acton academy palm harbor private school charter microschool
acton academy palm harbor private school charter microschool
Find a Calling. Change the World.
  • About 
    • Our Approach
    • Our Team
    • Studios
    • Blog
    • Apply
  • Family 
    • Parent Tribe
  • …  
    • About 
      • Our Approach
      • Our Team
      • Studios
      • Blog
      • Apply
    • Family 
      • Parent Tribe
  •  
    • Schedule A Tour
      acton academy palm harbor private school charter microschool
      acton academy palm harbor private school charter microschool
      Find a Calling. Change the World.
      • About 
        • Our Approach
        • Our Team
        • Studios
        • Blog
        • Apply
      • Family 
        • Parent Tribe
      • …  
        • About 
          • Our Approach
          • Our Team
          • Studios
          • Blog
          • Apply
        • Family 
          • Parent Tribe
      •  
        • Schedule A Tour
          acton academy palm harbor private school charter microschool

          You know you’re at Acton when...

          The joys of a learner-driven studio.

          Are you wondering what's inside an Acton Academy Studio?  

          You know you are visiting an Acton Academy Learner-Driven Community when:

          You see and hear:

          1. Evidence of the Hero’s Journey

          • Frequent references to the Hero’s Journey and callings
          • Use of Growth Mindset language
          • Acknowledgment of the necessity to fail early, cheaply and often to learn
          • Parent Meetings at least 3x per year, focusing on parents’ own Hero’s Journeys

          2. Self-governance and self-management

          • Studio Contracts visible on the walls
          • Eagles set daily SMART goals
          • Eagles hold each other accountable to Contract promises (Eagle Bucks, Growth Mindset language) and take their community issues to Town Hall
          • Visible schedule with large blocks of time

          3. Accountability and celebration of progress and hard work

          • Public Exhibitions at the end of every session
          • Badges approved according to “Standards of Excellence” 
          • Weekly points and SMART goals
          • Customer satisfaction surveys at least twice per month shared with Eagles and parents

          4. Eagles “Learning to Do”

          • Hands-on Quests to discover gifts
          • Socratic discussions in launches and Civilization
          • Khan, Dreambox and other game-based tools to allow Eagles to learn at their own pace
          • Eagles choosing to “drop everything and read” (DEAR)
          • Writers’ Workshop and peer-reviewed writing
          • Apprenticeships in upper studios

          5. Eagles “Learning to Learn”

          • Overarching Question posted on the wall
          • Journey maps posted on walls (Quests, Writer’s Workshop, Civilization)
          • Eagles learning clear processes for getting things done, often posted on walls (writing processes, critique processes, conflict resolution processes, etc.)
          • Public posting of work and comparison of world-class examples
          • Feedback systems and deliberate practice
          • Nest Cams to capture visual patterns over time

          6. Eagles “Learning to Be”

          • Character Callouts 
          • Servant Leader Badges or another way to intentionally develop heroic habits
          • Squad Leaders or Running Partners/Teams
          • Collaboration Cards or another system for purposeful collaboration
          • 360 Peer Reviews or another system for feedback on Eagle’s warm-hearted and tough-minded character development

          7. Socratic Guiding

          • Guides only respond to questions with another question or a choice
          • The flow of the studio doesn’t revolve around the Guide; Eagles don’t look to Guides as their primary help 
          • Guide can disappear for extended periods of time, and nothing changes
          • Studio isn’t organized around a teacher desk
          • No examples of: Teaching or lecturing by Guides, Grades or grading by adults, Shaming behavior or language or a condescending tone, Fixed mindset language, Guides making announcements in front of the studio

          8. Language that affirms the method

          • Young people referred to as “Eagles” (mascot), “Heroes,” or “Learners,” and not as “students,” “kids,” “boys and girls,” or any other form of the diminutive
          • Adults referred to as “Guides” and not “teachers”
          • No reference to grade levels (“fifth grade”)
          • “Learn to Learn, Learn to Do, Learn to Be” instead of edu-speak like “developmentally appropriate,” “classroom,” “instruction,” “gifted & talented”
          • “Learning” instead of “teaching”

          A Note: “Excellent” work meets one of these standards: (1) Is this your best work?; (2) Is it better than last time?; (3) How does it compare to a world-class example?; or (4) Has it won an outside competition? Badges largely approved by peers or upper-school Mentors instead of Guides.

          Ready to read more?  Check out:  FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE: A SYNCHRONOUS PAIR 

          Freedom and Structure: A Synchronous Pair by Laura Sandefer

          https://www.actonacademyparents.com/freedom-and-structure-a-synchronous-pair-at-acton/

          Previous
          Our MISSION, BELIEFS, AND PROMISES
          Next
          K12 ReimaginED
           Return to site
          All Posts
          ×

          Almost done…

          We just sent you an email. Please click the link in the email to confirm your subscription!

          OK

            Call Us
            Email
            Info/Apply