Self-Discovery in the Studio

This week in Discovery Studio, we focused on a new character trait – intentionality. During Monday’s launch, Discovery Studio was asked two questions. What was their best trait, and what was a trait they needed to be more intentional about. The surprising answer to both? Honesty. 

I’m not surprised that our learners thought the strongest trait in our studio was honesty. They are honest almost to a fault – a striking difference from my time at more traditional schools. If you ask them a question, they answer honestly, even if they aren’t proud of the answer. They take responsibility for their own actions, and they are always willing to talk things through with others. That’s one of most exciting parts I’ve discovered in my role as a guide –  at The Village School, the guides and learners are on the same side. No longer am I a disciplinarian; instead, I’m a confidant and ally. I think both of us are happy with the arrangement.

I was surprised, however, when learners unanimously decided that honesty was the thing that they needed to work on in the studio. Again, these young people are honest even in situations where they are implicated. However, they were introspective enough to realize that they were being honest with everyone except one person – themselves.

Discovery learners said that, while they were easily honest with their fellow studiomates, they struggled to evaluate themselves and their own work honestly. They identified that it was easy to lie to themselves about how hard they were working or whether their own work was excellent.

Our learners at the Village School are doing something that even I still struggle with – honest self reflection. They are able to analyze themselves and ask themselves tough questions, and they are able to use this reflection to improve themselves. This is one of the greatest tools we could hope to equip our learners with – the ability to discover within themselves what they can improve, and the drive to do so. This is a skill that they will find useful throughout their journey here at The Village School, but more importantly, a skill that will prepare them for the real world and help them build successful, fulfilling lives.