Session 4, Week 4

The first time through the Tuesday morning team building challenge, the Middle Schoolers pushed, pulled, yelled and even hit one another as they made their way blindfolded outside.

After a meaningful discussion, they made a plan and tried again. Their cooperation, productivity and laughter was beautiful.

This one challenge sums up most days in a learner driven environment. The roller coaster ride is real – frustrating lows interspersed with soaring highs…

In the Spark Studio it is beautiful to see young heroes independently explore different works during the Montissori work cycle.

With hands-on materials the learners are drawn to explore concepts like: even and odd, division, and regrouping in concrete ways.

They are able to set goals that are in their challenge zone and feel ownership in accomplishing their goals. After one hero accomplished three goals he said, “I’m kind of on fire!”

On the flipside when they run out of steam, they can choose to be idle. It is hard to observe heroes choosing idleness. This week many learners ran out of steam in the last 10-15 minutes of the work cycle. The invitation for any interested hero to gather for a group handwriting work, helped most heroes finish strong.

Another high came as Mr. Paul gave the heroes the opportunity to customize their CHOICE shirts. The Spark heroes didn’t need him to guide them through how to decide how to share the paints. The heroes had the confidence to direct their own brainstorming, and then led a vote to determine how they would do it – no adults necessary!

And when heroes can choose to do so many different things…

and they choose to make tokens of appreciation…

that is a high!!!

In the Fire Studio it can be hard to hold fellow travelers accountable to studio contracts, but that low is outweighed by the opportunity the heroes have to create those contracts in the first place. The responsibility of using one’s own time wisely can feel heavy and very challenging some days, but contrast that with the high of practicing this lifelong skill from a hero’s earliest years and the joy of being able to choose to do what a hero is interested in! Being a running partner, squad member, or on studio government can at times feel like a sacrifice as a hero takes time and energy to help others on their journey, but even in the next moment, that hero might be the one being lifted or guided by other members of their tribe. The heroes and the guides feel this teeter totter all throughout the day!

As we continued to travel through time during Quest, we talked about the Industrial Revolution and the use of Fossil Fuels, then traveled to Modern Times when the use of Renewable Energy is becoming more prevalent.  We enjoyed a hot air/steam balloon experiment, and created presentations about the different types of renewable energy.

A low of our learner driven environment can be living the consequence from the choices you make. Sometimes in order to participate in a more “fun” challenge, other challenges must be completed first. This week a few heroes chose distractions rather than completing the first challenges. When the materials for the experiment were put away without their getting to do it, they were mighty disappointed. However, later in the week when those same heroes chose to engage in researching, creating and presenting a project about renewable energy, it was a high for all for everyone to be so focused and passionate about what they chose to research, create and present to one another.

In the Middle School the struggle is real to daily overcome Mrs Distraction and Mr Resistance; to choose to complete the goals you set rather than talk with your friends or to choose to wait to do the exploratory work you are passionate about until you have done your math. It can feel like a low low as a guide to walk away and let heroes live their choices. As heroes come to the end of a day, week or session the consequences of choosing distraction or resistance sometimes loom large and feel even lower! Conversely the pride heroes feel accomplishing the work they are tempted to resist, or the passion they feel working on something they love – makes it all worth it!

The highs and lows of a learner driven environment during quest are similar. When heroes feel at liberty to dig into the challenges that interest them we all fly high. That could look like one hero learning details of molecular structure with a model, one brainstorming scientifically about pancakes, and another discovering the fascinating history behind the elements on the periodic table in a book—all as part of the same chemistry quest. It takes some unlearning (especially for those who’ve come from more traditional educational environments), but heroes are gaining confidence, step by step, in their abilities to steer and determine the content and pacing of their own educations. Even the detours and the unexpected stops are a beautiful part of this environment. The lows of a learner-driven environment happen when a hero succumbs occasionally to the path of least resistance and leaves their learning vehicle idling or parked in order to avoid the resistance inevitably experienced when we start something new. Or when the beautiful privilege of being behind the wheel of one’s education is abdicated in favor of appeasing others or distracting oneself from the things one knows are important but hard.

On Thursday the FS had an experience which summed up the polarizing nature of a learner driven environment. We were engaged in a poignant discussion about the studio culture. Heroes voted unanimously that the studio is not going how they want it to. Many are extremely frustrated. In the middle of this heavy discussion, we took a brain break to play tag. While playing, one of the heroes was seriously injured. Immediately a few of the heroes stepped in to help the guides with the injured hero, while the remainder went into the studio and locked the door to prohibit others from going outside. Heroes were nervous, scared and worried. And yet, without an adult present they took care of themselves, stayed calm and showed tremendous compassion for their injured friend. Yes, there is much to work on. Yes, there are hard times and lows in a learner driven environment. Yes, sometimes we want to yell, “what are we doing????” But when stacked against the highs, the benefits, the beautiful moments and the outcomes of the lows – every low is worth it. A learner driven environment is not for the faint of heart. But for those who are courageous enough to embrace it, it provides a world of opportunity and joy!