tell me about middle school at GDS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yikes - we are considering GDS elementary for a more reserved kid.

What makes it so chaotic?

Just walk around floor 3 and 4 for yourself or sit in on a class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did a trial teaching day there years ago, applying for a job, and I was blown away by the freewheeling-ness. Kids in the hall on the floor, kids sprawled all over, kids openly doing other things during the lesson. Really minimal behavior expectations, IMO, compared to other environments I’d taught in. I loved the teaching staff I met and see how some kids would thrive there but it would not have been a good fit for me as a kid.

The lack of manners for teachers and peers really struck us as well.

And we still don’t understand the pedagogy. No one really talks about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can be pretty chaotic. It works for some kids, not for others. I had a quiet, introverted kid who really did not like it. Other kids love it. I have a DS there now who is very happy there and even he comes home some time annoyed by some of the behavior. The HS is very different in the classroom. What grade are you applying into? If its 5th or 6th, that’s a long time to be somewhere that does not feel right for you.

Can you elaborate on the behavior in middle school? How is the high school different? I'm curious why the middle school is set up so differently than the hs. My kid also attended a shadow day and was unimpressed.

I did not mean “Chaotic” as a negative, necessarily. It’s a great place, and as another poster noted there is a lot of talk of kids having agency and advocating for themselves. That has a lot of positives, but since you are dealing with middle schoolers, the freedom to advocate for themselves creates an environment where kids are not necessarily raising their hands before they speak so there can be a lot of calling out, and a strong personality can send a discussion sideways. Some teachers harness that better than others while still offering kids that freedom to speak up. By the time you get to the HS, kids are better at moderating their impulses to speak out and take over, and the teachers are better at signaling the behavior that is appropriate in their classroom. So, the HS its not set up differently; its just that in the MS they are letting kids find their way, and by HS, they have largely found their way, at least in this one behavioral aspect. If you DC loved the shadow day then they are probably very well suited to the school. But a child who felt out of place may want to go with their instincts.

Is admin aware that the environment favors a certain personality type? Is there room for the more reflective student or do they spend MS being drowned out? Is there a balance of personalities?

I think they are. There is room for more reflective kids, and they do their thing. My one reflective kid did not like it and left, but I have other kids, equally introverted who liked the school for other reasons and they stayed through HS.

[Anonymous]

We pulled our app after a parent tour a few years ago in the former building. Don’t see how a whole student body or teacher attitude or norm would change just due to a different building.

We also don’t care for the balanced literacy approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid went for a shadow day and said it was the most chaotic school day she'd ever experienced. Kids ignoring teachers, etc. But she's a quiet, reserved kid and perhaps just felt out of her element. Overall, she just really didn't like the vibe as much as other schools she's visited for shadow days. We are still going through with the application, but I'd love to learn more from current parents.

Thoughts on what GDS is like for the quieter kids? Is bullying an issue? Does anyone have a kid that describes it as "chaos"?

It IS chaos. That works for some kids, and some will say it’s “organized chaos.” But tons of people call it chaos.

[Anonymous]

What does “works for some kids” even mean? They learn a ton of material and good habits despite all the constant distractions, noise, and disorder?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does “works for some kids” even mean? They learn a ton of material and good habits despite all the constant distractions, noise, and disorder?

Yes. Did anyone on this board go to large, public schools and come out ok or even successful? You act like going to a prep school is the only avenue to success. Different kids learn differently. It’s ok. If a kid finds it chaotic in his visit, trust his instinct and look elsewhere. But know that some kids prefer a little bit of chaos and can even thrive in it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does “works for some kids” even mean? They learn a ton of material and good habits despite all the constant distractions, noise, and disorder?

What's wrong with constant distractions, noise and disorder? Sounds like regular life. These posts are confusing.

[Anonymous]

My child there is very happy, but he would likely be the first to say that gds permits (and even encourages) kids to push back against authority in ways that would likely not be permitted at stricter schools. It works really well for him and he has developed good relationships with his teachers -- but he's not afraid to tell them when he disagrees with something. That works for us, but obviously isn't right for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Then doesn’t the student population start to skew toward those who thrive in an unstructured environment and then the kids who don’t are even more marginalized? Doesn’t GDS have an interest in supporting all kinds of learners? Don’t they want to show they value different ways of thinking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then doesn’t the student population start to skew toward those who thrive in an unstructured environment and then the kids who don’t are even more marginalized? Doesn’t GDS have an interest in supporting all kinds of learners? Don’t they want to show they value different ways of thinking?

Yes, it skews to people who thrive in a particular environment (which has nothing to do with ways of thinking). Do more structured schools worry about catering to those who don't like structure?

That's the thing about private school: you can pick one that works for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then doesn’t the student population start to skew toward those who thrive in an unstructured environment and then the kids who don’t are even more marginalized? Doesn’t GDS have an interest in supporting all kinds of learners? Don’t they want to show they value different ways of thinking?

Yes, it skews to people who thrive in a particular environment (which has nothing to do with ways of thinking). Do more structured schools worry about catering to those who don't like structure?

That's the thing about private school: you can pick one that works for you.

Sure it has to do with ways of thinking. One person does better where they have fewer distractions while another thrives. One person prefers to take time to think through a question or needs some encouragement to speak up while another thinks on the fly and impulsively shouts out their answer. One type is favored over another in the environment described above. Yes, there are some choices but it is disappointing to think a place like GDS doesn’t make room for the more thoughtful, less impulsive student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then doesn’t the student population start to skew toward those who thrive in an unstructured environment and then the kids who don’t are even more marginalized? Doesn’t GDS have an interest in supporting all kinds of learners? Don’t they want to show they value different ways of thinking?

Yes, it skews to people who thrive in a particular environment (which has nothing to do with ways of thinking). Do more structured schools worry about catering to those who don't like structure?

That's the thing about private school: you can pick one that works for you.

Sure it has to do with ways of thinking. One person does better where they have fewer distractions while another thrives. One person prefers to take time to think through a question or needs some encouragement to speak up while another thinks on the fly and impulsively shouts out their answer. One type is favored over another in the environment described above. Yes, there are some choices but it is disappointing to think a place like GDS doesn’t make room for the more thoughtful, less impulsive student.

Not wanting/needing structure is not at all the same thing as not being thoughtful.

DCUM's dislike of GDS is odd.

[Anonymous]

So must be some truly brilliant and organized 6, 8, 10, and 12 yos!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then doesn’t the student population start to skew toward those who thrive in an unstructured environment and then the kids who don’t are even more marginalized? Doesn’t GDS have an interest in supporting all kinds of learners? Don’t they want to show they value different ways of thinking?

Yes, it skews to people who thrive in a particular environment (which has nothing to do with ways of thinking). Do more structured schools worry about catering to those who don't like structure?

That's the thing about private school: you can pick one that works for you.

Sure it has to do with ways of thinking. One person does better where they have fewer distractions while another thrives. One person prefers to take time to think through a question or needs some encouragement to speak up while another thinks on the fly and impulsively shouts out their answer. One type is favored over another in the environment described above. Yes, there are some choices but it is disappointing to think a place like GDS doesn’t make room for the more thoughtful, less impulsive student.

If it rewards shouting out the answer and being pretentious, then most students start doing just that.