Educational Principles

Learning that nurtures Wonder

We see wonder as the very foundation of creativity, motivation and passion in life. In order for wonder to unfurl, children must feel secure in an environment that does not inflict fear by adults or peers, but allows for calmness, warmth and understanding. 


Learning without Fear  
Fear in any form has no foundation in learning at Wonder Valley. When there is fear, there is no curiosity and the joy of learning dies out. We do not advocate methods of comparison, competition, reward and punishment and even overprotection of children by adults because they are all motivated by fear and bring about fear in children.

 
 
Learning in Nature
Modern life has separated daily lives further away from nature.  We believe that contact with nature brings about a certain kind of sensitivity and quietness of the mind that is vital for  optimal well-being. Quiet time in daily life reduces the constant chattering of the mind to open up space for self reflection.
 
All phenomena of nature inspire exploration, imagination and creativity. Children need contact with nature to experience all of this so that they come to appreciate their interconnectedness to it and not destroy it.
 
 
Learning that is responsive to the emergency crisis in the world
 
Right education must be concerned with finding out how best to nurture children to grow up into adults who do not contribute to the existing crisis in the world. For this to happen, children need to be encouraged to probe into the values that lead to such a crisis, questioning their relationship to it to find out how they can make an impact.
 
 
Learning in Relationship
 
All of human development occurs in relationships.
In relating with another we become aware of our own actions and where they arise from. It is in the similarities and differences of each other that our assumptions, beliefs and ideas are challenged. We learn to empathise, understand each other and maybe discover that fundamentally we are not all that different  from each other.
Parents as educators
 
Parents are integral to every child’s healthy development and emotional well-being. But modern life with hectic demands is only making it harder to fulfill this role and adequately respond to the needs of a growing child, particularly their emotional needs. We are often unaware of our own conditioning and as parents if we are not aware of that, it is passed on to our children unknowingly.

Wonder Valley aspires to support parents with tools to understand themselves through self-observation as learners, which in turn helps them to better understand their children, to observe them as they are and to listen without judgement so children feel secure.

As partners in learning, constructive feedback from parents is always welcome. Parents will also be included in the assessment of their children and will be asked to do some “homework” during the term. Teachers and parents will meet on a regular basis to update and discuss the learning developments of their child.
Parents are encouraged to participate in our “Wonder Forums” once every month, many of which will host prominent thinkers and practitioners in the field of education.

Teachers as learners 
  

"The right kind of education begins with the educator, who must understand himself and be free from established patterns of thought; for what he is, that he imparts. If he has not been rightly educated, what can he teach except the same mechanical knowledge on which he himself has been brought up? So, our problem is not so much the child, the boy or the girl, but the teacher, the educator, who needs educating much more than the pupil. And to educate the educator is far more difficult than to educate the child, because the educator is already set, fixed. He merely functions in a routine, because he is really not concerned with the thought process, with the cultivation of intelligence."                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                      -   J Krishnamurti                                                   
 
Wonder Valley teachers will be required to learn the art of observation; meaning that they will need to constantly be aware of their own automatic responses and ready to unlearn the desire to analyze, judge, draw conclusions, hold prejudices and preconceptions about a child or a situation.
 
We hope to recruit teachers from all walks across the world with a common passion in education and self learning. Passionate in what they do, and with first hand experience in diverse fields in academics and practical, creative areas, such persons will ignite interests in children.  
 
Teacher training programs and workshops attended at various venues will be a regular feature at our school to ensure that Wonder Valley teachers are updated with the latest developments in the field of education, both theory and practicalities.