STUDENTS

The Dragon opened its doors on September 11, 2001. We've had 30 graduates so far. They've all been admitted to their post-secondary institution of choice (Concordia, King's College, Halifax, London School of Economics, MacMaster, Queen's, Ryerson, UBC, University of Toronto, York), over half of them with scholarships. They're studying everything from Studio Arts to Math and Physics. And they're all doing really well. We know because they keep in touch, and we continue to support them, discussing research topics, proofreading essays, offering counseling on post-graduate choices and the meaning of life.

We're proud of their considerable academic achievements, but proudest of the way they've grown. When they leave us, they are ambitious, self-motivated, confident, and knowledgeable, above all about themselves.

One of our graduates interviewed his former classmates; here they are in their own words:

KATIE:
When I came to visit The Dragon, I sat in on a literature class. I was impressed with the sheer volume and the depth of learning, and in fact I felt that I learnt more in a day at Dragon than in a week at my former school. Even now, when I come back from university and visit The Dragon, I am conscious of shifting my intellectual gears up to Dragon level.

The Dragon is full of conversation. There is a constant dynamic flow of knowledge and opinion, among the faculty as well as between students and teachers. Whenever any two teachers are in a room together a fascinating conversation is sure to take place. I remember setting myself up many times as a spectator for these great completely spontaneous and informal debates, feeling like I was absorbing knowledge by sheer osmosis. This is not just true of the faculty but the students as well. Every student at the school has been taught to actively engage with society, using their newly trained intellects.

Before I came to The Dragon, I had never had an overwhelmingly positive experience of education. I think I grew a lot emotionally at The Dragon. I have a whole new way of thinking about things, putting things in a framework, that I couldn't have conceived of before. My way of evaluating what it means to be a human being has shifted. My values, what I consider myself to be living for, have been in part remolded, and clarified. I also feel much more capable of actually achieving my goals, realizing those values. The Dragon has provided me with a template of what intellectual life should be like. Even at MacMaster I am casting around for this kind of dialogue. I'm looking for intelligent people at university, who are interested in the universe, and in humanity with a capital H.

I've had TAs in second year philosophy courses tell me that I'm better read than they are. I've gone to university with a set of skills for reading and writing and thinking that a lot of students don't have. The readings seem light. The essays seem ridiculously little. I am doing really well, and not panicking. The interpersonal skills developed at The Dragon allowed me to survive the triple room in residence without any major conflicts, a task which I certainly would not have considered myself up to before. .

Why do I come back to visit so often? I've never visited any of my other schools. It's like coming home to be revitalized. Our shared experience of the Dragon is a glue. Whenever I come back and leave again, I feel energized to renew all my efforts at being a human being. I guess the word would be inspired. I come back to be able to talk at that level, to discuss things that I'm not sure other people will understand, both intellectually and emotionally.

AARON:
My former high school focused on achieving high grades and acceptance to elite universities. The educational mentality was mechanical, with very little emphasis on creative participation. It relied heavily on extrinsic motivators at the detriment of more intrinsic ones. I found myself stressed about maintaining the status of an accomplished student. I began to take shortcuts, and my energy level suffered. I was unmotivated to work, because the required tasks seemed to lack relevance, and I was more inclined to feign effort, since my primary concern was image-management.

When I first visited The Dragon, I was taken by the simultaneously relaxed and rigorous atmosphere of the school. The material was significantly more advanced than what I was accustomed to (certainly on a conceptual level), and there was a genuine attempt to provoke insight in each student.

At The Dragon, I became more productive and attentive to my own learning. Remarkably, I had stopped thinking about grades altogether, even though I was working considerably harder. I soon made the shift from being product-oriented and extrinsically motivated to being process-oriented and intrinsically motivated. I was encouraged to be creative, to take risks, and to use an assignment as an opportunity for introspection. Many of my essays became pivotal stepping-stones toward greater confidence. At times, I experienced a transformational insight that led to new ways of thinking and an intense episode of personal growth. Although I was definitely being pushed to develop intellectually, I also matured socially and emotionally.

Once at the U of T, I found myself more than equipped to handle the work-load and subject material. In most cases, it was significantly less work and not as challenging. I continue to strive for personal relevance in my work at university, so as to recreate the style of learning I was introduced to at the Dragon. The Dragon has also provided me with an encompassing academic framework that I can use to situate new concepts. The rich and integrated curriculum that the school promotes makes learning more enjoyable. With such a strong sense of context, I am able to intuit the interpenetration of multiple domains (art, philosophy, literature, history, science) which enlivens the subject, strengthens my understanding, and reinforces what is relevant.

Now, if I happen to be confronted with a boring or poorly taught course at university, I try to treat it like an independent study, in which I am responsible for the quality and depth of the content, for making it meaningful. I was also motivated to form relationships with my university professors, as modeled by my experiences interacting with the teachers at the Dragon.

The value one receives from attending The Dragon does not end at graduation. The Dragon is not only a unique academic resource, but a nurturing community. This feeling of belonging remains one of the most prominent features of my experience there. Both students and teachers are committed to a project of cultural and intellectual development, one in which I am still privileged to participate.

JEFF AND MIKE
Jeff: Before The Dragon, I felt that I wasn't being challenged enough, or growing as a person as I wanted to.

Mike: My old schools were insanely large. I was skipping a lot of classes, because I truly wasn't interested in them. But I like hands-on learning, getting to actually participate in the class. In my old schools, they just spoon-fed me; that just didn't work for me. When I came to the Dragon, I found that I actually do like to learn anything, as long as I have a teacher who inspires interest.

Jeff: They're actually teaching and learning because they love the material.

Mike: They bring the subjects to life and make you want to learn. Jeff: They challenge us, and make us think for ourselves. The skills are transferable. We don't just get what we're studying, but also how to examine, understand and fully appreciate anything.

Mike: Even the museum trips, you bring back what you saw to the school and it incorporates directly into what you're learning.

Jeff: Like when we were reading Macbeth, going and visiting an actual director helped deepen our understanding. In Ancient Art and Architecture, going to the ROM created a concrete image of what we were learning, so it goes beyond simple textbook definitions. We can actually see and relate to what we are being taught.

Mike: Being a student at the Dragon definitely sky-rockets you into becoming an intellectual being. The classes are all integrated, they all go hand in hand.

Jeff: In drama, we were reading Doctor Faustus and talking about the Faustian bargain, which came up again with Macbeth, but also, simultaneously, in English and Philosophy, that concept of transgression became dominant.

Mike: I think that the table seating creates a much better environment. There isn't any pecking order for seating arrangements, the "cool" kids can't sit at the back of the class, and kids can't be judged based on where they sit.

Jeff: When we have everyone close together around one or two tables, it makes things naturally progress towards discussion.

Mike: Yes, the Socratic method. This is the first place which taught me in this way. It allowed me to learn what the teachers were trying to teach me, to truly express myself and have insights into what I was learning. I could move along a path of education that I had helped develop.

Jeff: Everyone's understanding is valued. The Socratic method demands that I constantly question myself and interact with others. There's room for discussion and mutual investigation, so I get a more personal and profound understanding. It also sticks in my head. Everyone participates actively, considering the same stuff and driving to understand everything better.

Mike: You learn how to enter into that environment very quickly. It's a better way of learning.

Jeff: Everyone here is interested in each other and the best for each other. I am a part of a strong community. It makes me feel confident within my self.