Honoring Progressive Education
After years of hard work, disagreement, refinement, and collaboration, Falk’ s Progressive Education Tenets have done what they set out to do: unite a diverse faculty behind shared values and honor the school’ s identity as a progressive learning environment.“ At the kid level, at the classroom level, at the grade band level, and at the school level, we kind of all [ needed ] community alignment,” Petrack says,“ and I think the tenets are pushing us in that direction.”
“ Often, progressive education is defined by what it is‘ not’— or how it differs from what is perceived as traditional or standard education,” Bartow Jacobs adds.“ Over this past year, I have appreciated the chance to reflect on what we really [ do ] mean by progressive education, what the core components [ are ], and how we put those into practice within the Falk community.”
Carolyn Mericle, a Primary( grades K – 2) teacher at Falk, says progressivism has been part of her personal teaching philosophy since she launched her career decades ago at the Lowell School in Washington, D. C.“ Since that time, I have been careful to choose to work only at schools where I can be free to practice education in the progressive traditions. Falk has been a wonderful home for me in that way.”
Mericle goes on to share that the school’ s Progressive Education Tenets have the power to improve not only Falk but communities and educational systems across the nation.“ When the opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance to help put into words the tenets that are practiced here. We need to clarify [ progressive education ] and get [ it ] into the public sphere again. Falk can be an important part of that effort!” ■
Falk’ s Progressive Education Tenets
1. Social, emotional, and academic components of education are equally important in a K – 8 education environment.
2. An important component of education is helping children become engaged global citizens.
3. Children learn best in a supportive community.
4. Children construct their own learning. It can be deepened by a teacher’ s design and facilitation that supports the students most effectively.
5. Schools should work with caregivers and students as collaborators or partners in the education process.
6. The process for decision-making should be transparent and include all relevant stakeholders. Decisions should be clearly communicated.
7. Learning should promote a focus on helping students understand their roles and responsibilities in widening circles of community.
8. Facts, repetition, and skills may be taught in isolation, but with the aim of applying them in context.
9. Projects, problems, and questions are essential to rich and meaningful learning.
10. Students should be actively, not passively, engaged in learning.
11. Schools and classrooms should have clear policies and expectations that are also responsive to the varied needs of the community.
12. The process of learning incorporates quantitative and qualitative assessment and evaluation for meaningful feedback.
13. It looks different based on the age and grade level of the student, but the core tenets should stay the same.
14. Learning opportunities and school culture should incorporate student choice and agency whenever possible.
15. Some important components include a focus on moral reasoning, social skills, and democratic dispositions.
16. Everyone is a learner. Curiosity, reflection, and questions are welcomed and valued.
17. Faculty and staff should recognize that the autonomy that they have comes with a responsibility for the impact their decisions have on others.
FALK LABORATORY SCHOOL | UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH 6