How To Run A School With 3 Adults Or Less | The Show | Dad Saves America

What happens when you take a school and remove all but three adults? You get Acton Academy.
Laura Sandefer, co-founder of the Acton Academy school network and author of “Courage to Grow," is an academic entrepreneur who believes that children need to be empowered to make mistakes, fail, grow, and improve on their own.
Sandefer works to enable other parents to establish new Acton Academies to serve the educational needs of their families and local communities. Acton Academy is a radical model of schooling that puts as much power as possible directly into the hands of students, giving them the opportunity to take ownership of their choices and capabilities from an early age.
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Acton Academy: www.actonacademy.org/
Parent Resources from Acton Academy: www.actonacademyparents.com/
Laura Sandefer's book, "Courage to Grow": www.amazon.com/gp/product/099...
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Our Website: www.dadsavesamerica.com
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Outline:
[0:00] Intro
[2:25] The learning philosophy of Acton Academy
[9:23] Socrates, Montessori, and the hero’s journey
[14:26] Curiosity is everything in education
[21:02] Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset
[25:05] The day-to-day structure of Acton Academy
[43:46] Experiential learning
[51:26] Motivating and measuring student achievement
[58:22] Student leadership is a positive feedback loop
[1:02:17] How Acton Academy encourages family engagement
[1:07:06] Pushing back on the assumption of college
[1:13:02] Getting involved with Acton Academy
[1:23:00] Outro
Dad Saves America is a channel dedicated to celebrating heroic fatherhood while teaching the next generation of fathers strategies they can utilize in parenting their children. We believe strong children come from a strong family. We’ve had many experts in the studio, including Jonathan Haidt, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Troy Kotsur, John Mackey, Ben Askren, and Adam Carolla.
#actonacademy #backtoschool #alternativeschool

[@sherrythomas8149]

"Look it up." My Mother spoke these 3 words almost as often as "I love you." In the 70's, this often entailed a walk to the library although we were blessed to have a set of encyclopedias at home. We went to a regular public school but my Mom had a love for learning & a desire to teach us to think for ourselves.

[@JoshSteimle]

I wish I could have attended a school like this as a kid. I struggled through govt school until I accepted that just because I didn't like the system I could still learn something. Unfortunately, that didn't happen until my senior year. If I could have had 12 years of an Acton environment, who knows what a boost that could have been.

[@OLong-fv8vq]

I'm a public Middle School teacher, among our biggest issues, top two or three is cell phone anybody know how Acton handles that. Or is an issue at all?

[@guayabita27able]

Just curious do you allow students to use their cellphones in school?

[@rachelelwood9656]

I laughed and cried. I have hope for guiding my kids through the red of their years of school. I cried for the years that my 14 year old sun has struggled in school and had no way to show how awesome he is. He is a doer, but school has never given him a chance to shine.

[@i-school7528]

An outstanding introduction to the Acton Academy model. You'll understand why there are already 270 Acton Academies all over the world and some 8,000 more in the pipeline.

[@TheWEquilFamily]

Great interview!

[@goldie862]

Absolutely fascinating.

[@kimberlyhart5692]

Excellent material…important to address this with an open mind. I was indoctrinated through my public education to be staunch on my education approach until our son came along, whom was not the traditional at the desk learner…I’m so glad he came along to open up my mind

[@BridgeBuilder2006]

This video was packed with inspirations and insights. I used the transcript option that is behind the 3 dots to copy and paste the quotes I want to recall. Most interviews like this I copy just 2 or 3. But on this one I copies 15.

[@colbybogle6785]

We unschool our 5 and 7 year old, and will our 1 year old as well. As much as i would love to send them to acton, it's just not possible right now for us, but this, jeff sandefer's ted talks, and her book, courage to grow are huge inspirations and have given me so many great bits of information to implement into their education. Thank you for these kinds of conversations!

[@DadSavesAmerica]

Your kids are lucky to have you so engaged in their education and unafraid to embrace a better approach for them!

[@prophetessangelamims6112]

Great interview.

[@chispaza]

This was fantastic, thanks! Our kids just started at an Acton academy this year after being homeschooled and going to a Montessori school. We're still figuring it all out and this video does a fantastic job of explaining everything. We're excited to see our heroes grow and learn and find their calling.

[@DadSavesAmerica]

That is awesome!

[@laurimuse1390]

I’m re watching this! So much wisdom Interview very well done! I’d love to learn a lot more. Where do I learn what online core programs the kids do? Do they choose their subjects? Are core subjects required?

[@katynyambi7010]

Incredible. Informative interview. How I wish I had the money to start my own Acton equivalent in South Africa.

[@colinbell3374]

I love the question board

[@guayabita27able]

Wonderful interview! I wonder how the owners of a K-12 school is run by three adults and teens. How do the admin manage te student-teacher ratios required by regulatory agencies and state offices. Would love to hear about it. Thanks !

[@adrianabarnard6402]

School made me hate math, the odd thing to me was that once I started learning it on my own I loved it! Very likely because it wasn’t about memorizing for a test anymore, it was learning with a purpose that makes all the difference in the world. Like he says it makes total common sense but I still can't picture my kid in a school like that but also not in a traditional school and I can't find the confidence to do homeschooling in the mean time I'm running out of time to make a decision.

[@excellentchoices]

So many good ideas !!!

[@barbarabrooks4747]

Much of life involved memorizing facts that form the basis for higher thinking, such as memorizing times tables and doing mental math. Also, vocabulary and spelling are best learned with drills. Dictation of well written passages from literature or non-fiction helps with diction, spelling and punctuation. I think the Socratic method is underused, but students need oral drills, teacher corrections of essays and reports. I don't think that interaction with a learned adult can be underrated. A teacher sets an example of pronunciation, vocabulary in context and correct oral English. Probably 30% of the day could be Socratic, but students need to read quietly, do desk work and hear the teacher give some background information before they start research. Less intelligent students need more structure and memorization. They have to be flawless at memorized times tables, simple division, mental subtraction of 2 digit numbers etc or they can't learn long division. They will flounder on the steps and lose track of what they are trying to accomplish. Less bright students need to practice reading aloud alone with an adult so they don't do badly in front of classmates. Also, students may become overconfident and fail to think they need to consult with more experienced people or fail to anticipate the odds of terrible outcomes. It's always possible to have too much of a good thing and have the students not master some of the necessary drudgery of education.

[@barbarabrooks4747]

Some students have a hard time reading and writing in a classroom, especially in high school. I know I needed silence to concentrate!

[@N1mr]

There slots of specials a decals ending on the 22 of Nov so 11/23 is the 10th anniversary sale Mig 29a F-16a + “a whole bunch of 4th gen aircraft after this next patch”

[@nanditavyavaharkar3859]

Thought this video is inspiring, I do have a few doubts - wouldnt earning points, bucks , all be external motivation? And isnt the purpose to inculcate the ability to learn on your own? So how do the two work together? I would want my kid to read a topic of her choice as she has an interest in it, and not because reading it will help her earn points or bucks. Also, this system seems to assume that kids will do well. That atleast one the the children in the peer group is knowledgeable on a topic (to be able to help others), or on the rules / systems of the school. Does the guide not provide motivation/ clarifications, etc., at any point in time?

[@isabelledeal1338]

I’m trying to figure out how to educate my kids. We sent them to a charter school that professed to be a lot like Acton and High Tech High in California, but it turned out to be a very unsafe situation (literally, kids were severely injured, assaulted, etc. by other kids). We are homeschooling for the rest of the year, next year they have been accepted to a classical education charter, but I worry about the rigidity of it. I don’t think we have the funds to send them to the new Acton starting near us. Advice?

[@jhsrhkhk]

Take a tour with your local and see if they have scholarship opportunities. I'm in the same boat and unfortunately my local did not. Well wishes to you ❤

[@josieeanthony]

Why not continue to homeschool and do a sort of unschooling, Acton type education? Have you read any of John Holt's books?

[@laurimuse1390]

Question… It sounds like it’s a creative organized structure for kids to DO what adults say is important Am I wrong? They have to do Badges They must do them? Do they get to choose out of certain badges??? And choose others??? Like I prefer Art not science??? Or I want to work on cars not do chemistry? Where do I get these questions answered? So It’s like “ school” adults tell kids you must do these things.. Or do the kids get to create their own assignments???

[@tjbroussard3524]

I want to know how they perform overall and in the long run. I believe well but to what extent. It's playing on the edge but can be easily flipped.

[@guayabita27able]

@tjbroussard3524 I have the same question. Lot of wonderful theories but how about the outcome data?

[@goldie862]

Please interview Jordan Peterson about the university he's founding! 😊

[@mr2981]

I put my kids in charge once. When I came back the place was a shambles, the stove was left on for hours, and everyone was sick from eating nothing but candy. What could go wrong.

[@AlexClipsGLE]

good thing they are put in a safe enviroment!

[@josieeanthony]

The same things happen when I put my husband in charge 😂 it takes time to guide them on how they can be in charge of themselves.

[@rebekahguilder602]

@@josieeanthonyI agree and in no way is this meant as male bashing. I love and respect my husband but when he’s with the kids he lets their creativity run wild.

[@douglasbroccone3144]

Great, who can pay 12k per year tuition?

[@nimbusxd91]

Lmao

[@alexforget]

Kids are not perfect either, we need to balance culture and nature. Our values (christians) took thousand of years to come to this point, we should teach them so they don’t have to start to zero in the same way as they don’t invent a language by themselves.

[@josieeanthony]

Can you "learn to be" in a homeschool of 5 children? Is that a big enough community?

[@7DimensionsofHealth]

What are you doing about the apps that solve math problems online by taking a picture of the problem then it spits out an answer. How are you mitigating cheating with cell phones

[@josieeanthony]

I think they probably have taught the children that cheating is only cheating yourself. If they're choosing to take a math course..m why would they cheat?

[@RockWaterJonFrench]

Let’s be clear. You weren’t leading an “ordinary life”. Your husband was a multimillionaire.

[@VideoJunkee]

47:16 - this lady just admitted that she essentially ordered children to discriminate against people because they’re different. She claims it’s about “learning what it feels like to be discriminated against,” but it requires teaching another child to discriminate against someone else. That’s insanely dangerous and immoral, and the emotional harm she caused to the kids was obvious. There’s a reason the “Stanford Prison Experiment” was stopped early and used as a world wide case study of what NOT to do.

[@iurysl]

Acton is not a "safe space", it is a "growth place."

[@cjparenzini]

This is essentially like Method acting vs. imagination . (I don’t agree in method as you have to experience it to “act” it. You have to stalk something in some way if you’re going to play a person who stalks someone). I’m not into method. However, you do have to be willing to imagine and delve into what it’s like. It’s empathy vs. sympathy. If someone is drowning in a river, empathy throws themselves into the river and drowns alongside the person. Sympathy sees the person, assesses the situation, imagines what will or is happening (how it must feel, what the outcome can be, etc) then throws the person a lifeline from a safe place and gets the person out. I think you can still achieve the goal she is talking about with an adjusted approach. But, much of what she is discussing overall is still excellent to change traditional/industrialized schooling. Chew the meat, spit out the bones… take what is good. Leave what is not.

[@AlexClipsGLE]

Acton student here, we did this quest last year and it was tough for a lot of us but we all learned to appreicate and be thankful of eachother in the end. People got their feelings hurt but everyone grew from it and learned amazing life skills from it.

[@811MainPage]

​@@AlexClipsGLEI'm considering sending my kids to our local Acton. Can you tell me how you feel your experience at Acton has given you an edge over your peers who have received a traditional education.

[@namehidden8854]

Student-directed components require maturity and should be introduced slowly. Children need to learn that when there is something that needs doing, you bare down and do it before you go have fun with your hobbies. I.e., responsibility. You cannot improve on the current school system by greatly reducing discipline. All children need time dedicated to developing their interests, but the focused 'work-like' spirit of traditional schooling done right is indominable.

[@DadSavesAmerica]

I strongly recommend you check out this conversation with Mike Yates. His experience as a teacher who embraced self-directed learning for the most challenged kids in a poor Fortworth school district will surprise you. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qna6iql3i7-Hps0

[@prophetessangelamims6112]

Well from my point of view, the school or studio in this case is not the parent(s). Our child should be learning at home that A comes b4 B, this comes before that… etc… If one lacks structure at home, (which is the foundation) then how do we expect a non-parent l to do our job? Overall it will not matter if you put them in public, private, nontraditional settings etc…. They will struggle. I definitely knew from as early as 7 that if I didn’t do (A) I definitely was not allowed to do (B) and If I didn’t do (this) I definitely would not be allowed to do (that.) and I understood that principle way before academics were in full play.

[@MC-kt6mt]

That is a democratic school, already invented 😅 Students: Let's give each other social credit score guys! Yes, amazing idea, we give each other points, and we take away points 😂

[@kantraxoikol6914]

i knew schools were simply a conformity and popularity competition mostly. i had pure hell growing up in public schools, learning was secondary

[@radguy613]

Really....how about show the TORAH to these Christian children and see if these parents REALLY are interested in an open dialogue about the Creator's Law Code and that Jesus actually said to obey the Law Code. Doubt that will happen...no Socratic method at that point.

[@Chuck-ou3xo]

p͎r͎o͎m͎o͎s͎m͎ 👍