Each educator is dedicated to local, inclusive, ethical, and democratic classroom methods. By exploring the emergent moments in the classroom, staff encourage student inquiry, responding as a lender of experience, co-learner, researcher, and resource guide. Saplings encourages educators to engage with the complicated moments of ‘not knowing’ by viewing derailments as opportunities for learning. Educators understand that teacher, student, and environment are constantly engaging with one another. Recognizing that there is no single route toward knowledge, educators allow that each student’s educational journey has them wandering along a path toward a ‘moving horizon’ with no fixed end.  
 

Saplings’ students will practice active learning based on the belief that people learn best through active, memorable experiences in real-time with people, materials from the natural world, events, and emerging ideas. Through making choices about their materials, activities, and learning throughout their days by pursuing their personal interests and goals within a framework of skills and thinking strategies, students engage in their educational process. Throughout this process, students explore, ask and answer questions, solve problems, and interact with other classmates and community members. In this type of environment students naturally engage in “key experiences” which foster developmentally important skills and abilities.