Aina Thompson believes children are the future. After 20 years in middle and high school classrooms, she gave up her keys to public education. She said it was an ordained shift to open Chosen Freedom Academy, a progressive preschool in Atlanta, GA. The intention is to teach toddlers well and create an environment where they can lead the way through learning and discovery, which Thompson suggests is a more compelling purpose in nurturing young minds.
Thompson's transition was with its trials. The influence of politics, formulaic teaching methods, and the sweeping violence prevalent among her students marred her tenure in the traditional education system. These factors resulted in her settling an internal dispute against the bureaucracies of a failing institution
"Sometimes, to go forward, you have to go backward," she said.
The D.C. native attributes her inspiration and educational expectations to Ujamaa Shule K-12 in the nation's capital, a school that shaped her formative years. Her experience there was so profound that she counts it more significant than her graduation from Howard University.
Her dedication to revolutionizing early childhood education is a passion and a pressing necessity. She understands the pivotal developmental stages of academics, apathy, particularly among inner-city children, and the urgent need for intervention. Her school, strategically positioned to intervene during the critical brain development phase between the ages of 2 and 5, is her instrument for catalyzing the change she envisions. "I have learned that penetrating the brain structure is crucial before things solidify and take shape," she said.
Thompson's approach differs significantly from limiting theoretical philosophies and predetermined methodologies like Piaget's because it emphasizes each student's individuality.
To that end, "many educators fall short by always finding their work confined to a small box of philosophy … these stances are rote," she said. By meeting students where they are, Thompson believes she can better serve them by actively engaging with each student's academic identity.
She's a strong advocate of reciprocal teaching.
"I don't know what I am approaching when encountering another human being. I learn who the child is and what to give them, and they teach me what they need," she added. To address students' prior knowledge, she recommends assessing students before modeling gradual release processes to ensure they are necessary.
"An educator's ego can get in the way of a student's growth," she said, adding, "The problem with the gradual release model is that some may not accept that sometimes kids don't need to be released—they might already know it."
How her students feel plays a monumental role in the learning process.
"First," she said, "we measure student success by joy and happiness." Following this, Thompson seeks mastery in her students through high levels of information and scaffolding: "Can they synthesize the learning objectives? Can they grow their understanding to a level it had not been before?"
Central to her students' success is communication. It enhances their belief in their ability to excel because "there is no such thing as mistakes in learning. Nothing comes out always perfect. That's not how innovation works," she said. "Communication allows us to connect in the world that evolves the human."
For Thompson, engaging with and activating her students' innate learning ability "is the greatest love of all."
8 comments
Absolutely amazing. Children will thrive and succeed with ger vision.
Much needed perspective. No matter the age of the learner, finding ways to connect and communicate are critical!
THIS!!! We need educators like this. Thank you, thank you, thank you 🙏🏽