michele beach

[louisville, co]

Michelle is one of idec 2013’s coffee talkers:

Michele Beach was one of the founders of, and is now the Executive Director of, The Patchwork School, a non-profit, democratic school in Louisville, Colorado for children ages 1 and up.

The Patchwork School, based on Democratic Education, Humane Education and Reggio Emilia, and emphasizing freedom, responsibility and compassion was born. The school has grown from 10 preschool-age children and two teachers in Michele’s basement to now 80 children ages 1 to 12 in a three-building campus with twelve staff members. 

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Michele and Elizabeth (interviewed by Isaac) – on the Patchwork School:

patchwork – as no one way –

freedom, responsibility, compassion

Reggio Emilio – came about – parents wanted their kids to be thinkers

Democratic Ed – teacher as facilitator, to support interests and existing knowledge, teacher more a shadow than a trumpet, redefine success – self-actualization (self-direction, meaning, joy) – find own meaning of success

Humane Ed – remind selves – of compassion for all, social justice

Emergent – rising out of community gathered there, setting things out in environment that are designed to provoke thought (reggio), watch what they do, take it to the next level

documentation (reggio) – reflect on what’s been happening, pictures, art, conversations, them expand

4 teachers – learner, parent, teachers, environment (documentation is hung in the environment) – kitchen as mind

freedom – community as a container