Interconnectedness
A special tradition we have every beginning of the school year is a handprint ceremony where each new person who joins our community...
top of page
Search
ROA team
- Aug 9
- 2 min
Learning Connections
The longer I've worked with young children, the more I've come to understand that there is very little we can "teach" people. We can...
3 views0 comments
ROA team
- Jul 28
- 2 min
Try, Fail, Repeat…
Our goal is to make the process of mastery a deeply ingrained habit in our children’s life. If we make learning mostly about excellence...
10 views0 comments
ROA team
- Jul 22
- 2 min
Respect for Children
“A person is a person no matter how small,” the iconic line from Dr.Seuss's Horton Hears a Who, is much beloved by people who value...
7 views0 comments
ROA team
- Jun 19
- 2 min
A Reason for Learning
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." - Lao Tzu. I've read and heard this...
12 views0 comments
ROA team
- May 25
- 3 min
The Most Meaningful Way to Succeed
We often talk about being Givers, Takers, and Matchers with our Learners. They are very much aware of the nuances- their tendencies as...
16 views0 comments
ROA team
- May 4
- 2 min
Rocks, Pebbles, or Sand?
A philosophy professor once stood up before his class with a large empty jar. He filled the jar to the top with large rocks and asked his...
5 views0 comments
ROA team
- Apr 27
- 3 min
The "Struggle" is the Treasure
One of my favorite areas at ROA is our elevated plant bed filled with lush and colorful butterfly plants, many of which are giant...
27 views0 comments
ROA team
- Apr 8
- 2 min
Finding Heroes Within
At ROA and every other Acton affiliate school, we often refer to our learners as heroes. Why are we so intentional about this and why is...
9 views0 comments
ROA team
- Mar 28
- 2 min
Learning…it happens!
Education is not a manufacturing process. It doesn't matter if the learning actually happens, only that we have worksheets completed and...
11 views0 comments
ROA team
- Mar 24
- 3 min
A Long Journey Starts with One Step
If we were to define "success," most people would think deeply enough to consider more than the capacity to acquire great wealth. We...
16 views0 comments
ROA team
- Mar 15
- 2 min
Excellence is not our goal
Many schools make “excellence” a goal. Those who score a 100 on the test are “excellent” and get a gold star. This means those who fail...
24 views0 comments
ROA team
- Mar 6
- 2 min
Authentic Learning versus memorization
The typical goal of a traditional education requires a rush for advanced coursework with the goal of preparing for the future, requiring...
12 views0 comments
ROA team
- Mar 1
- 2 min
Fear
Fear, an unpleasant feeling triggered by the perception of danger, real or imagined. Fear is an emotion that we all experience at some...
11 views0 comments
ROA team
- Feb 22
- 1 min
Learning with Passion and Purpose
It is believed that everyone has ikigai which can be found through your passion in life. Ikigai is a Japanese concept meaning one's...
9 views0 comments
ROA team
- Feb 8
- 4 min
When Grownups aren’t in Charge
The fundamental thing that we want in an educator is someone who really cares and truly believes in the genius in each child before they...
3 views0 comments
ROA team
- Jan 26
- 2 min
Uncertainty
We have often come to fear the unknown. We find comfort in what we know and being in control of outcomes. Letting go of our expectations...
23 views0 comments
ROA team
- Jan 15
- 2 min
Can You Learn Without Being Taught?
Sugata Mitra, a professor, who had the idea to install an old computer in a kiosk in an impoverished place in India that was designed to...
13 views0 comments
ROA team
- Nov 17, 2022
- 1 min
Building Cathedrals
There was a story about a janitor mopping up the floor when the president was visiting NASA and asked him what his job was and the...
14 views0 comments
ROA team
- Nov 14, 2022
- 2 min
Harnessing Creativity
I can't count the many times I've seen evidence of inherent creativity in our studios. Creations left by Learners in obvious or obscure...
10 views0 comments
bottom of page