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, indeed a right, to caring and respectful interaction with one another and with adults.
This belief has a practical impact which creates a co-learning environment where educators learn with the student and work in a more lateral relationship as opposed to a hierarchical one. That partnership is also intended to encompass the parents and the community.
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.
BEAS Academy uses a modified version of the Colorado Standards Curriculum which we have “seasoned” with elements of the Montessori method, Reggio Emilia, and our own experience on how to engage students in their own learning. We feel this combination of methods best aligns with our philosophy of education.
We do not take an either/or approach to standardization in education. We believe some standards are useful to gauge growth but an over-emphasis on them can lead to a failure on the part of educators to see each individual student and their talents as unique. The standards in our curriculum are structured puts emphasis on activities, observation, and documented daily progress notes. Our educators routinely observe and take notes on student interest and progress to continue to tailor the education for maximum benefit for the individual.
In-depth projects:
This part of the process is where the learning is led by students and structured around projects. At BEAS Academy, educators often call these projects “learning adventures”. An individual project might last a week or two- or they might last an entire school year. 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.
Representational development:
The BEAS Academy approach invites students to present their ideas and learning in many forms; in writing, as science or garden projects; art, drama, dance, or music etc. A student may be more drawn to dancing to tell their stories rather than writing or in art, for example. 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.
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.