A visit to a classroom at The Jefferson School is quite an experience, and for me, it was a pivotal moment.

When first visiting the school, I stepped into an Upper School classroom to find that students had set up an Asian carpet market. They had spent weeks designing their carpets based on a series of triangle shapes. They then calculated the areas of the triangles, added them up and priced their carpets accordingly. By doing so, these students fully understood and could easily explain the logic behind the monetary value of each carpet.

The students clearly learned the math lesson, but they also owned it, meaning they understood the relevance of knowing the total square inches of their carpets. Ownership is one of the virtues of progressive education, the philosophy that The Jefferson School embraces, and I saw this was a school that valued the importance of helping children become passionate learners.

Humans are curious by nature. We want to learn, as long as our curiosity isn’t stifled by irrelevant trivia. If we remain interested, we’ll continue to probe deeper. We like to problem solve, take academic risks, and at the end of the day, we’ll truly own what we learned. Our knowledge will become part of who we are, and we won’t forget it a week later, like after an exam.

As educators and parents, we need to create more opportunities for children to take ownership of their learning by offering relevance along with any educational setting. No one likes to follow hollow mandates, but we enjoy learning worthwhile lessons. Children need to be engaged in ways that allow them to make these connections from fact to value. In the child-centered environment of progressive education, teachers know how to observe their students’ interests and encourage exploration.

Parents also can bring home some progressive education ideas that encourage more active learning. For instance:

  • • Introduce your children to museums, places of wonderment that often have interactive sections for children
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  • • Go on nature walks to expose your child to the sights, smells, sounds, textures and even tastes of each season
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  • • Give your children a problem to solve and you’ll boost their self-esteem and self-reliance
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  • • Allow them to help you cook and follow recipes
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  • • Let them make mistakes, one of life’s best teachers
 

As John Dewey, the father of progressive education noted, “Education is not preparation for life: Education is life itself.”

- Constance Hendricks

Head of School - Constance Hendricks

 

Constance Hendricks brings to The Jefferson School more than 24 years' of experience with independent private school teaching and administration. Constance, who always had a love for teaching, began her career as a teaching assistant. Later, as a teacher, she taught various subjects including art, math, language arts and social studies. Over the years, she has instructed students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Constance transitioned to administration when she became Head of the Upper Level of Centreville School in 1999. She served in this leadership position until 2008 when she moved to the central office to direct enrollment and financial aid for Centreville School. In her spare time, Constance enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering, taking photographs, reading, gardening and cooking.

For nearly two decades, The Jefferson School has been dedicated to developing well-rounded, socially responsible, and globally aware individuals with the knowledge, character, and passion needed to fulfill their dreams and ambitions. The Jefferson School's teaching strategies are based on the belief that learners have power over their learning. Knowledge and understanding are acquired through active exploration. Instead of just listening, reading, and completing one-size-fits-all exercises, students investigate, discuss, and question.  They are encouraged to follow their interests and teachers are willing to allow this to happen.  Curriculum is designed around exploring big ideas, not small bits of information taught in isolation. The thought-provoking, student-centered classroom challenges children in ways that foster self-motivation, self-confidence, and self-discipline.

Basic academic skills are emphasized and integrated along with positive experiences in Music, Art, Spanish, Physical Education, and Health. We are a school where individual differences are respected, welcomed, and valued.  Our 8th graders leave us with the skills to do well in any environment they choose and are reported to be proactive and confident high school students.

We invite you to schedule time to come and experience for yourself The Jefferson School. Our approach doesn't just work, it works well. You can see the results every day in every classroom. Come visit and discover the difference. Please call or email us for a personal school tour.