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How we do what we do

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We begin our academic program by giving the students short lists of things to memorize.   For freshmen, these lists include simple mathematical formulas (area of a square, rectangle, triangle etc.), a few Mesopotamian kings, a few vocabulary words, and a simple biological concept/flowchart.  For some students this takes one night to master, while for others…

So, we quiz—and quiz—and quiz some more.  In fact, early in the year, it’s not uncommon for students to see the same quiz five days in a row.  Why?  Because repetitive quizzing  gets the student's attention and helps them realize that summer really is over.   Secondly, this quizzing proves to be an interesting and poignant time for our students because those who studied on the first night are rewarded many times for studying on-time, while the remaining students are given the opportunity to make a more mature decision for four consecutive nights.  Most students come around the second or third day, however, there are those who, for various reasons, fail to study at all (these students almost always want to quit by the sixth week or so).
 

"Getting older and growing up, are not the same thing."

In order to teach and council effectively, it’s imperative teachers know the students and this daily quizzing is where the first assessment of the students is made:

 

How many of the students who scored well on the quiz the first time:

1.       Maintained their high scores the entire week?

2.       Are likely to remember what they’ve learned for the next week?  Month?  Year?

3.       Understand what they’ve learned?

4.       Handle their success with grace and humility?

5.       Are excited about what they’re learning?

6.       Resent studying?

 

How many of the students who eventually scored well on the quizzes:

 

1.       Have matured enough to join the first group?

2.       Are likely to repeat their delayed studying pattern?

3.       Are likely to fail to study in the future?

4.       Are excited about what they’re learning?

5.       Resent studying?

6.       Are likely to cope well with elevated stress levels?

  

   For the rest of the group, valuable, yet difficult, lessons are being learned.   

  

For assignments, the only real place to begin is working to see that students are turning their work in on-time because, if we can’t get this, the effectiveness of the rest of the program is almost completely nullified. Because of this our grading criteria for new students' homework begins with a simple question: Did the student complete the assignment on time?  In order to facilitate this step, students are given extra credit for work turned in early while late work is penalized severely.  In short, in the initial stages of our program we're trying to make it easy for the students to understand what they need to do to be successful and then challenge them to do it.  Once they taste success, they almost always begin craving it. 

Then we up the bar a bit.

The next step in the process addresses the quality of the work itself and students are required to improve such things as neatness, content, descriptive detail, thoroughness and sequential thinking.  Substandard work is repeated until it is acceptable, but new assignments are not delayed during this process, therefore, it is quite possible the student will suffer a back-log and struggle a bit to get, and stay, caught up. 

This process continues, just asking a Little more of the student than they naturally want to give, until they eventually reach the point where they're self sufficient and self motivated. 

When this happens the students no longer require rewards and punishments, because the joy and peace that come from learning and maturing become their own reward.

 

When taken in total, our program is a best described as a sequential and measured attack on a student’s immaturity.  From their first day with us students will be encouraged to initiate the maturing process and, if they don't quit on themselves, they, and their families, will be amazed at what their futures have to offer.