This is a continuation of the Mission Focus series. Links to a prior reflection may be found below.
NCCS Mission:
“We create an active, joyful learning environment where children are challenged to think deeply, question confidently, and act generously so that they may lead lives of impact and purpose.”
Nearly every Education 101 class studies a concept called the “Zone of Proximal Development” introduced in the 1930’s by the psychologist Lev Vygotsky. It refers to the distance between what a child can learn independently and what they can learn with assistance from a “more knowledgeable other.” But what factors contribute to a student growing at the outer, most advanced edge of that zone? Good teaching, obviously. Engaging materials and curricular elements, certainly. And internal motivation to learn.
Beyond these, there is one other component – the right amount of stress. That is one way we think today of the Zone of Proximal Development – achieving the optimal level of challenge to encourage the most growth. The brain science behind the concept makes intuitive sense – too much stress, and the brain shuts down and does not grow; too little, and it cruises and does not grow.
So, our aim at NCCS is to challenge each student in the best way for them every day in every part of their development. While that is clearly not possible given the dynamic nature of child development, the closer we get to accomplishing that goal, the better for our students. So, how do we do that? Put simply, by ensuring that every child is known and loved. The relationships between students and teachers that are at the heart of the NCCS community are critical to our students’ growth.
There are several planes of child development our teachers monitor – intellectual, social, emotional, and physical. Within these four primary areas, there are additional components. For example, within intellectual development are the categories of literacy and numeracy, among others. The more our teachers know our students enough to understand their learning style, personality, and preferences, the better they can assess their development. And the more they care about each student’s growth, the more they tailor classroom experiences to meet their needs and challenge them as we aim to.
Our Mission: Respect for Childhood, A Focus on Children (Feb. 19)
Letters from Aaron 