Not sure if your Eagle is (still) a fit for AANWA's learner-driven environment? Below are some guiding questions you can ask to help them reflect on whether or not AANWA is the optimal place for them to be.
GUIDING QUESTIONS
Do the Contract and Studio Promises actually matter to you? Do you truly believe they are promises worth keeping?
Before committing to uphold promises, it's important to deeply consider whether or not the promises are important to you in the first place. At Acton Academy Northwest Austin, everything we do is based on a foundation of promises. If your Eagle is beginning to question whether or not AANWA is a fit, there's a possibility that they may be struggling to keep Studio promises that simply aren't important to them.
Are you ready to work hard to keep these promises?
Choosing to uphold promises is not always easy. The commitment each Eagle makes is to do their best to keep the promises they make, even when it's hard. Your Eagle may be in the midst of choosing to deny this Call to Adventure. Will they have the courage to answer The Call or perhaps they've decided they're just not ready yet :-)
Are you ready to take responsibility for your choices?
It's inevitable that there will be times when we all fail to uphold our commitments to ourselves and others. When this occurs, it's often easier to come up with excuses, blame others for our choices and fall into a Victimhood mindset. At AANWA, Eagles who are not yet ready to take responsibility for their choices often struggle to accept the agreed upon consequences of breaking promises. The AANWA Studio Systems are designed to help give Eagles plenty of feedback and provide ample opportunities to practice taking responsibility for choices. Because this is such a foundational component to our culture, when an Eagle continues to avoid taking responsibility for their choices despite this feedback, it may indicate that AANWA is not a fit.
Are you willing to accept all that comes with freedoms of a learner-driven community?
In addition to the weight of responsibility that accompanies great freedom, there are other aspects of a learner-driven environment that can push Learners out of their Comfort Zone.
Hand-in-hand with the freedom to make changes in the Studio comes all the (potential) discomfort of a dynamic Studio environment. Because learners have the self-governance power to continually improve and experiment with almost everything in the Studio, Eagles that crave a more static, structured learning environment, may struggle long term and not be a fit.
FINDING THE PATH FORWARD:
After reflecting on the questions above, typically 2 equally heroic paths emerge:
Path 1:
Eagle chooses to recommit to the Contract Promises and return to the Tribe with "fresh eyes".
Path 2:
Eagle feels a greater sense of ownership over what they value most and need and is able to move forward with the decision to find a school that is better suited to provide the experience they desire.
