Autonomy: A Learning Goal
THE ART OF LIVING AND THINKING WITH INDEPENDENCE
At the School of Wonder, we focus on 4 learning goals that we consider essential for children to become free and global citizens that will forge a sustainable future for the planet. Today we’d like to present Autonomy.
WALK YOUR OWN PATH. MANIFEST YOUR VISION
Become a mission-driven, autonomous being. Your self-esteem and self-confidence will grow with it.
Get clarity about your passion, your mission, your goals; and set the steps towards it.
Work with purpose. Find your role at every moment, in interdependency with the rest of the team.
Learn to solve challenges, to organize yourself, to be self-directed.
Build the courage, strength, and leadership skills to pursue your goals.
The 5 Principles of Autonomy
These are some of the principles we’ve learned in 5 years researching and testing techniques for children’s autonomy:
1. GO ON MISSIONS
There’s nothing that excites and engages kids (and adults) more than going on a mission. Going on a mission implies having an immediate goal toward which to direct your actions. With a purpose, each little task taken to reach the goal becomes a relevant step that the body and mind takes with passion and determination.
In our Wonder Adventures, we’re always on a mission. There are ultimate missions, smaller missions, and side missions. The ultimate ones define the quest of the adventure and deal with “important missions for Humanity”.
The smaller missions represent the necessary steps to reach the ultimate mission. The side missions are unexpected challenges that show up in the journey and need to be resolved to continue. Side missions are part of the chaos of life, as we all know. They bring spontaneity and an extra dose of fun to the journey.
2. GIVE AND TAKE CHOICES
As much as possible, we offer the kids the chance to discuss and agree on the plan. If the adventure today can be going to the beach or going to the river, have an assembly moment to discuss and agree upon it. Sometimes there is no choice but to do what parents or educators say (for instance, when the recess finishes or the trip destination is set), but more often than we think, there’s space for discussion. And, the marvelous thing is that the more we involve kids in the decision-making part of the plans, the more they will respect our call when there’s no other choice.
Regarding how to achieve the missions, always, always, give them the freedom to choose the way. This is the key ingredient for autonomy. The space to find/choose your own steps towards a destination is what builds self-confidence, self-esteem and self-responsibility for the team (commitment to the common purpose).
Sometimes there are some musts. For instance, before going to the beach, everyone has to be ready (showered, sunscreened, bed made, swimsuit put on, etc). You can still communicate them the musts and then let them choose the order of execution. Just make it clear what the agreement involves. For instance, the whole team will meet at the door to go to the beach at 10am, with all the list of musts completed. Make sure to announce when there are 10 minutes left for the agreed time of departure, and to be open to resolve questions and support the younger ones if they get trapped in some task or side mission.
3. INTERDEPENDENCE: FIND YOUR ROLE IN EACH MOMENT
How does autonomy come into play when the missions require a common effort? Dynamic teams with no hierarchy or clear roles can be chaotic. However, through the chaos comes the graceful order that happens when all members observe the situation and choose to do what’s most needed (and they can perform better).
Knowing what your skills are, observing what’s needed and choosing how to contribute to the common mission is what builds interdependence. In my many experiences in communal living and co-creation these past years I’ve discovered the power of interdependence and spontaneous organization, as opposed to hierarchies and clear roles.
When you are on a common mission with a team of people and everybody around you is working, just observe what’s missing and how you can contribute. Take old roles, or learn new roles. Perhaps, if you’re on holidays with another family, you can cut the watermelon, clean the kitchen, or simply offer your hand to somebody in a task. The trust and respect is built little by little, as the team spends more time co-creating and gets to know the strengths and attitudes of each member.
4. BE SELF-DIRECTED
Kids should practice skills to be self-directed, such as organizing their tasks and calendars, planning their goals, and tracking and reviewing their accomplishments on a recurrent basis.
These are essential entrepreneurial skills for the autonomous child that freelancers know very well. Apart from their creative work, freelancers need to be very good at organizing themselves in order to thrive: finding the (self-imposed) order and motivation each day to build their projects and businesses. Many tasks freelancers do won’t ever get seen or recognized by anybody, except by their future selves and with time.
Last year, I taught at a self-directed school called Cottonwood Cooperative by Thompkins Park, in Greenpoint (Brooklyn) . Led by two authentic magicians, Maddie Zins and Katri Inkalinen, they have been building a space for kids to learn by themselves. During this teaching experience, I got to experience first hand the magic and challenges of self-directed learning.
5. BE BRAVE: FIND THE COURAGE TO BE CONSISTENT
Becoming an autonomous being who traces and forges your own path is not always easy. The strength and motivation we feel when we’re given permission to take our own choices sometimes fades away. Building your own path is sometimes confusing. Sometimes your vision gets blurred and you simply need to keep on doing the work in the darkness of uncertainty.
Becoming independent and able to choose your own destiny requires a good dose of courage and faith. Being brave is necessary to keep being consistent in the hard work that is needed to work towards a vision.
As somebody who has chosen to change her professional career to build School of Wonder, I can corroborate the need to be brave.
If you’d like to experience first-hand how we foster autonomy, sign up for one of our upcoming adventures!