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Who is LOFT
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The core coordinators are Fred Goldberg, Mark Taft, Tom McGuire and Paul Richmond. We incorporate into our work, with each school community, educational theory and a combined 100 years of testing and proving these theories in public education from Pre-K through graduate school. We work under the premise that your school community has the answers to existing issues and we see our role as facilitating the desired change. |
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LOFT’s Educational Philosophy
for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning for a Healthy School Community |
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The primary goal is to create a classroom / school / school community with an environment that fosters the creation of healthy relationships among the students, teachers, principal, superintendent, school board, and parents. Everyone desires to feel safe on entering the school building. This will be accomplished by insuring a high level of fairness and a level of ethical behavior that fosters the growth of trust.
2. The common thread that is woven throughout the curriculum creates a space that gives all participants the skills needed to find her/his voice. Having a voice provides the foundation to promote peace and social justice within each person, community and worldwide. 3 .By creating a voice for all members of a school community there will be a more vibrant democratic process so that democratic principles can flourish on local and global levels, therefore helping to combat social issues such as poverty. This can only be accomplished when all members of the school community are engaged in the democratic process. 4. LOFT helps to create a learning environment based on trust and healthy relationships. It is essential that a school environment also be based on engaging students in the joy of learning. 5. A common vocabulary will be created, learned and applied in the classroom and throughout the school community. Creating a school-wide common language will help reduce stereotypes, teach tolerance and develop the skills to promote peace and social justice within one’s community and worldwide. 6. LOFT will assist schools in developing critical thinking, literacy, communication and listening skills across all academic areas. These skills will be enhanced through reflection on projects inspired by LOFT that have been integrated into existing curriculum. When this is accomplished, creativity, inquiry and independent thought will be enhanced. 7. LOFT develops school networking, mentoring and supportive relationships that work to create project based, highly motivational work for students, while creating greater understanding of one’s own culture and of other cultures. Using assessment tools to show students, teachers, principals and other stakeholders that this type of work provides connections to state learning frameworks and ultimately higher test scores. LOFT sees higher tests scores as a welcome bi-product of a healthy school community that fosters good teaching that engages students and healthy community relations. 8. Learning happens most effectively in an atmosphere of low anxiety and without compromising high expectations for every person in the realm of social, emotional, academic, and physical well being. This will be supported by activities that foster social skills acquisitions utilizing the Sequence of Seven. Sequence of Seven: patience, acceptance, empathy compassion cooperation, kindness and love. 9. LOFT’s guiding education beliefs include: 1) Every person can learn 2) Every person has a special gift waiting to be revealed. 3) Fairness, everyone gets what they need to succeeded, One set of social rules for the whole school community 10. We believe that each school community holds the answers to every issue. LOFT can help your community learn how to tap into the best in every person and learn the sustainable and enduring processes of grassroots change. The most important standards are the ones developed locally and with the best interest of each individual close to one’s heart and mind. LOFT coordinators have worked with or are associated with: Big Picture, Coalition of Essential Schools, Keene State College, and University of Buffalo, Massachusetts Culture Council, many school districts in MA, VT and NH., Who’s Who of American Teachers, Community Television Association, and the Southern Regional Educational Board, to name a few. |