Philosophy

“An oak tree's roots do not start deep. They start in proportion to the size of the oak itself. As a seedling, the roots are the perfect size for the first leaf it sprouts up — no more, no less. Children are the same. Their roots of self-worth and self-love are in perfect proportion to their developmental level upon arriving here in our arms. As the child grows, it bumps into familial, societal and cultural systems that tell them to grow “up” faster than they’re ready. They’re rushed to grow their trunk, branches, and leaves well before their roots have time to catch up.

When children feel the pressure to grow “up,” before their roots are solidly grounded and in proportion to the rest of their development, they will dutifully put a lot of energy into their “up and out” growth, leaving little to no energy -- or understanding of, because it isn’t being modeled for them -- to the cultivation, care, and growth of their roots. 

Forcing the “up and out” motion of a child, or an oak, leaves the roots vulnerable, underdeveloped, and unhealthy. And even though we cannot see the roots, they are critically important to the whole child - or an oak tree. 

From the perspective of neuroscience, you can see these nourishing roots as (neural) pathways that connect both hemispheres of the brain. And taking it one step further toward holism, not only are both hemispheres of the brain integrated, but the intelligence of the heart is accepted, listened to, and enacted upon regularly.”

Excerpt above from The Whole Environment Education Philosophy.

The Whole Environment philosophy, at its core, is an extension of holism. This approach to education addresses the whole person, both teacher and child. While solidly pursuing intellectual development and learning, it also develops the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of a person as well. 

Holistic Education

The Oak School is a school founded on holism. A holistic approach is integrative and its ultimate goal is the cultivation of relationships between the child and their inner world; between self and community; intellect and emotion; teacher and student; student and community, and beyond.

We support and respond to the child’s whole development including intellectual, social, emotional, artistic, physical and spiritual development. We strive to create an environment that draws forth the intrinsic motivation of each child. The teachers themselves play an important role in this environment by how they carry themselves and approach their own inner and outer lives, becoming integral to the curriculum of the classroom themselves.

Holism points us inwards to connect with — and continuously nourish — our roots. As our individual roots grow deeper in ground, we discover new depth, wisdom, and strength in our selves and lives. Strong roots means we have the strength and resilience to weather storms big and small, as well as to offer our gifts more easily to the world — our branches have a strong base with which to reach far.

Vision

Imagine a school that fosters an integrated life for students, teachers and families. Our environment is designed to nurture the unfolding development of the “whole child” including the intellect, artistic, reflective, intuitive, and interpersonal knowledge and abilities — integrated soft skills.

The school supports the teachers in their wholeness because we value modeling what we teach and creating an experience for the children and our coworkers, of holistic and integrated living.

When soft skills are modeled well, they integrate deeper than when they’re just being discussed. You’ll find the following soft skills in an integrated, whole person: empathy, collaboration, listening, resiliency, creative problem solving, and discernment. But these skills are so closely linked, that they appear to move through life fairly seamlessly. Of course, an integrated person still feels the same full range of emotions and faces the same bumps, twists and turns of life that we all do; it’s just that they are equipped to face these challenges without making them bigger — the integrated person’s presence is a gift as it diffuses situations before they and everyone involved become engulfed.

Learn more!

The Oak School is the manifestation of the Oak School’s Director, Tricia Martin-Owen’s vision and book
The Whole Environment Educational Philosophy.
Get your copy today to dive deeper.