I was able to squeeze in a short visit to HB Woodlawn Secondary Program (https://www.apsva.us/school-overviews/h-b-woodlawn-secondary-program/) on my way home from visiting another school. What is intriguing about HB Woodlawn is its model that allows more student control over their education than other, more traditional, schools permit. The focus at HB Woodlawn is on self-motivation and self-discipline. In addition, student choice and trust are at the centre of all decision making at the school.
The model of the school gradually increases freedom and responsibility through the grades. For example, this begins with giving students in grade 6-8 monthly academic independence days. These days are unstructured and students have choice of what they want to work on and where they want to work on it (within some parameters). The school has found that these days allow students a chance to catch up on work, pursue areas of passion and seek extra help. In addition, in grade 8 students pursue two “freedom projects” a year where they get a 75 min core period dedicated each day for three weeks to work on anything that they would like. These projects end with an exhibition that acts as a celebration of their learning. These projects are the highlight of a student’s middle school years at HB Woodlawn.
The model shifts slightly for students in grade 9-12. Instead of academic freedom days, most students get a free period every day. Most of the classes from grade 9-12 also operate on a model that allows choice and independence within each class. For example, in a typical 5 day week students might have three “mandatory” classes and two “optional” classes. Within the timetable for all students from grade 6-12, there are I blocks spaced throughout the week. These blocks are independent work time blocks where students can choose to work on what they want and/or get extra help. What I found most interesting about HB Woodlawn was that the students and teachers have a great deal of autonomy and freedom. There is a great deal of trust between students and teachers and between teachers and the administration. As I visited classes and spoke to students, it was evident to me that the students feel more ownership of their learning as a result of this trust. In addition, in speaking with a few teachers it appeared that the trust they felt allowed for more creativity and risk-taking within their classes.
From Teaching to Learning 