This is our principle, and this is what LIPSCHULE Zurich, with its pedagogical concept, stands for. Our principle is based on the scientific finding and conclusion that the children’s ways of learning are truly individual. The fact that learning is a personal construction of the human mind has also been recognized in neurobiology. It is, therefore, the responsibility of parents and teachers to provide the children with a learning environment that allows the pupil’s natural potential to be individually fostered and freely developed. A learning culture of the fostering kind lays the foundation for independent and sustainable learning. This conviction, based on the humanistic idea of man combined with the elements of the constructivist education philosophy, is the concept LIPSCHULE follows on all educational levels.
A personal and compassionate learning atmosphere as well as committed and benevolent teaching staff is the key to achievements made by motivated and self-responsible students. On top of that, it is the various forms of teaching structures, the open learning methods, the personal attention, and compassionate mentored learning, and our spacious, bright rooms that fuel the pupils’ motivation. LIPSCHULE avoids putting pressure on students by giving them marks. Instead, we focus on competency-oriented assessments. That’s how we manage to systematically foster individual talents and gifts.
Our expanded forms of learning turn our pupils into proactive learners who feel responsible for their achievements. Our teaching staff takes on the role of companions and mentors. Our pupils let go of dependency in favor of self-determination by drawing up their weekly learning plans, establishing individual work contracts, defining personal learning objectives, and planning independently. The pupils’ feeling responsible for their achievements leads to sustainable and integrative understanding. Our primary and secondary school learners gain strength through independently searching for, evaluating, and cross-linking project-relevant information and, at last, presenting their project results. Their success arises from our focus on subject matter competencies and general competencies, teamwork, self-assessment, and peer review. Making daily use of modern media is an important part of our learning program.
Clear guidelines facilitate our working and existing together in our everyday school life. Children and adolescents need explicit boundaries to grow. Our teaching staff work with our students in a compassionate and caring way, which encourages positive energies. Fostering a sense of community is a very important part of LIPSCHULE’s pedagogical concept. At our school, learning is not pouring knowledge into passive students. Instead, the students are urged to be actively involved in their process of learning. Our teaching staff is facilitators who help our pupils construct their knowledge.
