Personal Family Model

It’s all about feelings

 Summerhill
 A.S. Neill

 “Youcan lead a student to curriculum, but

you can’t make him learn”

 Learning is about Choices

 Results of Student Progress

 Stresses the nurturing potential of the
learning environment – its about feelings
– we are incomplete without others

 Working in groups
 Making decision
 Dealing with others
 Basic Beliefs of Those who Use
The Personal Family Model
Positive human relations allow people to
grow – threats are counter productive

 IS “Learning this content is necessary

for you to . . .”

 IS NOT “If you don’t learn this

you’ll . . .”
 Instruction should be based on positive human
relations – not on concepts of subject matter or
content – it should nurture not control

IS “You will be better because you’ve

learned important information that you’ll
need . . .”

IS NOT “You have to learn this if you want to

pass this course”
 Has the potential to increase personal
responsibility in the learning system –
students assume many teacher roles.
 It’s all about choices
 Either group or individual
 Student centered
 Student is responsible for much of the
learning
 Increases the comfort level by matching
the student’ personalities with the level of
learning required.

 Subject matter
 Level of difficulty
 Group make up
 Level of evaluation
 Allows students to find new solutions to
their own problems and problems of
society.
 Personalized problem solving
 Self actualized learner
 Evaluation = solution
 Mostly nondirective
 Can be directive but students have
choices whether or not to be involved.
 Usually small group or individual learning
 Teacher is a facilitator or guide
Stresses personal development – as a
member of a team or individually

It’s all about the individual or team

member. Competition is limited,
cooperation is stressed.
 Has the potential to help students to
reflect on themselves and on society

 Self reflection based upon learning a

task – how do I feel about my capabilities
now?
 How can I improve our world as a result
of what I know?
Self evaluation is a long term goal

It’s all about self actualization. Am I all I

can be?
 Teachers of this model must view long
term goals to be at least as important as
short term goals.
 Passing the EOG is not what I’m about
as a teacher, helping my students grow
as individuals is what’s important!
 My goal is to help my students grow and
develop as human beings; capable of
helping others.
 Leads to greater mental and emotional health
as students work with others as teammates.
 Leads to sympathetic as well as empathetic
feelings toward others. We get to know
different people who have different ideas.
 We learn to help each other.
 We learn to support those less capable.
 We all improve by helping those at the bottom.
Focus on qualitative thinking such as
creativity and self expression – whether
group or individual
 The teacher is a facilitator – students are
responsible and capable of their own
learning!

IS “I know you can do it, it’s up to you

to get it done”

IS NOT “Do this work or I’ll fail you on

this project”
Success in school – and life for that
matter, is based on the extent of teacher
and student sharing

“Why don’t we see if we have the skills

to help each other?”
**Teaching should focus on the long term
development of individuals not on the
short term mastery of content**

“You’re becoming a self actualized person”