Educational Platform: Aims, Pedagogy, and School Community

Aims of Education

Education is an important aspect of life not just for students but for communities as well. A community is only going to be as strong as its devotion to education. For that reason, education is not just an exercise confined to the school building. On the contrary, it encompasses everyone within a community, as its stakeholders range from teachers and administrators to students, parents, and business owners and managers. All will be impacted by the educational platform.

The vision statement for my school is to provide an inclusive learning environment in which respect for diversity—as related to learning styles, family structures, religion, beliefs, disabilities, gender, race, ethnicities, values, and socioeconomic status—is upheld. In my school, young people need assistance closing the achievement gap, and our educators aim to facilitate that process by focusing on promoting reading, writing, and arithmetic skills.

Image of the Learner and the Teacher

All students are different and therefore learn in their own ways. Montessori taught that students should be allowed to set their own pace. Active learning has also been identified as a way for deep learning to transpire. Some students benefit from visual learning, others from demonstrations, and others from lectures. Students should be active participants in the learning process so that they can take ownership of their education. Individualized learning is promoted when possible, but due to practical limitations, group learning is often required.

The teacher should be there to assist the student in the educative process by demonstrating sterling character inside and outside the classroom and by providing as many different approaches to learning as are needed. The teacher should be willing to support the student by making home visits, giving positive feedback, engaging the student, and leading through example. The administration views teachers as the front line: there are more than a dozen teachers in our school and all of them are absolutely vital to the school's success. Teachers work with administrators to develop a teaching plan that will facilitate the aims of the school, but when class is in session, teachers are in control of their classrooms.

Curriculum and Preferred Pedagogy

Self-directed learning is valued in the school, but all learning is ultimately viewed as intrinsically valuable. The school recognizes that not all students are able to be self-directed learners, at least initially. The STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) are important, but they do not reign over the humanities, as the latter are recognized as formative of students' characters.

Inductive learning is helpful with simple concepts, but for more advanced learning, deductive methods can be helpful as well. Asserting that one pedagogy is inherently better than another can unnecessarily constrain teachers. Many teachers develop their own teaching styles over the course of their careers, and so long as they are effective, what matters most is that students are meeting their educative goals. Teachers are encouraged to develop a variety of pedagogical methods to meet the needs of a diverse student body, and self-initiated learning is one of the methods promoted.