What if? : The Grove School: A seriously fresh new preschool in Cary and Plano!

What if?

Wendy DeSpain | February 9, 2010 | Comments (2)

“What if those curious minds of early childhood were turned loose on some of the situations we face today?”

This statement appeared on 1/23/2010 in a Dallas Morning News article, “You Better Think” by Carolyn Milford Gilbert, and some of her comments reminded me of other literature I have read and spurred me ask:

Is today’s educational system choking the creativity out of our children’s minds?

This is not a new question; it is being contemplated by many national leaders as well as leaders within the field of education and those studying the neurology of learning. Ken Robinson discusses the way some formal education systems actually discourage creative behaviors for the sake of conformity and standardization. He notes the children ofen describe themselves as creative while adults rarely describe themselves by that trait, in fact, most adults will flat out state that they are not creative. So what happens to them as they grow up? Robinson argues that our society is in urgent need of creative, innovative, and flexible people to meet the demands and problems of today’s society. He goes to iterate that organizations are trying to fix a problem that originates in schools and universities. Howard Gardner establishes similar points when he outlines the anatomy of creativity through the experiences of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Gandhi, and others. Each of thier individual experiences, in some cases decades apart, evidence pressure to conform in formal education and ostracization when noncompliant or unconventional behaviors are exhibited.

Therefore, while the value of creativity in adults is steadfast, the nurturing of it in children appears to be lacking. Young children though are naturally curious and innately frank. Are we pushing them away from natural tendencies when we reward conformity in situations like coloring within the lines, answering closed ended questions, and repeating facts, songs, or stories as they are written? The childhood traits of curiosity and honesty have behaviors inherently attached to them that are at times endearing and at other times frustrating, but often unconventional and creative. So…

“What if those curious minds of early childhood were turned loose on some of the situations we face today?”

I fear that there would be dichotomy in the responses. I fear that some formal education systems are working so hard to meet standards, to reward conformity, and to effectively grow cognition in a very diverse classroom that inquiry, exploration, creativity, and individualism is inadvertently discouraged and extinguished. But I am confident that there are some educational systems where innovation, creativity, and uniqueness are facilitated, where alternative solutions to problems are not only encouraged but expected, and where learning materials are meant to be a launching pad for independent thought and exploration. It is this approach that I believe is most appropriate and most beneficial for our students and our future.

What if preschool-age children spent part of their days planting seeds, practicing yoga, and playing outdoor instruments? What if they spent their weekdays learning and playing in a sustainably designed school filled with natural light and fresh air — where recycling, hands-free faucets and an organic garden are as educational as early reading, writing and math skills? What if our preschools served organic produce and dairy products — and avoided ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and trans fats? What if preschool-age children spent their weekdays with highly qualified teachers helping them get ready for elementary school?

The Grove School of Plano is one of those places. That is why I am passionate about it.

Wendy is our Head of School in Plano, TX. She has deep community ties, having spent 15 years with the Plano ISD in various teaching, administrative and leadership roles. In addition to her zeal for helping children learn, Wendy enjoys being in the great outdoors with her family.

Comments

2 Responses to “What if?”

Carolyn Gilbert
July 6th, 2010 @ 2:44 pm

Wendy,
Thanks for referring to my column on curiosity. It will be schools like yours who can return curiosity and innovation to the education of our bright young minds.

We both know that it is more difficult to teach students in a creative environment since it is such an individualized mode….and because students are NOT expected to be in lock step as far as their responses are concerned.

I hope your staff as well as others will take some time this summer to contemplate how to encourage and reward curiosity, creativity and innovation in both students and teachers.

All best,

Carolyn Gilbert
carolyngilbert1@yahoo.com
Wendy
July 6th, 2010 @ 5:57 pm

Carolyn,

I appreciate your response and value your opinion. When educators allow students to own the process of learning and when they release control over the product, innovation and creativity thrive. It is amazing what even the youngest student can conclude and what questions they can raise.

By teaching students how to think and not what to think we are encouraging the development of upper level thinking skills and elevating cognition. This is how we solve the problems of the world, through education -appropriate and stimulating instruction and nurturing interactions, and I am proud to be a part of it.

I would love to show you The Grove School sometime and further share our ideas on education. Let’s talk off line and thank you again.

Sincerely,
Wendy DeSpain

wdespain@groveschool.com