The Satori Way

COMMUNITY: Satori is a village of families and staff dedicated to raising healthy children.

CREATIVITY: Satori nurtures the creative genius in every child through diverse experiences.

CRITICAL THINKING: Satori promotes higher order thinking to prepare kids for the 21st century.

What does creative education look like in the classroom?

  • Gifted education for ALL learners
  • Choices ~ children learn through multiple intelligences and styles
  • Student-directed learning
  • Learning through concepts
  • Value of process over product
  • Develop potential in the whole child
  • Teachers who are lifelong learners

How do we prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s world, when we know the world, information, careers are changing faster than we can imagine?

  • Rigor: quality and depth of authentic learning and original thought
  • Relevance: meaningful, engaging, and relevant learning that connects to kids’ interests and abilities- dynamic curriculum and content are core elements
  • Relationship: education is an endeavor in partnership; inter-connecting the student, family, staff, administration, community and the world around us for the highest good of each other; practicing humility, service, and generous spirit.

Social/Emotional Intelligence

  • community building lessons, events, and experiences
  • conflict resolution practiced daily
  • language of responsibility: kind, supportive, nurturing, listening, respect
  • world culture focus in thematic units
  • interpersonal relationships: kid-to-kid, kid-to-adult, adult-to-kid, adult-to-adult are valued and nurtured
  • praise growth, effort, and talent
  • shape desired behaviors and outcomes
  • value human dignity
  • embrace diversity and individual circumstances with compassion
  • a SAFE learning environment recognizes the whole child’s needs and growth on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels
  • kids need time and space to be kids; school is one facet of a child’s life
  • encourage balanced living, moderation, patience, boundaries

Satori Intelligence

  • Satori means light and enlightenment
  • we are all one
  • Satori IS a special experience for kids and adults
  • we recognize a calling to serve something greater than ourselves
  • miracles happen (we call them “Satori Moments”)
  • we teach and practice self-awareness and sense of purpose
  • each person is on a journey of self-discovery

Conceptual Thinking & Learning

  • integrated thematic units teach content through concepts, rather than content-driven objectives
  • concepts are woven deeply into curricular areas
  • students dwell in concepts for longer periods of time in order for them to direct their explorations and outcomes
  • TIME is given generously to practice, discover, LEARN, UNLEARN, and RELEARN

Creative Thinking

  • gifted and creative strategies benefit ALL learners
  • higher-order expectations and learning experiences raise the BAR of learning for everyone
  • giving students choices to demonstrate and explore learning rather than teacher-driven objectives and assignments
  • posing problems and exploring solutions
  • out-of-the-box thinking is a school value
  • valuing the learning process rather than right answers
  • investment in right-brained activities including visual arts, performing arts, theater arts, music, meditation, imagery, sensory integration exercises, and mind-body practices
  • practicing quality of thought

Critical Thinking

  • Bloom’s taxonomy of higher-order thinking
  • EXIT OUTCOME: mastery of learning process and becoming a lifelong learner
  • applying what has been learned in student-directed projects
  • project-based learning
  • open-ended research, problem-solving, and questions across curriculum
  • student makes choices in how to share and communicate learning

21st Century Learning: Teacher’s Stance

  • awaken innate intelligences and ability
  • guide self-discovery
  • teacher provides inspiration, student invests in authentic learning and growth
  • teacher meets student in an individual learning space
  • education is a journey
  • non-ego approach to teaching
  • homework is an opportunity to deepen, learn, and grow
  • hold the highest expectations of every child
  • acknowledge and practice multiple learning styles and intelligences
  • give consistent, qualitative feedback to every child
  • EXIT OUTCOME: lifelong learners

Self-directed Learning

  • teaching is inspired by class chemistry and individual needs
  • students have a voice in planning, learning experiences and assessments
  • students are encouraged to respectfully challenge and prompt their learning environment
  • curriculum content flexes every year- lesson plans are dynamic
  • students are experts in some fields; teachers are lifelong learners
  • re-invent the learning environment often