US

Collective Consciousness – Human Unity

The second principle “The mind must be consulted in its own growth“

For Human Unity we need to build our relationships with others. We need to learn to value that we are all different, unique and inter-independent. When education allows each one to be consulted in their own growth, through acceptance, empathy, deep listening, collaboration, non-judgment and compassionate communication, we experience unity in diversity. Therefore, TLC is not a school but a community offering learning through real-life experiences to grow together.

For the children to experience unity in diversity, we offer mixed-age learning environments and individualized programs where each child is encouraged to follow interests, passions, and learn by working through challenges. Then the learning environment in itself supports collaboration, acceptance and value of differences. By valuing the diversity of interactions across ages and generations, groupings can form organically in different constellations at different times and for different learning situations. We have three main groups with different developmental characteristics: children age 2-5 years, children ages 6+ years, and adults. These three groups have different educational programs but are also integrated with each other.

Parents and facilitators

Adults strive to be role models, being present in the moment as observers free of judgment. Through active participation, and working together in community, facilitators and parents create a learning environment for the children to learn by example and real life.

Free Progress

For each one to be free to follow that which is alive inside, requires liberation from inner and outer conditioning. Freedom in Integral Education is learning to choose one’s actions with awareness and responsibility. Thereby Free Progress is the ability to act guided by one’s psychic being (inner truth). Participatory processes allow children to take have a voice in community life, and in their own learning, thereby empowering them to become agents to transform both themselves and society.

Free Progress in TLC

Nursery – Children ages 2-5

Sensitive periods

To be consulted in one’s own growth means that attention has to be put on the right learning objective at the right moment. And no two children are the same, and no one size fits all. To understand this we need to have deep knowledge of the sensitive periods that are the pattern that the absorbent mind follows. These are developmental windows of opportunity during which the child can learn specific concepts more easily and naturally than at any other time in their lives. A child in the midst of a sensitive period will show an especially strong interest or inclination toward certain activities. It is the joy in which the child has in these sensitive periods that are her/his internal motivation to learn and develop. A sensitive period is a period of time in the child’s life when they are absorbed with one area with deep focus, interest, persistence and motivation.  Once a sensitive period has passed, it will never return in the same way. The child is still able to learn the skill, but with greater difficulty. Allowing the child to follow these inner passions for a certain development at a certain time, is allowing the child to work from the near to the far.

A sensitive period makes itself visible by:

• The child showing intense interest in an activity or skill.
• The child wanting to easily repeat the task over and over without tiring.
• The child finding much joy and pleasure in the task.
• The child can willingly focus her/his attention on the task.
• The child holds an unequalled energy and intense effort toward the task.

In TLC we want to maximise the power of these sensitive periods, by providing a rich environment that can fulfil the child’s developmental needs, and as adults be observers, understanding the child and allowing it to be the leader of its learning journey.

Following each child’s process and needs

Driven by this incredibly strong unconscious and internal growth process, children seek out experiences that meet their constantly evolving developmental needs. We see the role of the adults in TLC, parents and facilitators alike, to provide for and gently guide the child. To create an environment offering harmony to the child, through a feeling of safety, routines, beauty and order.

Saplings – Children 6+

When each child is consulted in their own growth, we create the foundation for an education that builds values of human unity. The twelve transformative qualities become the center of educational practices. Sincerity, Humility, Gratitude, Perseverance, Aspiration, Receptivity and Progress and Courage are qualities directed toward inner transformation. Goodness, Generosity, Equality and Peace are qualities we strive to offer to the community. Some of our practices can be seen below.

Service

• Every day we take care of our materials and shared learning environments.
• Once a month we have a Work Day together with facilitators and parents, to take care of our Base Camp.
• A few times a year we offer service to other projects in Auroville,
• We support educational projects around the world through mentoring and sharing our experiences.

Qualities Tree

A collective work to bring more awareness to some of our qualities and core values in daily practical life. The idea manifests in drawing a tree on a big paper and then choosing a value to focus on. For example, the first quality we chose was kindness. The ‘game’ consists of: Observing, noticing during the week acts of kindness (or any of the qualities we choose) that you saw in someone or in yourself. Once a week we have a circle where everyone can share which act of kindness they saw and in whom and give a flower or a leaf or a fruit to that person. These are then pinned onto the tree. When we reach a hundred (leaves or flowers or fruits) we celebrate by planting a plant or a tree to represent this value.

Community Gathering

The TLC Community Gatherings is a time and space to share, reflect and process together. To openly and with care share progress, conflicting issues, and problem-solve together. We work with consensus, unless the group decides to a vote on a specific matter. Through the community gathering we develop deep listening skills, creativity, patience, compromise, openness and flexibility. Those who choose not to addend meetings need to trust and accept the decisions of the group.

Once or twice a week the children facilitate a community gathering for all children and facilitators. The children who are a part of the community gathering team prepare the meeting by collecting points for the agenda, facilitating the meeting, holding decision-making processes, and taking meeting notes.

Once a month, an ALL TLC community gathering is facilitated by the adult community team. All parents and facilitators are expected to attend these meetings. For children it’s optional.

TLC’s agreement to take care of myself, others and environment