Creativity is a process, just like baking is. We live in a time of instant gratification, rapid materialization, and constant updates. We are anxious to see the fruits of learning, but learning takes time, and it takes careful
nurturing for nature to bloom. One of the biggest shifts taking place in education is the shift from products to the process of learning and the growing emphasis on creativity. Projects, portfolios, experiential learning, design thinking, gamification, personalized learning, mastery transcript – the new enthusiasm for these approaches reflects in a way a return to a very traditional idea – trust in each child’s natural ability and desire to learn, and patience for the process involved.
Innovation, of course, is necessary as our world transforms at a shocking pace – whether it’s technology, politics, or our ecology. With such tremendous change, organisms and societies must adapt, and the value of creativity rises exponentially. This is why Baker & Bloom’s unique mission of cultivating creative literacy and confidence matters. We do it by combining professionalism in teaching and passion for inspiring. We respect the pace of each child’s learning, and believe that guiding them to reflect on their own process of learning will serve them well throughout life.
Figuring out how to creatively educate, using new methods and tools while retaining the best of traditional approaches like John Dewey’s ethos of learning by doing, or classical education’s values of truth, goodness, and beauty, and the humanist emphasis in a liberal arts education – this is the task we take on together at Baker & Bloom.
I am always grateful for the trust that parents place in us, and for the enthusiasm, curiosity, and openness that our children share with us. Their journey is our journey; their growth our joy. My hope for all Baker & Bloom students, past and present, is that they continue to cultivate their inner life, and connect that meaningfully to the outer world to make a positive difference.
Renée Boey
Founder of Baker & Bloom
“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.”
- Rainer Maria Rilke