Promise Practice

“No running, go back and try again.” “Remember to use your marshmallow feet, you have to keep your promise!” These were the regular reminders that were heard this week by Acton learners as they moved through the school practicing accountability and commitment. As we all know, Acton is a school model that honors process learning and self-governance by inviting learners to create their rules known as promises. The thought of this concept tends to confuse adults. As you would imagine, kids creating and policing their own rules is messy. There is nothing clean or easy about it. The simple fact is that despite the mess this process generates responsibility, trust, and pride. The mess is worth making.

These first weeks of the school year learners have been exploring the Promise Practice Game. How to play? Teams of learners brainstorm essential promises and propose one promise to their studio. 3 boxes are set up: 1. Promises to Try 2. Promises to Keep 3. Promises to Trash. After proposals are made all learners vote on 1 or 2 promises to practice first. Every few days learners reflect if this promise was hard, easy, or needed and share evidence of their experience. Once a promise has been practiced it is voted and moved to either “keep” or “trash” and is written in its new box. Then another “try” promise is selected and the game continues.

So far the Spark Studio “try” turned “keep” box includes: 1. I promise to use marshmallow feet inside 2. I promise to use kind words.

The Discovery “keepers” are: 1. I promise not to talk when someone else is talking 2. I promise to not say mean things to fellow travelers.

Promises that are currently in the Discovery “try” queue are I promise to follow recess safety rules (this is seeming to be a keeper), I promise to not be silly during Core Skills, Launches, or Quest time, and I promise to not do whatever I want.

Life isn’t always predictable and promise generation and amendment is a fluid process. Just yesterday a new promise was proposed in the Discovery Studio when a dilemma occurred. All plans paused for learners to practice problem solving and the messy process of democracy was on full display.

Situation: Many learners were late for afternoon Launch and didn’t complete their running team lunch jobs. The kitchen was still a mess.

Question: If a job that effects the entire school isn’t done what can the studio do to help?

Promise: I promise to help the studio because the studio is more important than just me.

Promises are the mortar that hold Acton together because promises are created by learners in reaction to real-life experiences. After learners proposed this promise they put it into action and went back to finish their jobs no matter what. The team work, the hustle, the kindness that exuded from this moment was worth the mess and worth changing the plan for the day. A promise wasn’t just made it was practiced, honored, and it generated palpable joy.

Think right now about the promises you want to make to your child. Here’s your challenge: share your ideas with your family and lead your family in a promise proposal session. Which promise will your family practice first, how and when will you reflect on the journey? I promise this process is worth it!