Looking for mentoring minded teens & others interested in internships!

The Real School AKA Dragon Valley
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is a non-hierarchical learning environment, free of coercion and control and rooted in consensus decision making. It aims to build a community of trust and liberation through education. ....
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We are currently seeking interns who are passionate, playful, empathetic, patient, committed, responsible and honest. ....
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Call 832-767-0404, email therealschoolhouston@yahoo.com or go to www. therealschoolhouston. org for more information about the school or to inquire about the position. ....

(Below is a more complete description.)....

Prospective interns must both like and deeply respect children, take initiative, love to learn, be willing to admit when they make a mistake, and have diverse interests. They should have skills and knowledge (or be willing to acquire them) in conflict resolution, alternative education, clear communication, unschooling, active listening, free schools, organization, consensus, modeling healthy and safe decisions, and anger management.....
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....interns carry out many tasks including teaching classes; listening; helping kids resolve conflict; cleaning; attending meetings; communicating with parents; outreach; fundraising; sharing skills; laughing; comforting hurt kids; playing; sharing interests; interacting with prospective families...
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The kids at the school say they would like prospective teachers to "like and care about kids, be understanding, engaging, fun, level-headed, have a good sense of humor, enjoy playing video games, and like to have a good time."....

A prospective teacher should be critical and conscious. Willingness to critically analyze our actions and behaviors is crucial to understanding our intersections of oppression (race, gender, class, age, etc.). Being conscious of "why we do what we do" and "why we think what we think" is important in maintaining a healthy dialog between parents, kids, and staff. The school should be seen as a place to learn for everyone involved. ....
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....Having a understanding of anti-authoritarianism and of the consensus decision-making model are important aspects of being a teacher. The Real School makes decisions collectively rather than relying on a leader to do so. Our basic principles are: respect ourselves, respect each other, and respect the environment. There is an expectation that kids, staff, parents, and the larger community will honor these principles not just during school hours, but also in their daily lives. ....

Interns should be prepared to commit to working at the school for at least a 6 month time period and to devote significant time and energy to their work. An ideal candidate would understand that interning at The Real School is not just a job and would approach their work with passion and heart felt energy. You are expected to take responsibility for yourself and should feel comfortable working without explicit directions while still remaining accountable to the community. ....
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If are interested in helping to grow something powerful and unique and believe that you can be of value to this amazing project, we encourage you to apply. Please send a resume with a written statement detailing your background, ideas on education, interests, and hopes for your involvement with The Real School AKA Dragon Valley to therealschoolhouston@yahoo.com.


Thanks!!!

TRS

Rain Day - TS Eduard

So we braved the dreaded tropical storm with its rain, occasional wind gusts and its rain. It's always good to have a rain day, even when you're unschooling! ;-) Raj and I relaxed with the boys throughout the day until they wandered off to play their Nintendos or worked on the computers. EliJah and Judah at some point went out to play in the rain and when they were done looked like wet kittens.

Our friend, Pravin (who helped create The Real School and is now working at the Albany Free School) stopped by for a visit. I got the chance to talk about race and class in the Unschool/Free School community with him. The conversation brought more questions than solutions, but we really need to outreach to the greater Houston community to talk about REAL educational reform and taking back the concept of school and learning from the institutions. Krenie dropped Isaac, Troy and Justin off in the midst of the rain and after a nap, Isaac got to spend some time catching up with Pravin. Carol and I got to talk a little about the move later this month when she came to pick up Justin and Troy. It's very exciting to know that we are moving into a permanent location in just a few weeks. (if anyone is interested in helping with that move, please let me know!).

We had a visitor who has an interest in staffing here. She and I had a great conversation about institutionalized learning and how we want more for our children. I hope she schedules some time to come and observe the daily happenings here later this week.

I did take some pictures of the rain which I will post tomorrow. Time to tuck the kiddos in so goodnight!

More explorations in unschooling tomorrow!!!

Peace & Blessings,
kim pickens