Our philosophy of learning
Edson Forest School seeks to provide a close-knit and non-traditional school experience that fits the needs and interests of our students. Our goals are to:
- create a supportive environment in which students can discover a love of learning;
- help students make connection to nature;
- build confidence and resilience;
- encourage a sense of shared community; and
- channel each child’s natural interest in the world into activities that will foster deeper understandings.
We know that all human beings learn best when the information is relevant and interesting to them and when they have a stake in the outcomes. Engaged children are learners! Children are natural scientists; even as babies, we test the bounds of gravity, make art from found materials, and conduct psychology experiments upon nearby adults. We want our students to keep that natural curiosity throughout their lives, no matter where their passions take them.
Natural learning and outdoor education
We do a lot of project-based learning and engage in hand-on investigation. As a school with an outdoor focus, a lot of our science explorations will involve nature; we believe that ecology, environmental science, and earth science are great gateways for kids to build a love of science, and our forest gives us a springboard for so many ideas. That said, we don’t believe that experiences and exploration should be the only goals of an experiment – there is great value in taking notes, making drawing, and comparing observations with peers. Students’ skills are refined through practice and participation.
Why mixed age classes?
Like every other school we have a mix of ages, skills, and developmental levels.
- At our low student/teacher ratios, instructors are able to make sure that each student is getting an appropriate level of challenge and meet individual needs.
- In a mixed-age class, expectations are naturally keyed to an individual’s abilities and interests rather than trying to keep every student on the same pace learning the same material.
- Every student has opportunities among peers to be a leader and assistant, mentor and observer, or subject expert.
- Children learn differently from other children than from adults, and practicing OR receiving mentorship can benefit students to grow socially as well as academically.
Our students get outdoor time every day.
At Edson Forest School, we aim for children get as much exposure to nature and the outdoors as we can. During recess, students can play on the playground, do some gardening, get messy in the mud kitchen, express themselves artistically, work on some fort-building, or just play kids’ games around the yard. Recess is an opportunity to develop social-emotional skills and friendships along with building gross motor skills and confidence.
In addition to recess, we also have educational time in the outdoor space – the woods provide us a natural laboratory as well as a source of inspiration for child-led projects. Among the benefits to the students are a better sense of connectedness to nature, engagement with the topic of study, and better focus without the distraction of being forced to sit still in a desk for long periods.
We sometimes are lucky enough to have parents come in to lead some lessons or teach some skills. Fridays are outdoors, as much as weather allows!
