- 3 min read

What is a Microschool and Why Choose One?

Here at Be Smart Tutoring we’re partial to microschools, because we are one! Here’s why we think every family who is interested in alternative education for their youngsters should check out their local microschooling options.

Small, I mean tiny, class sizes

The average microschool has under a dozen kids in a class. Compare that to the 30+ students you can find in elementary school classrooms around the country and it’s clear why more families are considering this path. Most microschools have children of multiple ages in a single classroom, kind of like an updated single-room schoolhouse from yesteryear.

Be Intimate

Flexibility for learners to work at different speeds

Remember how we said microschools can be reminiscent (but better versions) of single room schoolhouses? Because most microschools have mixed ages, it allows students to learn from one another and lends itself to many levels of differentiation in a lesson.

For example, we did a writing assignment recently using a single prompt. The older students were expected to write multiple sentences at a second grade level independently. One of the younger students was expected to write just one or two sentences with assistance. When he finished quickly, he was encouraged to add another sentence like the older kids. Alternatively, if we’re doing a math assignment and some students are struggling, it’s easy to adjust for their level because we’re not forcing anyone to stay within a single distinct grade level -- instead, we’re focused on progress.

Be Flexible

Interest led lessons

Here’s another benefit of those tiny classes: with fewer students (in our case, only 4 in the class), the teacher can get to know each child and what they're interested in. If it’s dinosaurs, we can focus our next math lesson on measuring dinosaurs on a page and talking about how that scales to real life measurements. If it’s ballerinas, we can incorporate dance into a physical activity.

Every lesson and year looks a little different based on the interests of the group. Everyone has a reason to stay focused throughout the day and the excitement to come to school in the morning because they know at least one topic is going to be in line with their individual interests.

Be Interesting

Human connection

School can be hard for little ones. Sitting in one place can be a monumental task and sometimes small children just need a friendly face to help them work through the big emotions.

In traditional school settings it’s tempting to punish a hyperactive child, or remove a bored kid from a classroom due to disruptions. In a microschool setting, we have the time and resources to adjust the setting for that child. If sitting is difficult, we can do some lessons from the floor where students can sprawl out. We can do outdoor learning at the park and incorporate walking and/or running.

By being in a small group, an instructor can connect with each student and help support them with their individual needs. Being forced to conform to a setting that’s not conducive to that student’s learning style can be discouraging and hinder their love for learning. A microschool can provide more flexibility with a caring teaching so that passion for school is never lost.