Microschool

A Learning Centre or an Educational Commons for homeschool/school/unschool for children (learner educators) and adults (educator learners). 

• • The root meaning of ‘school’ originates from leisure. 

  • Exploring both the ‘outer world’ and the ‘world within’ and their relationship and interaction.

  • The environment does not promote: (i) reward and punishment, (ii) the avoidance of failure or the worship of success, (iii) conformity to authority (external or internal - i.e. our own conclusions and beliefs).

  • The intentions, curriculum, and pedagogy of the micro school are rooted in directly exploring the world and not based abstracted methods of practice and application.

  • Inter and transdisciplinary curriculum exploring questions and themes.

  • 'Mandala' design reflecting contingency and impermanence - generating a real-learning world rather than real-world learning and application.

For an inspirational resourse/starting point see: The Video Clips of Rishi Valley School's RIVER, MGML (Multi-Age and Multi-Level), 'School without walls', with narration from Education and the Significance of Life - Krishnamurti.

School Without Walls (Excerpt) 

Teacher: Home-life and life-at school (30 seconds) 

Bay Area Learning Centre

Microschool Operations: How the Pilot Will Work

The pilot micro school will start operating with 15–20 children, aged 6–12, in a multi-age, mixed-level learning environment. The structure is intentionally small to ensure close relationships, pliability, and personalized attention. Here's how it will function:

A day in the life of the school:

The root meaning of ‘school’ originates from leisure.

• Whole school assembly in the round: Movement, Singing, Sitting Quietly, Announcements and sharing.

• Morning Circles & Inquiry Blocks: Guided dialogues rooted in a core question of the week/month (e.g., What does it mean to belong? or Why do we believe what we believe?)

• Project-Based Learning: Students engage in interdisciplinary, hands-on, minds-on projects connected to real-world themes and questions..

• Independent Learning Pods: Time for self-directed reading, writing, or exploration responding to the child’s individual explorations.

• Reflection Time: Daily journaling, nature walks, and group sharing.

Weekly Structures

• “Deep Dive” Days: Extended time to  explore community-linked themes (e.g., food systems, architecture, storytelling).

• Reflective Inquiry Sessions: Small group or one-on-one reflection related to academic and social-emotional explorations.