At the beginning of September, children in many countries return to school. In classrooms all over, students sit in lines of desks facing the teacher. The teacher talks about the subject of study. The students listen. They raise their hands to let the teacher know when they have a question or an answer. But, this is not how things are done at Escuela Nueva schools. There, students of the same grade level sit together in small groups. They work on a lesson at their own speed. They work individually but also help each other learn the lesson. Then, the older students in the room help the younger students understand the lesson before moving on to another. Teachers at Escuela Nueva schools do not stand in front of the classroom and lecture. The teaching method is a model of democratic values. Students are involved in every element of how the school operates. They make decisions about how and what they learn. For example, classmates elect students for leadership roles and to perform jobs such as cleaning and social activities.