Instead of trying to stop a student from bolting out of the building teachers would offer them a jacket or coat to keep from catching cold, instead of chasing after them and pinning them to the ground.
The idea of The REAL School is real simple; instill a sense of responsibility in the students so that they can own their actions and behavior. In order to accomplish this, the school has created an environment that values patience, perseverance and remaining nonconfrontational with its 45 students.
Makin told the Bangor Daily News that avoiding restraint and seclusion is a matter of trying something different for a student who has failed in the public school system and many times, intensive therapeutic programs.
The REAL School strives to achieve this hands-off approach by offering a variety of programs designed to engage, excited and experiential. The learning is hands on and allows students to get out of the classroom and develop strategies to cope with the real world.
Through outdoor activities such as kayaking, skiing, snowshoeing and backpacking, students who have had difficulties with mainstream education can learn about alternative methods to staying healthy and active. Often times, these alternate activities help to channel violent behaviors they otherwise did not know how to express safely.
The REAL School also has a program called REAL Food where a group of students prepare lunch for dozens of students and staff members at the REAL School and the Gov. Baxter School for the Deaf, both situated on Mackworth Island in Falmouth, Maine.
Alex Bouchie, 16, had difficulties with a traditional education, finding it difficult to socialize with peers and was expelled for fighting. But now, he works in the kitchen where preparing lunch for dozens combines the pressure of a deadline with a necessity for teamwork.
“I’m not very good at socializing with people my own age,” Bouchie said to the Bangor Daily News. “This place has been great for my social skills.”
While the techniques for learning may be different at this school, students do not completely bypass the system. A points-based discipline system and clearly defined standards encourage students to reach for higher academic success and show up to class. For the most part, each student is responsible for shaping their own education and building relationships with the teachers.
The goal is to encourage the students to make good decisions, on their own terms.
