Acton PTC

This is true of all of us. We are all on a Hero’s Journey - filled with joy, excitement, obstacles, fear, and ultimately a transformation.

The Hero’s Journey will be discussed often in our studio, as each learner will work towards finding where their talents and passion align with a career that can help others and change the world!

Currently, I am on a journey of adventure, challenge, and transformation as I work each week to complete the steps necessary to open our studio and bring Acton Academy to Peachtree Corners this August! It is not easy but I am excited for the journey!

If you are curious about the goals and benefits of an Acton Academy, then this is an informative but extremely quick read! I highly recommend it!

Here were my lessons learned:
1) Learn things you need and learn things you love.
2) The best way to learn - explore, play, then add rigor.
3) Educational theory makes economics look accurate (this one made me laugh, especially since I was an economics major college).
4) Tests only test the test takers ability to prepare for and take tests.
5) [At Acton] Learning is hands-ons and time is given to master a subject, so children are neither bored nor overwhelmed.

Two great lessons learned from my Acton owner orientation over the last couple of weeks. How do you climb a mountain? 🏔️ One step at a time. Keep it simple, pack light and you can achieve your goals.

Also, remember that none of us are experts and it is better to be curious than to always be right.



What I love about Acton #1
At Acton Academy, learners work at their own pace to achieve mastery in various skills within the subjects of language arts and mathematics. They are able to take their time to master a topic before moving on to the next, more advanced level. This allows them to work extra in the areas that challenge them but to breeze ahead in topics that come quickly to them. They are in control of their learning, not bored or overwhelmed. Another benefit of self-directed learning is the increased personal responsibility the learners are practicing each and every day - a life lesson for sure!

What I love about Acton #2

Multi-age collaborative learning means children learn alongside and from their peers of various ages. Older children are encouraged to be leaders and share their knowledge and skills with their younger peers. This helps to develop important leadership and mentorship skills, as well as to give a sense of responsibility and ownership of one’s learning. The younger children have a role model, someone to look up and strive to be more like. This results in improved social skills and a deeper sense of community.

What I love about Acton #3
Acton Academy makes learning fun 😊 Learners are engaged in real-world projects, or quests, that challenge them to learn in a hands-on, experiential environment. They don’t learn physics and math via a textbook and lecture but rather they learn from online games and by building marble runs, boats, and bridges. They learn counting money not by worksheets but through selling products at an Acton Children’s Fair. Along with learning the subject, these children are also learning the value of teamwork, problem-solving, and perseverance.

What I love about Acton #4
We celebrate curiosity and creative problem solvers

At Acton Academy teachers are called guides. They don’t stand at the front of the class and give information that students are expected to absorb. They walk along the students and help them to dive deeper into subjects and try to find a solution. If they are asked question, they reply with a question - “what do you think?” - to help the student continue to work on finding a solution.

Teachers lead socratic discussions, where they give a thought-provoking question, often that does not have one correct answer. The students are learning to think, to voice their ideas, and not just absorb information. This teaches them to stay curious, find creative solutions, and keep asking questions

#5 part I
No Tests 😁
Tests are not bad, but they are not always an accurate representation of a student’s knowledge on a subject. At Acton Academy, rather than giving tests we work to show mastery of a subject through performance-based assessments. This could be a presentation to peers or parents or could be winning a game that applies concepts such as multiplication or spelling.

What drew me to be an Acton parent, and now an Acton owner ✨🌟✨
#5 part II - NO HOMEWORK 🥳

Benefits of decreased or no homework.

Increased rest 😴
Kids need rest. If they’re going straight from school, to basketball practice, to dinner, to an hour of homework, and then straight to bed, they have no downtime. They have no time to turn off. They have no time to be bored and turn on their imaginations and simply play. As children grow older, into middle school and high school, rest is even more important but unfortunately they are often staying up late to complete homework. More sleep leads to better physical and mental health.

Increased Productivity ✅
At Acton Academy, we celebrate personal responsibility and we believe children are more capable than we often assume. Our kids understand what their daily, weekly, and overall academic goals are and what the timeline is to achieve those goals. This means kids understand they have to make the best use of their time in school and work to be productive during that time. Their productivity is increased and without the dreaded homework.

Decreased Frustration 🥵Homework is completed at home. No teacher or guide is there to help answer questions, this can lead to frustration for the children and for the parents. Let school work be done at school, where a guide is present to help.

Increased Creativity 🌻
With no homework, children are left more free time. This is time to be creative and to play and to run around outside. Build play forts, make believe, and have connected quality time with their family and friends. More free time fosters increased creativity and emotional development.

Here we go, my first post! ✨🌟✨

This journey started because I was looking for what felt right for our five-year-old, who should be entering kindergarten this fall. It wasn’t until I found Acton Academy that I realized how much better the current system should be for our children.

So, I am changing careers, opening Acton Academy Peachtree Corners, and jumping on what I believe is going to be an amazingly wild ride for me, my family, and my community!

What do I love about Acton Academy? See above and I’ll expand on each of these areas in later posts. 😁