For over 100 years, progressive educators have seen children as individuals, each with their own unique profile of strengths, passions and weaknesses. They believe that children learn best in interactive, vibrant learning communities through hands-on, active explorations and lively discourse. Teachers see themselves as the planners of overarching curriculum but step back as facilitators, allowing young learners to brainstorm and problem-solve and develop autonomy, independence, respect and confidence.
Progressive Education in Practice
When you walk into our classrooms, you’ll immediately see that our students want to learn, want to reach out, want to read and write and want to experiment because that is how the minds of children are formed and because that is what our environment and faculty nurtures every day.
Countless times our parents have said that their children can’t wait to go to school in the morning and are disappointed when the school year comes to a close. Although we as adults may think of these breaks as a necessary time to recharge our batteries and gear up for the school year ahead, Stevens students are being energized by the progressive curriculum employed in our school everyday. They do not view school as a chore, or hard work to be avoided. They look at our school as a place where their questions will be answered, where their ideas will be valued and where their contribution to the school community is absolutely essential.
Whether it is building with blocks, mummifying a duck, exploring ancient worlds through Greek and Latin or writing their self evaluations, these students know the joy of learning is not only what is necessary to be a productive and engaged citizen of the world, but to learn it in a way that is meaningful, and therefore, likely to be remembered far beyond the school’s doors.