What happens when children are immersed in an exciting culture that encourages fortitude, integrity, adaptability, and joy? They become what many people would call “into it.” Instead of working solely for rewards or recognition, they find themselves caring about their work personally and taking pride in making it great. When learners get to this point, nothing can stop them.
Last week we witnessed this phenomenon more than ever as we wrapped up our session focused on Detective Science. Learners in the elementary studio spent 5 weeks learning about and trying out tools that detectives use to analyze evidence such as fingerprints, shoe prints, bite marks, and handwriting.
To prepare for their families to come to an exhibition of their work at the end of the session, learners took on responsibilities to write, set up, and teach their families to analyze a novel crime scene. They found themselves excited to share their skills and invested in the event going smoothly.
The learner-driven journey is a long game. Instead of being handed everything they need for success in a tidy package, learners at Acton are presented with formal and informal choices that have a variety of consequences. From this framework, they find their way to taking initiative and eventually to ownership (“into it”). The pride on their faces and in their whole disposition is priceless.
Do you want your child to be in a place designed to present them with choices, and for those decisions to nudge them into a lifelong work ethic and eventually finding their calling in the world (I can’t think of anything more respectful and empowering to a young person)?Schedule a tour or give us a ring (214-868-6686) to get started.
PPS Availability: Following our slow growth model, we have three spots in the Elementary Studio (1st-5th) and five spots in Spark (preschool-K) for Fall 2021.
