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What if… I could start my own school…

  • Writer: Sarah Hodgson
    Sarah Hodgson
  • Oct 7, 2016
  • 4 min read

I’m currently participating in a massive open online course based around the book ‘The Innovator’s Mindset’. George Couros, author of the book and leader of the MOOC, asked us to read this and then think of our own “What if’s”… here are mine. I’m thinking that these ideas would also be connected to an earlier challenge in the course: If you were to start a school from scratch, what would it look like? So, killing two ‘assignments’ with one blog post! In no particular order…



What if the teachers in my (imaginary) school were ALL part of my tribe?

I mean, the teachers that I know have the same belief system as me when it comes to education. We are on the same page. We continue to strive for the best for our STUDENTS (not ourselves). If I started my own school and only invited in teachers I know, respect, and love… because I know that THEY hold a deep respect and love for the students they teach… and they believe in the same pedagogies as I do… would it be the most incredible school ever? OR would it lose it’s magic because there would be no one to challenge or disagree with what we are doing?


What if my (imaginary) school started at 10am?

What if students could wake naturally from their slumber and come to school feeling refreshed. No electronic alarm to start their day. Time enough to sleep soundly and be refreshed. Harvard Medical School stress the importance of sleep: “Healthy sleep is essential for optimal learning and memory function“. Sleep deprivation is rife in adolescents and organizations such as the National Sleep Foundation advocate later school start times. Has any school TRIED this?



What if nutrition was a major focus at my (imaginary) school?

Zero processed food. Gallons of water. Fresh vegetables and fruits grown on school campus (by students). A chicken coop (for eggs). A gardener-in-residence. A qualified nutritionist on staff. A chef in the school kitchen who believes in quality, nutritious, primarily plant-based foods. Students involved in growing and preparing what they eat. Creating menus. K-12. No junk. No soda. No bread/pasta/refined grains. And definitely NO sugar. Impossible?


What if kindness, honesty, respect, trust and resilience were all specifically named in my (imaginary) school’s mission statement?

Important lifelong character traits for a better world. Let’s focus on what is really important. Not just the academics, but the whole child. 



What if the first 30 minutes of every school day at my (imaginary) school were spent exercising (students and teachers)?

Move more. Make it a FUN part of every school day. Students could choose from a range of exercises, and do something different every day if they wanted to. Make it a school-wide initiative, so younger grades are exercising alongside older students. Heck, even get the parents exercising too! How would regular daily exercise affect student learning?



What if teachers in my (imaginary) school were mandated to provide opportunities for mindfulness?

Every day. Students would keep a mindfulness journal, similar to the Five Minute Journal. There would be time set aside every day for students to reflect on their day. Time set aside for deep breathing/yoga practice. Every single day. Without fail. Make one day every week a ‘forest school‘ day. Come rain or shine. Get the students out into nature. What would change in the students, teachers, and school after 3 months of daily mindfulness practice?


What if teachers were able to let go at my (imaginary) school?

Separate the wheat from the chaff. Strive for deeper learning instead of just skimming the surface and ‘covering’ things. Less is more. Less us, more them. Have a (***expletive***) massive worksheet bonfire. Please! BURN THEM. Lock up the photocopier. Empower students through real-life problem finding/solving. With REAL things. Go out into the REAL world with them. Follow the student’s lead. Let them learn how they learn – do not expect them to learn how we teach. Students would learn how to read and write. But tests would be things of the past. 



What if students spent MOST of the day at my (imaginary) school focused on FREE inquiry? 

Students in charge of their own learning. Trevor MacKenzie defines free inquiry as “students choose their own topics without reference to any prescribed outcome“. Any teacher who truly embraces inquiry learning knows that the best learning happens when the students are driving the inquiry. When they are finding out about things they are interested in (not things they have been told to be interested in). How would parents react to this?


What if all students in my (imaginary) school, from K-12, were involved in service learning projects?

Developing empathy. Seeking out problems in the school community, the local community, the global community, and finding ways to help. Giving help to those in need. Making the world a better place. They are never too young to start (see an older post of mine where I go into this more!). Love this idea of a kindergarten inside a nursing home. In the words of Kid President: “How can you make the world more awesome?”



OK, time’s up. It’s almost midnight and I need sleep! I’m sure there’s more ‘what if’s’ inside me, but this is enough for today! 





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