This is the seventh in a series of posts explaining the Acton Academy Principles of Education.

Education Principle #7: Every child is a genius

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

Every child is a genius. Every child. Every day.

This principle is not about IQ. This principle is about the growth potential of every child. Every child has so much potential, so much growth to be developed.

This is a core belief for every guide that comes to Acton Academy. Everyone that comes to Acton understands that our role as mentors is to guide children to reach their potential. When we say each child is a genius, we are inherently saying that we care, deeply, about the growth of every child. It means that we understand that each student is unique - that each child comes from a unique background and each child learns at their own pace.

At a microschool such as Acton Academy, our guides must know and must care for the well-being of every student. We need to ensure that every child grows and we must care to cultivate the genius within each one of them. This is a core reason why we value a small classroom compared to traditional classes where 30 students per class is not uncommon for a teacher. This number is far greater when you consider the total number of students a teacher is responsible (consider total number of classes and number of students).

Often times at schools, students are numbers defined not by their unique personalities and potential but by their current exam score. They are numbers used for school ranking and school funding. Our students deserve to be seen for their own potential to each one of them can grow into the genius he / she is.

 Further Recommended Reading: Courage to Grow by Laura Sandefer