpit hair. Both very neutral things mind you, but the word associations... well.

So. Getting on with it!

I believe that what is happening in the alternative education realm - from Montessori to Democratic Education and everything in between - is really a form of Progress. These are innovative approaches to learning and schooling. They are advanced methodologies seeking to meet the needs of the coming generation and all the ills they will inherit from their forebears.

In my mind, this movement is now known as:

"Progressive Education"

What do you think? Progressive, no? Maybe not THE most ORIGINAL name ever or anything but it feels better in my mouth and my mind because "progressive" is moving forward, where "alternative" is a peripheral choice that you could live without.

Let's here your thoughts...

The Clarion Voice from Japan

2010-08-24T22:40:00.000-04:00

A dear friend and avid supporter of The Village School passed this documentary on to me and I simply had to share it with you!

It's about a teacher in Japan whom, in between adminstering what seems to be a fairly standard curriculum, weaves important life lessons of humanity into the lives of his 35 ten year old students.

I am learning that what I have is not so much answers, but ideas. And there are so many ideas out there that can create a beautiful new tapestry of educational reform. I encourage you to take the time and watch this series. It is touching and revolutionary and Human.

Democratic Education: A cure for the common Ism?

2010-08-16T23:04:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about this recently. Is Democratic Education a cure all for the social ills that plague our society? Is that asking too much from one methodology? What I am talking about specifically, is our tendency to discriminate against that which is different from what we know; as individuals and collective "us against them" mentalities. I doubt that I need list the myriad of "isms" of which I speak. You know what I'm talking about. We've all either been an "us" or a "them" - often times, if we take a good look at ourselves, we'll see these attitudes tucked away behind our good will.

And then there is Democratic Education. Time and space dedicated to allow rapidly growing and learning human beings to explore the world around them. Freedom and Liberation!, some say. Freedom with Responsibility!, others say. <--- I personally like that one. I read a Nelson Mandela quote recently that summarized this concept.

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

So the question is: will Democratic Education help our next generation to be more respectful of all humans and living beings? Will living and learning in as true a democracy as we can create foster the onset of an ism-free world?

Think about it: assuming that the school is diverse ("multicultural" - an overused and under-understood terminology, imho) rather than homogeneous (which we're striving towards - diversity in Dem Ed. I mean), the people there will live and learn in an environment in which every single person has One Vote - every One - theoretically, at least - equal to her peers. I am having a hard time seeing how having lived in this community of learners, anyone can grow up to discriminate against other people. Let's face it, bigotry is learned, not inherent. What better place to learn inclusion and acceptance; at the very least a "live and let live" mindset than one where everyone's voice has the same value - different tones, but the same value?

It is possible that I am being too idealistic about Democratic Education. It's possible that it is not a Cure All. It's possible. But from where I'm sitting, I'd say it's a strong contender for a Cure Most. Which, I can't say the same for unschooling. (Internal *gasp* - "HERESY!!!" my mind is yelling) But wait, hear me out.

Unschooling/Organic Learning in the home environment is a wonderful thing! (I mean, I'm in an unschooling family!) But I feel that where unschooling can find challenges is that the nature of the environment lends itself to the potential sheltering of the children (and adults) from those who are different. "Those" might just be schooled people or people from a different socio-economic arena or those from other belief systems or religions, or anything else, really. I'm not suggesting that all unschoolers are deliberately or otherwise keeping their children from "the others". What I am saying is that it's easy for many of us to live within the confines of a social circle of people that all think and believe all the same things we do. The environment of the learner, though varied, can remain isolated and Same-ish whereas in a community of learners, people get exposed to many different perspectives. And in so doing, learn to hear and respect other people's rights to their own opinions and ways of being that may even be strange or uncomfortable for the observer.

I can't say that I am in an either/or paradigm about unschooling and democratic education. There are underlying principles of the learning modalities that are very similar: learner-directed, freedom from external pressure, freedom from coercion in learning - those kinds of things. How they look in 3D, moment-to-moment "real life" however, are very different. I realize I've gone off on a tangent that's best served in another blog post and will return to my original point now.

I believe that democratic education has the potential to help us get to a place as humans where everyone is free to live in a way that promotes the freedom of themselves and others. Circular logic? Yes. I believe it's a circular motion of give and take; of sharing while respecting boundaries that we are aiming for. (yes? no?)

This post serves as my official, single vote for Dem. Ed. as a way to facilitate a new world. One filled with passionate people pursuing their dreams and *letting* other people live their lives and pursue their dreams too; working together where it suits them and bringing their own gifts to the table. A world in which there aren't any us and them ideologies and where everyone is included if they want to be. A world where everyone belongs.

After all, that's what a democratic school is!

Pray for Doubt

2010-08-09T09:52:00.002-04:00

...is a phrase I read sometime somewhere. "Pray for doubt," the author advocated. At first i didn't understand why anyone would want to ask for Doubt. Isn't it better to be sure? Isn't Certainty the ironclad, surefire way to know something Good and Right and True and to hell with all the rest of it? I mean, what would doubt do for anyone on a mission?!

I'll tell you what doubt does: It gives you pause. And pause gives you time to step back. And stepping back gives you perspective. And perspective gives "you" (yes, ME) a chance to see things more clearly.

I had a moment of doubt the other day. Oddly enough this occurred while I was reading this article about democratic education; a positive article which featured an interview with Isaac Graves, engine driver for the education-revolutionizing, life-changing AERO Conference train. The article also had commentaries and excerpts from the book Lives of Passion, School of Hope - which chronicles the lives of graduates of the Jefferson County Open [Public] School - by Dr. Rick Posner.

While the article mentions that some 91% of all graduates go on to college and 25% completed graduate studies, it also says that some of the school's graduates were, how shall i say? - "put out" - because they felt they had not been properly prepared for "real life" (say college/exams/the workforce) and felt a bit disgruntled with all the (my words: willy nilly freedom they were given.

( Voice over says: And now we get to the moment when our protagonist encounters her internal conflict, the central theme to this act in the play.)

Reeeeeeeheeeheeally?

"Ill prepared" you say? "Not prepared for real life" you say? *cough cough! gripping own neck frantically* (No I'm not panicking!)

( Enter the dark and sinister trench coat and hat character, Doubt. )

Wha-?????? Wait. What!? Some people were UN-happy with essentially going to an UN-school? Is this even POSSIBLE? Who are these people? What did they want to be done differently? Is democratic education not for every body???? (Doubt! Doubt! Doubt! Major doubt! General Doubt!) Could I be making a mistake? Should I even start a school???? (See the way I leapt clear over logic and reasonable thought directly into the bullseye of a terrorizing vortex of fear? Amazing. ...Talk about skills!)

So, as I was saying: I froke. A little.

And I have to confess that I had secretly hoped that writing this blog would help me process it so that by the time I made my way down to the closing para (-graph, that is) I'd have resolved my conflict and come up with The Right Answer, possibly even win a fine grandfather clock and a bonus spin from Drew Carey. Alas, this is not so. Good people, this author is still conflicted. Well, maybe "conflicted" isn't really the right word. I am certain that I am meant to create this school. (No doubt about that, thanks anyway Universe.) I am also certain that liberty and equality are cornerstones of this Place. So ~~where~~ how does it all fit in???

I honestly don't know. I can tell you that I don't believe in this "real world" that people are always talking about. The explanation of that is a whole other blog post which may or may not belong in this forum. I'll shoot for the short answer and say that corporations and captilalism do not the real world make. Nor college, nor degrees nor '9 to 5' jobs. So it is not my intention to educate for that (super duper air quotes) "real world".

So maybe a few Village School graduates will be miffed. Maybe they won't. Maybe we can talk about it together, the learners, all of us.

Maybe it's all okay because we are realizing a new Real Life where we're all still learning as we go (*gasp* NO!... yes dear.) and there will be room for mistakes (*gasp again*).

And maybe, just maybe, we'll actually carry on learning from, and in spite of our mistakes.

I'm cool with that option.

What about you?

No How = Know How

2010-07-28T23:15:00.005-04:00

As I travel the world of non-traditional education, specifically democratic education, I am learning that like unschooling - there is no "One Right Way" to do it.

We humans like to have things neatly laid out and pristinely wrapped in clear cellophane packaging with labels including ingredient lists so we can take it home feeling safe that we know exactly what it is that we have bought (into). None of this "Well it's really up to the individual" business. Tell me exactly what alternative education is complete with formulas and predictable results. Describe in detail how unschooling works and how you Do It. Give me a list (which must have references and bibliography) of all the things I need to do in order to have a Democratic School.

Umm, sorry what? Summerhill is not identical to Sudbury is not identical to Brooklyn Free School is not identical to SelfDesign????!!!!

Slomo cam captures the dramatic NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! as the victim falls to the ground in dispair.

So that was me you saw in your mind's eye crashing to the floor. Shocked to learn (yet again) that there is not One Single Recipe for a democratic school like Yabba's Best Corn Bread Pudding or something. Rats!

I keep stumbling across ideas and things and examples and thinking, YES! That's what I want for The Village School. And that! Aaaand THAT!!! And.... that? Well, maybe not. But yes, that other thing for sure. Yes!

So if you ask me to tell you about a day in the life of a learner or teacher at The Village School, I really can't answer unless it's that day and it's the end of that day. Because it's kind of like "real life" (pretty messy stuff, that). And though one may have grand plans and schemes and ideas and examples and things and stuff, Real Life still manages to sort of Happen to one. Or to several. Or most. Or all. (Yep, definitely all.)

The thing is, if you put a group of people in a space together - be it three or 15 - things will not happen the same way all the time. The horror!!! (Unless you make 13,857 rules about every single permissible and non-permissible movement, word, idea allowed that is. Which isn't very democratic now is it?) The problem is that people have this nasty habit of growing and changing and learning new things, which makes for a dastardly time if one wants to pin them down and fit them into a label/category for an extended period (like forever or say, 18 years).

Which means that I get it. I hate to use the "O" word, but I am afraid I am a bit trapped into saying that a person cannot come up with one single definition for the above methods of facilitating learning because they are (...wait for it...) *sharp inhale* - Organic. Humans and learning are like living, "Growing Things". It's crazy! Kind of like some sort of garden project where all you really need to do is plant some seeds, keep showing up and helping them along with some water, good placement, chicken poop and a hefty dose of TLC and the things just seem to maagickly grow themselves! Miraculous really. (Wait, am I talking about people or tomatoes? I'm confused.)

The point is, even though there are some foundational philosophies that serve as the guiding principles for democratic/child-centered/learner-directed/organic/passion-driven (whatever you want to call the thing!) education, it will look different from place to place and person to person precisely because we are all one but not the same. <-- I teefed that little phrase from that song with Mary J. Blige and Bono.

Therefore, good friends, I eagerly await the birth and growth of this school in my head: another face for Democratic Education as it shapes and is shaped by yet another community.

Pedagogy of The Oppressed

2010-07-27T09:31:00.000-04:00

‎"The oppressors do not perceive their monopoly on having more as a privilege which dehumanizes others and themselves. They cannot see that, in the egoistic pursuit of having as a possessing class, they suffocate in their own possessions and no longer are; they merely have. For them, having more is an inalienable right, a right they acquired through their own "effort," with their "courage to take risks." If others do not have more, it is because they are incompetent and lazy, and worst of all is their unjustifiable ingratitude towards the "generous gestures" of the dominant class. Precisely because they are "ungrateful" and "envious," the oppressed are regarded as potential enemies who must be watched" (Paolo Freire, 1970, p. 59) Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Nurturing Creativity and Genius

2010-07-18T13:00:00.001-04:00

By Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, gives a wonderful Talk on TED about nurturing creativity and genius. Thought I'd share.

Lone Star State

2010-07-18T08:58:00.003-04:00

A person can feel sure about a thing. Feel confident in their path and walk with purpose and direction. A person can be fully committed to fulfilling her destiny, believing that this - THIS is what she was created for (a distant-ish second, of course, to bearing and lovingly raising her beautiful children. Naturally.) A person can feel all these things and then one day wake up in the middle of the night (well, morning) struck with a kind of icy, toe-tingling doubt.

The sneaky kind that feels like you're "just a little chilly" at first, but then it starts snaking up into your purpose and confidence. It causes a little stutter in the stride and the person has to ask herself: "Am I sure? Is this where I'm really supposed to be going?"

Then this person - a friend of mine, mind you - not me - looks around and sees that she's the only one. Oh sure, there are kind and loving supporters on the side lines, bringing water and slices of watermelon encouragement but as far as other people who are actually walking this particular path beside her: bupkis. Zip. Nada. No. Body.

"Hows about you ask your old pal Aaron and/or Moses to do this one? Maybe it's not for me to do after all. I mean, wouldn't I have someone who has this [seemingly] esoteric Gut Knowing journeying with me?" she says to no One in particular.

Okay, okay, I'll tell you: it's me. (!!!)

I had a momentary 2 by 4 to the head of near-panic the other ~~day~~ hour. I was merrily reading - more like greedily devouring John Taylor Gatto's book, Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling the other day, nodding out loud, agreeing across pages and miles with so much of what he has to say and I was struck (enter the 2 by 4) with the thought of how NO ONE ELSE I KNOW reads this stuff! (Note: The melodrama being employed here is very important and very necessary because even though in actual fact it's true that I am personally familiar with other human beings who are reading "this stuff" not a single one of them lives on my 7 by 21 mile rock island home. End Note.)

So back to the shocking-unfolding-of-the-drama-music.

I just wondered why not me AND someone who reads all the same stuff? Why just me alone? (Yeah yeah yeah, the side-liners - but they can go home anytime they want. I've signed up for this thing!. They've pinned white rectangles with numbers onto my clothes. This is serious!) Is a running mate too much to ask for here?

Then I was all, How can I be sure? And Nathan was all - wait, what did Nathan say again? Something Sensible and Encouraging but I can't remember what (as I was probably too distracted with my near panic experience). But it must have worked because I'm not feeling like ripping the tags off and giving up, or worse, dragging some stranger from the crowd and MAKING them run with me (dammit!). Yeah, No, I'm good. I can do this. I have been made for such a thing as this.

As I said to Sensible and Encouraging Nathan in subsequent conversations - I believe that my choices as a mother, particularly the most recent to unschool [with] Lauryn and Ryan, are my way of saying that I am choosing another way besides that path that has been cut out for us; i.e. auto-pilot to a predetermined cookie cutter model of factory "success" (read: acquisition of stuff and things).

Maybe it started out as a rejection of that model, but I feel it's really now a movement toward something else (rather than away from the other thing). A sometimes-effortless gliding, other times uphill-plodding movement toward all that I have talked about before (you know, "peace, justice, humanity, sustainability" - blah blah blah, that old chestnut?) and that creating The Village School is my way of inviting other people on that path with me.

What's to be afraid of in that?

(Um... Discrimination, being ostracized, rejection, exile? Pish Posh! Piece a cake!)

A Great IDEA

2010-07-15T00:17:00.000-04:00

Horizon: Mireless

2010-07-11T14:33:00.000-04:00

I've been asking the question lately, What is the point of (traditional) school? What is it for? What purpose is it serving?

But then I had to ask, What is the point of this "Alternative Education" that I am espousing? What is it for? What purpose will it serve?

Answer: Humanity.

You see, even though I am very much about creating a school that respects it's learners and creates and atmosphere of equality for all, the larger vision is really restoration of Humanity.

Under or behind all the labels - words we use to keep our distance from each other - are real live actual human beings; daughters, sons, cousins, sisters, mothers, fathers, best friends, lovers - People. At the risk of sounding like I've gone overboard I'd say the labels we use for other living things, like trees, rats, caterpillars, whales, spiders, oranges, flowers - the create a distance as well.

Anthony DeMello said in his book Awareness, (and I'm paraphrasing here) that once you name something such as a palm tree, you never see another palm tree again. You just see the word and the one you first named.

I am reading a book called Above All, Be Kind by Zoe Weil and her language has helped me give identity to the previously unformed, floating idea that I had about the ultimate goal of this kind of education. She talks a lot about fostering Reverence, Respect and Responsibility in children. I find that Reverence is what tends to be missing - if I could oversimplify it for a bit - from the way we are raising our children today. In parenting and education alike we have literally stopped talking time to smell the actual roses.

We are so busy spitting out empty praise ("Great walking, son!") and trying to keep up with the bills that we barely have time to truly Be Present and give Reverence to the moment, to ourselves, to our friends, to our spouses and most of all, to our children.

(Digression warning!) In my own genuine awe for living beings, I often find that I (feel like I) seem childish around the people who do not experience the world that way. This is not a statement of arrogance or judgement - I literally become self conscious sometimes when I see a bird and gasp in awe and people seem a bit perplexed ("It's just a bird", their quickly averted eyes tell me).

All this to say that what Zoe Weil said is what I meant to say: It is about our humanity. The real world, she says, is dirt and trees and fall and fish and deer and rivers and sunshine and butterflies (again, paraphrasing); not stocks and bonds or corporate ladders or bank accounts etc. Well put, Zoe!

What is the point of peaceful, learner centred, respectful mindful education built on a framework of social justice and environenmental sustainability?

Humanity. Being People. People Being.

What I see on the Horizon truly is a state of liberation. The kind of freedom from bondage that people like Jesus and Bob Marley talked about; where we will nurture our souls and be emancipated from mental slavery.

Mireless!

AERO Conference Digest

2010-06-29T00:04:00.000-04:00

In many ways it already feels futile to try and capture the experience I have just had over the last four days at the 7th Annual AERO conference. In telling it to friends I find myself using the same words – like incredible, inspiring, amazing – over and over again. I struggle to articulate what has been a deeply perception-altering experience. I say “perception-altering” instead of “life-altering” because while I am certain that my life is in fact altered, it is born out of a greatly expanded awareness of my own ideas and beliefs as well as those of all the people I am hoping to affect change with and on whose behalf I am acting.

It is as though I entered the conference dialogue with a uni-dimensional objective and as the workshops, keynotes and days went on the nature of the thought grew into new forms; from one- to two- to three dimensions and possibly more.

Buzz terms like “social justice, diversity, elitism, multiculturalism” and grew into effectively tangible concepts for me and I felt I gained clarity of vision. And I’m talking High Def, here. Really Seeing what my emerging vision is truly about.

I was continually being moved to new and better places as I engaged in:

Shilpa Jain’s workshop and later, keynote about the Learning Community and Ecologies called Shikshantar that she co-created in Udaipur, India over a 10 year period.

Khalif Williams’ facilitation of discussion about infusing the values of social justice and environmental sustainability into the dialogue with learners in more compassionate and effective ways.

Matthew Davis’s keynote address about the dire need for the inclusion of other cultures (particularly of the non-privileged brown skinned human beings) into the model of child centred learning.

John Taylor Gatto’s spirited address about the history and sinister purpose of the current western model of public education. The notion that the system is actually working as it achieves its purpose of maintaining the status quo.

Documentaries like “Race to Nowhere” and “War on Kids” and “Schooling The World” and the conversations that flowed out of what the content of the films brought to bear about what is really happening (read: being done) to millions of children in the name of “education” every single day.

Gritty, honest, raw, authentic and passionate conversations – sometimes debates - in between, around, beside all of it which enriched the conference like a cup overflowing.

I formed deep resonant connections with people - sometimes within minutes - due to our shared commitment to educational reform, but more so for the restoration of humanity to our true selves.

And still there was laughter! - Laughter and joy and friendship and playfulness and Being. I know that I will go back to the AERO conference again and again because they are my people and I am their people too. I know too that though we return to our individual grindstones, uphill battles punctuated by small victories we are still together - not just with each other but also with all the people – peoples – who choose to share the journey with us.

The Work that Jerry Mintz and Isaac Graves and their dedicated supporters have done to bring this community and platform into being has truly been an investment in the advancement of our world. Being a part of that manifestation is a humbling, inspiring, exhilarating catalyst for this woman on a sacred mission bear witness to the divine spark in every human being, especially children, who I meet.

Yes, I have exhausted my limited capacity for adjectives and sentence structures in my valiant attempt to share this experience with you.

I will close this by telling you that I remain in a somewhat blissful state of gratitude and hopefulness that feels like nebulas and stars in my being. Even in the very tips of my toes and the soles of my feet upon the path of the passionate.

Education Theology

2010-06-18T11:51:00.000-04:00

The fear-based nature of the traditional education system renders it incapable of effecting the kind of change we need for humanity to realize it's true self.

Call me an idealist but I wholeheartedly believe that the primary goal of the evolution of our species is to move toward Oneness. And that the path to Oneness is Love - pure and simple.

The way our schools and our world works today it is very much about separation through labels, competition, comparison, and judgement. Ways of being that fail us as a race; as citizens of the planet.

In school, children are pitted against one another - grading on a bell curve being one of the ways it is a standardized practice. They are placed into streams: Smart, Average and Slow (subtext: stupid). They are made to compete for better grades than their peers. The high achievers are praised, the "non-achievers" are ignored, even forgotten.

The mainstream system of evaluation is based on the notion that all humans must know all the same things at the same time. What is that about? We do not expect all 26 year olds to be proficient in all the same skills and have the same knowledge base.

Sure, literacy and numeracy are The basic knowledge base upon which most other pursuits are based. These are skills that are easily acquired through real life however and need not incite as much fretting and worry as they do today. Tutors and homework and studying and drills and flash cards and toys and games and TV shows and songs and books all geared toward making sure children learn to read and do math.

(I feel like I've gone on a rambling tangent here. I apologize. This is the product of early morning writing between molecules, quarters, gyroscopes, ladybugs and nerf bullets.)

The main point of this spiral is that "education" - rather, Learning - in an of itself, is good and desirable for all. Learning is Living and Living is Learning. Therefore we never stop learning. Learning is great fun! AND in a systemized environment, it MUST take place within the context of Love. Co-operation rather than competition, individual assessment of progress rather than standardized tests, recognition and value for all intelligences instead of just one, and an appreciation for the balance of community and individuality.

Love and Learning are the journey and the destination.

20 Questions

2010-06-15T02:49:00.000-04:00

It's really only 17, but that's not a reference that anyone would get so, naturally - for the sake of the craft - I simply had to fudge the numbers a bit. I knew you'd understand!

So, you remember the questions I'd told you were on the questionnaire? I finally wrote out my answers today! (You want a true confession? I'm gonna be honest here and admit that I have been stalling a bit in filling the form out. *whispering* IT'S TRUE! I'm kinda scerd that they'll just spit me out like a watermelon seed. PTEW! But scared or not, I'm doing it! ... Okay, back to the blog post:)

(Do I need to say *normal voice* here? No, right?)

I'm publishing this because sharing the journey is what this is about and what that's about is letting interested parties in so we can be Two Or More.

Ready for my answers! Here they are:

Name: The Village School (What do you think?)
Address: New Providence Community Centre, Blake Road, off W Bay St.
Name of owner: yours truly
Date of opening: September 2011
Ownership (Church/Company/Other): (Drew a blank on this one. Not sure if I need a holding company.)
Affiliation: Global Village School
Governance: Board of Directors will support School Director (that's me!)
Teachers and Students will work together to support each other.
Mission Statement: The Village School will provide children and parents from all socio-economic backgrounds regardless of race, gender or religion with a Holistic, diverse learning environment that nurtures the whole child. Our aim is to foster each individual's unique abilities/intelligence through colloboratve and/or self-authored curricula. As core values, learning will take place within the framework of Respect and Care for the Community of Life, Ecologicial Integrity, Social and Economic Justice and Democracy, Peace and Diversity. Through and uncompromising ethos of co-operative living balanced by Love of Self and others the Village School intends to be an emissary of unitive consciousness in the lives of our students, staff, families and the community at large.
Phyisical/Learning Resources (9 & 10): 2 Classrooms, 1 media lab, 1 indoor basket- and volley ball court, a vegetable garden, 1 library, on site food service, gendered restrooms, in room toilet facilities, in room sing facilities.
Clientele: First School Year (2011-2012) operating levels Pre-Kindergarten through year two; Second Year (2012-2013 (barring apocalyptic events)) adding continuing years three through six.
Admissions: 1. Application, 2. Family Interview (all immediate family present), 3. Village interview (student meets with her potential learning group and facilitators), 4. Registration, 5. Placement!
Instructional Programme: Global Village School Curriculum supplemented by: Art Expression/Exploration, Garden Projects, Dramatic Interpretations, Community Service, Physical Expression (swimming, soccer, running, court sports etc.), Mentorship by practicing experts-as-instructors
Staffing: Two full time facilitators, 2-4 part/full time room assistants, 1 administrative assistant/activities coordinator, several as-needed subject specific instructors (anything we want to learn about from finance to gymnastics and everything all around!)
Community Involvement: TVS family will work together - students, parents and facilitators - on ways to be actively involved in cultural and charitable organizations and events.
Finance: TVS will establish financial stability through fundraising and grants. With a minimum number of enrolled (full pay) students, basic overhead costs are met (rent, salaries, insurance). It is the intention of TVS to raise approximately $15 - $20K for operating capital.
Vision Statement/Development Plan: (This is a bit hairy and needs some kinks worked out but here it is:) As the singular provider of holistic, environmentally grounded education, TVS intends to maintain a small but stable niche market. As the school grows and exemplifies diversified pedagogical vehicles driving toward multiple intelligence, we will joyfully share our insight with other interested institutions of education. With growing awareness of the implications of current practices on the state of the global ecology, TVS is the first schoool in The Bahamas to base it's educational praxis on personal and global healing and wholeness. As we continue to study models of successful alternative public schools (in the U.S.) it is our hope to create practices that will influence mainstream public education here at home. (see what i mean? Hairy, hairy, hairy!)

So that's that! Gonna type it up real nice and pretty like and take it and a jacket/sleeves down to MinEd when I get back from AERO in a couple of weeks.

Wish me luck!

No, really do it. Out loud. Now...

Thanks!

Decisions, Decisions

2010-06-13T02:54:00.001-04:00

The more I think about it, the more ludicrous our system of education appears to me. Not to just throw the blanket of blame all willy nilly on the evil ~~empire~~ system. I'm just saying.

It starts at around age two, where people (by people, i mean children) are placed in childcare provision facilities called pre-schools. Teacher student ratio is a Big Deal, so the class size must be small and must have a Teacher's Assistant to be considered remotely credible (read: "middle class"). And we can't have two year olds sitting around all day doing nothing but playing, now can we? Heaven's NO! They need to get busy being told what to do and when to do it, and don't even think about having an opinion.

This carries on through pre-school, elementary school and even high school when the people, now approximately 18 years old, have been completely socialized to the standards of behavior within the context of a herd - sorry, group of their peers - with an adult alpha human per group.

So for sixteen years, the young, growing people have all their big decisions made for them by their parents, by their teachers, by the society. We tell them when to do what, how to do it, where to do it - and don't ask why, because We Know What's Good For You.

... And now, young woman, as you graduate high school and you've had your 18th birthday - which magically turns you into "An Adult" - it is your turn to make a decision for yourself:

What do you want to do for the rest of your life? ... Now GO!

How is it that the absurdity of this has escaped us as a thinking race?! Are we not intelligent, thinking, rationa- ... wait, never mind.

Do you see what I'm getting at here? Being a grown up takes years of practice, yet we have been isolating young people, forcing our will upon them (albeit with good intentions) and denying them the opportunities to learn how to think for themselves.

We create this magical age when they are supposed to be able to literally go to bed as 17 year old "children" and wake up on their 18th birthday as Board Certified Adults. (?!?!?!?! - Come on!)

No. This will not do. It isn't doing.

I cannot overstate the value of recognizing children as individuals (aren't we all?). They are not small pieces of human clay to be molded into our own images of who we think we are and/or who we want to (them) to be. Rather, I call to mind the artist who spoke of the marble already having the finished piece within it and that the artist was merely the person who helped it to emerge.

Of course they need guidance, mentoring, facilitators. Of course, of course, of course!

But they do not need to be squished, pressed, squeezed or formed. They need loving adults in their lives who can help them process what they need help processing and help them access what the need to access; who will watch and wait for the wings to emerge.

One of the better definitions of Critical thinking that I found is this:

An essential tool of inquiry; purposeful, self-regulatory judgment that results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based. The ideal critical thinker is habitually inquisitive, well-informed, trustful of reason, open-minded, flexible, fair-minded in evaluation, honest in facing personal biases, prudent in making judgments, willing to reconsider, clear about issues, orderly in complex matters, diligent in seeking relevant information, reasonable in the selection of criteria, focused in inquiry, and persistent in seeking results which are as precise as the subject and the circumstances of inquiry permit.

My best friend's son's teacher told her that of her entire class, he is the only critical thinker. Why? Because she is the kind of mother that is devoted to letting her children Be. Her children have a voice in their home.

The Village School has a mandate to foster self directed learning; ultimately a self-directed life.

Who doesn't want that for their children? For anyone they love, actually.

Linking Park

2010-06-09T07:30:00.000-04:00

Power to the People! Children make their own playground!

Funny story...

2010-06-09T01:50:00.000-04:00

I had called The Ministry of Education (from now on known as MinEd, cause let's face it, who wants to be typing and reading "Ministry. Of. Education" all the time?) - anyway I rang to figure out my first step in school starting and was told to come down and pick up the application form.

I was so excited I got up bright and late the next morning and headed out on a mission, which included a trip to the pool afterward. <-- This information is relevant and you will see why in a minute.

After some difficulty finding a way to access the oh-so-large and clearly-visable-yet-somehow-completely-inaccessible-from-the-road building, we finally got into the parking lot. Which turned out to be a fruitless victory due to a chronic lack of parking for regular human visitors.

Anyway, drama of parking aside, we trekked to the entry point. Upon approaching the miniature playhouse - er, i mean security guard hut thingie I noticed two things: (well, three actually):

The Security Guard was otherwise engaged on a Very Important Phone Call
A sign telling people that they must be "Appropriately Dressed" to enter the building. And
A forlorn looking young woman waiting by the Security Hut Checkpoint Place

Anyway, after The Very Important Phone Call was over, the Security Guard directed me to the sign-in book at the table behind his Hut. But wait! You can't go in, he said.

HUH?

Do you have a jacket in your car?, he asked as he sort glanced around the general vicinity of my visible swimsuit straps.

Me: No, I can fix that! *easily ducking out of the halter style straps and tucking them away*

SG: That's not it. You need sleeves.

Me: HUH? (i'm beginning to sound pretty stupid here but the situation informs that.)

SG: (Again) Do you have a jacket or something in your car you can wear?

Me: No.

SG: Sorry you can't go in "like that".

Me: *scoff!* You're not serious?! All I need to do is pick up a form from MinEd!

SG: Sorry, this is what (-get this!-) The Permanent Secretary told us. Not my rules.

Well, it goes on for a bit; him explaining that those were The Rules and me telling him what a silly rule it was and eventually making sure I got him to admit (albeit whilst casting furtive glances and whispering in low tones) that it was, indeed, a DUMB rule. And THEN I noticed #3 again: the forlorn looking young woman who is wearing - (drumroll, please!) a spaghetti strapped dress and therefore cannot enter into the sacred halls of Noshoulderdom.

Lauryn is as baffled and confounded as I am about the rule and asks why they won't let me in. I tell her, a little loudly, that they must be AFRAID of SHOULDERS OR SOMETHING *cough cough*.

Well, ain't nothin' gonna break my stride. Nobody's gonna slow me down. Oh no, I've got to keep on moooovin'. (Google it!)

I was NOT leaving to come back another day. Hells to the no! So...

I noticed a woman wearing a marvelous turquoise pashmina and as she sped by me I tapped her shoulder and asked her if she would please grant me the most odd and giant favor.

And she did.

And I donned this unknown to me woman's perfumed pashmina; and me and my two children marched up to the office, collected our forms, marched back down, returned the bright shining wrap and went on our merry way. Leaving kindly SG (who was still apologizing as we passed by in our whirlwind of accomplishment) with great big smiles of gratitude and blessings of peace; even sympathetic glances at dear Forlorna - and we were ON OUR WAY to the pool and to our destiny!

*signing off with lots and lots - and LOTS! - of Flourish!*

All A-Board!

2010-06-08T19:15:00.000-04:00

I have not deluded myself into believing that I can start a school all by my onesies. Quite the contrary, I am well aware of my need to make this vision a reality in, through, with a community.

My next move is to call together a Board of Advisors to collaborate with and bounce things around with. This little blog post serves as a prayer of intention to the universe to ready the right hearts and to gather us together very soon.

In the meantime I will begin documenting the relevant information that the Ministry of Education requires of this would be school starter. Want to know what they require?

The Name
Full Postal and Street Address
Name of Proprietor/Principal (let's assume that's me)
Proposed Date of Opening (September 2011)
Ownership (Church/Company/"Other")
Affiliation or Articulation Agreement (Global Village School)
Governance (how will it be bossed)
Mission Statement
Physical Resources/Facilities (where yo school gon' be at?)
Learning Resources (Library, Media Lab, Art room, etc.)
Clientele (Grades, No. of students, Gender, Recruitment tactics)
Admissions
Instructional Programme (curriculum?)
Staffing (Faculty, Qualifications)
Community Involvement (PTA etc.)
Finance (can you say "Fundraiser"?)
Vision Statement/Development Plan
I've got a few of those done. Just need to come up with about $30 to $50K, no biggie.

So - like I said:

All Aboard! Dingdingdingdingding!

2010-06-08T01:57:00.000-04:00

I did it! I bought my ticket to New York today which means:

I'm going to the 7th Annual AERO Conference!

I am publicly expressing a tremendous amount of gratitude to Isaac Graves, organizer of the event, for providing a significant discount off conference registration (read: cheap free) as well as accommodation assistance. Without both of which I would never have been able to attend.

I have saved and saved and have just enough to pay for transportation from JFK to Albany and will continue to save and save so I can have enough for food and resource purchase.

I am so excited!!!

I really feel like I can fly!

Change for a Paradigm?

2010-06-07T17:57:00.000-04:00

This busy little blogging bee has so many thoughts racing through my head today that I can't seem to do anything else but read and write. I am now, as you can see, in the "writing" phase of the cycle.

So here's the thing, the idea of alternative education is very appealing to a great many people (or so it seems). People tend to be intrigued and, at least on the surface "get" why self or learner directed education makes sense.

Yet, I believe it's much the same as the way people (mostly would-be tourists) are always "impressed" when I tell them that I live in The Bahamas. I think for them it's like, "Wow you get to go to those amazing beaches and relax all the time and never have to go to work and sip pina coladas and eat fruit all day?!"

Wait, I think I got lost in the metaphor.

My original point is that people like the idea... right okay, I'm repeating myself. What I am really trying to say is that to really let your child be the boss of her education requires a bit of a paradigm shift. And by "a bit" I mean "Huge" (capital H and all).

So maybe my little school will have my two children as it's only enrolled students. Or maybe not - if people are interested in change for their paradigm, I'm interested in helping them make it.

Will that be two nickels or ten pennies, ma'am?

Background Check

2010-06-07T15:26:00.000-04:00

Why do I want to start a school anyway?

First and foremost, there one key person who played a major role in diverting my life onto this track (though thinking about it now, I know it was inevitable). So in some ways she was more like an turning point in the course of this river of my life's work that was always bound to end up in the ocean of education(al reform).

Lisa Sawyer McCartney took a chance on me and hired me to teach at her marvelous pre-school, Unicorn Village in April 2001. In hindsight it fees like I blinked and went from working in retail (to somewhere in between starting my Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education) to having a room full of two year olds, an assistant and I was their teacher.

- And from breath One I was in love -

Two and half years later I had my first baby and it's been a wild and interesting journey ever since.

I first became acquainted with alternative education through my research into the Montessori method and immediately had a dream to start a Montessori school. I also explored other methods such as Rudolph Steiner's Waldorf, A.S. Neil's Summerhill and, later, Brent Cameron's SelfDesign through a growing collection of books I was reading.

Between the Summerhill School where students had equal say in the day to day affairs of their school and their education, and Brent Cameron's well articulated book about his own experience creating a learner-directed school around his daughter, I was greatly intrigued by and ultimately sold on "self design" as a concept.

Of course! It's all about The Learner!!! It makes perfect sense to learn about what interests oneself rather than about facts and materials that are irrelevant, uninteresting and very soon forgotten!

And then last year, purely by "coincidence" I read a book the 'modern father' of the learner directed movement, John Holt and it was all over for me. His book, Learning All The Time cemented everything for me and I have not cast even a sideways glance at mainstream/traditional education since.

And yes, I could just give it to my own two children and they would have happy, unencumbered childhoods as we shared, laughed, journeyed and learned together. No tests, no artificial grading structures, no HOMEWORK, no life being governed by other people's directives on our lives. I could...

But I can't. I won't and I can't. And I can't and I won't.

Everyone who wants to choose this path deserves a shot. Everyone who wants this kind of living-as-learning/learning-as-living experience for their children needs to have access to it. Many parents simply cannot stay at home and do this. (I don't need to go into the whys; you can figure that out for yourself.) And so...

...The room darkens, the music begins to crescendo and the spotlight hits the stage...

Enter cian t. sawyer and her great big dreams of joyful learning and living for young people (also known as "Children").

And though the dream is big, the school will be a small (I believe) intentional community of families who are living and learning in happiness together.

What more can I say? It's me. I'm here - and I really think I might just be right for the part.

Starting a blog about starting a school

2010-06-06T03:43:00.000-04:00

At the very least, this is going to be an interesting ride, starting a school. A part of me is wondering what I am thinking. But that is a very teeny tiny part because almost all of me is like “What took you so long???”

The thing is, I live on an island nation that is deeply entrenched in it’s tradition and you don’t buck The System here.

”There is a Way that things are done. We’ve always done things that Way and there is no other possible method that is even worth considering so don’t even try it.”

Like that.