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Innovation in schools requires a delicate balance between being open to lthe latest latest brain and pedagogical research while maintaining a degree of scepticism based on in-class experience.  It flourishes when teachers and parents work jointly to demonstrate a passion for life-long learning and to provide the students with the skills they need to take intellectual and emotional risks in order to achieve their own goals.

Oasis School, in Richland, WA, is such a school.  We have small (12 student maximum), multi-age classrooms to maintain a low student-teacher ratio.  We allow children to accelerate by skill level (math, reading, writing) according to their abilities, but recognize that their maturity level means that, socially, they should generally remain with their age peers.  Subjects are taught in a way that encourages students to make connections between science, social studies, math, and literature.  The arts are an integral part of the curriculum because we have only truly learned when we can translate our new knowledge into a different medium. 

We also try to develop and maintain a sense of community because children learn best when schools are not seen as separate from the rest of the world, but an integral part of it. That is why, whenever possible, schoolwork is tied to real life problems that our students can work to solve.  With fewer than 30 students in the entire school, we consistently are among the largest contributors to the local foodbank during our Halloween fund drive (writing and public speaking.)  Our students are also in the process of cleaning up and developing a native plant garden at a local public park that was neglected by the city due to lack of funds (science, civics, writing, art, math.)

A satisfied parent

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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