While still in Sointula this past year, I spent a dreary winter day doing some research on alternative education on the west coast. One of the schools I came across was Windsor House, located in North Vancouver. Something about it sounded familiar, and as I did some more research I realized that I had read about this school back in Ontario, years ago, and wished I could visit it. Well what do you know! Now the opportunity had arisen!
Two weeks into my road trip I found myself in Vancouver. I had emailed earlier in the Spring about the possibility of visiting or volunteering, but had not followed up in awhile. No response to my last minute inquiries, so I called the main office and spoke to the secretary. Sam was more than obliging, and called me back later that afternoon to say that, not only could I have a tour the next day, but the founder of the school, Helen Hughes, was available to take me around! Amazing!
When I finally arrived at the school, late after getting lost and taking 2 wrong turns, Helen had joined some of the smaller children and their parents who were sharing stories together in a circle with a facilitator. Children were free to come and go, but asked to show respect to those who were sharing. As the circle wound up, Helen and her small grandson took me quietly out, and we wandered through the sprawling building and grounds, peeking in on different rooms to see what was going on. And many things were going on! There was a group of highschool students studying math with a tutor, kids making pizza in the kitchen with some adult volunteers, and small children throwing paper airplanes and trying to figure out how to make them fly better. We opened a door into a small dark room where a collection of preteens was putting together an actual radio show. In the project/art room, kids of all ages were working on their 3D ecosystems which were part of an ongoing strategy game. Outside in the courtyard children were playing, talking, and eating. Amazingly, all activities were student initiated - no one is coerced into attending anything at this school. Smaller children were using art supplies, reading, and playing in the loft of a kindergarten-type room. Parents with babies and tots in tow were joining in activities, wandering the halls, and helping run programs. Volunteers stopped to chat with me, explain what was going on, and talk about their experiences. On a wall in the main hallway is a bulletin board covered in hundreds of requests from students for workshops, classes, field trips, etc. Other students who are interested can sign up, and as soon as a facilitator (who could be a teacher, another student, a parent, a volunteer, a community member) signs on, a time and meeting place are agreed upon and the class can begin. All disputes, disagreements, and rules are discussed and voted on at whole school meetings. Students, parents, and teachers all have one vote. Anyone can bring up a matter for discussion.
I followed Helen to another building across the courtyard where a parent support meeting was being held. We sat in a circle of chairs with 5 or 6 parents and a few children, had tea, and had an open discussion on their experiences at the school, what support they needed, and any problems they were wanting to resolve. "I want this school to grow into a supportive community for adults as well as children," said Helen. One of the results of her passion is the Vancouver based TES...Transforming Education Society - a website making it possible for members of the community to share their knowledge, skills and experience.
Two weeks into my road trip I found myself in Vancouver. I had emailed earlier in the Spring about the possibility of visiting or volunteering, but had not followed up in awhile. No response to my last minute inquiries, so I called the main office and spoke to the secretary. Sam was more than obliging, and called me back later that afternoon to say that, not only could I have a tour the next day, but the founder of the school, Helen Hughes, was available to take me around! Amazing!
When I finally arrived at the school, late after getting lost and taking 2 wrong turns, Helen had joined some of the smaller children and their parents who were sharing stories together in a circle with a facilitator. Children were free to come and go, but asked to show respect to those who were sharing. As the circle wound up, Helen and her small grandson took me quietly out, and we wandered through the sprawling building and grounds, peeking in on different rooms to see what was going on. And many things were going on! There was a group of highschool students studying math with a tutor, kids making pizza in the kitchen with some adult volunteers, and small children throwing paper airplanes and trying to figure out how to make them fly better. We opened a door into a small dark room where a collection of preteens was putting together an actual radio show. In the project/art room, kids of all ages were working on their 3D ecosystems which were part of an ongoing strategy game. Outside in the courtyard children were playing, talking, and eating. Amazingly, all activities were student initiated - no one is coerced into attending anything at this school. Smaller children were using art supplies, reading, and playing in the loft of a kindergarten-type room. Parents with babies and tots in tow were joining in activities, wandering the halls, and helping run programs. Volunteers stopped to chat with me, explain what was going on, and talk about their experiences. On a wall in the main hallway is a bulletin board covered in hundreds of requests from students for workshops, classes, field trips, etc. Other students who are interested can sign up, and as soon as a facilitator (who could be a teacher, another student, a parent, a volunteer, a community member) signs on, a time and meeting place are agreed upon and the class can begin. All disputes, disagreements, and rules are discussed and voted on at whole school meetings. Students, parents, and teachers all have one vote. Anyone can bring up a matter for discussion.
I followed Helen to another building across the courtyard where a parent support meeting was being held. We sat in a circle of chairs with 5 or 6 parents and a few children, had tea, and had an open discussion on their experiences at the school, what support they needed, and any problems they were wanting to resolve. "I want this school to grow into a supportive community for adults as well as children," said Helen. One of the results of her passion is the Vancouver based TES...Transforming Education Society - a website making it possible for members of the community to share their knowledge, skills and experience.
Windsor House is a publicly funded democratic school whose guiding principles are: profound respect, self-directed education, democratic governance, multi-age grouping, participation, freedom with responsibility, and accountability. This is not the type of school that is usually publically funded, but when it was started in the 70s the regulations were not as strict. In recent years, the government caught up to this fact, and began putting more stringent restrictions on the school, such as requiring report cards. Windsor House complied, but all parents and students agreed that they did not need to see the reports - report cards go straight to the officials who need to see them.
At Windsor House, learning is
I talked with Helen about how someone like me, who is interested in this type of education but entrenched in a more traditional system, might make the transition to eventually teaching or working in a free school. Many people begin by volunteering their time regularly before the school decides that they are a fit and asks them to participate in a more official capacity. However, there are plans for a teacher training program in the works….perhaps that will be part of my future experiences as well!
At Windsor House, learning is
- Personalized — can happen any time, any place, at any pace
- Self-determined — students take charge to ensure relevance and engagement
- Constructivist — knowledge is created, not absorbed
- Experiential — the emphasis is on learning by doing and discovery
- Deep — higher-order thinking skills, not rote memorization
- Intrinsically motivated — no rewards or grades
- Technology-enriched — for knowledge, communication, exploration, expression, collaboration
- E-Portfolio-based — self-reflection, teacher feedback and conferencing instead of report cards
- Community-based — connected to the “real world” outside school walls
- Holistic — focused on learners as whole people
I talked with Helen about how someone like me, who is interested in this type of education but entrenched in a more traditional system, might make the transition to eventually teaching or working in a free school. Many people begin by volunteering their time regularly before the school decides that they are a fit and asks them to participate in a more official capacity. However, there are plans for a teacher training program in the works….perhaps that will be part of my future experiences as well!