20 Characteristics of a Good Teacher
Results of Fundraiser for Puerto Rico and From AERO 2018 Survey
Table Of Contents








Coming Wednesday, a New Podcast by Peter Gray!
ModernSchool Modern School Reunion at Rutgers
3 New Video Links!

On Friday, October 27th, AERO staff members went to the 45th reunion of the Modern School, at Rutgers University, in New Jersey. 

The Modern School was a radical, democratic approach pioneered in Spain by Francisco Ferrer in the early 1900's. After he was executed on false charges of plotting against the king, Ferrer Modern schools were started around the world, including one in Manhattan. It was located at one time a block away from the current Agile learning center. Alex Khost, above, one of the speakers, does volunteer work at the Agile Learning center and has done some recent studies of the Modern School. The Manhattan Modern School moved to Stelton, NJ in 2014. The last Modern School closed in 1958. Yet the power of the school was such that they have reunions every year, but, of course, the numbers are dwindling. This year there were only 6 or 7 actual alumni, but the interest in the greater community is growing as they realize the significance of the Modern School Movement. 

Another speaker at the reunion was Vivian Gornick, who wrote a book about famed anarchist Emma Goldman. She read parts of her book about Goldman's early life. It was very illuminating. Her book is called "Revolution as a Way of Life." 

It just happens that AERO is in possession of an amazing letter from Emma Goldman to Nellie Dick, written in 1924. Nellie Dick was a pioneering teacher at the Modern School. We met her when she was 96 and did a documentary with her on the Modern School. The letter can be seen here in AERO's online museum. You can see the Nellie Dick and the Modern School Documentary here. 

The meeting started with a new short documentary on the Modern School by Alexander Hilerio, a recent Rutgers graduate. You can see it here. 

I'm hoping a study can be done of the graduates of the Modern School. I have been to about 20 of their reunions now and have met doctors who didn't decide to read until 10 years old, architects who never went to architectural school but leaned the trade by internship. One once showed me places he designed as we drove to a reunion--Shea Stadium and the Holland Tunnel Another worked with Frank Lloyd Wright. I met Alfred Levitt at a reunion when he was 100. He went to the Modern School in Manhattan when he had just emigrated as a teenager from Russia. He met some radical artists at the Modern School and went on to have 20 of his paintings in the Metropolitan Museum. I've seen many professors, such as Jon Scott, who is over 80 and still the main organizer of the reunions. He went to the Modern School in the 40's. 

The Modern School Movement is an important book that AERO carries about the Modern School, written by the late Queens College professor Paul Avrich. We also have many videos of the reunions that you can inquire about. 
ConferenceSurvey Preliminary Results of Survey About Location of the 2018 AERO Conference 
On Wednesday we released a survey to find out which potential site for the 2018 AERO conference had the most interest. So far we've had 106 respondents. We have some very helpful preliminary results but we are continuing the survey to get a more definitive information. Please respond to it if you haven't yet, and please add comments.

One very clear response so far is that people would prefer a conference that was one day shorter, starting on Thursday night and running to Sunday afternoon. Over 70% chose that. 

The four potential locations, Portland, San Francisco, Boston, and New York,.were somewhat split, but more people said they would definitely go to Portland than the others. New York was second by about 8%. On the other hand, Boston led Portland by a slim 47% to 46% as a destination they would likely attend. San Francisco had somewhat lower results, but fewer negatives. 

The comments were very enlightening. including the suggestion that we have a full day on Thursday and end Saturday night so people had all of Sunday to return home. We may add that to a future survey. Another thought was to locate in the middle of the country but we didn't find any locations that worked out well economically for us or attendees. 

This coming year the AERO Conference will be held in the last week of June.  

So please respond to the survey if you haven't.

If you have responded please write us with your comments. 
GoodTeachers 20 Characteristics of a Good Teacher
By Chris Mercogliano
This is a list recently made by Chris Mercogliano for our current Online School Starters Class-Ed

All good teachers:

1. Genuinely like children and enjoy being around them. Just like parents with their own kids, they take pleasure and pride in their students' growth and development.

2. Genuinely enjoy teaching, too. This is a critical factor because teaching is essentially a modeling process and students learn much more readily when their teachers exhibit joy in what they're doing. And as a result, good teachers feel energized at the end of the day, not drained.

3. Are openhearted. They care about their students' lives, present and future, and they address their students' shortcomings and transgressions compassionately, not judgmentally.

4. Recognize that teaching isn't something they do to or for children; rather it's a reciprocal exchange of energy within a relationship. Good teachers also realize they are continually learning from their students too.

5. Trust in the innate wisdom of the learning process and in their students' intrinsic desire to learn. They don't try to force learning to happen by resorting to extrinsic motivators like rewards and punishments.

Read the rest of the list here.
PRSchools Results of Fundraiser for Nuestra Escuela in Puerto Rico
So far we've raised $520 for Nuestra Escuela's recovery effort in Puerto Rico. Please donate if you can, here. 
Membership AERO Membership Helps us to Continue Doing This Work

Your membership is a statement that you want the voice of empowering, cooperative, democratic, learner-centered education to be heard in the current political climate of disempowerment and divisiveness.
 
We now have more sustaining members than we've ever had before. But we need many more to become sustainable. Current sustainers range from $5 to $25 a month. If you choose to join as a  sustaining member for any amount, we'll send you the
downloads of the entire AERO 2017 conference. We need this support to keep on bringing you the latest information about learner-centered, self directed education. 

Of course you can still  become a member or renew your membership  and continue to support AERO and its mission to make learner-centered education possible for everyone. 

Jerry and the AERO Team
Anchor11Links and Calendar
Links
Ongoing
Calendar
Please send us feedback on this issue. also, we would like to have more articles written by AERO members and about AERO school and organizations.  Thank you for your ongoing support. With  your help , we will make learner-centered alternatives available to everyone!

In Service,

Jerry Mintz
Executive Director
Alternative Education Resource Organization

Please consider making a donation to AERO to help support our work. Thanks!