Art Willans - Freedom to Learn: Creating a Classroom Where Every Child Thrives

Praise for

Freedom to Learn

I was hooked on the book on the first page of the preface. Many readers will have a similar reaction, recognizing their own school experiences as students and teachers and seeing the wisdom of teaching children with these methods. Despite decades of new ideas and approaches to education, it all comes down to thisthat which makes the greatest difference in schools fulfilling their mission is the nature of the teacher-child interaction, moment by moment, as the days and years unfold. All teachers and teachers-in-training should read this book and implement its strategies. Their students would benefit greatly.

Dr. Stan Paine, former National Distinguished Principal
and Oregon Elementary Principal of the Year

Freedom to Learn is a methodology that will breathe the passion back into one of the most under appreciated professions. This book provides a comprehensive and flexible means of managing psychological and physical needs in children to motivate growth through effective learning. The much-needed ground work for a revolution of traditional classroom approaches that the children of coming generations deserve. A must read, must know, must teach.

Dr. Dustin Marsh, Psy.D.

Freedom to Learn gripped me from the introduction all the way to the ending. This is a practical and useful book for seasoned teachers, beginning teachers, and students planning to become educators. Impressive, easy to read, practical, useful, creates a positive learning environment, and has data to support its effectiveness.

Marlene Andrews, retired Faculty Member,
Special Education Department, University of Wisconsin Oshkos

Educators at all levels are beginning to pay much more attention to social-emotional learning, and the search for effective methods in that arena leads to Willans and Williams work. After reading and studying Freedom to Learn, educators will understand the vital importance of the connection students must feel with peers, their surroundings, and especially with their teacher, for learning to occur. To make the concepts actionable, readers are introduced to difference-making strategies, which can be put in place immediately. Freedom to Learn is not your typical approach, but how well has the typical approach been working for either individual educators or for the entire educational system in our nation? In striving to develop lifelong learners, Freedom to Learn puts the why and the how-to together, clearly documenting the need to reject temporary test score improvement as validation of educational success. It is not just another educational philosophy book to read, but instead, it is a must read and must implement.

William J. Decker, Chief Administrator,
Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency

Freedom to Learn is one of those rare books which can be utilized as a training tool in the educational discipline. It holds the wisest, most reasonable, and compassionate treatment for every student. The authors exude passion as they provide practical strategies for educators, which will develop a trusting relationship with each student; affording all students success. As an educator, counselor, private therapist and professor at the university level for more than forty years, I avidly recommend Freedom to Learn for every current educator as well as those working toward an educational career.

Karen M. Smith, M.Ed., Ed.S., National Certified School Counselor

Copyright 2018 by Art Willans and Cari Williams.

All rights reserved.

Cover design by Diane McIntosh.

Cover Image iStock (467833731)

Printed in Canada. First printing April 2018.

Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of Freedom to Learn should be addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below. To order directly from the publishers, please call toll-free (North America) 1-800-567-6772, or order online at www.newsociety.com

Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to:

New Society Publishers

P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada

(250) 247-9737

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION

Willans, Art, 1943-, author

Freedom to learn : creating a classroom where every child thrives / Willans & Williams.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-0-86571-878-4 (softcover).--ISBN 978-1-55092-671-2 (PDF).--ISBN 978-1-77142-266-6 (EPUB)

1. Classroom management. 2. Classroom environment. 3. Effective teaching. 4. Problem children--Education. I. Williams, Cari Lynette, author II. Title.

New Society Publishers mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision.

M Y FIRST MEMORY OF SCHOOL was not a good one. It was a really important day in kindergarten, because it was the first time we were going to use scissors. I was so excited to show I would be the best student ever to use a pair of scissors. This was my chance to prove that I could remember everything my teacher had said. She had taught us never to cut our hair or the hair of other students. We were to be careful never to cut our clothes, and most of all never run with scissors. I was certain I could not only remember everything she had said, but would follow her instructions exactly. The moment I was waiting for finally arrived. She said, Children you may come get your scissors. In my excitement to show her I could be a perfect student, I jumped to my feet and ran to the box of scissors. I successfully knocked three of my classmates out of the way and grabbed a pair. With perfect discipline, I calmly turned around to walk to my seat. The teacher was yelling my name, which surely meant she was as pleased with me as I was with myself. To my heart-breaking surprise, she was upset with me and took my most cherished possession the scissors from my hand. She said, Cari, you are not allowed to use scissors. Because of the way she said those words, I thought she meant forever. My spirit was broken. In my mind, I was a miserable failure as a student and would have to come to school every day for the rest of my life and bear the shame of being a failure. All of my friends, if I ever had any more friends, would know me as the girl who could not use scissors.

Despite how impossible survival seemed, I did make it to the fifth grade. My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Cynthia Lowery, made all the difference in my life and in the lives of other students. She made the classroom safe. The students, including myself, were never afraid of failing or even disappointing her. Every student succeeded and we became part of the fifth grade family that kept each other safe. She loved each of us, including the most difficult boy in the class. Every student became committed to helping that boy succeed. For years, I and a few other students remained in contact with her, and I babysat her children. Even though Cynthia is the reason I became a teacher I couldnt describe what it was about her teaching that made such a difference. However, I knew I wanted my students to respond the way we responded to Cynthia. But while I knew how I wanted students to respond, I did not know how to achieve those results.