There are a variety of reasons Indi-ED families make the decision to join.
Some have been unsatisfied with their prior schooling experience.
Some are business owners or professionals themselves who know that there is more that is necessary to “learn” in order to become successful in life. They want their children to be able to start experiencing life for themselves now.
Others have a worldly perspective and understanding around education.
Some have just been watching how we operate and have finally decided to bravely take the plunge.
Just like each child is unique, so are our families and the impact that Indi-ED has on each family is also different. (Here are a few of our commonalities. Goals & what we want our kids to know.)
As our teachers were planning for the upcoming school year, we decided that if we wanted to step up our game even more we needed to have our students become more a part of the planning process.
We’ve had the kids design the spaces. We’ve had our kids and families complete interest surveys. But when you consider what it means to own your own learning-all of our goals’ for our kids, where you get the biggest bang for your buck is when you start doing for yourself.
If you’ve ever designed a presentation, planned an event, or taken a concept from idea to execution, you’re aware that you’re able to articulate and connect when you have a voice in the process. What the slides look like, what the order will be and why, or who you want on your team to handle certain parts become more clear when YOU design it.
So last week we invited our students to Indi-ED to do just that.
This is a big idea and we’re grateful that our families understand the value.
We expected the veteran students to have more of an understanding that their ideas would legitimately be incorporated. We expected our rookie students to get excited to even be considered.
But what we didn’t expect was that as the teachers were asking for input and everyone was discussing different ideas, a reoccurring comment/attitude was, “But I’d be open to it.” Or, “Not that that means that we shouldn’t.”
We discussed different books they’d like to read. We discussed different art projects they’d like to work on. We discussed new ideas that they didn’t put on their end of the year surveys. And time and time again, the KIDS would respond with some type of thinking around their ideas and if it wasn’t something that they’d traditionally consider, they would end their statement with, “But I’d be open to it.”
KIDS…not saying, “Oh no I hate that.” “I’m a ___, I’d never ___.” “That’s lame.”
They were OPEN.
Do you know what music to our ears that is?! Can you imagine what would happen to our world if more adults had that mentality?!
The level of trust that that statement displays was heard loud and clear on our end. They trust that we’re doing what’s best for them. They know that we’re incorporating everyone’s ideas. They know that things may not work and that that is ok, that they may learn something from those opportunities too.
Employers…LOOK FOR THESE KIDS!!!
They are not set in their ways. They are not closed off to new ideas. They are OPEN!
I think it’s safe to say that from our prior family event and from our teacher planning meetings, that we were all pretty stoked to start the year. But after meeting with our kids, we are even more so.
Thank you families and teachers for the engagement even through the summer. Thank you kids for the reminder.
We’re all looking forward to remaining open to what comes our way this year!