Independence is the Key to Dalton Success

As a current Year 12 student and Head of the Dalton Committee, Freya Regan is an expert on studying under the Dalton Plan.

‘Dalton sets you up for success,’ says Freya. ‘It challenges each student to develop intellectual independence, creativity, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility toward others, both within the School and in the community at large.’

For Freya, freedom is one of the many perks that come with learning via Dalton. She remarks that ‘the flexible environment allows teachers to work closely with each student, knowing their strengths and weaknesses as time progresses.’ This enables students to build their knowledge independently and seek guidance from teachers when they need help.

Freya admits that using the Dalton Plan as the framework can be challenging at times, saying ‘Often it can be difficult to stay organised and hold yourself accountable during your learning process.’

However, as students’ progress through their Senior years, inevitably their study habits improve as they mature and take more responsibility for their work, learning the study methods that suit their personal learning style the best.

For Freya, Maths works particularly well via Dalton with the Assignment, the Lesson and the Study interplaying with each other to provide context and opportunities to seek help, ultimately setting a student up for learning success.

Of all four pillars of Dalton, Freya says that for her the pillar of Independence is vital to ensuring accountability of her learning and optimising the resources available to enhance her understanding. She has also found that Collaboration enables new methods of learning to be shared and fosters better teacher–student relationships. She believes that the qualities of empathy and awareness also play a significant role in promoting successful Dalton students.

As the Head of Dalton on the School Committee this year, it is Freya’s responsibility to help the student body realise the opportunities the Dalton Plan provides. This year is a particularly exciting year with the 100 years of Dalton at Ascham to be celebrated. Freya says, ‘The Dalton Committee and I are looking forward to a great year ahead, working with the students to help them understand the benefits and perks of the Dalton System. We are creating a Dalton hub (intranet) page, to provide relevant information and tips the students can easily access. We are also planning an event to celebrate as a school community to recognise the Dalton System, to learn more about how it has evolved, its advantages and how it differs across the world.

Skye Barry (Edwards 1994), Community Relations Manager 

8 Feb 2022

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