Educational Philosophy And Our Teachers
Your Sunshine has developed heart-centered programs that are nondirective, practical, and designed to awaken an individual’s mind, and support the entire developmental process. Our teaching approach is to always create a criticism-free environment that allows experimentation and repetition while stimulating imagination and resourcefulness. A collaborative culture of creating new ideas, new thinking, and new perspectives are encouraged, alongside sharing with others. We believe that all children, including those with special needs can flourish in an environment of freedom that guides children towards self-regulation, self-control, and sovereignty.
The profound respect for each child is reflected in our curriculum which is nourished by the exciting, peaceful, and purposeful environment for inner motivation and overall development. We encourage a natural process of development and learning, through observation, discovery, self-expression, inspiration, sensory perception, and a willingness to construct new connections and three-dimensional art as tools to present ideas and feelings. Our programs teach life values, ethics, social skills, and most importantly, help individuals to build their unique personality and unfold their untapped potential.
All of our programs demonstrate the importance of being keenly aware that each one of us is a part of a larger society. Change is a constant in life. Embracing a healthy sense of interconnectedness and interdependence reveals and reinforces the potent support and compassionate understanding that each individual is strengthened by. Our programs are not mere vehicles of monetization and driven to achieve extrinsic “success.”
We actively forge and further, in all of our students and staff, a deep and abiding sense of being valued as unique individuals within a shared community to which we all contribute significance and from which we all receive powerful intrinsic rewards. The programs also teach the consequences of human behaviors in relations to plants, animals, environment, and the entire planet. Participation in the programs improves the quality both of relations with the surrounding world and of the learning process in the school. Every student experiences an educational journey that simultaneously teaches a high degree of ethical and social awareness. Students learn knowledge of different disciplines defined in deeper ways and with greater awareness and excitement.
Our approach is to help students to surrender their initial aspirations and awaken curiosity instead of providing direct answers. This leads them to derivative discoveries that would otherwise have been stifled or rendered silent. All our students are empowered to express themselves and to pursue knowledge on subjects that have sparked their imaginations. We have designed a dynamic and multi-age continuous progress curriculum, including aspirational, integrated, and collaborative activities that acknowledge individual differences such as development, ability, and learning styles. We encourage children to be curious, express their ideas, and creativity through process artwork, social interaction, writing, play, music, dance, yoga, art, science, and other modalities. As such, all of our programs are deeply transformative and enhance the student participants based on the guiding principles of harmony, love, and peace.
We encourage students to take ownership and be leaders in their self-discovery process and we facilitate their ability to teach one another. We sincerely believe that students are their own teachers. The educational value of childhood and youth development lies in their interaction with peers; the enjoyment of teaming together while respecting everyone’s ideas and participation is a vital component of the rich tapestry of individual growth. Therefore, students assess their development by comparing who they were to who they now are. Facilitating dynamic interaction among students develops trust, bonding, and an abiding sense of belonging, while also yielding better mental health and greater self-esteem. We believe that positive teamwork and respectful relationships creates a harmonious and learning atmosphere.
We encourage students to take ownership and be leaders in their self-discovery process and we facilitate their ability to teach one another. We sincerely believe that students are their own teachers. The educational value of childhood and youth development lies in their interaction with peers; the enjoyment of teaming together while respecting everyone’s ideas and participation is a vital component of the rich tapestry of individual growth. Therefore, students assess their development by comparing who they were to who they now are. Facilitating dynamic interaction among students develops trust, bonding, and an abiding sense of belonging, while also yielding better mental health and greater self-esteem. We believe that positive teamwork and respectful relationships creates a harmonious and learning atmosphere.
We are constantly looking out for the interests, talents, and gifts of every child. It cannot be overstated: based on our philosophy, each and every child is truly unique—a frontier of the mind and heart and spirit that deserves dedicated exploration and education.
Teachers Are Jewels Of Change!
All our teachers have open and authentic hearts, and they stand ready to go through the discovery journey with children, youth, and adults alike. We select active life-long learners who value full-time creativity and resolutely progress in their personal development. Our teachers strive to model “noble” qualities, such as compassion, love, care, patience, acceptance, dignity, esteem, and peace to each participant, thereby allowing all of our students to develop their innate virtues.
Our Teachers Are Dedicated To:
- Empowering students to have freedom of thought, dedicated to developing their vast imagination
- Treating all students lovingly and being respectful of who they are in their heart
- Honoring each student and listening to them deeply and patiently, regardless of their age or current level of knowledge
- Treating/talking with children like adults, whenever appropriate, by giving them the power to make autonomous decisions and choices
- Preserving and protecting the student’s creativity, imagination, and integrity
- Following the flow of the nurturing environment and adapting program elements according to the each student’s learning styles and intelligences