Most parents want their children to do well in school. We want them to learn to read well, write clearly, understand mathematics, explore science, appreciate history and develop the academic foundation they will need for what ever comes next.
But eventually, school ends.
And when it does, success will require much more than remembering what was on the test. Our children will have to make decisions when there isn’t an obvious right answer. They will encounter problems nobody has shown them how to solve. They will have ideas they aren’t sure will work. They will fail at things, adjust, try again and keep moving forward.
They will need to communicate, collaborate, organize themselves, manage money, set goals, think creatively and take responsibility for their choices.
So perhaps one of the most important questions we can ask about education is this:
Are we preparing children simply to succeed at school, or are we preparing them to succeed when school is over?
The Entrepreneurial Mindset
At Riverbend Academy, one of the ideas we are increasingly focused on is developing what we call an entrepreneurial mindset.
That doesn’t mean we expect every Riverbend student to start a company. Entrepreneurship is really a way of thinking.
An entrepreneurial thinker sees a problem and asks, How could I solve this? They see an opportunity and ask, What could I do with this? They make decisions. They take reasonable chances. They create. They experiment.
And when something doesn’t work, they don’t automatically see that as the end. They learn, adjust and try again.
Those abilities matter whether a child eventually becomes an entrepreneur, teacher, engineer, artist, physician, tradesperson, parent or something that doesn’t even exist yet.
Children Need Opportunities to practice
These skills aren’t developed through a worksheet explaining the importance of initiative. Children need opportunities to use them.
They need opportunities to create something, make choices, solve problems, work with other people, try something that might not work, discover why it didn’t and figure out what to do next.
That is one reason Riverbend combines strong academics with creativity, physical activity, the arts and Real Life Skills. Education should develop the whole child, not simply the part that writes tests.
Eventually, Nobody Will Tell Them What to Do
When children are young, adults make many of their decisions. We tell them where to be, what to bring, what assignment to complete and when it is due.
Gradually, that changes.
The real test comes when nobody is standing beside them saying, Here’s the problem. Here are the instructions. Here’s the answer. Here’s what you should do next.
We want our students ready for that day.
At Riverbend Academy, we believe academics matter enormously. But we also believe school is about more than the next test.
It’s about preparing children for what comes next.
Riverbend Academy is a JK–Grade 12 independent school in Delaware, Ontario. To learn more about our approach to education, book a personal tour and come see Riverbend for yourself.