VER.

01

Guide For Foundation Teachers

Education Approach, Teaching and Session Organization
1/24/2014

Teaching is an art: learn through experience; develop your own style.

Contents
Introduction At a Glance Session Organisation Teaching Foundation Overview 2 3 4 5 7

Introduction
Hello there! The purpose of this brief guide is to serve as a resource for foundation teachers, typically those just starting off within the movement. Teaching would have to be the single most important skill in the movement, for it is the foundation of what we call education, and I must stress that it is a skill that cannot be learnt through theory. The fundamentals of teacher, being able to understand how different people operate and perceive, is something best learnt through experience, and thus this guide will never be able to supplement raw involvement. However, as you would well know, the approach to education we advocate in the movement, despite it being simplistic in the light of national curriculums, isnt something learnt overnight, and although it is quite basic, to master each concept and skill is truly an art, and thus an exceptional experience. To do so, and I can promise you this, is to really get to the heart of what it is to communicate and progress as a humanity. So with that, enjoy yourself! Take this on with passion and energy, for teaching, and indeed learning, is a wonder best experienced, and most effective, when you and are your students are enjoying yourself!

P.S. When I have time I will make this look much, much better! P.P.S. Oh, and if you are reading this and you notice something wrong or think something could be put better, just contact me.

At a Glance
Information presented here can also be found other forms, primarily in the series foundations in the resource section.

Structure
The movement advocates simplicity. So the entire journey in this new system can be summed up in three stages, or phases. Imagine progression between these stages as colours blending, there is no set line between them.

Foundation Intermediate Transition

In the foundation phase, students are being given the tools and connections to set up their own education design, which they then undertake fully in the intermediate stage. It is also about giving students a comprehensive idea of education, and what they will undertake in this system. It is best understood as an introduction to movement.

The intermediate stage is the bulk of learning, is extremely flexible to the student, and is mostly designed by the student, with guidance from the foundation teacher.

The transition stage is when a student wants to make the transition from the education system to a job. The transition period focuses on developing the skills necessary for that vocation.

Teaching Skills and Organisation Skills

Being an excellent teacher is no easy feat, and is learnt over time through experience and focus. There are some really essential skills, such as being positive, engaging, dynamic, motivational and inspirational, however it is generally best not to name these, and let them come naturally through a passion for communicating and enjoying with others. When taking this upon yourself, remember that teaching lies at the core of the movement: you have the ultimate power in bringing about the new world. Thus look for perfection in your endeavours, for what you do defines how people perceive the movement, you present opportunity to the students, and therefore, you will define the outcome of this globe. As a foundation teacher, not only will you teach, but you will organise teaching. Students need as many tools for learning at their disposal, so a primary goal of the foundation stage is setting these opportunities up, so that in the intermediate stage students can go out and learn with each other, themselves, and members of the community. This will ultimately lead to greater efficiency, and will free up your time to focus on foundation students.

Session Organisation
If you are reading this, you are probably quite familiar with the movements organisation. However it is always good to go over things (a key teaching concept). So if you are becoming a foundation teacher, you probably put your hand up or were selected by an existing foundation teacher. The most important persons to be seamlessly in contact with will be your local organiser, other foundation teachers, and the heads of the movement. Communication is the key! If you encounter a problem that could possibly hinder the movement and the way it is perceived, make sure you contact these guys: dont do anything dras tic!

Group Structure
Depending on your situation and who is attending, how much experience they had, age, maturity and so forth, class structure will vary widely. Thus as a foundation teacher, you must be dynamic to keep sessions interesting, and readily tell what would suit who best. The most important thing to keep in mind is what works best to communicate effectively and efficiently? and what structure is the most engaging? As a foundation teacher, you always want to be as one-on-one as possible. This means setting up established students, even those that have progressed to the intermediate stage, to mentor newcomers. This will free up time so you can focus on the most necessary. Be dynamic. Change session structure. From lecture style to one-on-one mentoring to whole group activities to smaller group discussion, keep things upbeat and relevant. Also when students express interest, give them other opportunities, whether it is in organisation or teaching roles. Obviously keep an eye out for meetup opportunities. There is nothing more interesting than meeting new people, from both within and without the movement.

Difficult Situations
A big problem with the movement taking on such a public role is that we arent necessarily qualified. Thus it is quite foreseeable that we will encounter difficulties with students with disability and/or mental illness, & etc. In these cases, it is best to contact those in the organisation who have an understanding of how best to handle these situations. Dont take risks.

Communication
Us all your resources! Facebook, google, the website, whatever it takes to create seamless communication between students and the movement. When a session ends, make sure students can extend themselves if they want. Give them resources to do so. Remember this can be a little more of face-to-face teaching time. You will need to make a dedicated profile so people can look you up.

Branching Out
Always be on the lookout for students that show brilliance in teaching, and want to be extended. The movement is all about growth, so new foundation teachers are always in demand.

Intermediate Stage
Towards the end of the foundation stage, foundation teachers will work with students to decide their future within the movement: what they want to study, what they want to do, what they want to learn, and who with?

The Community
An important part of our approach is involving the comm unity in the students education, and vice versa. This will help strengthen community bonds; make the education system a part of the community.

Teaching
Simply put: the skills required to be an excellent teacher are very, very vast! For the movement to be successful, we will need those, well you, to be excellent to say the very least! Again I must point out that teaching is a skill best learnt through experience with others. The best way to become a brilliant teacher is to learn with others of all kinds.

Teaching Skills
Positive Motivating Inspiring A Good Example Relatable Lateral Thinker Dynamic Understanding Organised Assessing Worldly Multi-skilled

Foundation Overview
The point of the foundation phase is to introduce people to the movement and its ways, and set them up with the understanding needed to carry out a holistic, purposeful and engaging education. The foundation period covers any amount of sessions (we will call the average 15 for now), and will obviously vary hugely due to circumstances. Remember, there isnt a clear distinction between the foundation period and the intermediate period. You wouldnt identify students as being clearly in one stage or the next . It works more like a spectrum. The beginning is mainly about introducing the movement to students, giving them an understanding of how things are organised and what they can expect. Once students get this down, it is time to get them formulating an idea of what they want to do with their education. Help them organise teachers, activities and any other form learning opportunities. As a student becomes more established, keep them involved with new students, such as teaching them about the movement. Make sure never to suggest superiority of any person over another. Make sure students dont do this either.

Initial Concepts
Remember: be a lateral thinker. Link these concepts together, as they are only relevant in context of one another. Do so in interesting ways. Also, be careful with your choice of words. These are just the names for concepts; it would probably do best to use different words to name/describe them. What is the movement? What are the aims? How is it organised? Students will usually have a basic understanding of this already. The Fundamentals holistic, engaging, purposeful Key aspects laying foundations, open mindedness, critical thinking, teaching and learning, student defines education Areas of Development philosophy, health, social, ability Teaching, Learning and Community Involvement Foundation learning, Mentorship, Self-Teaching, Community Teaching Progress Foundation, Intermediate, Transition; Subjective assessment

Further Concepts
Each following session, rehash what has been covered, go further in depth, and then introduce new concepts and ways of linking them to each other. Positive Direct Democracy Natural Leadership Respectable behaviour Respect all, even if they are not in the movement Lateral thinking Exercise Different forms of relationships Community involvement Deciding pathways Perception Dealing with conflict Rationality Logic Social activities