Education Re-defined

We educate to provide the basic foundations for a successful human life. It is important to

provide education from childhood to adulthood. The philosophy that creates the most balance

and equality is progressivism. Equal educational opportunities should be provided to ensure each

generation advances towards a better world. Education is a right, and advancements in history

have helped us progress to acknowledge this. For example, each educational organization now

has a Code of Ethics to set a standard of practice (Wells, M.S. & Clayton C., 2021, ch. 5). An

effective progressive school’s standards should provide the encouragement and foundations to

advance personal creativity and life skills.

Our current educational systems can vary in both quality and ethics. Such factors usually

depend on location and economic status. I was lucky enough to visit a great progressive school in

Indianapolis, The Orchard School. The culture I observed in this school was heavily related to

my own interpretation of what culture should be like in this environment. For example, there

were no explicit rules in this school. Students were expected to self-govern and hold themselves

accountable for their own actions. This is a small detail that indirectly but effectively teaches

important problem-solving and decision-making skills. The culture in an educational

environment should aim for students to independently discover themselves and the world around

them, with guidance as necessary. Educators should view themselves as academic supporters in a

classroom, rather than superiors. An educational environment should facilitate the learning

process for each student and their individual needs to create an equal playing field of future

opportunity.

The physical environment of a progressive school should be structured to create

community among students. For example, The Orchard School is organized into “villages” based
on grade. Each section of the school includes the respective classrooms of each grade as well as

communal spaces shared between grades. In addition, this school has walls full of student-made

art and photos of students. Students could feel like the space is more personal to them if they

assisted with decorating it, and the same can apply in the classroom. Students should be given

the opportunity to personalize the spaces they occupy to feel more comfortable and familiar with

each space. According to an article by Cindy Eggebrecht-Weinschreider, a comfortable

environment should be created to ensure a relaxing space for students to successfully and

effectively learn without immense stimulation or distractions (2020). Many classrooms in The

Orchard School have low lighting and comfortable seating, which creates an overall relaxed

feeling for students to be productive. Plenty of natural lighting was also provided in all parts of

the building, in addition to the views of the surrounding woods. Ultimately, many factors go into

making a great physical learning environment and schools can achieve this in a variety of ways.

The human environment in an ideal school should be full of friendly faces, whether it be

faculty or students. The social environment is an important factor in the overall educational

environment of a school. According to an article by educational author Robert Simpson, a

positive environment is more likely to encourage and facilitate the growth and development of

students in all aspects. A school should be an inclusive, engaging, supportive, and emotionally

safe environment. Emotional safety is especially a crucial component of a positive learning

environment. A school should be a safe place for the free expression of the student’s thoughts,

feelings, and ideas without ridicule or judgment. Educators should also aim for a nurturing

environment that provides encouragement and support. Additionally, an inclusive and diverse

environment is significant to create an inclusive environment where all students feel valued,
respected, and represented. The human environment must be psychologically safe for students to

effectively engage in meaningful learning experiences (2024).

Classroom management is equally as significant as the environment in an educational

setting. Positive classroom management can be achieved by encouraging student voice and

choice. Encouraging students to contribute to discussion allows them to feel involved in the

classroom. The freedom to express ideas and opinions is important not only for the human

environment but for classroom management as well. Students are more likely to be further

engaged when they feel involved. Furthermore, “Maslow before Bloom” is a major idea that

should be prioritized in a school. A student's basic needs must be met before their educational

needs can be met. This idea should be kept in mind when managing the classroom. “Reading the

room” to determine what the class can accomplish at the time is a great way to prevent students

from burning out or feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, flexible seating should be available to

increase comfortability in the classroom. For example, The Orchard School had a variety of

seating options, and all were created with comfortability in mind. Occasionally, students may

need a reminder that they are not sent to school as a punishment, and it shouldn’t feel like it.

Technology should be offered but not required and should be limited. Adolescents should be

learning from human experiences rather than mainly from a screen. Students can better connect

with what they are learning when it’s truly hands-on. Group projects should always be

encouraged to build teamwork skills. Not only do group activities build teamwork skills, but they

give young people an opportunity to build critical social skills. A classroom can be managed in

many ways, but the student’s best interest should always be kept in mind.

A flexible curriculum should be enforced by a progressive school. Students should of

course learn basic core curriculum components, but it should usually be related to a real-life
topic or idea. Guiding students to make connections is an important skill to develop in the

classroom. Students should have a voice in what they desire to focus on in school. Although you

should not cater exactly to your students’ needs because they need to stay on track growth-wise,

their ideas should be considered and encouraged. For example, in the classroom I observed at

The Orchard School, students were allowed to choose the work they focused on that day. Giving

the students a sense of voice and choice encouraged them to feel more involved in the classroom

and focused on the work. The curriculum should have the same learning goals as other schools

while allowing flexible ways to achieve those goals.

A variety of types of schools should be offered to our community, but ultimately

progressive schools facilitate learning most positively. Schools should be a community for

students and families regardless of the culture or learning environment. The community should

always have a say in the education of youth. Most of the population of our communities,

especially our small communities, is comprised of the parents of the students we are educating.

The community is also a large contributor to the funding that goes to the schools. The

community is more likely to make larger contributions if the schools are following the

philosophies and ideas they agree with. Therefore, the school can funnel that money into making

the school an overall better place for students.

Wells, M. S., & Clayton, C. (2021). Foundations of American education a critical lens

Melissa Wells. VIVA.

Eggebrecht-Weinschreider05/25/20, C. (n.d.). Comfort is critical for student success.

here are 3 simple factors to consider. Spaces4Learning.

https://spaces4learning.com/articles/2020/05/25/comfort-is-critical-for-student-success.-here-

are-3-simple-factors-to-consider.aspx

Simpson, R. (2024, June 10). Why is a positive learning environment important? creating

an optimal learning atmosphere. ED Tech RCE. https://edtechrce.org/why-is-a-positive-learning-

environment-important/