Beliefs and Guiding Practices

Our Beliefs

“Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.”   W.B. Yeats

From the moment we are born, we absorb and digest every aspect of our world. We learn to walk assisted only by the gentle guidance of those around us and our intense will to move. We learn to talk driven by our determination to express our already vast needs and wants.

We believe this innate intellectual force exists in every child and should be protected and nurtured. As we allow children the space and time to pursue their interests and passions, we reinforce that learning is not work but a joyful pursuit.

What does it look like?

“We have plenty of people who can teach what they know, but very few who can teach their own capacity to learn.”  Joseph Hart

Our collaborators (teachers) see their job as creating a robust learning environment filled with the kinds of rich literacy, math, social studies and science provocations — along with art, movement, music, technology and more — that meet children where they are, build upon their intrinsic motivation to learn, and allow them to pursue joyful learning in small groups.

As they plan future lessons, our collaborators always look for ways to connect the curriculum to students’ lives and to build upon students’ questions and interests. They also remain flexible, to fully take advantage of those “Aha!” moments in the classroom and new connections students make.

We keep student-teacher ratios extremely low to ensure that all children get the 1-on-1 support they need and deserve, and to provide our collaborators with a truly collaborative work environment. No isolated teachers here.

Interested in learning more? Call us to set up a tour! (520) 589-4933