What does a child centered education look like?

John Hunter, a California teacher, was hired to teach a gifted class. When he asked what he should do, his administrator challenged him by saying, “What do you want to do?”

What he wanted to do is evidenced by what he did. He created a learning environment for his students that gave them the same opportunity to explore their passions, interests, and critical thinking abilities that his administrator afforded him.

A child centered education is not only liberating for the child, it frees the teacher from the bonds of conformity and allows them the opportunity to explore their passions, interests, and critical thinking abilities.

Mr. Hunter teaches students that they are gifted because he believes in them and believes their thoughts and ideas are relevant and important to him, their classmates, and to the world in which they live.

He connects his students to each other and to the world by exposing them to the reality of the enormous impact day to day decisions, made by world leaders, have on everyone around the globe.

By nurturing the creativity, individuality, and critical thinking of every child in his classroom, he allows the child’s natural curiosity and desire to learn excite and engage them in the learning process.

There are many teachers like Mr. Hunter. Unfortunately, the influence of standardization by corporations force those teachers to abandon their passion and spend their day delivering instruction from a scripted lesson, according to an unnatural and dehumanizing pacing chart, developed by individuals who are not and probably never have been in a classroom.

It is time we stop supporting failure by funding policies, plans, and programs that are contrary to the natural and human development of all children.

We must begin to recognize and understand that a system of education that focuses on the developmental abilities of every child is the only way we will begin to experience educational success.

Our children deserve to be educated in a system that discovers, develops and directs their gifts and talents.

Join the Movement to Save Our Children!