Chris Balme on Finding the Magic in Middle School

Off-Trail Learning

Chris Balme (chrisbalme.com) is the founding head of school of The Millennium School and the author of Finding the Magic in Middle School. After briefly flirting with public school teaching, Chris ran an apprenticeship program for middle schoolers for a decade before creating The Millennium School in San Francisco, where he served for seven years. We discuss Chris’ early infatuation with democratic free schools, how the Millennium School takes the developmental needs of middle schoolers seriously, the life-changing power of peer advisory groups, learning through quests, authentic audiences, and why he compromised on teaching math in a conventional fashion. Chris also describes how parents might think of themselves as excellent guides instead of their kids’ bosses or managers, 50 "Essential Experiences” for a meaningful adolescence, rites of passage, and what larger schools and programs can offer that home-based alternatives sometimes cannot. Get a taste for Chris’ work by browsing the 50 Essential Experiences (https://www.argonaut.school/blog/50-essential-experiences) and signing up for his excellent email newsletter (https://chrisbalme.substack.com/).