A sunday morn well spent -reigniting my conviction to work for an education system where every child can

The book brings alive the magic that is Riverside School. I call it magic because it ignites possibilities of what education can be and is on a daily basis in a manner which appears matter of fact (just like the swish of a wand) and yet is largely unseen. The book opens up this magic kingdom to share what are its roots, the bricks that have made the structures so strong, and the spells that hold it all together - the design principles of always keeping the whole child at the center and the belief that every child deserves an education that is relevant, rigorous, caring and empowering. 

The book through its many anecdotes makes visible what learning can look like, when freed from the notions of exams, rote and mediocrity. The learning examples in the book describe the tight relationship between education and real life. Moreover, the emphasis in education on recall and retention is both questioned and reimagined by describing learning processes wherein due to engagement and meaning-making, children remember every learning session they have been part of. And the book makes great efforts to make clear that this comes by designing learning in a manner which hooks children to explore and understand the why, what and how of a concept. 

The writing also makes explicit the groundwork which is needed to design meaningful learning opportunities for all stakeholders, whether it is students, teachers, school leaders, and support staff. The detailing brought out in the description of processes that lead to empathetic design tells the readers that all of us have this magic with us. 

I really appreciate the manner in which the book spotlights the importance of documentation. This is a key aspect in revealing what enables magic to continue and grow, to share knowledge and at the same time give others the opportunity to build on existing ideas. The idea of documentation in most organizations is in the form of SOPs, which restricts thinking as it tells people what and how to do but never shares the why. By highlighting the importance of the origin story, the “why” , it creates an opportunity for more people to understand the problem and iterate the solution if needed. 

The book also brought me back to the reality that it is not by thinking alone but by doing that magic becomes real. What Riverside has done is acted on its belief in every child’s capabilities and created systems, processes and tools to ensure that every child can do good and well.