Kishami Academy is going to be changing the format of how we approach the overall academics towards the prospect of a student's future: career, certifications, trade school, or college.

When Kishami Academy began in 2017, trying to remain as close to public school with the ability to follow rabbit trails of academic interests or focus on mental and social issues was the goal. It did not take long, as I analyzed the standards and materials for a full K-12 program, to discover that the guidance for growth was not well-delineated, and the requirements were very American-centric. Growth is necessary, especially in areas of executive functioning, creative thinking, and metacognition. I wanted these things in my school. Also, with the world “shrinking” due to technology and more fluid boundaries, proceeding to teach along nationalistic lines is not a valuable skill for future endeavors. These discoveries led to my three-year worldwide and time-vast unit study series that would allow students to get familiar with the world they live in, the scientific and historical timelines, and not just a focus on a single country when the world has more than 190 countries.

I do like what I did with the unit series, it is a great organization of subject matter for Kishami Academy. However, I tend to want to teach and get the students to understand much more than is necessary which left me frustrated while doing excess research and racing to get materials ready for each day. Constantly feeling behind and like I am failing my students is not good for my mental health or the welfare of Kishami Academy.

I am always reading and researching to discover more: What is happening around the world with academics, what is happening in America, what is happening at college-entrance levels, what is the output of our schools, what are the current trends, what does the newest research say, how does each of my students diagnoses affect how they learn, why am I having trouble reaching a student or teaching a concept, etc. Every book, documentary, research paper, and class teaches me something new to add to my personal knowledge. It also helps me analyze what is happening in my own class, with my own students, and within myself.

This research has led to a new design concept for a larger school setting; Not so new for homeschool communities. Kishami Academy will now be focusing on helping students learn to learn and obtain a sixth-grade mastery in the subjects of reading, writing, comprehension, mathematics, spelling, grammar, and executive functioning. Research shows that once a child has attained this level of mastery in academics, they have also learned better how to think for themselves, be able to learn and explore what they want to learn, and have the skill sets available to move forward, largely on their own, into whichever higher education (middle school through life) they desire.

Once a student has reached this level, they enter what is referred to as unschooling -- or self-directed learning. This means they are in charge of their education. For our middle and high school students who are in the process of crossing this 6th-grade demarcation or have already crossed it, this means that they get to choose their own classes, and obtain high school and college credits through online programs that Kishami Academy has bought into. Students also will be given more time to explore the career they are interested in by trying out new things. As Kishami Academy is able to arrange: getting kits and supplies that will help them explore, tutoring, online programs, or in-person activities.

Students may begin to explore more on their own once they have shown the ability to think for themselves, connect concepts between subject matters, and show outside effort toward their own futures (Kishami Academy programs, extra classes, volunteering, etc.) for more than two units, 12 weeks. This demonstrates both that they are able to do more than regurgitate information and their own self-motivation is aiding their ability to problem solve and learn creatively.