Real learning is an active, engaging and personally rewarding process. School should not be defined as a “place” to go. It is instead a journey of exploration, creation, challenge, and fulfillment. Growth and learning demands us to do things we have never done before. That definition can be either intimidating or exciting. Our attitude determines which it will be.  To create an attitude for learning, each day has to foster a frame of mind that encourages effort, perseverance, and celebration.

As educators, it becomes our obligation to build an environment that allows for this intrinsic construction of the value of learning. A boarding school, with influence over both academic and residential aspects of life, can help to establish the habits that sustain a healthy attitude.

Starting the day right is essential. Teaching and learning requires good rest and readiness.  It starts with establishing an evening routine that allows you to feel ready for tomorrow when you put your head on the pillow the night before. Teaching students about sleep hygiene should be an essential element of any school curriculum. Mornings should not be a rushed frenzy. Allowing students ample time for a healthy breakfast, some socialization, a positive message and some movement ensure a ready mind and body for the action of learning. At Leelanau, every student is greeted each morning with a hearty hello and a kind word. We spend the first hour of each day sharing a community breakfast, telling stories, making announcements, and celebrating successes. We then enjoy 20 minutes of light exercise: hiking the beach, yoga, shooting hoops in the gym, or a quick bike ride. It is not enough to simply start the day later. Learning requires us to start each day right.  

In addition to a positive morning routine, students need to learn and apply tools that help them manage their time, set their priorities, enable them to resolve conflicts and invite them to seek help.  A deliberate curriculum on executive functioning skills is the path to reducing anxiety and empowering sustained learning.  At Leelanau, we have discovered the benefit of all students learning these skills in a progressive and personal way throughout their high school career. It is what is learned in these classes that allows students to navigate the path of a lifelong learner.

The academic day should be filled with teaching that is experiential, responsive and non-competitive. Classes should be small enough to allow for instructional agility and a sense of being “known” by the teacher and other students.  Movement, action, art and debate should be embedded into every classroom. Expectations should be high and support should be bottomless. Students should not be afraid to make mistakes, which more times than not guarantees their eventual success. Breaks should be embedded throughout the day for quiet meditation, tutorials, or just a hike in the woods. A gentler pace can result in a longer run.

Evenings and weekends should be filled with choices of activities to support positive socialization and individual exploration. Music, athletics, conditioning, arts, games, crafts, hiking, biking, fishing are all healthy and fun ways to find comfort, foster relationships, and build self-esteem. Providing safe ways to enjoy unstructured free-time is essential in creating a healthy environment for self development.

Eagerness to learn is a frame of mind built upon feelings of wellness, safety, support, engagement, and respect.  At The Leelanau School, we attend to the wholeness of schooling by deliberately building a positive attitude and adopting sound executive functioning strategies. When this frame of mind is immersed in a responsive and experiential teaching environment, schooling can feel like a downhill run.  At Leelanau, real learning becomes a thrilling and joyful experience for all.