Carolyn Avaire's Page

Since 1985,the year after I became a drop-out, I have been studying the works of various educators, John Holt, A.S.Neill, Myles Horton, Paulo Friere, John Taylor Gatto, Alfie Kohn, Jonathan Kozol, Deborah Meier, Linda Darling-Hammond, Rudolph Steiner and many others in an effort to understand how the path of becoming educated in our society affects children, emotionally, spiritually (for those that regard this dimension) and socially and how this impacts academic success... but most importantly how academic focus,only, impacts the well being of students on their journey.

As the years have passed I have been able to apply the teachings in conversation with adults and in the many, many times I have been engaged with children inside and outside of the classroom. In the classroom I have learned from and guided Pre-k's, K's, two 2nd grade classes, a 6th grade class and two 8th grade classes.

I have been fortunate to be able to experience and learn from a wide variety of educational paths both urban and rural: public schools, of course, private schools, charter schools, Waldorf schools, a Summerhill inspired school, cyber schools, an American Indian school and, the home school/unschooling movement.

My contribution in making a difference for the children of the future is to support the wide variety of educational journeys currently being explored and implemented so that they may come into even greater focus and being to inspire the future of education.

Hobbies and Interests:
My main passions are the study of education and children.

I enjoy living in the woods surrounded by nature but I also enjoy a return home to the cities. For me, it's either "in the sticks" or the "concrete jungle" and nowhere in between!

“If a child has been able in his play to give up his whole loving being to the world around him, he will be able, in the serious tasks of later life, to devote himself with confidence and power to the service of the world”
Rudolph Steiner