Inside Outside School

We LOVE the Inside Outside School! I have been following the school since it's opening year, and as an educator (former public school teacher), I love the blend of academics and outside time. From all that I can tell, they are taking the educational research that talks to what truly works in the best interest of children and applying it in all aspects of the school. The class sizes are small, there are many opportunities for mixed-age learning, there is direct teaching of core concepts, highly individualized learning, lots of outside and student-led activities, and an integrated social/emotional component that is woven throughout the structure of the days that helps our children learn one of the most valuable skills that will serve them through life - emotional intelligence!

This is not an unstructured school - there is structure and academics happening even when it can appear unstructured. For instance, I volunteer once a week for Nature Literacy in "the woods" as my daughter calls it. I have watched students create amazing learning opportunities for themselves that are completely self-initiated. I've seen them perform experiments on the flow of the creek, figure out how to construct a dragon's lair with tree branches, create mud homes, and compare/contrast plants and rocks. This is all proof to me that these kids are learning HOW to learn and LOVE LEARNING! All things that make both my mommy heart and my teacher heart very happy. :)

Our daughter is currently in the 1st grade in a 1st/2nd grade classroom. She came with a high reading level and (in my mind) a low math ability which was compounded with a self-esteem issue from her kinder experience in a local charter school. Her teacher has done an excellent job of finding out what she needs and providing her with opportunities to expand her learning and fill in the gaps she had. Within the first semester the esteem issues I was worried about have all but vanished, and she truly enjoys math as well as reading now!

I love the way IOS approaches assessment of the students - there are no grades (which did make this former teacher a little nervous at first), but it has been replaced with anecdotal records that are far more meaningful than a single page of letter grades! I received a 10 page document that took me through the semester, explained what was learned in class and how my daughter is progressing. We used this document to review our previous goals and set new ones as a team - teacher, parents, and student. This is authentic learning at its best!

I really cannot say enough about this school. Parents are encouraged to participate in the school day, and I love that this school is as welcoming to the parents as it is for the students. This school may not be for everyone, but I am confident that this is the school for our family and for our daughter. :)

We just started my daughter in the IOS upper elementary classroom this year and love it! She's thriving with the small student-teacher ratio and individualized learning. In addition to regular academics, she loves getting to choose electives she's interested in like theater and art. Lots of time in beautiful nature is great too! As parents, we enjoy being part of a great community.

My daughter started kindergarten this year and both my husband and I are thrilled with Inside Outside School. I feel like the teachers really know and understand my child and want to help her thrive. She is learning to read and write and do math all the while having an amazing time cooking, tending the animals, exploring the woods and learning about the seven dimensions of human greatness. It really is the whole package, a perfect balance and blend of teacher led and student directed learning. I particularly love how the school embraces the whole family in supporting each child. It really does take a village and I'm glad to call IOS my village.

My son has been been at IOS for three years and I've been happy with his experience from the start. The campus is truly a wonderland, with woods, a creek, goats and chickens. But unlike other schools which boast lush grounds but keep their students indoors, the students at IOS spend a great deal of time experiencing nature. They garden, participate in the care of the animals, and roam the creek in a daily class called Nature Literacy. Academics are holistic and engaging, and I'm impressed by my son's progress. His teachers throughout the past three years have taken the time to really get to know him. At one point my son was listening to a recording of one of his classes and I happened to overhear his teacher ask the class to "check in with their bodies." How wonderful, that students are being taught to check in with themselves, to recognize their needs and desires. Though the school feels in some ways a bit far from central Austin, my son is able to ride a school bus that picks him up very close to our house. Field trips are par for the course, and when any issue comes up (like whether or not the children should be able to fish in the creek) everyone works together to come up with a solution. I'll be sorry when my son finishes his education here, and recommend it to everyone I know.

I am so happy that my family found the Inside Outside School. My son started there as a second grader and is in third grade now, my daughter is in Kindergarten. Inside Outside School really renewed my son's enthusiasm for exploration and learning. Also, his reading has improved and his math skills amaze me.

Because of the very small class sizes, the teachers can really work with the children where they are. At first I was curious how the no grades and no tests would work! I now think the push for not labeling or grading has been an asset to my children's learning experience. For example, my son started at public school and there were so many labels and so many comparisons between the children -- complex report cards, charts for homework, and leveled reading books from Kindergarten on! At IOS, he has continued learning and has improved. He gets the direction and assistance he needs -- extra help in reading and inspiration to go further in math. I can't believe he is doing something with binary now in math!

I also really appreciate the enthusiasm and love of the teachers for their students. When my daughter calls me by her teacher's name, it makes me smile that she feel so close to her teacher that she mixes up names! Schools can be pretty scary places at times -- to be honest I often felt my son's last school was a hostile place where we were under attack. At IOS, when I get emails or calls from teachers about any discipline issues or needs at school, I feel so much more like the teachers are building a learning environment -- which does require discipline and for children to understand what behavior works at different times -- but the teachers strive to do so in a creative and caring way.

I have had numerous friends ask me about Inside Outside School and I always recommend it without hesitation.