Imagine a community where learners help each other navigate an outdoor play space with climbing structures that they’ve never challenged themselves to before. Imagine the excitement of going to new heights while keeping safety first for all. The usage of building materials such as wooden planks have endless possibilities that lead to careful planning and successful problem solving. The sandbox provides an area where creativity has the opportunity to grow. Cakes are baked, holes are dug, sand is sifted, tiger statues are designed…there is no end to the imagination.

Think of thriving older learners walking alongside younger learners to help them acclimate to their learning environment and inspiring joy deep within from their responses that illuminates throughout our circle times.

Imagine perfecting the sounds of individual letters as they roll off of the tip of their tongue. Learning each unique sound brings laughter and smiles to small group lessons.

This is just a glimpse of the joy found in Spark Studio. Read along to see what a learner-centered, self-directed, play-based environment looks like with our youngest learners.

Following the morning circle, learners jump right into their learning by focusing on literacy. Some learners choose to focus on their writing while others choose to go read and spell with the infamous reading drawers.

“I can’t believe I mastered orange drawer seven!”

The beauty of our learning design is that learners get to work at their own pace. If a learner needs more time practicing a skill or is just too excited about the story they’re writing, there is no rush to move on before mastery has been achieved or imagination has had the chance to be written out. Spark learners are learning how to learn and learning how to balance their learning. 

After an hour of non-stop reading, writing, and spelling, learners get to switch gears from being readers to being mathematicians. Using a mix of Montessori and standard hands-on math materials, learners go choose a ‘work’ to focus on. Sometimes, they pick something in their challenge zone right off the bat, and other times they engage in a warm-up game with another learner or two before seeking out a challenge. Some learners prefer the hands-on materials while others like worksheets to apply their knowledge. Our math corner has all of these available for learners to truly be self-directed. But of course, a guide is always nearby to introduce a new skill or material and help talk learners through their thinking process. 

“Last time it took me two days to do my hundreds chart. This time it only took me one day and I did even more numbers!”

The magic of the mixed-age studio is that learners get to not only learn from one another but guide one another. During morning work, older learners are eager to read to a younger learner, help a friend sound-out a word, demonstrate how to skip-count using a bead chain, or teach a new game.

It wouldn’t be a typical day in Spark without project time. Spark learners get split into a smaller group where they lead the investigations. Using the Reggio Emilia approach, learners lead the projects following their interests and curiosities. It starts with provoking thinking through loose parts, such as blocks, old cork, recycled applesauce tops, and even trash! From these provocations, ideas have been born that led to learners creating their own business, designing their own zoo, and building a model of the Washington Monument. Project time is not just for creating, but for learning how to collaborate and problem solve with other learners.

At the end of the day, Spark learners gather in our cozy ‘Book Cafe’ corner, anticipating the new book that will be read. This time is intentionally designed to spark thinking and inspire creativity. Learners study topics, ideas, or questions through the books, engaging in hands-on projects like churning fresh butter, making homemade applesauce, or sprouting seeds in plastic bags that hang in the window. But sometimes, we just enjoy simply reading with some of our favorite book characters, like Nibbles or Elephant and Piggie. Book Cafe time is extra special when Spark gets to read with their Adventure reading buddies or hear a favorite story from a “Mystery Reader.”

Every day in Spark Studio is different and brings new challenges but one thing remains the same: learners learn.

Last week, I had the privilege of attending SparkHouse, an event hosted by Education Reimagined with a mission to connect, equip, and ignite both learners and educators in learner-centered environments across the country. One of the most anticipated parts of SparkHouse is the sharing fair, where learners have the opportunity to present their learning environments, answer participants’ questions, and learn from one another. As the five Adventure learners representing TVS prepared for their presentation, quickly adding categories and phrases to their chart paper visual, I couldn’t help but step back and take it all in. I saw a small group of middle schoolers working calmly and efficiently toward a common goal. Each learner contributed naturally, without prompting. Each added their own ideas of what makes TVS special, and each understood the role they would play in the presentation.

As a guide in a small learning community, I get to observe growth every day. Moments like these, however, allow me to truly reflect on how far the learners have come since we first met. Each learner, though unique in their delivery, displayed ease and clarity in their communication. They answered every question—whether from children or adults—with knowledge and confidence. These young people carried themselves in ways few would expect from middle schoolers. Thankfully, we know better. Was I surprised to see the learners speak with eloquence and poise? Not at all. Was I engaged, encouraged, and a bit nostalgic for the passing time? Absolutely. What I enjoyed most, though, was hearing the passion with which they spoke. What are they proud of? What do they love about their learning environment?

The learners began by sharing insights into several aspects of the TVS Adventure learning design, including apprenticeships, skills badges, civilizations, projects, communications, and unstructured play. They talked about Health & Wellness, the valuable time spent outdoors at the park, and living in community. They spoke about the freedom of choice. For each subject they shared, the learners articulated real-world applications. For example, when discussing apprenticeships, one learner noted the similarities between securing an apprenticeship and a job. She explained, “You may apply to one hundred and hear back from one. That’s real life, and you just have to keep going.” When talking about Civilizations, another learner shared that in the Adventure Studio, they hold discussions each week and learn to think critically and from multiple perspectives. Another shared that TVS middle schoolers deliver speeches for change each year, lead service opportunities on Fridays, and are currently writing to politicians about their ideas for a better future. 

It’s not just the five learners who attended SparkHouse who have taken ownership of their journeys; in one way or another, all of our learners have. They aren’t waiting for tomorrow to shape their futures; they are actively shaping their lives and who they are now. SparkHouse left me feeling hopeful, once again proving the incredible power of learner-centered environments. When we trust learners and put them in the driver’s seat, giving them both freedom and responsibility, they are empowered to learn, grow, and change our world.

The beginning of the school year is always a chaotic time. This is my 17th beginning of the school year and even though society has changed in many ways, the behaviors and feelings of children remain much the same. As I observe learners in their first few weeks of school, I notice an underlying question of: Where do I belong?

Belonging is vital to our ability to thrive as human beings. In Health & Wellness we have been exploring the science of belonging and asking ourselves what is important to each of us to feel like we belong. Across studios, the learners have shared stories about moments when they have felt lonely and someone made them feel welcome. They have explored ways that they could help others feel a sense of belonging such as inviting others to play or noticing when someone is alone at lunch. We have also explored what behaviors and actions contribute to belonging – what do each of us need to do to ensure that everyone has a place in our community? 

Spark studio has been focused on understanding the “feeling” of belonging. What does it feel like to know that someone cares about you, is your friend, and includes you in fun activities? We explored this through a captivating tale of a creature known as Rumple Buttercup. There were many gasps, smiles, oohs, and ahhs, as I read the story and they began to realize that Rumple Buttercup does have people who care about him and want him to belong in their community. The Spark learners then created portraits of the people who make them feel like they belong, that they are loved, and cared for. 

Adventure learners engaged in a heated discussion about FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), FOBLO (Fear of Being Left Out), and JOMO (Joy of Missing Out). Many learners found themselves debating whether it is ever possible to reach JOMO… will I ever be okay with my friends not inviting me to something? Will I ever feel confident in myself enough to be okay with missing out? Be secure enough in my sense of belonging that it is okay to watch my friends enjoy something without me? In Adventure, this debate is far from over with most learners admitting to pings of envy when they know their friends are getting together without them. 

Discovery studio learners have listened to stories of others where the main characters were unique, different, and didn’t quite feel like they fit in. They made connections about moments when they felt uncomfortable, embarrassed, or left out. Then, they shared about the people in their lives that helped them to feel better, feel included, valued, and cared for. Each learner created a puzzle piece to symbolize why they belong in our community or how others help them to feel like they belong. We are continuing to explore stories of belonging through journaling and reflecting on the community that they are creating every day at The Village School. 

Belonging is an essential part of being human and being a part of any community. What steps will you take to connect with others? What steps can you take to reach out to others that you notice are taking a step back? What impact will you make on The Village School, in your community, and in our world? 

Discovery’s year is off to a thrilling start as we embark on a quest, slightly larger in scale, with 39 learners. In the past, and surely the upcoming weeks, many will raise their hands to ask questions embedded in curiosity, add on to systems that have been tried and proven, and fully lean into new experiences. Both returning and new learners have been fully dedicated to helping one another navigate the various parts of the day, scope the digital landscape of headrush, and tenaciously tackle the turf with gymnastics moves during outdoor play. Most inspiring is their ability to consistently collaborate. Just last Friday the entire studio participated in a whole studio soccer game. Similar to the intricacies of studio life, the soccer game displayed an effort of grit and determination to meet the goal (to score of course!).

Who would be goalie? How can we split up across the field to provide the best coverage for each team? Which learners could be counted on to encourage fellow learners in the tougher moments of the game with good sportsmanship? Of course everyone wanted to win, but our shared studio goal was collaboration. This was on display through moments of opposing team squeals, penalty kicks, and water breaks.

Some learners jumped up without hesitation at the idea of a whole studio World Cup game. While the others who were totally new to the experience took a second to contemplate the idea. Would it be challenging? Will I score? How can I help? On goalie duty, there was Liam for team one, and Fiona S. for team two. All other learners were playing and making themselves useful by passing the ball back and forth across the soccer field in order to score.

A zealous returning learner at TVS, described the park day for Discovery studio as a prime time experience where his leadership skills were crucial. Not only does this dedication to helping others happen on the soccer field, but also off the field! When asked what it meant to be a leader, he said “It feels good. It makes me happy, because it’s really fun. A lot of people listen to the oldest learners, because they believe them.” Here at TVS older learners get the opportunity to share their triumphs and failures with newer learners in the hope that they can gain understanding on what methods have been tried and can work. Other times experiences of oldest learners may influence newer learners to forge a pathway anew.

In soccer, forwards are the goal-makers! This returning learner’s goal setting helped greatly with getting the team to score. When asked what motivated his teams, he said “we had to lock in! That just means to focus hard, and never back down.” This is the perfect example of collaboration and how it transcends school and sports. In the end he also said, “I always try to be positive, let’s just say everyone’s negative and you’re down by a goal in soccer- you probably won’t win. But even if you have a few members that are positive you will have a better chance of scoring. It gives you motivation!” In affirming others, he was able to lead his team to an impressive comeback! One can’t help but think to themselves, Messi who?  

Another returning learner who is compassionate, brings a “can do” attitude to all aspects of our daily schedule, including the World cup game. In the studio you can often find her showing other learners how to submit work, or how to achieve mastery on Khan. As a midfielder in the game, she was frequently inspiring her teammates to remain brave and resilient. When asked about how she motivates others, she said, “It depends on what they’re doing, if it’s a unit test and they fail I’d say it’s okay. I’ve failed like six times on a unit test. I know it’s hard to not get it right, but keep going and never give up.” In fact, her good nature is what kicked the game into high gear, and allowed some of the newer discovery learners to give 100% to closing the score gap.

Mixed aged classroom settings such as this one, makes way for consistent partnership. When asked about her influence in the studio the returning learner said, ” It feels great because last year I asked all of the older learners for help. Now all of the younger learners ask me for help! It feels good to be helpful to younger learners in the studio.” Research has shown learning from a peer is far more enjoyable than more traditional learning styles. In all, the returning learner and her team were set out on having fun while putting on great sportsmanship! She said, “”I feel like we worked well on the team. In the first few minutes– it was challenging. Lots of players never played soccer before, but they got it in the end. I held my role and we each had rows. When I played goalie, I told people to attack the ball! Even though we lost, we had fun!” Just like in sports, teamwork is what fuels almost all of what we do here at TVS! 

Our first session in Discovery is Build the Team, where over the course of seven weeks, learners hone in on collaboration and communication styles in order to create a system that promotes agency. Skills that have been honed in on in the previous weeks laid the foundation for a successful and enjoyable game. This memorable moment for the Discovery studio was also teachable in areas of both strength and improvement. Collaborating can sometimes feel daunting, as if it’ll be life’s most challenging task to navigate. However, together we have kicked off a wonderful start to the school year with our team!

Here at The Village School, we are a community. In our mixed-age learning environment, awe-inspiring moments are happening all the time. I have witnessed our oldest learners inviting our youngest learners to play games. I have witnessed learners cheering each other on when they reach their goals. I have witnessed budding friendships transform into deep loyalties, and individuals with a common cause uniting to take action and create positive change. All of this is beautiful. These are the moments we love to hear about—guides and families alike. Still, our TVS community is composed of more than just these moments.

In addition to these more straightforward instances, I have seen learners navigate truly challenging conflicts with one another and even with themselves. I have seen learners wrestle with change and experience frustration and anger when they fail. I have listened to stories of personal hardship and seen learners pull inward when they are hurt. Already, learners are grappling with their identities and the roles they play in our ever-changing world. Why am I sharing this? Can’t we go back to talking about the harmonious games played between the oldest and youngest learners?

I’m sharing this because conflict, failure, hardship, and struggle are a huge part of why TVS is a true community. We don’t shy away from the difficult—in fact, we run toward it. In learning how to work through conflict, learner relationships, empathy, and self-advocacy grow stronger. By understanding that failure is normal and essential for growth, learners persevere and cheer each other on in the process of becoming. In sharing their stories and contemplating their roles, learners discover what they are passionate about and what they can do to make change. Every learner’s step and misstep, achievement and failure, is met with the promise of a community to support them both when they fall and when they soar.

During the first session of each school year, every studio creates a studio contract. The studio contract is a learner-created document that outlines the agreements each learner promises to uphold. Adventure learners were tasked with this challenge during the first week of the session. They began building the contract by making their thinking visible with the Making Meaning Thinking Routine. First, learners were separated into small groups, and each group received a piece of chart paper with one of the following words: community, learner, or trailblazer. Next, every learner wrote a word they associated with the main word on their chart paper. Then, each learner chose another learner’s word and expanded on it by writing a phrase. Learners drew lines connecting their words and ideas. Based on their collective input, they created the following contract:

1. Keep the studio clean.
2. Take responsibility for my education.
3. Treat everyone the way they want to be treated.
4. Be respectful to others, their boundaries, ideas, and things—and NO body shaming.
5. Be accountable for yourself and others.
6. Always try your best and produce your best work.
7. Be kind and patient with others.
8. Have a growth mindset.
9. Stop means stop, and no means no.
10. Come to school ready and prepared.

This document reflects what our TVS learners want for our community—a community that celebrates, supports, learns, and holds itself to a high standard. It is also aspirational—we understand it may not always be followed, and when it isn’t, that’s when learning and growth occur. What more is there to say? Only this: building this kind of community is both a challenge and a constant effort. It takes trust, perseverance, time, care, and a whole lot of hope. Based on my experience with the TVS learners so far, it is well worth it.