A Community Built to Nurture Each Student’s Unique Journey

Mississippi Microschool is a small secular learning community providing personalized, student-led education in an emotionally nurturing environment.

Our Philosophy

We prioritize well-being first by giving students freedom and building in accommodation of individual needs.

We provide personalized support to help each student gain the skills they need to follow their dreams.

We enable students to gain knowledge that is meaningful to them by providing a rich educational environment filled with engaging people, books, and materials.

We have built our school to be a haven for students who are spirited, sensitive, and neurodiverse.

We welcome all who share our dream of a home-like student-centered school that fosters the exceptional.

To make our dream reality, we’ve developed our own educational method drawing from the Montessori tradition, modern education and neuroscience research, along with our own experiences as parents and educators. The key components of our method are:

1) Space in which the students can freely move around with materials tailored to their needs and interests.

2) Understanding adults giving attention to student well-being and providing personalized academic assistance.

Dr. Maria Montessori began developing the Montessori method in 1907 in an impoverished community in Italy. She was inspired by the children’s natural wonder, drive to work, and natural ability to learn through focused independent work. Through scientific observations of children working, she developed a highly successful method, incorporating principles such as:

  • Creating a student-centered environment where students can easily choose the work they are inspired to do, and the time and freedom to do so

  • Providing students with concrete materials that foster their learning

  • Observing student needs and helping them through 1-1 and small group activities

  • Providing cosmic education, where connections between subjects and between known and new ideas are prioritized over memorizing details

These Montessori principles have stood the test of time, and they lay the foundation of our educational method at Mississippi Microschool. As Dr. Montessori was herself a scientist and innovator, we also incorporate modern ideas and tools into our classroom that meet the observed needs of our students. We employ research-based literacy methods and use hands-on math materials that could not be conceived of before the invention of modern plastics and electronics. 

Modern research has also led to a new understanding of neurodiversity. We now understand that there isn’t just one typical child and one best method, but that children, like adults, are incredibly diverse. At Mississippi Microschool, we follow modern practices to create an environment that is attuned to the sensitivities of our students, so that students' differences become their strengths. Every student at Mississippi Microschool thrives through our commitment to the following principles:

  • A small close-knit community 

  • Regular routines with minimal transitions

  • Low student to teacher ratio (6:1 or less)

  • Expectations and communication-style responsive to sensitivities

  • Empathy towards and encouragement of differences

  • Prioritized social-emotional learning

  • Flexibility for individual needs

Mississippi Microschool is a home away from home for students whose developmental journey is hindered by the broad demands of traditional schooling. We offer a kind and encouraging community where students may be themselves and follow their own passions, but at the same time receive a plethora of individual attention and encouragement. Each of our students is going on their own journey, but they are not alone. We are each unique individuals helping each other to build a web of interdependence that lifts us all up.

Our Values

At Mississippi Microschool, all members of our community, including students, staff, families, and volunteers are guided by our core values: respect for others, understanding of differences, acquiring new skills through practice, meeting difficulties with persistence, and leaning-in to our interdependence. We understand that all people are different, and have different skills. We respect all people regardless of these differences, and we encourage each other to learn new skills through practice, to keep trying in the face of difficulties, and to help each other.

RESPECT  

We believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all people. No matter their age, their behavior, their opinions, or anything else about them, we treat others with respect to the best of our own abilities. Mutual respect is the basis of our community. We show respect by being kind and supportive, and also by being calm and giving people space. 

UNDERSTANDING

We believe that our strength comes in our differences. Instead of equality we strive to meet everyone’s individual needs, to ensure that everyone is thriving, externally and internally. We hold people to individual high standards according to their skills, needs, and personal goals. We encourage each other to stay true to ourselves, to freely question the meaning of social norms, and to let the practice of social norms be motivated internally. 

PRACTICE 

We believe all people can learn new skills through practice. We all have different skills and acquire new skills at different times via different methods according to our unique personal journeys. We accept people no matter their current skills, and encourage them to practice new skills. We respect focused work.

PERSISTENCE 

We believe that difficulties are a normal and routine part of life, and that sometimes there is no immediate solution to a problem. When looking for a solution to an ongoing difficulty, we try to be flexible in our own opinions, encouraging the ideas and proposals of all people involved as we just keep trying and trying different ideas. 

INTERDEPENDENCE 

We believe that we are all as interdependent as we are independent. Together, we build a culture of helping with the belief that if everyone helps each other as they are able then this will benefit the whole community. We can feel comfortable in our imperfections because we know that if needed, there is plenty of help to be found. We also find satisfaction and self-confidence by using our skills to help others. We all share the responsibility of our community’s well being.