World-renowned marketing guru Seth Godin manages a blog like no other. His articles aren’t 1,000-word manifestos are drawn-out how-tos. Each one is typically under five paragraphs, with each paragraph consisting of 1-2 sentences.
Seth Godin has publicly stated how much he loves Acton Academy, and his recent 77-word blog post “The first nine minutes” proves why:
Mixing up a batch of homemade vegan marshmallow Fluff® is an exercise in patience.
For the first nine minutes of the ten minutes it takes in the mixer, not much happens. And then, it transforms into something fluffy and delightful.
Without the recipe, it’s unlikely that most folks would make it to minute five, never mind ten.
Knowing it can be done makes it far more likely we’re going to stick it out and do it again.
This modern-day metaphor applies to more than just self-improvement. It’s what differentiates Acton Academy from so many traditional models, especially for elementary education, which lays a crucial foundation for a child’s learning journey.
It’s in these formative years that people develop their attitudes and beliefs about learning and their own abilities. And although the initial stages of learning may not always yield visible results, remarkable growth is achieved when we adults have patience and persistence.
His analogy has given me a visual tool when addressing one of the main concerns interested (and enrolled) families have about Acton. They hear that we adults don’t interfere to make their child learn and focus, or maybe they saw an Exhibition, a time for learners to show off what they’ve done to the world, and they felt the work was lackluster or noticed the rowdiness in the studio.
Drop into an Acton Academy at any moment and I guarantee you will see chaos. An adult who’s conditioned to see metrics for education as test scores and grades would think no learning is happening. But they’re dead wrong.
There’s a reason we call our “classrooms” studios. We aren’t managing an assembly line for diplomas, we’re fostering a workroom for geniuses.
Seth’s words perfectly capture what Acton Academy is all about. First, it’s a compelling example that’s concise and meaningful. That’s one way the guides in every Acton Academy studio keep their commitment to inspire, equip, and connect their learners, rather than teach and rule.
Second, it illustrates what the actual learning journey looks like, which is what Acton Academy embraces. A true journey doesn’t look like some linear path from point A to point B with no bumps in the road. It looks like days of chaos, emotions, and children trying out rules that don’t end up working.
There’s no comparison between the learner-driven model and the typical student-centered learning. It’s a different way of approaching education, requiring patience, humility, and, most importantly, curiosity and respect from the adult guides who do not see the children as “little kids” who need to be coddled and saved from hardship.
Learner-driven education isn’t just a little better than traditional schooling; it’s a complete game-changer. It equips our children with superpowers and gives them a clear path in a world that often settles for bland, cookie-cutter mediocrity.
