FreeMindsAustin

Both the 2007-08 and 2008-09 Free Minds class began with a reading from Mike Rose’s wonderful book on education, Lives on the Boundary. Rose is a professor at UCLA and a sharp voice on behalf of the importance of education in a democracy.  On his blog today, Rose shared a thought key to the way we approach the Free Minds classroom.  I thought it worth sharing:

“There is a potent lesson here, I think, for programs that work with all manner of children and adults … who have had a rough go of it. Programs and classrooms that convey a sense that you matter, that your mind matters, foster achievement where achievement seemed unlikely. To feel intellectually cherished – which also means being intellectually challenged and pushed – enables people to be smart.

We’ve witnessed such smartness, such intellectual strength, in the Free Minds classroom, and we hope at least some of that is in response to creating a space where students are both challenged and cherished.  And we hope we continue to create that space for future classes.

You can find Rose’s full entry, as well as his keen insights on education, in his blog.