BEAS Academy is a non-profit Learning Center serving students from kindergarten to 6th grade.
Our philosophy:
BEAS Academy has a unique approach to education based on the belief that students are powerful and creative young people full of a desire to learn and grow. Students have a need to learn with all five senses. They need to see, touch, feel science in action. We want to create experiences that embed multiple lesson within so that, while participating, students come away with a real world understanding of how stuff work
We believe this practical approach has greater long term impact.
Our educational philosophy is based on the idea that what students learn does not necessarily follow as an automatic result of what is taught in each lesson rather is due, in large part, to the student’s own work, their hands-on activities, and the resources used in the presentation of the materials.
An education should require a student to utilize all of their senses of perception (sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound) to explore the world as well as their intuition and critical thinking skills to evaluate and analyze that information. To create a vibrant learning space, our classrooms tend to look different- we have large common spaces (both indoors and outdoors), natural elements, and lots of accessible materials that spark curiosity.
In-depth projects:
Project learning is activities led by students- guided by adults- and structured around projects. At BEAS Academy, educators often call these projects “learning adventures”. An individual project might be as short as a single day event, or last a week, or be on-going. Educators guide the students in choosing an area of research and following it to the project’s conclusion.
When students show interest in a topic, educators mentor students to create projects that encourage, expand, and deepen that interest. As educators, we keep documentation in a portfolio for each student throughout the year, allowing us to track individual development and progress.
The BEAS Academy approach invites students to present their ideas and learning in many forms; in writing, as science or garden projects; art, etc. And there is room in the BEAS Academy approach to get excited about their interests and cultivate those strengths and expand those into in areas of study. The areas of interest become the core of the educational experience. While continuing to study other areas they channel these through their areas of greatest interest.
Collaboration:
In a BEAS Academy classroom, educators encourage groups to work together and utilize their combined strengths to a given end. Basing the course of study on the student’s interests creates a collaborative environment that can help foster growth. Students negotiate with the educators on which interests will be studied. Giving the students a say in what they want to learn based their interests gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility for their work and progression. Likewise, BEAS Academy seeks to collaborate with experts in the community who are willing to share their knowledge and experience with students.
A BEAS Academy classroom is an active space for students to use. It’s an environment that the student can affect and that tells each student they belong. It’s a priority to keep materials accessible and durable so students can explore in an open-ended way. We refer to our classroom a “third teacher”. No matter what the resources the teachers have to work with we consider every element of the space to create an atmosphere where students can feel a sense of agency and creativity.