In the United States, there are 32,461 private schools. However, not all of these schools utilize the same teaching techniques and if you are a parent looking for a new kind of school, an Acton private school is something you need to know about.
What Is an Acton Private School?
Acton private schools offer a completely different method of teaching that merges play-based programs for core skills, hands-on learning, and Socratic discussions to stimulate critical thought and encourage deeper thought and exploration of ideas.
The Acton philosophy is that children learn better by doing, and this ties into almost every aspect of the curriculum. Acton classrooms are designed to be a learning environment that fosters responsibility, teamwork, exploration, and goal-setting. This empowers students to think for themselves and explore their interests in a way that is independent and self-motivated. Skills like this can benefit children in all aspects of life, even long after they have graduated.
Student-Led Education
In an Acton private school, education is student-led. This means that students are given ownership of their education and peer relationships under the guidance of their teachers. This allows for more individual growth, and the ability for students to determine how the class progresses, as opposed to limiting this with strict lesson plans that don’t adapt to the needs of unique classes.
In Acton schools, children come first and the biggest priority is encouraging a love of exploration and learning, instead of squashing out this inherent curiosity as many traditional schools do.
The Socratic Method
Teachers, known in Acton as guides, employ the Socratic method by responding to student questions with new questions to encourage critical thinking. This method is based on the teaching of the ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, who used dialogue to inspire his students to think for themselves.
This method can be extremely beneficial, as it challenges students to create their own ideas and learn problem-solving methods, instead of simply being told the answers and being expected to remember them. When students are able to spend time thinking about a topic on their own, they’re much more likely to remember the lesson than if they were simply told all of the answers during a lecture.
A Future of Independent Thinkers
If you are looking for a different kind of school for your child, an Acton private school is something to consider. These schools take learning in a completely new direction based on old wisdom and help prepare children to become the free-thinking adults who will shape the future of tomorrow.