Birth of a School
Posted on Nov 21, 2010 - 11:27 AM by Cian Sawyer
You may be shocked to learn that I am an idealist. (Take a moment to collect yourself.)I wish I could pin it down and say THIS is the only way to do education. But that's the very problem we are having right now.
I am currently auditing a course offered by AERO called School Starting 101. In the course I get to interact with people from around the U.S. and the world who are passionate about education reform and who are - you guessed it - starting schools. Thanks to Jerry Mintz, founder of AERO, for facilitating such a tremendous opportunity!
All that to say that, through the course, I have had the amazing opportunity to have a brief discussion with Chris Mercogliano, longtime and highly respected alternative educator, about trying to pin down "a way" because I so desperately want...
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I’m Late! I’m Late! For a Very Important Date!Posted on Oct 22, 2010 - 10:10 PM by Cian Sawyer
This whole idea of "Late Reading" has surfaced in my sphere of consciousness quite a bit lately and I feel the need to talk about it. "Late" readers. Who decides what qualifies as an on time reader? How do we know for SURE that age five is the absolutely perfect time for people to begin learning to read? That any time after that is Late?Well -- we don't! Have a gander at this article in which we learn about some interesting findings by researchers in New Zealand. As sited in the article, Waldorf schools do not teach their learners how to read until they are age seven. SEVEN! Gasp! Surely, those children are TERRIBLE readers who are completely illiterate as adults.
Surely, my friends, they are not. [And don't call me Surely.]
As a matter of fact, people learn to read without...
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My Letter to The MinisterPosted on Oct 10, 2010 - 09:13 PM by Cian Sawyer
As we all know, The Village School is not exactly "text book". (Pun totally intended.) Having witnessed my dear friend go through a Colossal Struggle to register a playgroup for two to four year olds, I can safely say that registering this newSo, I figured, why not go straight to the top? Get the reigning Minister of Education - The Honorable Mr. Desmond Bannister - to be a supporter of the school so he can, well, put in a good word for us. (Read: Tell them to approve the school and don't ask any questions because I said so.)
I rang the Ministry and spoke with his very kind and helpful secretary, Ms. Pratt. (I am still having a hard time believing that I got through to not one, but TWO very...
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Been There, Done ThatPosted on Oct 07, 2010 - 10:09 AM by Cian Sawyer
I'm sitting here "braising" - not quite stewing, this heat is lower but it's still getting the job done. But what, you may ask, am I braising about?I can't seem to type a single sentence to talk about what's on my mind without holding down the backspace key because it's too plain or inflammatory. (Here's my final attempt:) What I really want to say is that some of what qualifies as a Good Education (here and also "there") is failing our children in ways much more far-reaching than we as a society are really capable of thinking about (right now).
I am speaking, specifically, about they way children are treated in pre- and elementary schools. About all the ways and means teachers use to get children to do what they want them to do in order to maintain the appearance of doing a...
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Balancing ActPosted on Sep 15, 2010 - 10:22 PM by Cian Sawyer
Often times revolutionary movements are reactionary (I don't have any data to back that up, but let's just go with it). The People become frustrated with the status quo and when they are sick and tired and had it up to Here, someone stands up and says NO MORE! We know this isn't right, we know there is another way, we know that we can all move closer to this working for more of us. We are now dreaming very loudly in public of a different way; a different world.Some times we go overboard and dive headlong into the other extreme and that doesn't serve anyone either.
Then we sit back - or are deep in the trenches - whichever you prefer, and watch the pendulum sway back and forth until it comes to the middle.
Some times... if we're lucky.
I am in the middle of some pendulum...
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The Public IPosted on Sep 05, 2010 - 10:03 PM by Cian Sawyer
Just under a week ago, I made my local television debut as a “Progressive Education Specialist” (as it appeared on the screen under my name). I am still a bit iffy about the term “specialist”. It was the best I could come with on the spot when the host of the talk show asked me for a descriptor. My husband, whom I had asked to accompany for moral support, wasn’t gung ho about it either. We back-and-forthed about maybe using “advocate” instead but when we told Etoile (show host), she thought “specialist” brought more of an air of authority on the subject, whereas an “advocate” comes across more as a person who simply believes in a cause without much inside knowledge on the workings.
That aside, it was a pretty good first interview. Even though I was feeling like I did a terrible job...
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Education TheologyPosted on Aug 16, 2010 - 12:32 PM by Cian Sawyer
Thesis Statement: The fear-based nature of the traditional education system renders it incapable of effecting the kind of change we need for humanity to realize it's true self.Call me an idealist but I wholeheartedly believe that the primary goal of the evolution of our species is to move toward Oneness. And that the path to Oneness is Love - pure and simple.
The way our schools and our world works today it is very much about separation through labels, competition, comparison, and judgment. Ways of being that fail us as a race; as citizens of the planet.
In school, children are pitted against one another - grading on a bell curve, being one of the ways it is a standardized practice. They are placed into streams: Smart, Average and Slow (subtext: stupid). They are made to...
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Pray For DoubtPosted on Aug 06, 2010 - 08:29 AM by Cian Sawyer
Pray for Doubt...is a phrase I read sometime somewhere. "Pray for doubt," the author advocated. At first I didn't understand why anyone would want to ask for Doubt. Isn't it better to be sure? Isn't Certainty the ironclad, surefire way to know something Good and Right and True and to hell with all the rest of it? I mean, what would doubt do for anyone on a mission?!
I'll tell you what doubt does: It gives you pause. And pause gives you time to step back. And stepping back gives you perspective. And perspective gives "you" (yes, ME) a chance to see things more clearly.
I had a moment of doubt the other day. Oddly enough this occurred while I was reading this article about democratic education; a positive article which featured an interview with Isaac Graves, engine driver...
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No “How” = “Know” HowPosted on Jul 28, 2010 - 10:41 PM by Cian Sawyer
As I travel the world of non-traditional education, specifically democratic education, I am learning that like unschooling - there is no "One Right Way" to do it.We humans like to have things neatly laid out and pristinely wrapped in clear cellophane packaging with labels including ingredient lists so we can take it home feeling safe that we know exactly what it is that we have bought (into). None of this "Well it's really up to the individual" business. Tell me exactly what alternative education is complete with formulas and predictable results. Describe in detail how unschooling works and how you Do It. Give me a list (which must have references and bibliography) of all the things I need to do in order to have a Democratic School.
Umm, sorry what? Summerhill is not...
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Horizon: MirelessPosted on Jul 21, 2010 - 10:40 PM by Cian Sawyer
I’ve been asking the question lately, What is the point of (traditional) school? What is it for? What purpose is it serving?
But then I had to ask, What is the point of this “Alternative Education” that I am espousing? What is it for? What purpose will it serve?
Answer: Humanity.
You see, even though I am very much about creating a school that respects its learners and creates an atmosphere of equality for all, the larger vision is really restoration of Humanity.
Under or behind all the labels - words we use to keep our distance from each other - are real live actual human beings; daughters, sons, cousins, sisters, mothers, fathers, best friends, lovers - People. At the risk of sounding like I’ve gone overboard I’d say the labels we use for other living things, like trees,...
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