More Capable Than the World Gives Them Credit For
by Aaryn Drapiza
Earlier this session, the TVS team and I were sitting around the table in the guide room, sparkling waters and Cheez-Its sprawled across the surface, discussing documentation. Lauren Coyle was igniting us with authentic, meaningful, and purposefully imperfect examples of learner projects and work inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. While I could spend this entire post gushing over the examples Lauren shared, today, I'd like to zoom in on a question posed during the meeting. Regarding documentation, the question was, “What do you want people to notice?” I thought about this for a while. Yes, I want people to notice the learners’ kindness, compassion, and joy. Of course I hope they recognize the learners’ perseverance and dedication. The one word that kept flying through my mind, however, was capable. I want those inside and outside of our TVS community to see how incredibly capable the learners are. Thus, the purpose of this post is serving as part of my documentation of learner capability.
When we adventure beyond the boundaries of TVS, we are met with a wide range of reactions. Some adults see us and share a smile or laugh. Some look at us with puzzled expressions, curious about why 28 children and several adults are boarding their metro car. Others have looks of fear, terrified of simply existing within the same space as a group of middle schoolers. One example of this is the recent field trip we took to the zoo. Completely learner-led, learners created field trip proposals, voted on their favorite plan, followed through with the plan, had complete control of the schedule, and were responsible for getting us all to and from the zoo safely. What one might not realize from an outside perspective is all of the work and planning that went into that one trip. Standing at a metro station, with adults trying to awkwardly shift away from the large and enthusiastic middle school group, it is not evident that we (the guides) were actually following the children. People probably didn’t notice learners figuring out how the metro works, looking for signage, learning how to engage with a metro map, and holding each other accountable.
Another example is the creation of the music video. Though the learners had specific requirements for successfully completing the challenge (e.g., being at least three minutes long), it was up to the learners to figure out how to make it all happen. They had to choose a song, develop and film the scenes, edit the video, ensure everyone was included, and confirm all of the requirements were met. They did all of this while managing their own goals and deadlines. Making decisions in a small group for a single project can be challenging enough. Executing a unified vision with the ideas and personalities of 28 middle schoolers is even harder. Still, they did it, and even more importantly, they built their team and self-confidence in the process.
These are only two of the many stories of learner capability. As showcased through their own documentation at the Session 1 Exhibition of Learning, Adventure did the following in just six weeks: created their own studio contract and discussion guidelines; built badge plans and set their own goals; planned and executed a learner-led field trip; created a music video; engaged in challenging conversations about AI, resulting in an AI studio contract, learner-written guidebook for AI, and more wonderings about the future of AI; started learning how to play the Ukulele; agreed with, disagreed with, and persuaded each other during civilizations discussions; developed stronger thinking in math; and learned more about who they are in Health and Wellness. This is not a comprehensive list, but rather a skimming of the surface. They also led discussions, served our community, worked together to clean the space, set their own goals, held themselves and others accountable, solved conflict, and so much more.
Middle schoolers are way more capable than the world gives them credit for, and I look forward to observing this year’s group of learners lean into that truth more and more.
