Our Program is More Structured Than You Might Think

When I talk to people about High Meadows and our progressive model of teaching, I am typically met with one of three responses: 

1. “Yes! I love and get progressive education! John Dewey, Maria Montessori and Alfie Kohn are my heroes!”
2. “Hmm, interesting. Sounds different than the way I learned in school. Tell me more.”
3. “Sounds like an unstructured, disorganized mess to me. I am picturing dancing hippies and kids running wild.”

OK, so those aren’t actual quotes, but that’s the spirit of what people say—or what I see in their eyes. Of course, I especially enjoy responding to #2. But the third one is almost as fun to address, because I get to disabuse people of such nutty notions.

Too many folks believe that “structure” is synonymous with “academic rigor,” since it implies order, predictability and compliance. In traditional schooling, those are virtues because they are what most of us experienced ourselves—and look how successful we are now! I’m being a bit cheeky, I know, but such a perspective is baffling to me. Times are changing. The world is asking for more of our kids than ever before. And if we do not attend to re-shaping the structure they experience in school, they will not be as well prepared to face the future’s uncertainty.

A High Meadows education is not unstructured in the least--it is differently structured. What looks like chaos and disorder to the untrained eye is often an exercise in collaboration and choice. Our teachers make specific, research-based plans that are aimed at giving kids exciting, meaningful experiences that often require movement and productive chatter. But there are always clear goals to each of their activities, whether they are about developing strong negotiation skills or learning to build consensus. Such skills are always at the top of the list of what employers are looking for in the next generation of employees; never will you see “sitting down,” “being quiet,” or “completing worksheets” on any job description.

I like to describe High Meadows as a school that does a superb job at balancing what psychologist Rob Evans calls the “three elements of a successful learning environment:” nurture, structure and latitude. Seeking a balance is what the best schools do; too much of any one element could be detrimental to a child's development. We know that High Meadows is exquisitely strong in the nurture category. We also do well with offering kids lots of latitude, both in the classroom and on the meadows. But we also do a great job offering that latitude within a clear structure. Systems like Positive Discipline, the IB PYP program, debate and band are all terrific examples of how well we balance nurture, structure and latitude.

So the next time you hear someone accuse High Meadows—or any progressive school—as being a free-for-all, have them talk to any one of our teachers or observe any one of our classes. I think they’ll get the picture pretty clearly.