School Shout-Out: Le Jardin Academy

Every week, I want to begin to shout out ideas that I have learned from different campuses that I've visited.  This is an informal reflection on some things that have touched me and helped me to become a better educator.  

For my first shout-out, I would like to present Le Jardin Academy in Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii.  I was approached by the PYP coordinator to lead a consultancy about the culture of agency and personal/shared inquiry.  

To begin our process, we explored how to build a culture of agency based on the work of Edgar H. Schein on his work related to organizational culture.  We took Shein's three levels of culture and applied them to agency. 

We met over an hour session online to set the stage for goal-setting through the use of a success criteria.  The staff was challenged to make a goal related to cultural artifacts, espoused values, and underlying assumptions.  

For our in-person sessions, I had the privilege to walk the campus and see learners focusing on their personal inquiries.  This was a magical experience.  It was fun to see them take risks on their wonderings and apply different approaches to inquiry. 

Afterwards, we had a sit down as grade levels to explore various ways that we might grow and clear up misconceptions.  

This campus is truly open-minded and here are some of my thoughts that might inspire you as well. 
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