-All children come to school with a quest to understand their experiences; all children want to learn.

 

-School is life, and teachers and students should experience their time in school as real life rather than seeing these two as separate and unrelated spheres.

 

-Students construct their own knowledge but also need teachers to facilitate and guide this process.

 

-Students have diverse strengths, weaknesses, interests, and backgrounds, and capitalizing on these differences enables students to learn from each other and to grow as individuals.  

 

-Students learn best when they have a positive self esteem and sense of purpose

 

-Students learn through a mixture of first-hand observation, hands-on experience, systematic instruction, and personal reflection

 

-Teaching and learning are interactive processes

 

-Social and emotional skills are as important as academic skills and knowledge.

 

-Classrooms are flexible learning spaces that support and adapt to student needs.