Newsletter 186: A Personal Journey: From Dyslexia, through a Pandemic, to Microschools

A Personal Journey: From Dyslexia, through a Pandemic, to Microschools

The discovery of our journey into the realm of microschools did not come out of the blue but burgeoned as a solution molded by personal experience and surfaced during the challenges of the pandemic and the inherent needs of my daughter, Makena, and me.

Owning a microgym pre-pandemic, life transitioned dramatically for us during the mandated shutdowns. This period urged us to reflect and rethink — what education could mean for diverse learners like Makena, a bright 12-year-old, and myself, both dyslexic.

Being dyslexic, comprehension and retention were never a walk in the park for me. The struggles transcended from my childhood into adulthood, and seeing the same in Makena induced a heart-rending familiarity. Schooling, in its traditional form, failed to deliver for us, repeatedly falling short of connecting the dots.

The pandemic was a challenge, but it also offered some profound insights. With Makena now homeschooling, we recognized an opportunity for transformation. We came to comprehend that learning was not constrained within the four walls of a classroom. It was an ongoing process, a journey that should be enjoyed in all its depth and diversity.

Bringing together my personal experiences, professional skills, and entrepreneurial spirit, I recognized making the most out of a seemingly tumultuous period — extending the domain of our microgym to include our version of a microschool, designed to cater to students like us — dyslexic and neurodivergent. Realizing and empathizing with this cause became the plight that allowed us to design a holistic educational approach, which unfolded unaddressed potential in not just us but for our entire community of diverse learners as well.

A Breeding Ground for Neurodivergent Success

Microschools hold a pioneering space in our teaching practices where personalized teaching is not a privilege but a common modus operandi. These educational havens provide a dynamic learning model, markedly beneficial for neurodivergent students like those diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, or autism. By breaking down the monotonous, one-way education system and thinking beyond standard teaching strategies, Microschools celebrate neurodiversity. They accommodate every student's individuality and create a beautiful, harmonious symphony of various learning dispositions, developing holistic skills while ensuring no learner is left behind.

Coaches: Allies for Neurodivergent Learners

In our microschools, we teach and facilitate coaching relationships, profoundly impacting our neurodivergent students. This transformation extends beyond a mere change in title or position. Instead, it signifies an evolved educator, better equipped to meet our students' specific needs and help them navigate their education easily and confidently. By bringing a coaching mindset to microschool classrooms, we frame an environment that cherishes each student's unique personality and characteristics and leverages these distinguishing attributes with supportive encouragement.

Neurodivergent Learners and Edupreneurship

Giving our educators an insightful understanding of business dynamics and their evolved coaching role expands their potential as 'edupreneurs' - education entrepreneurs. Our passionate edupreneurs take the lead in nurturing bespoke microschools, designed to cater to individualized learning spaces perfect for engaging, meaningful, and relevant learning experiences for students with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and others on the neurodiversity spectrum. This empathetic concoction of coaching and entrepreneurship emboldens edupreneurs to create a learning haven for neurodivergent students, celebrating each child's individuality.

Beyond Credentials

The real essence of an educator goes much further than any official paperwork or credentials. Think about the many fervent individuals who, despite lacking formal certification, have the potential to revolutionize teaching practices, especially for our neurodivergent students. This is where microschools come into their own. They allow these passionate individuals to blur traditional boundaries, bringing in creative, inclusive educational strategies that ensure no child feels unnoticed or unattended.

Embracing Neurodiversity

Shaping a world of learning where neurodiversity is not merely accepted but celebrated, microschools echo respect for individuality. Teachers, or rather 'coaches', ignite curiosity, unravel the unique strengths in each child, and weave a tailored learning plan. This journey unfolded by these educational entrepreneurs opens a world full of opportunities for neurodivergent students, encouraging them to explore their full potential, transgress the benchmarked 'norms', and reshape perceptions about teaching and learning.

What We Learned Today

Today I shared how my passion for transforming education evolved through deeply personal experiences with my daughter Makena. By openly facing our shared struggles as dyslexics during the pandemic shutdowns, together we discovered powerful insights:

• Learning thrives when liberated from restrictive classroom walls and rigid conformity. It flourishes as an exciting journey of authentic self-discovery for every unique mind.

• When standardized systems fail neurodivergent students, creating specially customized learning sanctuaries like microschools is the solution. Here, coaches invoke their strengths while gracefully navigating challenges.

• Blending personalized coaching models with dynamic learning approaches unlocks overlooked potential and brilliance, allowing differently-wired minds like ours to finally experience that joyful “Aha!” moment of comprehension and connection.

• The pandemic posed harsh difficulties but also gifted us clarity and conviction to address the long unmet needs of dyslexic, ADHD, and autistic young minds. From this vision emerged a thriving microschool community designed by and for our neurotribes.

The most salient learning - sometimes our most crushing setbacks plant the seeds for blossoming unforeseen opportunities. With compassionate understanding, we can transform adversity into inclusive innovation.

I hope my story provided inspiration to boldly lead transformations within your own families, workplaces, and learning circles. Each time we courageously turn struggles into solutions, we slowly reshape our world into one where Neurodiversity is no longer merely tolerated but genuinely nurtured and celebrated!