Is Acton a Good Fit?
How do you know if Acton is the right choice for your family?
1. You're running towards something better, not away from a bad school.
Chances are if you’re looking into Acton, you already know all the problems with traditional and public schooling. Identifying those problems is fine, but Acton will not be a good fit if you are only looking to get away from those systems.
For example, parents often ask if we teach about controversial political and social subjects. If issues like these are your primary concerns, Acton is not the right fit for you — not because we teach them (we don’t “teach” anything), but because our focus is on questions and curiosity. We will not stop learners from exploring or discussing difficult subjects, and we will not seek to persuade them towards any one side.
2. You are comfortable letting your child take control of their own learning.
We find that most children prefer and thrive in the Acton model, but parents are often the ones who struggle. Because we do not have “teachers” who provide top-down instruction, some parents worry that they won’t be able to accurately monitor their child’s progress.
All quests, badges, and assignments are visible on our online learning platform, Journey Tracker. Parents are free to monitor their child’s submissions, but they should not try to interfere with the process they have set for evaluating the quality of their work (i.e. peer review, badge audits).
3. You are comfortable with failure and the unknown.
Allowing the children to truly drive their own learner society can be daunting. They are bound to fail. They will make contracts and rules that they fail to uphold. They will face conflicts with one another about how their studio should be conducted or how to enforce their rules.
It is in these seemingly insignificant experiences that Acton heroes grow. But parents have to be willing to let their children learn how to deal with these problems for that growth to take place.
4. Your family has a growth mindset, and you are Coaches and Challengers rather than Rescuers and Persecutors.
“You’re so smart.” Believe it or not, that’s not growth mindset.
Families who embrace a growth mindset are great fits at Acton because they understand that learning and growing is a rollercoaster process, not a straight line.
Families are also a good fit when they are Coaches and Challenges rather than Rescuers and Persecutors. This means that when their child fails, they don’t rescue them from the consequences of their choices, or they don’t accuse or shame them. Curiosity is a big plus here, which is why parents who coach or challenge their child when they fail are the best kinds of fits at Acton.
You may struggle with rescuing or persecuting, but if you’re committed to coaching and challenging, join our like-minded tribe!
Is your family ready for a hero's journey?
If you feel like the above statements describe you — or you’re willing to commit to those ideals — let’s chat!
