 The simple answer is adults get out of the way… We shared briefly in a previous email what it looks like for young people when learning gets turned upside down. But where are the adults in a learner-driven school? Won’t it be like Lord of the Flies? We get this question a lot. Imagine guardrails on either side of a highway…guides and parents act as guardrails for their learners. We give them the freedom to “drive” their learning, making choices, growing confidently in their independence, and occasionally failing but learning to get back up and to keep going. Guides protect learners from “running off the road” completely and derailing their school experience by setting schedules, leading thoughtful discussions, gamifying learning, and watching out for safety concerns. Guides create badge plans to ensure learners meet all national standards and explore the same educational content as peers in other schools but prepare the learning environment to be engaging and learner-driven rather than teacher-centric. Guides are Socratic, meaning they never answer a question directly but respond with questions or choices that support learners in discovering the answers for themselves. Guides serve as allies and helpers but are never the star of the show. So, no, it’s not like Lord of the Flies. Empowered learners are engaged and excited to learn. When given the power to self-govern, they operate in a mini-civil society with rules, structure, consequences, and meaningful rewards. When adults hold guardrails to protect and guide rather than to control and coerce, learners grow into confident, creative, and autonomous young people. Want to learn more? Check out this article on Socratic guiding, or watch the video below to learn more. Want to take a deep dive? Watch this video with Acton founder Laura Sandefer about the origins of the Acton schools and how the model works. Do you have questions, or are you ready to schedule a tour? Click here to schedule a discovery call today!
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