"We Are Crew, Not Passengers"
- Kurt Hahn
- Kurt Hahn
This is an important blog post. When you walk up to our school you are greeted with the words "We Are Crew." It's important for every one of us to know where those words came from, who first said them, why they are important and how they embody the essence of our purpose.
This is a long post, and worth reading I believe. It's my hope that when you finish reading it, you will feel a sense of belonging and a deeper shared purpose to our school.
Throughout the summer staff has been planning, learning, networking, and building momentum for this new school year.
We spent Thursday and Friday digging deeply into our school roots. This was an incredibly important time for us to develop a sense of belonging as a staff. A sense of belonging and purpose is achieved through a set of core values. The importance of our shared core values, play out as actions taken on a daily basis to ensure that the mission of Renaissance is accomplished.
Outward Bound is more than a set of methods and activities. It represents a set of core values, a philosophy of education. In this broader sense, as well as in its application as a specific method of learning, Outward Bound has a deep historical affinity with traditional schooling.
The historical background is useful to consider when trying to understand the power of Outward Bound for improving schooling processes today. The moving spirit of Kurt Hahn, employed challenge and outdoor adventure "not for their own sake, but as a way of teaching perseverance, skill, teamwork, leadership, and compassionate service."
Expeditionary Learning began as a project of Outward Bound in 1992. Now, Expeditionary Learning is applying the philosophy of Outward Bound to what might be called "the long course" - kindergarten through twelfth grade schooling. Outward Bound was originally a "short course" version of what its founder, Kurt Hahn, was trying to do every day, and over a period of years, with his students at Gordonstoun and Salem, the boarding schools he headed in Scotland and Germany.
Expeditionary Learning has drawn its ideas and practices from a variety of sources. But many of our central practices and beliefs - the commitment to service, the focus on bringing out the best in people, the importance in craftsmanship, adventure, and active learning - have their roots in the life and work of Kurt Hahn.
Expeditionary Learning is a design that challenges kindergarten through twelfth grade students to meet rigorous academic and character standards. Through professional development, we collaborate with the entire school staff to make school safe, an engaging community where all students are expected to achieve more than they thought possible.
Learning is an expedition into the unknown. Expeditions draw together personal experience and intellectual growth to promote self-discovery and the construction of knowledge. We believe that adults should guide students along this journey with care, compassion, and respect for diverse learning styles, backgrounds, and needs. Addressing individual differences profoundly increases the potential for learning and creativity of each student.
Given fundamental levels of health, safety, and love, all people can and want to learn. We believe Expeditionary Learning harnesses the natural passion to learn and is a powerful method for developing the curiosity, skills, knowledge, and courage needed to imagine a better world and work toward realizing it.
Our school is built around ten design principles (the philosophy of Outward Bound) and five core practices (Expeditionary Learning) that guide the teaching and learning in our school.
The Primacy of Self- Discovery
"Learning happens best with emotion, challenge, and the requisite support. People discover their abilities, values, "grand passions," and responsibilities in situations that offer adventure and the unexpected. They must have tasks that require perseverance, fitness, craftsmanship, imagination, self-discipline, and significant achievement. A primary job of the educator is to help students overcome their fear and discover they have more in them than they think."
The Having of Wonderful Ideas
"Teach so as to build on children's curiosity about the world by creating learning situations that provide matter to think about, time to experiment, and time to make sense of what is observed. Foster a community where students' and adults' ideas are respected."
The Responsibility For Learning
"Learning is both a personal, individually specific process of discovery and a social event. Each of us learns within and for ourselves and as a part of a group. Every aspect of a school must encourage children, young people, and adults to become increasingly responsible for directing their own personal and collective learning."
Intimacy and Caring
"Learning is fostered best in small groups where there is trust, sustained caring, and mutual respect among all members of the learning community. Be sure there is a caring adult looking after the progress of each child. Arrange for the older students to mentor the younger ones."
Success and Failure
" All students must be assured a fair measure of success in learning in order to nurture the confidence and capacity to take risks and rise to increasingly difficult challenges. But it is also important to experience failure, to overcome negative inclinations, to prevail against adversity, and to learn to turn disabilities into opportunities."
Collaboration and Competition
"Teach so as to join individual and group development so that the value of friendship, trust and group endeavor is made manifest. Encourage students to compete, not against each other, but with their own personal best and with rigorous standards of excellence."
Diversity and Inclusivity
"Diversity and inclusivity in all groups dramatically increase richness of ideas, creative power, problem solving ability, and acceptance of others. Encourage students to investigate, value, and draw upon their own different histories, talents, and resources together with those of other communities and cultures. Keep the schools and learning groups heterogeneous."
The Natural World
"A direct and respectful relationship with the natural world refreshes the human spirit and reveals the important lessons of recurring cycles and cause effect. Students learn to become stewards of the earth and of the generations to come."
Solitude and Reflection
"Solitude, reflection, and silence replenish our energies and open our minds. Be sure students have time alone to explore their own thoughts, make their own connections, and create their own ideas. Then give them opportunity to exchange their reflections with each other and with adults."
Service and Compassion
"We are crew, not passengers, and are strengthened by acts of consequential service to others. One of the a school's primary functions is to prepare its students with the attitudes and skills to learn from and be of service to others."
Learning Is Active
Students are scientists, urban planners, historians, and activists, investigating real community problems and collaborating with peers to develop creative, actionable solutions.
Learning is Challenging
Students at all levels are pushed and supported to do more than they think they can. Excellence is expected in the quality of their work and thinking.
Learning is Meaningful
Students apply their skills and knowledge to real-world issues and problems and make positive change in their communities. They see the relevance of their learning and are motivated by understanding that learning has purpose.
Learning is Public
Through formal structures of presentation, exhibition, critique, and data analysis, students and teachers build a shared vision of pathways to achievement.
Learning is Collaborative.
School leaders, teachers, students, and families share rigorous expectations for quality work, achievement, and behavior. Trust, respect, responsibility, and joy in learning permeate the school culture.
It is with renewed purpose, passion and excitement we welcome you all to this new new school year!
Our Roots
Outward Bound is more than a set of methods and activities. It represents a set of core values, a philosophy of education. In this broader sense, as well as in its application as a specific method of learning, Outward Bound has a deep historical affinity with traditional schooling.
The historical background is useful to consider when trying to understand the power of Outward Bound for improving schooling processes today. The moving spirit of Kurt Hahn, employed challenge and outdoor adventure "not for their own sake, but as a way of teaching perseverance, skill, teamwork, leadership, and compassionate service."
Expeditionary Learning began as a project of Outward Bound in 1992. Now, Expeditionary Learning is applying the philosophy of Outward Bound to what might be called "the long course" - kindergarten through twelfth grade schooling. Outward Bound was originally a "short course" version of what its founder, Kurt Hahn, was trying to do every day, and over a period of years, with his students at Gordonstoun and Salem, the boarding schools he headed in Scotland and Germany.
Expeditionary Learning has drawn its ideas and practices from a variety of sources. But many of our central practices and beliefs - the commitment to service, the focus on bringing out the best in people, the importance in craftsmanship, adventure, and active learning - have their roots in the life and work of Kurt Hahn.
Expeditionary Learning is a design that challenges kindergarten through twelfth grade students to meet rigorous academic and character standards. Through professional development, we collaborate with the entire school staff to make school safe, an engaging community where all students are expected to achieve more than they thought possible.
Learning is an expedition into the unknown. Expeditions draw together personal experience and intellectual growth to promote self-discovery and the construction of knowledge. We believe that adults should guide students along this journey with care, compassion, and respect for diverse learning styles, backgrounds, and needs. Addressing individual differences profoundly increases the potential for learning and creativity of each student.
Given fundamental levels of health, safety, and love, all people can and want to learn. We believe Expeditionary Learning harnesses the natural passion to learn and is a powerful method for developing the curiosity, skills, knowledge, and courage needed to imagine a better world and work toward realizing it.
Our school is built around ten design principles (the philosophy of Outward Bound) and five core practices (Expeditionary Learning) that guide the teaching and learning in our school.
Design Principles:
"Learning happens best with emotion, challenge, and the requisite support. People discover their abilities, values, "grand passions," and responsibilities in situations that offer adventure and the unexpected. They must have tasks that require perseverance, fitness, craftsmanship, imagination, self-discipline, and significant achievement. A primary job of the educator is to help students overcome their fear and discover they have more in them than they think."
The Having of Wonderful Ideas
"Teach so as to build on children's curiosity about the world by creating learning situations that provide matter to think about, time to experiment, and time to make sense of what is observed. Foster a community where students' and adults' ideas are respected."
The Responsibility For Learning
"Learning is both a personal, individually specific process of discovery and a social event. Each of us learns within and for ourselves and as a part of a group. Every aspect of a school must encourage children, young people, and adults to become increasingly responsible for directing their own personal and collective learning."
Intimacy and Caring
"Learning is fostered best in small groups where there is trust, sustained caring, and mutual respect among all members of the learning community. Be sure there is a caring adult looking after the progress of each child. Arrange for the older students to mentor the younger ones."
Success and Failure
" All students must be assured a fair measure of success in learning in order to nurture the confidence and capacity to take risks and rise to increasingly difficult challenges. But it is also important to experience failure, to overcome negative inclinations, to prevail against adversity, and to learn to turn disabilities into opportunities."
Collaboration and Competition
"Teach so as to join individual and group development so that the value of friendship, trust and group endeavor is made manifest. Encourage students to compete, not against each other, but with their own personal best and with rigorous standards of excellence."
Diversity and Inclusivity
"Diversity and inclusivity in all groups dramatically increase richness of ideas, creative power, problem solving ability, and acceptance of others. Encourage students to investigate, value, and draw upon their own different histories, talents, and resources together with those of other communities and cultures. Keep the schools and learning groups heterogeneous."
The Natural World
"A direct and respectful relationship with the natural world refreshes the human spirit and reveals the important lessons of recurring cycles and cause effect. Students learn to become stewards of the earth and of the generations to come."
Solitude and Reflection
"Solitude, reflection, and silence replenish our energies and open our minds. Be sure students have time alone to explore their own thoughts, make their own connections, and create their own ideas. Then give them opportunity to exchange their reflections with each other and with adults."
Service and Compassion
"We are crew, not passengers, and are strengthened by acts of consequential service to others. One of the a school's primary functions is to prepare its students with the attitudes and skills to learn from and be of service to others."
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| Does this have more meaning to you now? |
Five Core Practices:
Learning Is Active
Students are scientists, urban planners, historians, and activists, investigating real community problems and collaborating with peers to develop creative, actionable solutions.
Learning is Challenging
Students at all levels are pushed and supported to do more than they think they can. Excellence is expected in the quality of their work and thinking.
Learning is Meaningful
Students apply their skills and knowledge to real-world issues and problems and make positive change in their communities. They see the relevance of their learning and are motivated by understanding that learning has purpose.
Learning is Public
Through formal structures of presentation, exhibition, critique, and data analysis, students and teachers build a shared vision of pathways to achievement.
Learning is Collaborative.
School leaders, teachers, students, and families share rigorous expectations for quality work, achievement, and behavior. Trust, respect, responsibility, and joy in learning permeate the school culture.
It is with renewed purpose, passion and excitement we welcome you all to this new new school year!
Warmly,
Ms. Deborah
A few photos from our staff professional development:
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| Grounding ourselves in our purpose |
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| Building belonging |
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| Reflection and knowledge |
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| Teambuilding |
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| The power and purpose of 'the circle' |
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| And laughing with each other! |
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