ESBZ a Berlin SALT visit

[Suse Meffert]

SALT visit in ESBZ (see reinventing organisations)in Berlin

This is a very remarkable school for pupils from 10 to 18 years. The young learners call their teachers study coaches, they plan their own learning pace and goal. Two times a year they show their projects to the coaches, up to their 16th year they never get grades. Later they do, to be compatible with the general exams in Germany. Mostly they are better students, more self reliant and with great awareness. When they get no grades, they get useful and detailed comments from their coaches. When they find their learning environment too noisy, for example, they get used to find another good place for themselves....

When we came to this school on a saturday, there was a working weekend for parents, fixing the classrooms (foto) and getting involved, also in touch with each other. It was also a learning day for new parents, they got introduced in the philosophy of this school, as well as the practical implications.(foto). We were having a great conversation with two experienced parents, they told us stories about the school, how much more work the teachers have with coaching and commenting in such a personal way. Also the parents have to choose consciously to send their children to this school, as they get much more involved in all the different projects there. They can also bring a free time project there if they have a good theme of interest. The older sister of her son had given a lecture about monkeys in south Africa, a project she's involved with. So everyone can contribute...  Very salty.

It's obligatoir that pupils are involved in social projects in the area (foto), they share their knowledge and learning. It's a conscious and aware new generation that is growing up there. They learn from life, they learn from getting involved. One learning moment is when they get 3 weeks time to travel in a small group. They get 150 euro, the grown up that travels with them only witnesses, only gets involved when there ar threatening situations. One group managed to travel bij canoe, another group discovered a whole new landscape, another group wanted to experience a 3 star hotel. It works, they learn by doing and communicating. They can leave school after 10th grade, they can go on to university.

Great example, horizontal organization and democratic co-working. The only thing I missed here were people from different continents. It's all quite white and weel educated. Nevertheless worthwhile to visit and inspiring to think further.....

parents fixing the classroom

participation

[Anita Sheehan-Nutz]

Dear Suse, 

Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us.  This school has been in the lime light since Frederic Laloux's book, and it is great for us to have had someone see it for real.  

[Birgitta Schomaker]

Thank you for sharing, Suse. Interesting to read your report.

[Suse Meffert]

Rituu, thanks for reading and reacting. Without SALT maybe I wouldn't have gone there. By visiting, the first that comes up is appreciation, then also transfer. I was continuously thinking about my own school time, and how I would have loved to be in this kind of context. Then, I thought about my students who are becoming teachers....

Hope to share quite something about different approaches, maybe I will show them pictures to make it more real. 

Learning....I learned a lot there, still thinking which parts to continue with, which are not. For example the white majority leaves me a bit puzzled. This is not what we want with CLCP, maybe necessary for a start....?

Supporting, the way of having contact, sitting together in the kitchen with those parents, preparing lunch, cutting vegetables, talking like in a tribe.... This was very salty. I'm much more open to do this with knowing about SALT.

Thanks for asking.

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Congratulations Suse! How was this visit different from visit you would have done to the school before SALT training? I mean how did you apply SALT? Thanks