![[Visit to Sudbury School Amersfoort.png|200]] ## Pre-visit Overview ### Philosophy Based on the [[Sudbury model]] --> Learning is natural. Provide the space and order, and let students decide what they do ![[Visit to Sudbury School Amersfoort-1.png]] ### Org Structure ![[Visit to Sudbury School Amersfoort-2.png]] [[Robert's Rules of Order -- -- A System for Orderly Group Decision-Making]] ## In-person Visit ### The School is Small The entire "school" is really small -- just part of a larger building with 3 floors, and a garden ![[Visit to Sudbury School Amersfoort.jpeg]] ### Complete Freedom I already knew that the [[Sudbury model]] gives students the freedom to decide what they do every day. However, deep down, I still assumed that the teachers at least play some kind of facilitating role -- helping guide or co-decide daily activities with the students. However, I was proven wrong -- the adults don't interfere at all -- no suggestions, no nudging, nothing. Wanna play video game for a whole day? Have fun with that. ### The Fallback Most kids didn't choose to be here in the first place. Among four I talked to, three came because they couldn't stand traditional schooling. One claimed that she had a friend that would be triggered by even hearing the word "school". ### They are Having Fun They are having a lot of fun. And building great friendships. I can really see that even in their smallest interactions with each other. And that's just beautiful, especially as you imagine how painful they must be at "normal" schools with "normal" kids. And being beautiful and happy is perfectly enough. > “Don’t ask what it means or what it refers to. Don’t ask what the work is. See it. Simply look at it.” > — Donald Judd ### But What About Learning? I am stupid enough to ask the questions of "how do you make sure that the students actually learn something". Turned out they simply doesn't care that much. Since learning is natural, it happens all the time, so by bother making sure of something that is always going on? Making sure that the students have the freedom and have fun is the best way to ensure their learning & growing, which is much much more important than “learning" in the narrow sense. It's like asking "but how do you make sure that the students are not dying of suffocation", when breathing is natural. ### But What if I Actually Want to Learn Something? It's your responsibility. Figure it out how you can learn it. We don't care. We are going to support you if you ask and if we can, but it's your problem. ![[Visit to Sudbury School Amersfoort.mov]]