🐴 Why kids lose their love of learning (#134)

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💡 THOUGHT

WHY KIDS LOSE THEIR LOVE OF LEARNING

When a child loses their love of learning, it's not the child that needs fixing - it's usually the approach. Tess learned this firsthand, having been homeschooled herself in Australia when it was still illegal.

Watch, listen, or read Tess’s heartfelt testimony of why kids lose their love of learning (and how to get it back).

📊 TREND

THE MICROSCHOOL MIDDLE GROUND

The microschool revolution continues. Five years ago, parents mostly faced a binary choice: traditional school or homeschool. Now they're crafting hybrid solutions, and Tess's Knowledge Seekers Collective in Portland shows why.

Her student-shaped program runs just two mornings a week. Kids in grades 3-5 design their own projects, mixing STEM with arts and humanities. When students recently decided to stage their own play, some wanted written scripts while others preferred improv. The teacher’s role? Guiding the collaboration, not dictating the outcome.

🔨 TOOL

STUDENT VOICE FRAMEWORK

How do you give your child a voice in their education?

Here are 3 questions Tess uses with every new student:

• What do you want to learn?

• How do you learn best?

• What brings you joy?

Then step back and let the answers guide your approach.

"When you have a voice in what you're learning, you're more invested in the outcome,” Scholl says.

Listen to Tess's full journey from ‘illegal homeschooler’ to microschool founder on this week's OpenEd Podcast.

That’s all for today!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

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