Hi, I’m Bea, an Indi-ED student. When I had the chance to write an article for the blog, I chose to write about how Indi-ED allows time for experiences that are productive but also fun. We often spend parts of our days studying at a local coffee shop, or recently competing in a cookie competition against the other grades, or celebrating the holidays together with the school in an exciting gift exchange. We do make time for academics yet we can also be flexible with our time which allows us to learn from experiences often rather than just sitting in a classroom everyday. We are able to go to places and learn from them and so our days can look completely different from each other. That is Indi-ED.
We can only do this because we allow it. We know academics are important but we are not forced to sit in the same chairs everyday and learn something in the same way, at the same time. It is because we allow time for experiences. We understand that science, social studies, English language arts, and math are important, but they are not the only things that are important. We spend time in our days learning about fitness and spending time outside in nature.
We also dedicate a portion of our time to learning about our passions. In a class called inquiry, we get to plan experiences and study what matters to us. We still have plenty of time for other classes but they are not always at the same time. If we need to spend extra time or even the whole day on something important, we can do that. We have enough time to learn about what we want without having to rush around to the next class. We get to do all of this, yet we still learn and don’t get behind. We take time for what’s important and stay productive but include what is needed for the students-us. This is all possible because we allow ourselves to be different. That is Indi-ED.
