Week 12: Why Guides Don't Answer Questions.

If you ask a child at Acton the difference between a teacher and a Guide, you’ll often hear:

“Well… Guides don’t answer questions.”

Not because they don’t care. But because they do.

At Acton, we believe learning is something you earn. When someone gives you the answer, they rob you of that moment — the discovery, the courage, the ownership.

That’s why every learner is taught a simple habit:

Ask 3Bs Before G.

• Brain – Try your best. Think it through. Re-read the directions.

• Book – Use a resource. That could be a printed example, studio tool, or guidebook.

• Buddy – Ask a peer. Work through it together.

Only after trying all three should a learner ask a Guide — and even then, the Guide is likely to respond with a question, not an answer.

Why? Because every time a learner solves their own problem, they grow stronger. More confident. More capable.

And if it’s always easier to ask an adult? They’ll keep asking. And keep waiting.

Instead, this approach builds a habit of independence — and a community of learners who lift each other up.

At home, you can honour the same mindset. Instead of jumping in to help, try:

• “Where could you find that answer?”

• “What’s your next best step?”

• “Have you asked a buddy?”

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s practice.

Because when children learn how to struggle productively, search resourcefully, and lean on each other instead of just the nearest adult, they don’t just become better students.

They become lifelong learners.

In the wise words of Zig Ziglar, "A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could"