Advocating for the Active Learning Cycle by Jessica Estillette Recently, I've embarked on one of the most surprisingly stressful, important tasks I have encountered in my entire life... choosing a school for my daughter. My sweet, sassy, super-smart girl will be entering the amazing world of Kindergarten this Fall and I am really fretting over where to send her! Having been in the field education for 19 years, I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to what happens in classrooms and I am determined to find, or create, an environment in which Layla will thrive. Although the bottom line for most schools is meeting the mark for a basic standard of achievement on set standards, I want so much more Layla. First, I want her to have fun and to be inspired in a loving, nurturing environment. Second, since she is a bright kid and I have no doubt she'll pick up content pretty easily, I am much more concerned about building her soft skills which will