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Using experience learning as the best teacher…

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Here is a crucial question to ponder within the First3rd (see the previous blog post to capture all the age groups within the Three3rds), how are we educating those who will be the future leaders of our world?

First3rd:  0—30

This is a age with an added emphasis concerning education as wee humans grow into bigger humans.  Looking at this First3rd by decades, we think of childhood (0-10), adolescence (10-20), and emerging adults (20-30).

In our current world, often this is the time of the most consistent and intense education.  Pre-school.  Elementary school.  Middle school.  High school.  University or vocational trade schools.  Grad schools.  Hopefully there is instilled in each person a life-long commitment to learning, no matter their age.

However (…and yes, I know there are exceptions…as I will be writing about one in this blog post…) too often, in too many places in our world of current education there is not a vibrant, creative, whole-person focus.  Labels are applied.  Every student is taught and treated the same.

School budgets are often determined by the fought-for grades of students.  Teachers are wearing out with the added pressures of protocols that take them from time with students.  Too much teaching is just fact regurgitation and not nurturing life-enhancing curiosity that prepares students to tackle life’s issues for themselves, their generation, and beyond.

A haven of “experience learning…”

This past February I as invited to participate in an international education conference here in the Denver area sponsored by the Anastasis Academy.  Click on their website and read their mission statement.

Stellar, courageous educators from throughout the country, who are daring to make a similar difference in education for a new world, were in attendance.  Next year the 5 Sigma Conference is scheduled for February 18-20, 2016. If you are an educator of any kind, I hope to see you there.

“One size” does not fit all

The founder of this school, Kelly Tenkely, is gaining a well deserved reputation for striking a necessary and different educational focus.  Her title is not “principal.”  It is “Architect of Learning.”  That can be said of her entire truly remarkable team.

What Anastasis, and other like-minded schools, are doing is preparing students to live into their uniqueness, capacities and abilities.  There is a significant commitment to recognize the humanity of each child.  That commitment is helping students to thrive in the real world.  The context is an engagement that builds a confidence that what they don’t know is not a problem.  They learn to discern, what to do next, to figure out problems and life issues.

The “ah ha!” of I can learn anything brings fertile minds to life

Most school systems still function from a “factory model.”  Line ‘em up.  Tell them what to repeat.  If they remember they get a better grade.  If they don’t they are less than the rest of the students, even thinking they are dumb, not good enough.

Learning for life…not just knowledge

From pre-school right up to 8th grade, students at this school are not defeated.  They know how to learn.  They care for each other and their community.  There is never a stopping point in their learning, and as they go on into any high school they are unusually set up for success, because they know how to learn…and why.

I’ve talked with parents and teachers about what takes place here.  I’ve had hours of conversation with Kelly, because our LDG Circle of Life Mentoring Model fits this dynamic model of learning.  I’ve talked with the students and have experienced their honest delight in engaging the world…their world…God’s world.

Experience learning helps these curious boys and girls, these budding young women and men, to know how and why they have been created.   The capacities and personalities of the students is A-Z varied.  But I’ve never seen a group of students who are all are thriving in the ways these thrive.

Understanding this full immersion learning, I only had one question for Kelly after my first tour of this school:  “Can a 70+ man come back and begin again in school?”  First3rd attention, creatively expressed like this, is what is needed in our world.

Thank you, Kelly, and team, for all you are doing for raising the bar for education as it is meant to be accomplished.  Stop by some time.  She, or one of the students, will be glad to take you on a tour any time.

Creative, life-forming education is crucial for the First3rd

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