Consent-Based Education

We had such a fun evening with Sophie Christophy (home educator and founder of self-directed learning communities, The Cabin and The Lodge). We were joined by parents from the local home educating community both in-person and on Zoom.

Sophie modelled the consent-based practices used at her settings with an opening circle sharing her own needs for the evening, asking for support in that and welcoming hearing from others about any they had. We discussed how this is not common practice in our society and therefore takes conscious effort to model it to children and of the value of experiential learning and modelling. Sophie's input emphasised the importance of living and practising consensual ways of being and interacting so that we and future generations get good at it!

Participants asked questions about consent-based practices in relation to neurodivergence, conflict resolution, learning settings and home life. Sophie shared examples from her own experience as both a facilitator and a parent. She spoke of the discipline of maintaining awareness of taking a consent-based approach to education, work and life and the need to create spaces where others are supported and encouraged to do the same. Adults' roles as facilitators were discussed including how to build confidence by having clear boundaries, acknowledging and balancing the grief of compromise with your own and others needs. She shared how activities are agreed and flexibly carried out at The Cabin and The Lodge and shared her optimism that in future we'll look back in wonder at how we used to behave from the perspective of a less violent, more consent-based society.

The ideas discussed will continue to inform our Guiding Values at Waymakers and we look forward to parents and children joining us in that journey. A key things that came out for it for us was the need for us to more explicitly model what we're aiming for and help others do the same. 

If you missed it, you can buy access to the recording here.