Novatra School
Novatra explores new learning paths. Our learners look at each subject with fresh eyes, build on each other's ideas, and expand their thinking together.
No two discussions take the same path.
What learning looks like here
Each time a subject comes up, we look at it again as if for the first time. What we thought we knew stays open to question.
One learner's idea becomes the starting point for another's. Good thinking here is something we pass around and add to.
A group can reach further than any one person. We measure a discussion by how much wider everyone's thinking has become.
What we value
Every explanation rests on something taken for granted. Finding it together is often where the real learning starts. See an example
Our people
About Us
Novatra exists to explore new learning paths. We create an environment where learners look at subject matter afresh each time, build on each other's ideas, and expand their thinking collectively.
Our philosophy
Coming back to a topic with fresh eyes shows things a first look missed. Familiar material can still hold new questions.
A thought spoken aloud can be tested, extended and improved by someone else. Learners here treat each other as partners in working something out.
Much of what we believe rests on things we have never stated. When a group names those things together, it can examine them honestly and decide what to do about each one.
The environment we create
Asking why something is taken for granted is a contribution. So is changing your mind after hearing a classmate's idea.
How We Learn
A Novatra discussion moves from a fresh look at the subject to wider thinking for everyone in the room.
The path of a discussion
We set aside the familiar version and ask what we actually notice, wonder and expect.
Together, we name what each explanation takes for granted. Anyone can spot one.
Different assumptions need different responses, so the group decides what each one calls for.
Learners add to each other's ideas until the group can see further than it could at the start. Then new questions open the next look.
See it in action
Choose a subject to follow one statement through a discussion.
Written for this page to illustrate the approach. These are not records of an actual class.
Addressing assumptions
Finding an assumption doesn't make it wrong. The right response depends on what the group discovers.
| If the assumption… | Then we… |
|---|---|
| Holds up | Keep it, now knowing why it can be trusted. |
| Holds up only sometimes | Work out where it applies and where it stops applying. |
| Doesn't hold up | Set it aside and rebuild the explanation without it. |
| Can't be settled yet | Decide together what we would need to find out. |
People
No role at Novatra is mundane. Each one shapes how learners think together, and we pay meticulous attention to building on everyone's unique strengths.
Administrator
As Novatra's administrator, Snehal designs environments that enable rich interactions between learners. Snehal holds a master's degree in electrical engineering and moved from the tech industry into education, bringing an engineer's eye for how small details shape the whole. That care helps each learner's strengths come through and gives the group something new to build on.
Teacher
As Novatra's teacher, Vish crafts discussions that turn each learner's unique strengths into fresh ways of seeing a subject. Vish holds a master's degree in computer science and traded a career as a product manager in tech for the classroom, bringing a product manager's habit of questioning what everyone takes for granted. Here, that habit helps the group uncover its assumptions and build on one another's ideas.
Contact
We'd be glad to talk about Novatra and how our learners work together.