Oak Learners has been serving the Etobicoke-Lakeshore community since 2016 and is a registered not-for-profit learning centre dedicated to improving the educational experience for children and families. The director, Kelly Farrell, is a strong advocate for systemic educational change and pushes towards personalized learning that actually addresses the strengths and needs of each and every child. Kelly founded Oak Learners on the belief that, “every child can succeed when they are given the opportunity to express their own creativity and showcase their strengths in a supportive and collaborative community.”
In the 5 years since its inception, Oak Learners has grown and adapted to the changing needs of the community and now features 5 main branches of programming: Day School, Tutoring, Camps, Online Classes, and Extracurricular Arts Programming. The learning centre that was once run by Kelly herself and a few part-time staff now includes 15 full-time teaching and support staff, almost 20 part-time educators in addition to 10 seasonal camp counsellors and support staff. This incredible growth for Oak Learners exemplifies the sheer need in our community for quality educational programming and support for families and students.
The three “C’s” that form the foundation of the Oak Learners philosophy are more than just a tagline with alliteration, they are the core beliefs that bring success to every student who passes through the doors. Every teacher at Oak Learners is committed to filling every single day with creativity and outside-the-box teaching and learning. Programs at Oak Learners are student-centred and promote student strengths as an important part of building their confidence and motivation to succeed.
Creativity
Children are naturally inquisitive and creative learners and thrive in an environment where these natural inclinations can be nurtured and celebrated.
Many institutional educational settings are so focused on reaching “all” students that they often fail to reach “each” student. When a teacher assigns an art project, usually there is a final product that the students are expected to replicate. Unsurprisingly, every art project turns out differently, but unfortunately, only the ones closest to the example are praised and displayed. Oak Learners takes a completely different approach! It focuses instead on providing children with skills to perform tasks so that they can create a variety of different styles of artwork to demonstrate their skills while also celebrating the individual creativity of each piece.
Walking down the hallways of Oak Learners, one will see examples of children’s creativity adorning the walls and displayed for all to see. Each piece of artwork looks as unique as the children who created them. Director Kelly Farrell explains, “When children see their own artwork displayed on the walls of the school or on their parent’s refrigerator, it gives them a sense of pride in their work that comes from knowing their creativity and individuality are being celebrated and appreciated and this feeling gives them confidence in their own abilities and ideas.” Children at Oak Learners know that the more unique their projects are, the more they are celebrated and can often be heard begging for something they have created to be put on display.
Back to School season in September is a great time to encourage creativity, starting with back-to-school shopping. Children love building their back-to-school wardrobe and filling a new backpack with shiny new items. Kelly’s advice to parents is to let children use their accessories and clothing as the first way to express themselves. Let them decorate their backpack, choose their outfits and bask in the self-confidence created by being unique. When children bring home projects or artwork from school, hang it up! Designate a place in your house where you can display artwork on a clothesline or on the fridge or even in frames on the wall that get changed out each time something new comes home.
Confidence
There is nothing as disheartening as the look on a child’s face when they encounter defeat or fail at something they worked so hard for. In contrast, the look of confidence or pride on your child’s face when they successfully complete a new challenge or accomplishment is one of the most heartwarming moments! Confidence is not something that comes naturally, but is something that must be continually nurtured and recognized. Confidence is also the driving power behind success and can often be the difference between children who want to take risks and try new things, and children who become complacent with maintaining the status quo. At Oak Learners, the teachers understand that in order to find success with academic endeavours, students must first believe that they can!
Kelly explains that when most parents first come to Oak Learners, “they tell me that they just want their child to be happy and confident in themselves.” She also reiterates that once there is confidence and positive self-awareness, success in everything else is possible. Kelly has heard from countless children who arrive for tutoring that they feel “hopeless” and that success in academics is “impossible”. The teachers at Oak Learners begin with each child by building a relationship of mutual respect and trust that is fostered through acknowledging the strengths of each child. Kelly says, “We begin by celebrating the strengths of each child because it is from their strengths that we can scaffold a support system for their needs. For example, if a child loves art and drawing but is struggling to learn to read and write, we begin each session with some form of art or drawing to recognize their existing skills before tackling the more challenging skills.” This approach sets the child up for success and establishes a positive rapport right from the start.
More and more research into education is showing that the strengths-first approach and a multi-disciplinary learning environment are significantly more successful at developing confident, adaptable and well-rounded students into their futures. The Reggio Emilia philosophy, which underlies the approach to teaching and learning at Oak Learners, begins with the premise that every single child is capable and competent and full of potential and ambitious desires. Students at Oak Learners are acknowledged first for their competencies and then supported in their future learning through those skills.
Parents and teachers are the most important people in making or breaking the confidence of their children and students. It all begins with the language used and daily practices of recognition and gratitude. At Oak Learners, Kelly and her teachers greet each child by thanking them for being there and bringing their best selves. At the end of each day, they sit with the students or campers to reflect on the day’s successes and help the children set goals for the next day. This practice helps children understand that entire days can’t be “good” or “bad”, but that there are always opportunities to acknowledge success and gratitude in each day.
Community
A supportive community is irreplaceable to the education and success of children. As children grow, so does their community and their sense of belonging in their community. At Oak Learners, children are not just part of a “class” or a “school”, but part of a community where the roles of every community member are recognized and celebrated, including the children.
Kelly recognizes that, “when children feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves, they are more likely to work harder to achieve their best to support their role in the larger community.” This is exemplified every day in the atmosphere of Oak Learners, beginning with their location in the heart of Mimico Village and their commitment to outdoor education and learning outside in the community. Students and campers at Oak Learners feel recognized as important members of the community and want to continue to learn and grow to give back.
What the pandemic has taught us more than anything else is the importance of community. We have collectively learned to appreciate our neighbours, our small businesses and our families. As this community expands again while we recover from the pandemic, it is important for parents and teachers to continue to build an inclusive and welcoming community for all children and students.
School Success for all Learners
This year, back to school may still look a little different, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing – it’s a wonderful opportunity to set new routines, new expectations and new practices of gratitude and recognition for our children. Let’s work together to continue to rebuild a better way of teaching and learning to set our children up for success in a continually changing world. Success comes with small steps, but always stems from the same 3 C’s: Creativity, Confidence and Community.
Find out more about how Oak Learners can support your family during the upcoming school year at www.oaklearners.ca. More programs and opportunities to get involved are opening all the time and you are encouraged to sign up for the Oak Learners newsletter for regular updates and news on how Oak Learners is reshaping education for the future.
