On Being an Acton Academy Parent

Two Most Important Traits for Parents

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 22:50:00 GMT

Over the past twelve years, I’ve been inspired by many heroic parents in my midst. The list of strong character traits I witness in their lives is too long to post here.

But of all of the traits parents carry, there are two that yield the strongest impact in equipping children to become thriving, independent, kind and purposeful humans. They are:

To be clear, I’m not talking about teaching patience and empathy to our children, although that will naturally follow.

I’m talking about embodying these traits in relation to our children. When a child experiences these traits in their parents, they become more trusting of themselves, more compassionate with others and better able to overcome struggle.

The good news is that patience and empathy are like muscles, the more you use them, the stronger they get.

Here are some tips to workout your patience and empathy muscles on behalf of your beloved children:

Practicing patience with your children

Practicing empathy for your children

“That must have really hurt your feelings.”

“You’re in a tough spot.”

“I can tell you feel really good about your decision.”

“I hear you saying you feel ______. Is that right?”

“I love you.”

“I’m with you.”

“I’m in your corner.”

I give credit and gratitude again to Jake Thompson from Heroes Academy, an Acton Academy in Boise, Idaho for bringing these traits to the forefront of the conversation about how parents can best support their children on their learning journeys. And I thank each parent I’ve met along the way. I learn so much from you.

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Top 3 Things a Parent Can Expect When Joining an Acton Academy

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 18:13:00 GMT

I thank Jake Thompson , founder of Heroes Academy in Boise Idaho, for co-writing this with me.

A common question we get is: “What are the main things parents can expect when they join an Acton Academy?”

Whether you join an Acton in Lahore, Pakistan or Albuquerque, New Mexico, here are the top three:

1) A Contract.

We are a community grounded in promises to each other. During the application process, you have opportunities to review and discuss the parent contract. If you agree with it, get ready for a transformative and fun journey – not just your child but for yourself.

If you don’t agree with it, don’t sign it. In fact, we’ll try to un-sell you upfront. The last thing we want to do is try to convince someone the Acton’s Hero’s Journey is for them.

2) A Moment of Truth.

At some point, often early in the journey, your child will come home with something that is particularly hard for you. This will be the moment of truth. Will you step in to solve the problem, breaking the parent contract? Or will you dig deep and trust your child to pick up tools in the studio to solve his/her own problem?

If you choose to uphold the contract and lean into the heat, I promise you will experience an “aha” moment when you discover a new truth about your child’s potential and discover how truly brave you are. You’ll ultimately discover fresh energy and joy in daily living.

A new Acton parent recently said to me, “Since our kids have been at Acton, it’s like they’ve come back to life.”

“We feel most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel most alive when they are not.” (From “Surprise: Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected” by Tania Luna and LeeAnn Renninger.)

3) A new sense of freedom.

Your child will feel honored and respected as they are granted space and time to learn for themselves. It will be bumpy, but they will feel the dignity that comes to all of us who are treated as human beings with great potential. This is why most love coming to school every day.

And you, too, will feel more free. As an Acton parent, I don’t have a school telling me how many days per year my child has to be “present.” I don’t have a school creeping into my home in the afternoons and weekends because of required homework. Part of the Acton promise is that we won’t come between you and your children. We trust you. You are free to be the family you have always wanted to be.

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Essential Element #10: The Role of the Adult in an Acton Studio

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 03:38:00 GMT

The Acton learner driven experience solidifies only when there is an understanding of the role of the adult in the studio. Our adults are called guides instead of teachers. This simple word choice is to signify our purpose: to constantly push power to children so they learn to claim their true agency as individuals with invaluable potential and worth.

But what does this really mean?

I realized it would be best for you to hear it from the learners themselves. So today I asked 8 Eagles ranging in age from 10-18 years to share their thoughts on the question, “What is the role of a guide?” Here are their answers. Enjoy!

“Parents/guides should take the time to listen to the Eagle and offer them feedback but they should not be doing any of the work for the Eagle. There is a very delicate balance.” – Reid

“To use a metaphor, an adult at Acton paves the roads, sets up the guardrails, and responds to emergencies/accidents. The learners drive on that road and choose their direction.” – Sam S.

“Guides hold up a mirror for you, just to say what they observe you doing. They also provide guardrails. They set a boundary. After all of that, we take over and hold up our studio.” – Sam C.

“The role of a guide is to guide all of the heroes in Acton to help them find their calling, but mentor them, too. They help hold up a mirror to all heroes and keep Eagles safe along the way.” – Luling

“The role of a guide is to make sure everything is safe in the studio and to help the Eagles find their call to adventure.” – Aven

“The role of a guide should be to write curriculum, hold up a mirror and be available for safety situations.” – Luca

“Ideally, the role of an adult at Acton is to do whatever’s necessitated by the fact that there are some things like safety and graduation requirements that someone outside of the Eagles has to be responsible for. Other than that, their only job should be to equip Eagles to do everything else. For example, an adult can make sure we have a working fire extinguisher, but it’s up to us to make sure the studios are clean.” – Ian

“I think that the role of a guide is to hold up a mirror to the studio, and make sure the studio is safe with guardrails, and to have exciting challenges for us to be a part of. Like when you were our guide, it was in a pandemic, but we all stayed healthy, and there were fun and exciting games like chocolate river. And Ms. Becca, I remember, even when problems came up in the studio, she didn’t switch into teacher mode, she let us work through it and encouraged us.” – Margot

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Essential Element #9 – Frequent Public Exhibitions of Learning

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 19:40:00 GMT

When Jeff and I started Acton Academy, we wondered how we could prove learning beyond simply giving a test, the antithesis of a learner driven experience.

In addition to the portfolios of work and online dashboards giving detailed data, what would be more powerful and truly learner driven to prove progress?

We visited High Tech High in San Diego and experienced the impressive exhibitions of student projects. We’d also seen how the Children’s Business Fair played out as the perfect prototype of learner driven assessment: Did you make a profit? Could you do the math in your head to give correct change? Were your customers satisfied? Did you create signs and advertisements that were legible and persuasive? How will you improve for next year?

With these ideas in mind, we designed Acton’s exhibitions of learning to take place at the end of each session (every five to six weeks) as real-world “tests.” These events would be designed and carried out by the Eagles themselves as an additional layer of learning and to ensure they were truly learner driven. (This may be the hardest element, by the way, for us control-loving adults. It’s painful not to tidy up a project or direct the details of a performance when you know all the parents are about to show up!)

Here’s a taste of Acton Exhibitions:

There is a caveat I give parents prior to each exhibition: be prepared to see failure and struggle. Exhibitions are meant to display the grueling process of learning rather than a polished end product. In addition to letting the Eagles shine, they also let them experience the real-world consequence of procrastinating or not giving one’s best – which may be the most important learning of all.

The day after the exhibition is critical. This is when Eagles gather in their studios to reflect on what worked, what didn’t and how they will change their strategy to improve for the next event. Experiential learning is nothing without time built in for reflection. This is when we remember the journey goes on forever and the learning never ends. ( Thanks to Robert Earl Keen for the word choice inspiration . )

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Essential Element #8: Freedom with Responsibility

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 19:06:00 GMT

With deep respect for the work of Dr. Maria Montessori, we layer onto our design of the Acton learner driven community element #8: freedom with responsibility.

In its early stages, this is more simply described as “choices with limits.”

Children walking into an Acton studio enter a place set up for them to have freedom to make many choices during the day. They are actively engaged with personal power to make decisions at every turn.

Will I read this book or that one? Will I sit at my desk or on the floor? Will I start with my math work or my grammar work? Will I talk to my friends or turn away and put headphones on? Will I snack now or later?

Each choice has limits or consequences.

There are boundaries in place as per their contract and consequences for crossing them. There are also natural limits such as digestion, gravity, and human emotions – a friend may get angry if I choose to bop them on the head during work time. I recently asked the elementary school Eagles if we should create a consequence for people choosing not to work during work time. They quickly replied there already is a consequence: those who choose not to work don’t progress through elementary school very quickly. “It will take them longer to get to middle school and that’s their choice,” a nine year old said.

At Acton and in homes where parents give choices with real consequences, children learn quickly that real freedom is not impulsive behavior or getting whatever you want. The true freedom is having a deep sense of self-control, an inner ability to respond to one’s circumstances effectively which leads to authentic connection to others and the world. It also puts them in the driver’s seat of their learning and ultimately their lives.

Now we are truly learner driven. But there are two more essential elements to seal the deal. Stay tuned this week for the conclusion to this series.

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Essential Element #7: Excellence

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 19:02:00 GMT

This is where the rubber hits the road. Excellence. None of our work matters without it. An Acton learner driven community has a three ingredient formula to use on the quest for excellence.

The first ingredient is subtle but solid: desire.

You may have heard the old story of the three bricklayers. When asked what they were doing, the least productive one said, “laying bricks.” Another said, “building a wall.” But there was a third one, singing while he worked, and getting more done in a day than the others combined. When asked what he was doing, he said: “I’m building a cathedral.”

One had a job. One had a career. One had a calling.

The Acton journey is the first calling of many in these young lives. They chose to say yes and they know their learning journey has a high purpose. As with any calling, excellence is the aim and the ultimate desire.

The second ingredient is a simple tool to use each day. When work is completed, the learners ask each other one of these questions:

Is this the best you can do?

Is this better than last time?

How does it compare to this world-class example?

Have you won a contest or been approved for a public exhibition?

Note: The last two questions are used in our upper levels through high school as the learners reach higher and higher levels of achievement.

The mental discipline to ask these questions reveals not just the process for achieving excellence but our definition of it. Excellence is a continuous path of incremental improvement. Tip for parents: When your child finishes a job at home ask, “Is this the best you can do?” and see where the discussion goes. Holding high standards for small things serves the bigger things. Being trusted to be excellent feels good – even if you hit some grumbling and resistance at first.

Finally, the third ingredient: an Acton learner driven environment is filled with world-class examples of excellence. Our guides lead Socratic discussions to analyze and discuss the commonalities in these examples. They often share hero stories that reveal the time, grit and determination required to achieve excellence.

There is a surprising outcome of these ingredients that goes far beyond excellent work. A natural joy that abounds in such an environment. As someone said to me recently, “giving one’s best effort is a high.” When this little high happens, the motivation to feel that way again kicks in. This is basic neuroscience. The brain is wired to thrive on progress. We like it. It feels good. We want it again.

So the cycle of excellence continues.

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Essential Elements #5 and #6 – The Socratic Method and Trial & Error Learning

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 01:14:00 GMT

We are halfway through this series of posts laying down the essential building blocks of an Acton learner driven community.

So far, we have a group of mixed age children fueled by a belief in their unique potential, carrying a map of the Hero’s Journey, bound by their promises to each other and lit up with a growth mindset. They are ready to go.

Now what?

It’s at this point we inject a combination of two elements: The Socratic Method and Trial & Error Learning.

Simply put, questions are more powerful than answers; and learning is deepest when it is driven by the freedom to make mistakes.

Because of these combined elements, young learners – with full agency – are trusted to think critically, resolve problems and recover from mistakes.

Like an alchemy for learning, this combination replaces the traditional method of lectures, memorization, tests. In its place arises a golden opportunity for energetic, intimate learning that goes beyond acquiring facts and content. The treasure now is the lifelong mastery of knowing how to learn , how to do and how to be .

Such learning is hard. It’s messy. It’s chaotic at times. That’s how trial and error works. It’s a process. It’s unpredictable. Even uncomfortable. But in time, order returns in minds and spaces as the learners reflect, rest, try again and get a bit closer to mastery.

Because of the growth mindset and the hero’s identity (let alone their contract to each other) quitting is not an option. Each day, with every Socratic challenge, these learners are sent out to find the answers to their questions, which in turn emboldens them to ask more. Curiosity begets curiosity.

How can this play out at home? Here are some tips to try it out:

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Essential Element #4: Mixed Age Studios

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 20:02:00 GMT

The element that promises an Acton learner driven experience will thrive is also the simplest of all: the mixed age environment .

Children are teachers and learners. They learn more from their peers than they do from adults.

Creating a mixed age setting shifts the center of power. No longer is the adult the one in charge of the learning. It is the children driving it – naturally and happily.

More importantly, the learning in this set up goes far beyond “academics.” Empathy, confidence, humility and leadership arise and grow.

I received an email recently from Vijay Shah, an Acton founder/director of The Humanist Academy, one of our affiliates. He said: “ Just wanted to share an example of the beauty of this model. One of our Launchpadders recently started his own video production company and entirely on his own, with literally no push from me or any staff, he created this 2-min video on mixed-age free time for our school.” (Note: Launchpad is our Acton word for high school.)

The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) shares the benefits of a mixed aged learning environment. Here are just a few:

Mixed ages, the Hero’s Journey, a growth mindset and a signed Contract – these elements combined form the solid foundation upon which to build a learner-driven experience. Just 6 more essential elements to add to ensure we set the children free to find their callings and change the world. Stay tuned!

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Essential Element #3: Studio Contract

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 23:24:00 GMT

Our Acton learning communities would not be “learner driven” without this essential element: the Studio Contract.

Unlike rules or disciplinary procedures handed down by an authority figure, the Acton Contract is written by the young people and signed by them – but only once they come to unanimous agreement about the promises laid out.

It takes 2-5 weeks at the beginning of each year for the Eagles to write and finalize their Contract. It’s a grueling process of editing, rewriting and debating. Unanimous agreement can hinge on one word or phrase.

This year in our elementary studio, they debated for a week if this line should be added: “I will strive for excellence.”

Half of the group thought this promise was included in the line: “I will work hard.” The other half argued that you could be working hard but not striving for excellence.

This latter group won their case and the line was added. The Contract was ready to be signed.

Signing the Contract is a sacred ritual. Parents and guides are invited to stand as witnesses. The Eagles come to the ceremony in their “fancy dress” and solemnly, silently, pick up the pen and put their signature on the Contract.

Now, the learner-driven journey can begin.

But this is no Utopia. There will be days the Contract is broken. Holding to promises is hard. Mistakes are made. These young people know they have each other as fellow travelers and accountability partners to say, “Remember what you promised. Remember our Contract.” There are consequences in place for breaking the Contract so, like guardrails on the highway, one’s course can be corrected and the journey can continue.

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Essential Element #2: Growth Mindset

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 00:54:00 GMT

At Acton, everyone is learning and growing all the time – adults included. This is because we are fueled by element #2 of the Acton learner driven model: Growth Mindset.

How people think about their abilities and intellect impacts learning and predicts success as proven through the remarkable work of Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck. Her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” is a must-read for guides at Acton Academy. A short excerpt describes the impact of mindset:

“Believing your qualities are carved in stone — the fixed mindset — creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over. If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character — well, then you’d better prove that you have a healthy dose of them. … Every situation calls for a confirmation of their intelligence, personality, or character. Every situation is evaluated: Will I succeed or fail? Will I look smart or dumb? Will I be accepted or rejected? Will I feel like a winner or a loser?… There’s another mindset in which these traits are not simply a hand you’re dealt and have to live with, always trying to convince yourself and others that you have a royal flush when you’re secretly worried it’s a pair of tens. In this mindset, the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development. This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts.”

A growth mindset means you can learn anything with effort and time. Strategy, struggle, mistakes, resilience and grit become common everyday experiences in relation to learning.

Growth mindset can be observed at Acton mainly in the language used, and specifically, how we praise. For example, rather than saying, “You are so smart!” we say, “Wow! I can tell you worked really hard on that! Tell me about the strategies you used.”

Dr. Dweck says: “If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach them to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence. Praising children’s intelligence harms motivation and it harms performance.”

Take it from a recovering fixed mindset learner, element #2 opens up the world of possibility!

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Acton’s Essential Element #1: The Hero’s Journey

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 00:57:00 GMT

Nemo. Luke Skywalker. Mulan. Odysseus. Dorothy. The Little Engine that Could.

These stories strike a chord of yearning we share – adventure, identity and meaning in our lives. They also have a structured rhythm that’s been repeated in stories for thousands of years. Joseph Campbell’s work revealed this fundamental structure and called it the “monomyth” or the Hero’s Journey.

Because of its timeless power that crosses cultural barriers, we chose to build the Hero’s Journey into the design of the Acton Academy model.

In fact, second only to our underlying belief that each child has unique genius within, the Hero’s Journey is the #1 element that defines an Acton learner driven community.

This narrative equips our young heroes with the tools and skills they need to learn how to learn, learn how to do and learn how to be. For example, they learn early on that it’s important to fail early, cheaply and often; and that perseverance and grit are more important than raw talent.

We watch this video often and inject hero stories into learning challenges and daily Socratic discussions. It’s important to note our definition of hero. We aren’t talking “super hero” here. We’re describing a hero as an ordinary person who gets back up after falling down. It’s someone who takes responsibility rather than blaming others when things get hard. A hero shares their inner gifts to meet the needs around them. They return home, rest, and wait for the next call to adventure knowing the treasure isn’t really the object of the quest but the transformation that happens along the way.

How to use this at home? Tell lots of hero stories! Stories beat lectures every time. Also, use the identity of a hero as a reflection tool when things get hard. Remember a hero is someone who doesn’t quit or blame. “I love you. I know this is hard. I know you can do it. Now, get back in the game, my dear and beloved hero.”

Tomorrow: Essential element #2: Growth Mindset

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10 Essential Elements of an Acton Learner Driven Community

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 23:37:00 GMT

“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” Joseph Campbell

I’d add to dear Joseph’s quote: “And you discover who you are by being in relationship with others.”

This illustrates a paradox of an Acton community: highly individualized learning but only because it’s deeply rooted in community.

I recently hung paintings of aspen trees in the elementary studio to share this truth to the children. Individual aspens share an extensive root system. The individual trees live longer and are stronger because of this shared system. The health of all depends on the health of the root system.

Such is life in an Acton studio. Each learner is unique. And all need each other to learn and grow.

Another paradox of the Acton community is that our learners strive to become highly independent only to realize how interdependent they need to be in order to thrive. The ultimate progression is from dependence to independence to interdependence.

The interplay of the individual and the community stirs up an energy that is tangible when you walk into one of our studios. Some people call it the buzz of Acton.

But it’s not a magical, mysterious force.

It’s an energy intentionally formulated through the strategic layering of 10 essential elements atop the grounding belief that every child is a genius.

The elements are:

I can’t wait to dig into each one of these over the next few days. In preparation for tomorrow’s post, you may want to ponder this: What’s your story?

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The Secret Sauce at Acton Academy

Thu, 14 May 2020 16:44:00 GMT

The post The Secret Sauce at Acton Academy appeared first on On Being an Acton Academy Parent .

My friend and fellow Acton founder, Lauren Quinn, wrote the following article. I believe it is an important reminder for parents today. Enjoy!

Harnessing the Heroic in Self-Directed Learning – By Lauren Quinn, M.Ed.

“ A normal person compares themselves to others. A hero compares themselves to who they were yesterday .” – Owen, age 9

We call our learners heroes at The Village School. In fact, at every one of our 200+ affiliate schools across the globe, their learners are called heroes as well. This change in vernacular is intentional as it represents one of our core beliefs about young people. They are not empty vessels waiting to be filled or mounds of clay waiting to be shaped and molded into a predetermined form. They are active participants, co-creators, wise and capable beyond the limits and cages the world has constructed for them. Once you come to see what a flourishing child looks like, the word “student” simply will not do. Our learners are called heroes because they are heroes.

For the more pragmatic among us, calling a child a hero can feel a little disingenuous, or indulgent even. As if we’re using the term as a special compliment or accolade, in order to boost their self-esteem or sensitive ego. But keep in mind, we’re not calling young people kings and queens, we’re calling them heroes. And we’re not doing so to feed their young egos- in fact, quite the opposite.

As anyone who’s familiar with the hero’s journey knows, (think Luke Skywalker or Moana), the journey is both outward and inward. While the outward world often changes along the way, it does so in partnership with the changes of the inner world of the hero- of the changes in their character, their beliefs, their view of the world, their ego. The real treasure is found in this higher-level view of the world and their place in it. Now, the hero can start a new adventure, face a new challenge, and establish new relationships with this newfound wisdom. The cycle repeats itself, showing that we never really arrive, but if we keep showing up, we do get closer to that truest, most authentic version of ourselves, increasing the chances that we will contribute to the world in a meaningful, authentic, and purposeful way.

As a long-time educator, I was skeptical at first. Do we really need to call children heroes to make learning fun and interesting? My answer- well no, we don’t, not if this is our goal. Within a traditional school model, there are many ways to engage learners in the learning process.

But, what if our goal is not engagement? What if our goal is empowerment and a desire to tap into the unique passions, talents and interests of each child? In this environment, learning is unleashed and young people are co-creators, adults are co-learners, and they come together to support each other’s goals and dreams. Mastery replaces mediocre level competence, the ability to do real things replaces the ability to simply name and know things, and a deep sense of agency and desire to improve replaces the need to please or compare ourselves to others.

The Village School is a part of the Acton Academy network of learner-driven communities and because of this, empowerment is always our goal. In the absence of coercive pedagogy, the right narrative is essential in guiding young people along the path of self-directed learning, towards the version of themselves that says, “I want to get better”, and thus confidently sets out to do so.

The quote at the beginning was from my oldest son. He spent three uneventful years in a traditional classroom until I decided the dimming light in his eyes was event enough to pull him out of school and start my own. Two years later, he is unrecognizable from that child I saw then. Alive with the light of learning, I find his poetry and song lyrics scattered around the house, his newest inventions taking up residence in the garage, and I hear his “stop me in my tracks” revelations and musings on life whenever he cares to share- which is frequently. He is the hero in his own story, and the same is true for my younger son and the two dozen other young learners at The Village School who’ve embraced the adventure of self-directed learning. They have allowed me to learn alongside them, proving to me every day just how capable and remarkable young people are. And yet, while I’ve always known this, nothing has made this clearer than watching each of them find their footing and continue on, bravely, in the midst of a world turned upside down. They miss each other, we all do- but their adventures in learning have continued.

It’s true- our learners have many advantages, including the experience of a blended learning model which made the shift to remote learning fairly smooth for our elementary learners. While our youngest learners, in our Montessori-inspired studio, are well- versed in setting their own goals and working independently. But after seeing our learners in action these past two months, I am convinced that they have been successful, not because of our use of technology or our Montessori methods, but because of a narrative that has enabled them to drive their own learning, particularly when things are difficult.

As a network, Acton has been near evangelical about the role of the hero’s journey in our learning design. As a new owner, three years ago, just starting out, with no actual students yet beyond my own two children, I didn’t understand it. The self-paced, project-based learning design was enough to set my heart aflutter after a decade of working under the constraints of a standardized curriculum and relentless bureaucratic red tape. After visiting Acton Academy in Austin to see their learning model in action, I watched in awe as young people between the ages of six and sixteen took complete ownership and responsibility for their learning- with little to zero adult intervention. They taught themselves, collaborated with peers, cleaned their learning space, and kept track of the time and daily schedule. Most significantly, their eyes were alive with the light of learning. At the time, I attributed what I was seeing to the design elements- the multi-age environment, the exciting quest-like projects, the balance of both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, as the secret sauce that kept everyone humming along.

But some things can only be learned through experience. As we round out our second year, in the middle of a global pandemic that’s forced us out of our school building and into our homes, I can reflect on that earlier, skeptical version of myself that had yet to launch a school, and think- you had no idea. The Hero’s Journey is the secret sauce.

The narrative is everything. When young people view themselves as the heroes in their own stories, magic happens. This is what it looks like: Older learners transitioning from traditional schools hanging up their hats as passive recipients of knowledge and coming alive with the curiosity and creativity that had been buried deep within. Younger learners hitting their stride in an environment of freedom within boundaries as they are given time and space to go at their own pace to meet their own learning goals. It looks like a quiet, anxious child finding their voice. It looks like an intelligent, frustrated, young person finding relief and joy in learning now that they can follow their own interests. It looks like a tireless, active child learning how to self-soothe in an environment that allows freedom of movement and the tools to self-regulate. It looks like a timid, risk-averse child running towards the next challenge, falling down and getting back up again so many times that you can’t even believe you once described them as timid or risk-averse. And the starting point for each of these learners, the reason that they keep showing up, eager to learn, discover new things and “get better” at something, is because they are heroes and that’s what heroes do. It’s not because someone is calling them a hero to make them feel good- it’s because they’ve harnessed the heroic inside themselves.

A learner-driven community, like all schools, is no utopia and the road of self-directed learning is a bumpy one. In the Acton model, this is all part of the adventure. A hero’s journey is not complete without its fair share of trials and obstacles to overcome. If you are a hero, mistakes will be made and conflict is inevitable. You might miss a deadline, someone might rip your paper, you might have a really hard time remembering things or staying organized, or you might struggle with self-doubt from time to time. Loss and disappointment may have found its way to you. It’s true for you and the person learning next to you. It’s true for the guide who’s mentoring you on your learning journey. It’s true for your parents, and their parents, your neighbors, and every great character in your favorite movies and books. The hero’s journey is the quintessential human journey, for those who are open and willing to learn from it. It’s life- messy, and heart-wrenching, beautiful and breathtaking. The only thing we can control is how we respond to it- and yes, the right narrative helps.

We make decisions every day based on the story we’re telling ourselves. In your story, are you a passive consumer or an active agent? Are you a victim or a hero? Your answer depends on the predominant narrative you’ve adopted and determines how you choose to engage with the world. Our children do the same, and if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that they want nothing more than to be active agents of their own lives and to have a road map for how to respond to life’s uncertainties, triumphs, and everything in between. They don’t want to be rescued- they just want to be given the tools to rescue themselves.

The hero’s journey doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in community, in relationship with others. We become heroes alongside mentors and fellow travelers who are on the journey with us. This is the role of our guides, peers, community members, and parents at The Village School. Because yes, it takes a village. These people hold up mirrors for us, affirm our efforts, hold us accountable, and gift us with their honesty when they know we can do better. In turn, we do the same for them. We become stronger when we’re all in the muck together. We experience more joy when we have people to celebrate with. We are more motivated when we know that our efforts serve a purpose larger than ourselves. The hero’s journey is a deeply personal journey but it’s not a solitary adventure-just as self-directed learning is about the self, but is incomplete without the others who support and challenge us. The community is everything.

So as our community shifted to remote learning, our learners have continued carrying on Socratic discussions over Zoom, meeting with their running partners and guides to talk about their goals, and sharing their talents and budding interests virtually. The energy level isn’t always the same and motivation often fluctuates, (just as it does in the studios), but they have continued learning, growing, and doing because that’s what heroes do, even, and most especially, when things are hard. Whether they are in the studios at school, or in their bedrooms at home, they have a road map that travels with them wherever they go, that helps them see themselves as active agents in their lives, even in the face of a global pandemic.

As one of our upper elementary learners said so eloquently to a room full of parents and peers at our annual Heroes Celebration last year:

“It may seem like the end of the world at the time, but when you get through it, you can look back at the view and see what it really was all for. Because after all it’s not as hard as you think, especially when you have friends with you on the journey. “

While she’s referencing her ability to overcome her fear of public speaking, I can only hope the practice she’s had in overcoming hard things at school, as the hero in her own story, is helping her right now, at this moment in time.

Sometimes I think about our learners at The Village School, as an extended cast of the characters in The Incredibles . I picture them walking towards some daunting obstacle, side by side, each one with their own special super power. Except, their superpowers are actually human qualities- characteristics of generosity, creativity, compassion, honesty, grit, courage, humor, curiosity and patience. They are so alive with these qualities that you can’t help but stop and stand in awe. And you know, that whatever obstacle awaits, it doesn’t stand a chance against the collective power of these heroes in your midst- heroes who are just humans, fully alive.

What would the world be like if we were to harness the heroic in each of us?

A New Strategy for Learning from Home: Seek Help

Wed, 06 May 2020 18:51:00 GMT

The post A New Strategy for Learning from Home: Seek Help appeared first on On Being an Acton Academy Parent .

During a recent Socratic Zoom discussion, we asked the elementary school Eagles if they found it easier or harder to work from home where there may be less distractions than in the studio but also fewer opportunities to collaborate with peers.

Their first quick answers were along these lines: “It’s easier! There are fewer distractions.”

But, as happens with all good discussions, a disagreement arose: “I disagree. I work better after I’ve helped someone else.”

Lots of heads began nodding on the screen. The concluding statement as they conceded struck me: “I agree. Helping helps me.”

Herein lies the beauty of becoming an “independent learner.” The progression moves from feeling excited about having the inner skills to manage time, set goals, gain focus and find resources to then realizing the beauty of working with others. It’s not only that you learn to seek help, it’s even more that you learn to give help.

As we remain in isolation from each other, the Eagles are discovering the power of helping. They miss it.

Based on this discussion, here’s my new game plan at for working and doing school from home: I’m going to tap into my children’s natural desire to help. I want them to feel that joy and satisfaction that comes from giving true help. And I don’t mean with just household chores. That’s a given. I’m going to ask for help with my work and my learning – authentically asking for their input with curiosity. Rather than separate our work spaces, I’m going to carve a bit of time each day to say: “I could really use your help on something. What would you do if you were in my shoes? How would you solve this problem?”

And since I could use some of that good juju, I’ll ask them: “Is there anything I can help you with?” I hope they’ll say yes .

On Becoming Socratic: Step Three – Wanna Play?

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 21:38:00 GMT

The third step to becoming Socratic sounds complicated and a bit bizarre. Here it is:

What does this have to do with being Socratic?

Imagine this: Your child wakes up and jumps out of bed. She runs to log into her computer to get her next clue. She’s on a mission to solve a mystery and feels the pressure of time. She wants to win this race. There is a clue hidden in the book she is reading. She sits down on the sofa and dives deeply into her reading. You have to break her concentration to give her breakfast. Now she’s running upstairs. She knows there are five math problems that will unlock if her answer to the mystery is correct. An hour later, you hear shrieks of joy. She did it! Now onto the next quest…

Like asking great questions, games elicit engagement and focus. They motivate.

Like the Socratic experience, games have rules and boundaries.

And, by nature, a game is a choice. If you are forced to do something, it’s not a game. Just like the Socratic Method – choice and freedom to choose are fundamental to the process.

The games we create at home don’t have to be complicated – the imaginary scene shared above is a more deeply planned quest than most of us have time for these days.

Here’s a simple example: Every morning since this quarantine, I post a challenge on the fridge for my family. At 5pm a competition will be held. The loser does the dishes. This is a game I made up – not to get my children to do their schoolwork, but to add an element of fun and excitement to the close of the day. My competitions are varied – from card games to physical games like touch football, frisbee, darts, egg tosses and four-square. And like a good game, this simple activity has an element of surprise, competition and clarity of rules. Plus, it’s always optional.

Now, transfer this simple idea to your current challenge of “school at home.”

Imagine the whole experience as a game. It’s a learning quest with daily missions and the opportunity to earn points or unlock portals into more fun.

You could say to your child:

“I know you want to be a fireman when you grow up. I’m going to invite you to play a game that will help get you there. The main rule of the game is that you are in charge of your learning and in keeping the contract we signed (see my last post on having a contract).

“To play the game, you have to follow your learning plan from school. BUT, your mission is not just to get it done. In this game, you have to figure out how you’ll use that learning when you’re a fireman. For example, you have math to do. How will knowing math help you as a fireman? When you finish your work, write down or draw a picture that connects what you worked on today to being a fireman in the real world.

“You get 10 points for each connection you make. We’ll add them up at the end of the day. There are different levels to what you can do with your points. Here is a chart to show you.”

Get creative with the incentives. Points could win a family movie night, or a special dessert, or a later bedtime – whatever works for your family. (Foot rubs work well in mine.)

You can see how there is a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation elements within a game. Humans are complicated and not one type of motivation always works. It’s best to inject variety. Soon simply being invited to play the game becomes a motivator. (Acton parents: The quests your Eagles are given are designed with the mechanics of a game so you really don’t need to create more than what we are delivering to them during this time. Use this idea for your family time when you need a jolt of energy.)

Then you say, “Wanna play?”

For anyone who doesn’t, they can go along with their school assignments.

For the rest of you, it will be GAME ON.

The post On Becoming Socratic: Step Three – Wanna Play? appeared first on On Being an Acton Academy Parent .

On Becoming Socratic: Step Two in Detail

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 17:31:00 GMT

Clarity begins settling in with Step Two.

Step 2. SET THE CONTRACT: Define your role as Socratic Guide and add structure. (Tips: give choices; don’t answer questions; give growth mindset praise instead nagging. Be warm-hearted AND tough-minded.)

Here is a sample script to help you envision how this plays out:

Sit with your children and say, “Since we are working and learning from home, let’s play a new game today. From 8am until 3pm, I will be playing the role of Socratic Guide. This means I won’t tell you what to do and I won’t answer your questions. You are in charge of your learning and your choices. I am going to trust you to figure things out on your own.

“I’ll post the schedule of the day on the fridge so you can check it if you feel lost. (Example: Your schedule may include Math from 9-9:30am. Snack at 9:30am. Reading from 10am – 10:30am. It’s up to you how detailed your schedule is based on the age and independence of your children. Acton Eagles are used to setting their own goals and managing their own time but if this is new in your family, you may need to offer more structure in your early days as a Socratic Guide.)

“If you need me to help, I will offer choices but you get to make the final decisions. First, let’s set some basic boundaries/rules for the day. We’ll call this our Contract.”

( See sample contract below .)

Once you have agreed upon the basic rules of the day and signed off, everyone is free to go about their day. The game has officially begun.

You may have to tie a string around your finger to remind yourself not to answer questions. Instead you can say, “I trust you to figure that out.” Or, “Do you think you should do ___option 1___ or ___option 2___? Or, “How do you think you can figure that out? I can’t wait to see you solve that problem!”

If problems erupt (ie, siblings fighting) step back. Pause. Don’t intervene unless someone is getting hurt. Do your best to let them solve their own problems. And remember that chaos happens. Messes happen. It’s okay not to fix everything in the moment. Breathe and let it go.

In addition to not answering questions, being a Socratic Guide means zero nagging . It just doesn’t work.

So what does work to get my children to take charge of their learning at home?

Two tricks to hooking your children to take charge of their own learning are: growth mindset praise and giving choices with clear consequences.

This article will equip you to shift from fixed mindset thinking into growth mindset thinking. Also, resources on Positive Discipline have helped me learn the power of giving choices with clear consequences. This article has ideas for every age group of children.

At 3pm, you can return to your usual role of parent. (You’ll soon find you like being Socratic so much it may just be your new modus operandi. It is truly a wonderful way to live.)

Tip for closing your Socratic day: Sit and reflect with your children and talk about what worked and what didn’t. What will you do differently tomorrow? Thank them for the choices they made and call out a character trait you witnessed them using. For example, “Sam, I saw you get frustrated with your math but not quitting. I’d call that perseverance.” Or, “Charlie, I saw you clean up the snack you spilled. I’d call that helpfulness.”

I hope you find with each effort of being Socratic you feel new bubbles of delight arising in your soul. And don’t worry, if you are anything like me, you’ll fail a lot. That’s part of the game.

Sample Contract:

We promise to –

The post On Becoming Socratic: Step Two in Detail appeared first on On Being an Acton Academy Parent .

Want to Be More Socratic at Home? Here is Step One

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 19:32:00 GMT

As we take on this new reality of doing school from home, Jeff and I believe a path to finding more joy and less frustration as a parent is to become more Socratic with our children.

As promised in my last post which described what it means to be Socratic and the five steps to getting there, I’ll break down each of the steps individually over the next few days.

Step One : Get clear on your “WHY?” as a parent.

This step has three underlying questions:

We hope by pondering these questions, your life begins to feel more like an adventure and less like a stress-filled hodgepodge.

Tomorrow, I’ll dig into what it means to “Set the Contract.”

The post Want to Be More Socratic at Home? Here is Step One appeared first on On Being an Acton Academy Parent .

Learning Science: Quests versus Textbooks and Tests

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 15:45:00 GMT

Parents tend to crave the kind of learning that feels familiar to them – especially when it comes to “science.”

A recent conversation with a parent best describes why at Acton Academy, our science learning comes in the form of quests with real world problems to solve rather than textbooks and written tests:

Parent: I think one thing I am still struggling with is accepting the fact that Eagles really don’t need to spend years memorizing science facts and repeating ‘classic’ experiments and should be able to go straight to the juicy bit of science – tackling real world problems and coming up with solutions. I am quite jealous, to be honest! I’m still constantly having to remind myself not to impose my own experiences on their learning…

Jeff: The history and heroes of science are deeply important, as are the experiments of old; however, the way to encourage heroes to devour “learning to know” [ie, facts] is to give them a “learning to do” [ie, hands-on] real world challenge that matters to their hero’s journeys, and requires courage, scientific curiosity and grit to complete. In other words, we want to provide a rich soil for the next Richard Feynman, who would have been bored to tears by a traditional science course.

At Acton Academy, I have never heard the words, “Science is boring.” Now that I think about it, the word “boring” is not a part of our language even amongst our staff. One of my favorite sentences from our guide, Samantha, was: “Laura, in all the years I’ve worked at Acton Academy, I have never once looked at the clock wishing time would go by faster.”

When you are on a journey that matters, learning is a tough, gripping, exciting and necessary part of life. Reading textbooks is fine. There is simply so much more.

The post Learning Science: Quests versus Textbooks and Tests appeared first on On Being an Acton Academy Parent .