The other day during outdoor play, Discovery learners created a new game. Now this is not altogether surprising as our learners are often living up to their studio’s name and discovering new ways to enjoy our outside space. However, in this case, what started as just a few individuals engaged in a basketball-like game with a burrito-avocado combo plush toy, affectionately referred to as Bavocado, attracted the attention and enjoyment of all. Curious, I watched as more learners joined, happy to stand in a line, almost 30 learners long, for their chance to toss Bavocado through the waiting arms of one learner who was acting as the hoop. A chorus of “Let’s Go!” “You’ve got this!” “What level are you on??” rose up, as they eagerly watched to see how each other performed and anticipated their turn. Finally the catch to the game dawned on me: the learner acting as the hoop would change something about their position depending on what “level” the player was on. Level one was straight forward with the player able to aim head on, the others got progressively more challenging. While one may require a toss over the learner’s head as if they were aiming from behind the backboard, another may include a moving hoop. As players took more turns, more levels were created. The best part? No one ever got out! If you missed you simply stayed on the same level you were on before and tried again. By the end of free time there were players on level 4, 11, and everything in between. In this one learner created game just about all the benefits of a multi-age classroom were revealed.
In many schools, learners are limited by what is in their grade’s “curriculum” for that year, sometimes being told they have to wait for another academic year to move ahead or explore a different subject matter than what has been predestined. Within the studios, systems are in place for every learner to go at their own pace, so while one may be “ahead” of his or her same-age peer in one area but “behind” in another it does not affect the pace for anyone else. Our studios are not built with the expectation that everyone will be ready to learn the same skills at the same time, nor that they will learn with the same method of instruction. However, going at your own pace does not mean being destined to go alone.
Going at your own pace does not mean being destined to go alone.
In this game, some learners were on the same level, but many were not. The ones who were repeating levels began to watch those progressing more closely and tried to imitate their form. Conversely, those who were progressing were eager to cheer on the others and offer guidance while they waited in line. By having multiple levels played in their game they organically recreated the same opportunities for challenge, inspiration, leadership, mentorship, and collaboration that are present in the Studio.
As Jonathan Haidt explains in his book The Anxious Generation, “physical play, outdoors and with other children of mixed ages, is the healthiest, most natural, most beneficial sort of play.” In his analysis for human’s slow-growth childhood, Haidt explains that, “our planet-changing trait was the ability to learn from each other.” He’s clear to state that doesn’t mean “in school from books and lectures,” but rather by copying. Specifically, by picking the “right people to copy,” which for a child is paying attention to successful older children. Within a mixed-age education model these opportunities are limitless. Even in a learner imagined game, participants of a lower level are taking on challenges they may not have otherwise had access to. Simultaneously, learners of a more advanced level are motivated to teach others and thus improve their own skill. As we well know, the best test of mastery is teaching.
“Our planet-changing trait was the ability to learn from each other.”
As the game continued, and more and more levels were created, the need for collaboration presented both the opportunity to imagine new challenges and need trust each other to be honest about their level. Naturally, anytime there is a need for cooperation the possibility of disagreement is also present. Clear communication, tolerance of ideas contrary to one’s own, decision making, and the enforcement of the agreed upon rules fell to the learners. For instance, at one point in the game there was one idea to have to shoot for the hoop while hanging on the climbing ropes, while another idea was for the learner representing the hoop to be hanging from the ropes. It was a third learner who offered the solution that they could both be a separate level because of course they would need more! As is often true in multi-age groups, there are more opportunities to build self-esteem and for learners to see themselves as experts. This game not only had opportunities for learners to see themselves as experts at shooting but also diplomacy! Furthermore, it is these moments of cooperation, when learners experience the ability to have a say and contribute to something shared by the whole, that builds a sense of community and belonging.
As it must, the free period passed and a responsible learner watching the time alerted everyone to it’s end by calling “It’s Time!” Sad to see the game end, I began the walk back to the front door. I trailed behind thinking about the game and back to one of my first meetings as a TVS Guide. In a conversation earlier this year, a returning family shared what their learner said after their first week at TVS: “I feel challenged for the first time.”
Being responsible for your own education is a challenge. Having to look to others for lessons instead of being told explicitly how to succeed is a challenge. The expectation to collaborate with others, especially of different skill levels is a challenge. And yet, at the risk of over-referencing Haidt’s book, he states “children require exposure to setbacks, failures, shocks, and stumbles in order to develop strength and self-reliance.” One of the cornerstones of The Village School is the belief that children are capable of much more than most adults give them credit for. We believe kids crave a challenge and the mixed-age model is just one part of the magic.
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