What makes Acton unique as a private school? We incorporate many parts of a Montessori and Reggio Emilia education. In addition, there are so many other aspects of Acton that turn learning upside down:
- One-room schoolhouse
- Project Based Learning
- No homework
- No grades
- No report cards
- No lectures
- Blended learning
- ESTEAM (Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art
s, Math) Education
- Guides rather than teachers
- Focus on the 4 Cs (Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity)
- Montessori principles to build independent learners
- Socratic discussions to develop critical thinking skills
- Personalized, self-paced, mastery-based learning
All of the above approaches to education are designed to give learners exposure to real-life skills. The Acton holistic approach focusing on learning to be, learning to do, and learning to learn. This leads to a much more fulfilling Hero’s journey and carves a path where learners find joy in learning which leads to lifelong learning. But what truly separates Acton is that we are a Learner-Driven school. Eagles drive their own learning vs. the traditional approach of Teacher / State led curriculum. What does that look like? It shows up in a lot of ways:
- Eagles lead the morning discussion
- Eagles set their own goals
- Self-paced core skills
- Peer-to-Peer learning
- Studio governance:
- Creating / abiding by a learner-generated contract
- Eagles determine how studio maintenance gets complete
Learner-Driven education aligns with the research behind raising a happy child. If you are interested in learning more about Acton and our approach, please reach out or set up a time for a tour.
