Alternative to Traditional
One of the culprits to anxiety being on the rise is simply due to the post high school pressure endured by many. The skyrocketing cost of a college degree creates even more stress to have a plan in place at such a young age. While working in the classroom as an Instructional Aid, I have had 12 year olds tell me that their parents said they have to get all A’s so they can get into college. I have also lived this 3 times around in my own family, saw it on a daily basis working in a middle school and now with my clients.
The problem is there is more to education than prepping for college especially given the fact that not everyone is cut out to go for a variety of reasons. As mentioned above, the cost. Not everyone can afford to go, period. Whether parents are flipping the bill or students are taking out loans, paying it on the front end or paying it back on the back end still leads to not many being able to afford today’s tuition.
I have noticed throughout many conversations that most people immediately assume the only other options to not going the college route are trade schools or the military. As someone who has learned an incredible amount of very useful and valuable information through a multitude of online resources and in person topic based training, I am perplexed as to why this is not considered a viable option. When you factor in the mainstream experience of “zoom school” and the incredible number of passion based entre- and solopreneurs being created by the pandemic pivot and great resignation, it is hard not to have a newfound respect for self-education.
Due to living in California during the past couple of very trying years, and empathizing with the parents who are concerned about the strict school mandates being put into place, I am well versed in the shift to the learning pod concept for schooling that is occurring for younger students. The idea intrigued me so I became a part of the homeschool initiative to support parents and teenagers dealing with the stress and anxiety created by all of the changes and social emotional disruptions, offering guidance to increase confidence and motivation for both parents and students in their transition given that that is my specialty. Being a parent is difficult enough in normal circumstances, but not only being a parent in these crazy times as well as now taking on the unexpected role of being full-time teacher is enough to put anyone over the edge. But these parents are banning together, pulling themselves up with each other's support and are digging in to navigate their way through.
This has led me to the idea of developing an alternative approach to post high school learning. I believe that education opens doors, the more you know, the more choices you will have in life. However, we have gotten away from the focus of education being on gaining knowledge to measuring up through grades, test scores and resumes. Not to mention the emphasis on state led curriculum that by many standards is outdated given how much our society has changed since the original school model was developed yet is still being followed by traditional school districts today.
My post high school learning pods will encompass affordable, in person, intensive collaborative self-education in a small group setting without the pressure of traditional homework, exams and grades. We will focus on a targeted subject and learn through self-guided research, existing online programs, sharing with one another their findings and from experts currently in the field. Given the shortage of workers many companies are facing I am confident that they will appreciate the talent and new perspective these prospects will offer and bring to the table.
Of course every participant will go through Strengths training and work with me to build the emotional intelligence needed to succeed in all areas of life. This program will be offered to all adults ages 18+ and will serve as a guide to figure out your own path in life, given that it is a process that unfolds throughout a lifetime, not something to be determined before you even become an adult. I am in the beginning stages of development but if this sounds interesting to you, please reach out for further details. You can also hop over the the Learning Pods page of this website.
