When it comes to teenagers, Sudbury schools have something of an issue. We’ve had students who started in nothing but Sudbury and reach adolescence without giving us much in the way of problems. But it’s often another story when it comes to teenagers who join us in their teen years.
Such teens come to us after years of the damage that public schools can do. They tend to come with the survival mechanisms that they learned there. They can often be defensive, cynical, judgmental, and often rude. They don’t always embrace the age mixing component, so used to thinking of anyone younger as less. It takes a lot to break such bad habits.
Which is not to say that nothing good comes from moving your teen from a traditional compulsory school to a Sudbury school. We’ve had teens let go of depression and find a new love of reading and learning. We’ve had teens learn how to control their tempers after years and teens who have discovered what they wanted with their lives given the space.
So, yes, please do send your teenagers. They will grow and improve by leaps and bounds. Just don’t be surprised when they aren’t suddenly perfect.
Sean Vivier
Such teens come to us after years of the damage that public schools can do. They tend to come with the survival mechanisms that they learned there. They can often be defensive, cynical, judgmental, and often rude. They don’t always embrace the age mixing component, so used to thinking of anyone younger as less. It takes a lot to break such bad habits.
Which is not to say that nothing good comes from moving your teen from a traditional compulsory school to a Sudbury school. We’ve had teens let go of depression and find a new love of reading and learning. We’ve had teens learn how to control their tempers after years and teens who have discovered what they wanted with their lives given the space.
So, yes, please do send your teenagers. They will grow and improve by leaps and bounds. Just don’t be surprised when they aren’t suddenly perfect.
Sean Vivier
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