Supported Learning

A core value of EA School of Innovation-

Students & Teachers are supported so curiosity and risk-taking can take place

Students, teachers, and administrators in the school system will be supported and encourage to explore, take risks and ownership of their learning by thinking critically and creatively across disciplines. This will occur by encouraging a collaborative partnership among administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community. It is important that the focus includes creating environments that will encourage and support risk-taking with the understanding that there may be mistakes along the way. Creating this space or environment where curiosity and risk-taking can flourish starts with school officials. Administrators will encourage collaboration between teachers while also encouraging all learners to take their own risks. Through opportunities for continued professional development in all disciplines, teachers will continue to grow as learners and risk-takers.

Teachers will be supported in and out of the classroom as they work with encouraging students to take ownership of their learning. The process of risk-taking will be explained to all students so they will understand that progress will happen by taking risks. And with risks, comes the potential for errors and maybe even failure. But mistakes and errors are not a bad thing. In fact, mistakes are an important part of figuring out different solutions to different problems. Administrators and teachers will model for students that risk-taking is important and what happens after a mistake or failure is what is most important in the learning process. Administrators and teachers will be encouraged to admit to students that they may not always know the answer but together by collaborating they can find the answers together. It is important to commend attempts at learning that were not successful to encourage students to continue to take risks.

The school system will support authentic learning opportunities. Teachers and students regularly practice the skills of proposing high order questions about real-life scenarios, imagining and evaluating multiple solutions to identified problems, and healthy risk-taking with regards to personal and academic growth. It will also be important to incorporate and embrace the personal learning styles of students and teachers. The focus of professional learning for teachers will include helping them to be prepared to support students on their own paths of inquiry. While also providing teachers with support around their strengths and weaknesses. The goal is to build an environment where teachers and students feel empowered to go down their own paths of inquiry.