We’ve been asked this many times by well-meaning parents who are interested in their children joining our community who don't quite understand what we do , "Without enforced schedules and a few unpleasant lessons, how can children be expected to cope in modern society?" "How can they work in the real world if they are not used to receiving instructions and complying?" On the contrary, we believe that the idea that children have to be forced to learn is a highly questionable notion. The idea that children need to be drilled with ideas until they fully master them is contradictory to most motivational theory. Self-determination theory, a prominent framework for understanding what drives human behavior, has demonstrated that the strongest motivation comes from within. Learner-driven learning gives children the agency to follow their own motivations over the expectations of any adult instructors. When children have a chance to explore different activities in ways that make them most interested and are given agency to make choices when it comes to what they are working on, this reinforces their desire to learn. This builds a foundation for a lifelong love of learning.
Our Learners love and are used to going out into the real world to make these relevant connections. They enjoy working on hands on projects. We don’t just have everything in exact duplicates ready for them. They get to choose their own materials and accessories so that their finished piece is truly a unique, one-of-a-kind piece that reflects their choice, their own individuality. There is nothing sadder than to see finished projects that are carbon copies of everybody else's. How would children figure out what they like if all decisions are made for them? How will they stand for something if they are expected to conform at an early age and for years onward?
Majority of the world feels that traditional education is the best way to instruct children on working well within a future corporate framework. However, as the business world continues to diversify and grow, having people who have initiative and who can do more than follow orders is becoming a highly sought after skill. More and more, people are looking for independent thinkers with a “I may not know this but I will figure this out attitude” who are willing to meet new challenges and provide innovative solutions in a changing world.
River Oak Academy, a place for young innovators, independent thinkers who are lifelong and joyful learners.
They will change the world someday.