Runt of the Litter: a chance to lead

Growing up, I was the “runt” of the litter. Three factors compounded this identity.

I was the smallest. I was always physically the most petite in all of my school experiences.

I was the youngest. As a December baby, not only was I always the smallest, I was always the youngest in my class.

I was Asian (and still am). Finally, research shows that racialized perceptions and identities of children have a tangible impact on schooling. As one of few Asian female children in the classroom, I was always known as the “cute, quiet, smart” student, not as the assertive, creative leader of the class.

Now, imagine having the same relational identity to your peers every single year of your school-aged experience (small, young, quiet). This repetition has a real effect on how a child sees one’s self.

While I did hold student leadership positions in high school and college, I spent most of my thirties reprogramming and recalibrating my own belief’s about my sense of authority, how big I saw myself, and finally valuing and asserting my own opinions and beliefs as valid.

A Chance to Lead, A Chance to Follow
Mixed-Aged Classrooms Allow Students to Hold Multiple Roles

Mixed-aged classrooms give students the opportunity to hold a diversity of roles throughout their school experience. In a mixed-aged classroom, you are never always the youngest or oldest. You are never always the tallest or smallest.

All students have the chance to lead and the chance to follow.

Older students in any given year have the chance to be mentors and teachers to younger students. When a student ages out of that classroom and become the youngest, they have the chance to experiment and the freedom of being a novice.

Learning that you don’t have to unlearn — now that’s learning the Springwell Way!

At Springwell, we ensure that our students can be flexible and adapt to the various roles that they will play in their communities, for life. We encourage fluidity in these roles, so that we don’t get pigeon-holed, requiring unlearning in the future.