What matters the most for an child? Is it Home or Educational Institutes or Society? None. What matters is “The Child”. Let the child become the institution of his life, let him lead and let him learn.
This is part of a conference “why school matters”. The conference was organized by Future School Leaders (FSL) based out of the capital city of India New Delhi. Future School Leaders is a company that inspires innovation in education by taking the responsibility of introducing Indian school leaders with inspiring educational leaders.
Why school matter
Sharing our learning about learners and learning – in a chronological order – as our own understanding and journey evolved. So by the end of the this mapping of our journey you will get to know what we are doing!
When we started working in 1999 – since knowledge was a commodity – so we designed activities that would focus on thinking. As our activities evolved we started focusing on not giving them answers, rather inviting children to question. But after few years we realized that activities themselves do not matter. We stopped designing activities, just create an environment, gave resources, and had a theme, and rest children created – the energy was in their being.
Soon we realized we were jobless. They were fully in charge of their learning and we can just sit back and enjoy. When we sat back we observed each child. As we observed more we realized that what was the topic/theme was also not important – the child had his yearning, his efforts, his ideas – that was the real learning.
Now we gave up the whole curriculum, we stopped all subjects. we let each child decide based on her interest – isn’t music as important as math?
Now that children were in charge of their learning, even learning did not matter – we stopped thinking about what the child is learning. Doing was the king and children love doing and all doing invariably lead to learning (not mapped as conventional schooling does it).
The natural outcome was that children now became the leaders. So at Aarohi each child is a leader of self (and we follow them).
They say it takes a village to raise the child.
Jobs career – all created rat race, all create pressure and stress. But when we invite children to develop their passions – the fire is amazing one or many passions
Recordings of the talk – https://youtu.be/jwzRgHq3EEc
IMAGINE #AarohiLife – a space to grow #organically:
Where nobody needs to be beautiful, yet everybody sees beauty in many.
Where nobody needs to be intelligent, yet everybody respects each other’s abilities.
Where nobody needs to be a thinker, yet everybody values other’s thoughts.
Where nobody needs to be an orator, yet everybody listens to various expressions.
Where nobody needs to be smart, yet everybody accepts other’s styles.
Where nobody needs to be an achiever, yet everybody recognizes your endeavors.
Where nobody needs to be knowledgeable, yet everybody gains from what you know.
Where nobody needs to be social, yet everybody enjoys your company.
Where nobody needs to gives an exam, yet everybody assess self.
Where nobody needs to prove anything, yet everybody is a proof of continuous learning.
Why everybody should at least consider open Learning as an option
Some of us crib about the rat race, maybe consider open Learning.
Some of us are anxious about the future, maybe consider open learning.
Some of us see our child struggle in school or life, maybe consider open learning.
Some of us wish for joyous learning, maybe consider open learning.
Some of us want success for our child, maybe consider open learning.
Some of us want the child to lead his or her life, definitely consider open learning.
Inviting your child to consider #OPENLEARNING.
Every child is unique, so it could be his/her education.
Every Child is a leader, so he/she could lead their own learning.
Every child is capable, so he/she could live an empowered life.