by Ken Danford | Dec 20, 2021 | self-directed learning
Sometimes I meet teens who are miserable in the middle of their senior years. I am always cautious about how to talk with them. On the one hand, I’m confident of our approach and the pros and cons of opting out, even at such a late moment in a high school...
by Ken Danford | Aug 1, 2021 | self-directed learning
Mid-July, about 30 minutes into a meeting with a new family, sitting at the table in the North Star office area: Youth: “I’m done with this meeting. I’ve heard enough. Can we go?” Youth looks around, realizes that their comment sounded a bit harsh. Youth: “I mean, I...
by Ken Danford | Jun 17, 2021 | self-directed learning
In our Another Way class for adults learning about Self-Directed Education, we are currently involved in a conversation about how we might know that our approaches “work.” Many of you know that I find this conversation frustrating. People want data: test scores,...
by Ken Danford | Jun 1, 2021 | self-directed learning
We are in the midst of our End-of-the-Year Family Meetings at North Star. This process involves having each teen, their parents, and all relevant and available core staff members gathering to review the year and hear plans for the future. Scheduling 62 family meetings...
by Ken Danford | Apr 11, 2021 | self-directed learning
As I’ve mentioned, one of the highlights of this year has been welcoming Distance Members to North Star this year. In the past, we have only worked with local teens, but because nearly all of our activities have been on Zoom this year, we have decided to experiment...
