The Value of Learning Communities

We have all heard that “it takes a village to raise a child,” but often people don’t think about it taking a village to educate a child as well. Whether you are at a parochial school, an independent school, a charter school, or a public school, the community in which your child is immersed daily is reflected in the values, morals, and lessons they learn. Parents have so much influence on their children from the moment they are born, but as they attend preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school, that influence changes and expands to new ideas and input from teachers and peers. 

As a parent with a young child, I already see that influence on my son. He comes home with new words and phrases, new games he wants to play, and new questions I would have never thought to ask. His new friends are wonderful for his creativity and curiosity. They encourage him to try new things (like green olives) and ask questions like “If you are my dad, who is your dad? Does everyone have a dad?”, but they also can affect children in less desirable ways. Luckily for us, we have not yet had to deal with the negative side effects of peer influence, and we hope to mitigate that risk as much as possible by choosing a learning community that matches our values and morals. This begs the question, what do you value in a learning community?

As someone who has worked in education for years, I strive to have a community for my child in which they feel comfortable, one that educates through hands-on learning, differentiation in teaching techniques, supports creativity and shares our ideals about inclusivity and kindness. These are clearly specific to my family, but in choosing the learning community for our child we considered what it was we valued. Some questions we asked are:

What do we look for in academics?

Are there specific pedagogical needs we want to be met? (field trips, handwriting, neurodivergent services, etc.)

How do we want our child to connect with other children? With their teacher?

Do the arts, music, language, sports, etc. matter in our community?

What values do we want our child to be surrounded by on a daily basis?

Once you have an idea of how you feel about these questions you can begin to decide the environment you want your child to be in for 8 or more hours a day every day and to look for a school that represents your desired community. 

Although it may seem like a school is just there for academics it is so much more than that, Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child describes a learning community as a “space and a structure for people to align around a shared goal. Effective communities are both aspirational and practical. They connect people, organizations, and systems that are eager to learn and work across boundaries, all the while holding members accountable to a common agenda, metrics, and outcomes.” Obviously, our goal is the education of our children, but ensuring that the community we are in matches our ideals is just as important as the education itself. The school your child is at is where they will learn from “both successful and unsuccessful experiences to deepen collective knowledge.” It’s where they will make mistakes, but hopefully are supported and guided in ways that meet them where they are, and match your family’s values. 

We found that Cedarwood Waldorf School not only met our academic goals, but also our personal values and morals. There are times when we question if less really is best or if we can simplify things any further. But, each time we look at what the school is doing and what we want in our child’s community we realize that our teacher’s advice is helpful, practical, and at times aspirational, but always supportive of the same goals and values we hold. 

One of the things that truly sets Waldorf education and particularly Cedarwood apart from other schools we have looked at is its emphasis on community and social engagement. It encourages children from the beginning to understand themselves and to find their place in their community by providing support and kindness to everyone. In our classes, all students are referred to as “friends” and when a friend is struggling to learn or achieve something, other friends come to aid them. The class moves forward together with the individual being just as valued as the whole. This approach is the epitome of community and ensures that every child feels seen and held by their teacher and peers. 

This sense of community is also what allows our students to attempt so much. As we regularly say, “I can do hard things.” This concept is instilled in children in Pre-K and is one of the reasons Cedarwood students excel in math, Japanese, Spanish, string instruments, movement, and art. It’s why our kids aren’t afraid to try circus arts during their physical education time and why they don’t shy away from participating in the school play each year. By having a community that always values each individual member, celebrates their achievements, and supports them when they stumble, we create a learning community that makes anything possible. 

In this village, we are all raised to care for each other, to never give up, to be adventurous, and to do hard things. What do you want your village to teach your child?

If you are interested in learning more about Cedarwood please attend one of our virtual tours or schedule an in-person tour.