SAMPLER
Community
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WyldFlower learning
These components provide a vital living system that sustain development and growth
Community Involvement: Each individual must feel connected, valued, and productive. In keeping our adult:student ratio low, we accomplish secure relationship building with each student. By doing meaningful work chosen and directed by the student, a feeling of belonging and productivity naturally follows. With a place-based approach, we use Sheridan and the surrounding areas as our classroom; inviting community members into our facility and taking students out to the broader area. This cements the ideology that learning happens everywhere and at any time. Nature & Play: Time in nature and open-ended play significantly improves all aspects of child development – physical, cognitive, social, and emotional. Playing outdoors grows resilience, self-confidence, initiative, creativity and more. Immersing ourselves in our surroundings also leads to lifelong stewardship. Age Mixing: We do not segregate learners by age. Each student has the liberty to participate and interact with others based on shared interests, passions, and activities. This allows for a natural flow of information and learning flows both ways. Research has shown that children in mixed-age classrooms have increased social and emotional understanding, engage in both collaborative and independent learning with greater ease, and have more positive peer interactions than their counterparts in single-grade classrooms. It also provides ample space for leadership, compassion, and mentor moments for the older students involved.
our soil
Hi there
WyldFlower Learning Community is a non-traditional K-12 school with a foundation of democracy and self-directed choice. We value creative thinkers and curious go-getters. We also deeply value democracy and civic participation. By creating a space in which democracy lives, wonder grows unhindered and independence blossoms. Children's nature is to thrive, reach, and grow. Humans are wired to develop knowledge, skills, and intelligence. They consistently find unique ways of being and doing. Immersed in opportunities and challenges of the real world, scaled down, children naturally develop into informed, active adults committed to making their community, and world, a better place to live. By implementing best practices for whole child development, WyldFlower is an environment that immerses students into the values and experiences needed to grow into a successful adult. We are tapping into the best of Sheridan, Wyoming; from it’s community members, many field trip opportunities, to it’s breathtaking landscape and rugged terrain. We believe that there is no such thing as a standard child, and there is no one-size-fits-all curriculum that will provide what each unique child needs. Jim Rietmulder of Circle School points out that "mandatory curriculum displaces more meaningful developmental opportunities, promotes shallow learning, turns children off to academics, undermines introspection and self-awareness, decreases initiative, fosters passivity, dis-empowers, and dampens creativity and joy of life in many ways." At WyldFlower each learner gets exactly what they need when they need it. That is the power of a self directed education.
Thought Bubbles
Learning happens anywhere, everywhere, all the time.
our roots
Self-Development Self-Development includes these main areas: Cognitive/Intellectual Development: An environment of interested and interesting people is intellectually and socially stimulating. Allison Gopnik points out through decades of research that children are also hard-wired to learn. Gopnik has also documented how they become resilient, confident, knowledgeable, and skilled when in an environment where adults are more like gardeners and less like carpenters. Physical: Healthy bodies, healthy minds. Social/Emotional: Self-aware, empathetic and compassionate. Spiritual: Allowing them to reflect on their positive actions, beliefs, with opportunities to deepen their own values. Personal Growth: Developmental medical and psychological research has long documented that an individual progresses at a unique pace. A person needs space and time to allow individual passions to sprout and flourish. "Prepare your child for the path, instead of the path for the child"-------- Dr. Tim Elmore Students need support and experience to gain a deep understanding of one’s unique strengths and struggles. We prepare the student for the path, not dictate what path each student should take. We want to cultivate an environment that challenges the individual to get to know themselves better and improve themselves mentally, physically and socially; To see them develop the grit it takes to conquer fears and overcome obstacles in life. Childhood is a journey to independence. Students thrive on exploration. Given the time, space, and engagement, they can develop mastery of knowledge and skills with incredible accuracy. Civic Engagement Civics is a hands-on, daily experience at WyldFlower. Learners are engaged in an ongoing project of running a democracy. They learn the importance of community involvement, the concept of justice, and what it takes to be a citizen for a healthy democracy to operate. Please see “School Structure” below for more information. Environmental Awareness To understand the natural world one must actually see the natural world. By seeing the natural we mean actually being in the trees, the mountains, with the wildlife, observing the scenery. We provide time and space for our community to develop a deep affection and connection to the wild spaces we explore. From this connection to their environment flows a desire and awareness to attend to it’s needs and limited resources. We spend a significant portion of our day outside.
At WyldFlower we practice life everyday. Think of WyldFlower as a micro society that reflects the ideals and practices of America, scaled down slightly. Each person with an equal vote, equal say, and equal responsibility. Enjoying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Naturally constrained by community, safety, and personal responsibility. Why should autonomy and choice be withheld from children? Why shouldn't they be given the opportunity to manage their schedules, access information independently, process numbers for their business venture, find a passion, or just go to the bathroom when they need to?! Why would we wait to teach "real life" responsibilities and structures until they are out of the nest? Why does our standard system encourage students to be dependent, coerced, controlled, and manipulated? It seems strange that we would lead them by the hand through every grade level, give instruction for almost every activity of their lives and then. . . they move out. They go to college, get jobs, be independent. Do they have any training for this? At WyldFlower, students learn so much from conversations, reading, daily experiences, pursuing passions, dreaming up possibilities, hands on work, process and procedures, elections, and the responsibility of self-governance. The list goes on! There is no separation of life and learning for students at WyldFlower, just as there is no separation in our daily lives from the kind of learning we experience as adults. We have seen what the "just in case" learning model has produced in the standard setting. Why don't we start looking at the research that demonstrates a very different outcome when we focus on a learning environment that fosters students' desire to learn because they want to know something- want to know how to do something- want to understand the unknown. This is "on demand" learning. The results are clear; more successful and satisfied adults, more entrepreneurs, more college graduates, more joy, more self assurance, more meaningful pursuits, more volunteer hours, more civic engagement. Most American's can agree that the need for a change to education is long over due. As a post-industrial society, we need a learning environment that meets our current economy. WyldFlower gives the time, support, and space for kids to develop into kinds of humans this world needs! If you are ready to join us on this WYLD adventure please fill out a parent survey today!
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
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Questions?
If we want healthy adults who believe in democracy, the environment in which they develop should reflect that. At WyldFlower, we are self-governing. Kids get a hands on learning experience in civics and democracy from day 1. The heart of the school is the Judicial Committee and School Meeting. The mechanisms for law establishment and enforcement. Justice is sought for and each player on the scene is treated with kindness and respect. School Meeting is the executive function of the school (Administration). It runs like a principal, or headmaster of our school. Some members attend each and every session. Others only attend when agenda items are meaningful to them personally. School Meeting runs once a week. It is integral to the operation of the school. Each member of the community has equal voting rights and determines the procedures and structural organization of the school. They are also responsible for some of our operational budget. Here they are able to make proposals, run for election as openings come up, vote on budget items or amendments needed with our Constitution (Law Book), and vote for any agenda items. Here is a small sampling taken from School Meeting Minutes this past month. Motion: To make app’s universally available on all tablets/Ipads. (We have been running into issues of certain apps being downloaded onto certain tablets and not others. This is problematic when the app you want to use is located on a device someone else is currently using!) ADOPTED Motion: To clear unused Minecraft worlds off of all devices that are being clogged by such things, and not used. ADOPTED Motion: If you are going to build a fort you must be certified, have received permission from the WJC with a reservation form, and be checked out by the Fort Manager. 2 readings. (After second reading and with some adjustments made to add more detail and nominate a Fort Manager to handle reservations and check outs) ADOPTED Motion: To run elections for 3 WJC Chair positions, 2 Runners, 2 Chore Checker (paid position). All positions were filled after a final vote was taken. WJC (WyldFlower Judicial Committee) All of us- students and staff- must follow the same rules, and no one can make up new ones on their own. Only School Meeting can institute new laws, and only after discussion and majority vote. Once in the law book, the WJC will enforce and protect it. Everyone takes turns serving on the Judicial Committee, or the Ticket Tribunal (think Jury duty). A few examples of recent rulings from the past month. Charge: Chloe, Taylee, and Tula left their lunch boxes out again after reminder. Plea: Guilty, all three. Sentence: Lunchboxes will be confiscated upon arrival and only released to the girls once it is time for hot lunch until they can demonstrate to the community that they can clean up their spaces. Revisit in one week. Charge: Jefferey and Blair were wrestling in the library. (Law states that this is a calm and quiet space) Plea: Guilty, No Contest (he felt he responded so was less guilty.) Sentence: No technology (located in the Library) for ROD (rest of day) and NDA (next day of attendance).
www.wyldflowerlearning.org
Next Steps
Learn more about us. Go over wyldflowerlearning.org with a fine toothed comb! Read other books and articles from the resource page on the website. Fill out the parent survey on the site. 2. Let's chat! After you submit your parent survey, we will be in touch! After we chat and answer any questions you might have, we can schedule an tour of the space. If it's a good fit- 3. Apply! Enrollment is open to children who are able to function safely, effectively, and self-responsibly in the program, and who want to attend. Space is limited!
