Learner Led Lessons

“What is The Village School?”

This is a question I find myself asked time and time again. It’s a question I haven’t been able to come up with an answer for. How do you describe this place?

But then, this week, I was taught the same lesson I’ve learned over and over again this year – leave it to the learners. This is a learner led school – of course they have better answers than I do!

Discovery and Adventure learners had their Hero Celebration this past Thursday. The Level 5s (and one Level 4!) wrote speeches reflecting about their time here and their growth.

In the spirit of being learner-led, this blog post will be a space to share excerpts from their speeches. What is The Village School? What have you learned? How have you grown? Let’s ask the experts…

What is the Village School?

“The Village School isn’t your regular school. It’s a place where learning is fun and team work, independence, and learning are sole ingredients. you need those skills when you enter the real world. Other schools may say we are preparing them but that’s only schooling. Not life experience. You still need those sole ingredients for your life, your job and your future. And that’s what the Village School does. We are prepared. “

Fin, Level 4

“Kids take responsibility for their learning instead of the teachers teaching… Almost everything was different to what I was used to from the guides not teaching to even the desks being positioned differently… The kids are so much more driven to learn and be responsible. “

Jackie, Level 5

“When you think of failure, maybe you think of disgrace, or just BAD in general. Well, in this school, failure is nothing but success, and hopefully that message will be known to the world some day. When we fail, we call it an awesome failure, because failures are, well, awesome. And the reason for that is every time you fail, you learn, it is part of your hero’s journey, because if you don’t fail, then you just don’t go anywhere, and where’s the fun in that?”

Maddie, Level 5

At the Village School, I can move at my own pace. I’m more free to work on the things I want to…”

Emerson, Level 5

“I love the village school. It really pushes your limits and teaches you how to be responsible.”

Alexa, Level 5

Lessons Learned

“…The best things I learned from Discovery Studio were great leadership, grit, my passions, and, most of all, I learned how to be on a hero’s journey.”

Jackie, Level 5

“Honestly, before I went to the village school I really did not like work. Everyone learned the same thing and could not have the freedom to follow our passion while at school… When I found the Village School, I was amazed a school like this existed.“

Alexa, Level 5

“I’d like to share a quote that my dad motivates me to use: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Benjamin Franklin said that. What have I learned here? Never stop trying, and don’t make an important decision when you are in a mood. You will regret it. I have lots of memories, but what makes a good day possible here is coming in everyday and seeing someone determined to do work. We are a pack, and like a community, the pack leaves no one behind.”

Owen, Level 5

Teamwork and Independence

“Thriving villages use teamwork to get jobs done and are independent from other villages. It’s the same here at the Village School. There are no teachers but only guides who won’t answer a question directly, but let you figure it out yourself.”

Fin, Level 4

“Something I wish I’d known is that we all are a team, pack, community, whatever you want to call it, and yes, you are responsible for your education, but you are also a part of everyone else’s. When we work together we can make the world a better place. Individually you can, but together we can do it exponentially. We have done that this year and we will continue to.”

Owen, Level 5

Thank you, TVS learners, for all the lessons you’ve shared this year. In the words of Owen, together we can make the world a better place, and we will continue to do so.