This is a call for partners on a new project. Mercedes and I (and other interested parties, including you, if you are interested) are going to start an education non-profit with the goal of developing a curriculum and operating model for a school, and eventually starting a lab school.
One of the things that will differentiate this model from other educational concepts will be a focus on family history. For example, history and geography will be taught in the context of the ancestors of the school’s students (including places and events that are important to the students and their families). Students will study and create family histories and biographies of their own family members, as well as those of their classmates.
Another thing that will differentiate this education model is a well-rounded and explicit approach to helping students understand and integrate their individual personalities (e.g., using the Big 5 as a model). The curriculum will include concepts and methods directed toward (and in celebration of) things like
- intellectual curiosity and problem solving (openness)
- artistic expression (openness)
- keeping things organized (conscientiousness)
- repeating and perfecting what you know (conscientiousness)
- avoiding attention when you feel anxious (threat sensitivity)
- expressing anger when you are wronged (threat sensitivity)
- sympathizing with those in need (agreeablenes)
- being polite and understanding social conventions (agreeablenes)
- competing for individual glory (extroversion)
- enthusiasm for team efforts (extroversion)
In most current school environments, at least some of these aspects of personality are ignored or actively discouraged.
In addition to emphasizing the family and the individual, the school will also emphasize finding meaningful ways to participate in the community. So the model will be something like know yourself, your family, and your world.
As part of the community aspect, I would emphasize the following:
- Interaction between students of different ages
- Interaction between students and people outside the school community
- Identifying and enforcing behavioral norms (including solving problems among themselves, as opposed to top-down imposition of authority)
As for basic subjects like math, reading, and science, to the extent possible, they should be taught in a way that helps students understand their families and themselves. But also, there is a lot of research about how to do these well (e.g., there is an emerging consensus that phonics is the best way to teach reading and we don’t really need to reinvent the wheel).
I have seen some great education models that address some of these things, but I think there is a big gap when it comes to using education to strengthen families, and when it comes to incorporating a more complete model of personality. If you agree, let me know.
Also, this is obviously a very early stage of this project, so if you have different thoughts about what is lacking in the current education system, and your ideas are basically consistent with what I have outlined here, I would love to talk to you. If your ideas aren’t consistent, the conversation might be even more interesting…but there just may not be as much room for collaboration.
