“Your approach to learning is intuitive and allows for much freedom.”

I am pleased with this response from one of my kiddo’s recent “Check-In Chapters.” Please know that I am not sharing it to pat myself on the back. I am sharing it because it’s reflective of the work I have been doing to change–to better–the learning experience for my kids in the 180 Classroom. It’s finally making sense. They are finally beginning to see what I am trying to do, and that matters a great deal to me. Of course, not all are there. I still have kiddos, despite my considerable efforts, who default to worrying about their grades, clinging to experiences past to make sense of their experience. So, as such, my work remains and continues. But some are certainly there where I ‘d like them to be with their learning.

And maybe that “where” comes with a cost. Can a kid have too much freedom? Should a kid have any freedom? I don’t know. Traditional approaches seem to balk at such freedom, depending on the control of carrot-and-stick compliance to get kids to “learn.” But I believed there was a better to build around commitment, and that required a foundation of freedom. So, I have worked to create that experience for my kids, so they can find themselves in their learning. And for that to happen, they have to have some freedom.

Do I go too far? I don’t know. How far is far? How far did this young lady have to go to discover what she did? She had to go as far as she needed to. I just wanted to make sure she had the opportunity to to build her own bridge to reach her other side.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.