Chances are strong that a school that’s right for your child might not the same one that is right for your neighbor’s child. Or your best friend’s child. Or your business partner’s child.
In other words, the right school is “right” because it is a good fit for your child. Because children of all ages come in all shapes and sizes and temperaments and learning styles - each with their own strengths, challenges, interests and passions – it stands to reason that fit is unique to each student.
Some factors to consider in choosing right-fit schools for your student include:
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
- Does the school’s pedagogical mission complement your child’s learning style?
- Is learning inquiry based? Does it invite and support critical thinking?
- Are there opportunities for student collaboration?
- Is the physical landscape of the school inspiring?
SCHOOL CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
- Do the values, beliefs, behaviors, routines, norms, and traditions of the school community align with those of your child? Your family?
- Is the community warm and inclusive? Does embrace diversity?
- Does the school offer extracurricular activities that interest your child or that will guide your child toward new paths of self-discovery?
TEACHING STYLES
- Does the school encourage students to build meaningful relationships with their teachers? Their peers?
LOCATION
- How convenient is transportation to and from school?
Remember, choosing the school that is right for your child depends on many factors – all of them tied to the values of your family and the unique attributes of your learner.