We all "think ahead" to what's next. What's coming up today? What do I need to plan for this week? What's happening this month, this year, that I need to anticipate? This is a temporal way of thinking ahead. But I look at thinking ahead as a qualitative description--a way of thinking that goes beyond the way we have thought traditionally.
High Meadows practices both kinds, but excels particularly in the qualitative. Here are some contrasts with conventional "school" thinking that will show you what I mean:
High Meadows practices both kinds, but excels particularly in the qualitative. Here are some contrasts with conventional "school" thinking that will show you what I mean:
Conventional Thinking vs. High
Meadows' "Thinking Ahead"
Academic rigor vs. Intellectual
vitality
Preparation for life vs. Life
itself*
Be the same vs. Be the change**
Tell vs. Ask
"Houston, we have a problem." vs. "Atlanta, we can find a solution."
"Houston, we have a problem." vs. "Atlanta, we can find a solution."
Teacher as pail-filler vs. Teacher
as fire-starter***
Accept information as truth vs. Question the veracity of information
Study it vs. Do it
Study it vs. Do it
“Good job on your essay!” vs. “The metaphors in your essay are quite vivid!"
Book report vs. Book
review
Specials vs. Connections
Compliance vs. Self-advocacy
Flourescent light vs. Sunlight
Compliance vs. Self-advocacy
Flourescent light vs. Sunlight
Arbitrary Punishments vs. Logical Consequences
“Work quietly on your
own." vs. “Work together
and talk it through.”
“School? Nooooooo!” vs. “School?
Yessssssss!”
What did I miss? Comment and let me know!
*Props to John Dewey
**Props to Mahatma Gandhi
***Props to William Butler Yeats
Hi Jay I am a happy parent of a Kindergarten student in HMS. I think there are a lot of similarities between HMS education philosophy and what I have read about Finland's education system and what thought leaders as Sir Ken Robinson are proposing to reform the conventional education system. I was just curious about your thoughts on this comparison, is it a valid one? Do you think this new approach to education will be adopted by the public school systems?
ReplyDeleteHi Carlos--thanks for responding. Funny, I was just talking about Sir Ken today. His presentations and TED talks scream High Meadows. We've tried to get him here for our community speaker series, but he's way too expensive. I don't know much snout Finland's system, but I am going to look into it for sure. I have talked to many colleagues in the public systems, and they are beyond frustrated with the "high-stakes" testing and bureaucracy that keeps them for doing the right things for kids. Even superintendents know what's right but have their hands tied by politics. We have many teachers who are public school defectors and they are happy at HMS because they feel liberated to do what they know is right. My fear is that it may take some series of cataclysmic events for real change to take place in the public sector. I don't even want to imagine what such a set of events that might be.
DeleteProps to you, Jay Underwood! My favorite line (after the homage to Yeats) is "Houston, we have a problem" vs. "Atlanta, we can find a solution."
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pamela! That means a lot coming from such a great author like you. I started by using Roswell, but I thought Atlanta was a little more expansive in scope : )
DeleteGreat piece, Jay. I would love to add: Class with a view of walls vs. class with a view of the world. The concept of the outdoors as a second classroom is such an important message to instill in our kids as we become more and more sedentary as a society.
ReplyDeleteHi Jay, thanks, as always, for the reflective piece. Adding from the gallery....life preparation versus life learning. Too often traditional school methods only seem to focus on "preparing" students for a job, career or vocation. While that is commendable, or a step in the right direction, HMS's approach goes beyond by giving students the skills, perspective and confidence to identify life as a holistic, continual learning and adaptive process; so essentially in the rapidly evolving world in which we now live.
ReplyDelete