Jeff Hopkins was our guest speaker during our class. He is the founder and principal of Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry.
What really resonated with me was his school’s framework. It seems to be very independent and free where each child can select what they want to work on and for how long. Jeff mentioned that one student was working on a novel and they decided to spend three hours of that school day working on it. Additionally, he mentioned that if a student needs help with math, they can pop in just for ten minutes to work with a teacher.
I find that this free-flowing structure is very interesting. I am personally one of those people who needs structure. I like being told what I have to do and having allocated time to do it, like a normal high school. I do not know how much I would personally like Jeff’s school as it is “unstructured.” However, what I really like is that children and teachers work together and help students with their personal interests. I believe schools should focus more on projects and work on student interest.
I think if students have a passion for something that they are working on, they will work harder on it and truly enjoy what they are learning. I am wondering how more student-based projects can be incorporated into the curriculum.
Jeff also mentioned that a lot of the students that attend his school have learning disabitlies. They seem to thrive in the school environment. I am wondering how aspects of Jeff’s schools can be added into the school curriculum to help those who have learning disabilities.
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