Written by Michell, translated by Sabrina Wong

Adults have been putting a lot of effort teaching children to enjoy learning and not to get attached to the results.

Schools have been organizing activities, telling children to enjoy the learning process and not to focus too much on the marks.

In fact, children enjoy learning and exploring by nature. From the moment they are born, they start observing and learning. They interact with the world in their unique way. They learn how to walk and how to speak naturally. They learn through doing things repeatedly, such as, saying something or doing/playing something repeatedly for days/months, until they master it or they feel it’s enough. To them, there is so much fun in learning and they know nothing about results and marks. They simply do what they enjoy. To them, there are so many new things in this world waiting for them to explore, and all new experiences spark them with joy.
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文：Michell

大人常說要教導小孩，
教導他們求學不是求分數。
學校甚至設計活動課程，教導孩子學習不是為了成績，而是為了知識、為了過程。
彷彿孩子從來不懂這些。
孩子本來學習就不是為了分數。他們學走路、學用語言溝通、在玩樂中學習認識這世界、在生活中重覆做喜愛的事，從來都不是為了分數。
小孩在生活中探索，東摸摸、西摸摸，大人說他搗亂；
小孩在玩耍中學習，大人說他只顧著玩，不做正事；
小孩享受著生活裡每個當下，大人說他缺乏目標，要求他拿出成果……
本來，小孩天生就有強大的動機去學習，有意慾成為有能力的人。
大人設計一個外在評分制度來評量孩子是否達到我們的要求，
終於，孩子學會了為成績、為別人的期望而學習，
大人又說求學不是求分數……
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We finally had our first “lesson” in Sudbury. It’s a Menstrual Cycle lesson! One day, two 9.5-year-old girls were discussing menstrual pads and tampons. They haven’t gotten their period yet, but one of them brought her mom’s pads and tampons back and they were curiously exploring them. They asked me to go to the washroom Read more about The Menstrual Cycle Lesson[…]

(文： Michell & Chi Chi Chan)

瑟谷終於出現了第一個「課堂」，就是月經課！

有一天，兩位九歲半女孩拿著一些東西在角落竊竊私語，然後她們走過來，叫我陪她們去洗手間。原來其中一位女孩拿了媽媽的衞生巾回來。她倆都未有月經，但很好奇地研究衞生巾怎樣用。

我說：「我已十幾年不用衞生巾了，我用月經杯。」

女孩更好奇：「杯？吓？你放隻杯入去vagina？」 […]

by Michell A few months ago, everyone in Hong Kong was learning how to clear the tear gas residue. Recently, we have been learning how to correctly wear a face mask to prevent the Coronavirus. I can’t help thinking, are there any schools that have incorporated such skill sets into their curriculum in advance? In Read more about Self-Directed Learning in the Chaos[…]

文: Michell 前陣子，全城在學習怎樣清洗催淚彈殘餘物。最近，大家學習正確使用口罩和防疫措施。我在想，有哪間學校預先把催淚彈和口罩常識編入課程呢？有好多知識，都是我們在生活裡感到需要，或感到與我們息息相關時才學的。 這跟瑟谷自主教育的概念很吻合。自主教育除了讓孩子按興趣去學習，也深信當孩子需要某些知識或技能時，他就會自發去學習，他不一定喜歡，但也會學，就像學清洗催淚彈殘餘物的人。 自主教育裡，孩子為什麼會自發認字？自發學數學？很多時都未必因為他們有興趣，而是純綷生活裡需要。看懂道路標示、看懂餐牌可以自己點餐、看懂一本故事書和遊戲指示、算出用零用錢買到多少零食、處理找贖等等，都自然會成為孩子學習的動力。只是每個孩子的步伐不同，但他們終會學懂所需的知識技能。 那麼，一些非常重要的資訊呢？例如，有位日本老師說，日本孩子必須知道地震逃生常識；德國老師說，德國孩子必須知道納粹黨大屠殺的歷史，所以必須把這些議題編入課綱。 自主教育的角度是，若某個議題真的是極重要，即使孩子不跟隨強制課程，他們在生活中也遲早會認識到。就如在日本地震較為普遍，自學孩子在生活裡也會接觸到求生常識。至於像大屠殺如此嚴重的事，除了學校強制的課堂，難道德國孩子沒有其他渠道接觸到這段歷史嗎？ 重點是，我們不能再假設沒有強制課堂，孩子就不會學或沒有機會學到。孩子原本是好奇主動的，只要他們的探索渠道是開放的，就能夠不斷回應內在驅動力和需要去學習。整個過程是自發、主動，充滿嘗試、失敗、再接再厲，靈活多元的。 近年社會上發生的事，很多都是我們從沒預料過的。面對急速變動的世界，無從預測的未來，我深深覺得若源用強制教育模式種下的思維去生活，只會愈活愈恐懼：依賴權威的安排，害怕犯錯，面對不懂的事感到羞愧無助，深信自己不夠好，介意別人的評價，盲從，等待拯救者出現給你解藥，無奈地接受不合理的安排，感到生活太多方面不由自己掌握….. 而自主教育最大的啟發是，自主的狀態讓人了解自己的需要，回應自己的喜好和需求，這份自知和富足感滋養著心，在紛亂的世界裡仍踏實地站穩，隨機應變，發揮最大的潛能。

The Sudbury kids are so disappointed when we have to suspend the school due to the coronavirus. They hate holidays. They love hanging out with their friends in Sudbury. They love having the time to focus on their passion. Some of them miss being the Sudbury Snack Shop shopkeeper while some miss being the JC Read more about Self-Directed Learning While School Suspending[…]