The Best of Both Worlds

One of the things I’ve come to love about running a microschool is the freedom to try different things. Over the years, we’ve experimented. Sometimes our schedule or structure worked beautifully, other times it didn’t quite fit. And that’s the beauty of being small: if something isn’t serving our learners, we can adjust, reimagine, and try again.

Little by little, we’ve found the sweet spot.

Right now, that sweet spot looks like a rhythm to our week that balances two very different, but equally important, kinds of learning.

Tuesday through Thursday, our days feel very focused and close-knit. We work in small pods, which makes space for us to dive into mixed-age lessons together. These lessons happen throughout the day in each core subject, usually hands-on or project-based, and often shaped by what the kids are curious about in the moment. I love watching the way a single question, such as “Why do birds fly in a V?” or “What was life like in Ancient Rome?” can spark a conversation that winds through every age level. Some of the younger ones will act it out or draw it, while the older ones are busy writing, researching, or explaining the science behind it.

After those shared lessons, learners shift into their own self-paced work. This is where the pod model really shines. Some children need extra guidance, and that’s where we’re able to sit beside them and walk through a new idea step by step. Others race ahead with confidence, and we can encourage them to stretch further, to ask more questions, to take ownership of their learning. It’s a quiet kind of magic, the way the group holds together while each child finds their own pace.

On Mondays, the whole atmosphere shifts. Enrichment days feel bigger, louder, more social. It’s the day we invite the wider community in. Kids from all over join us for art, science, cooking, nature exploration, and all sorts of enrichment activities. The energy is completely different, in the best way. Suddenly, the small pods expand into a buzzing, vibrant crowd of learners. Our regular students get to meet new friends, collaborate with different personalities, and experience what it feels like to be part of something larger.

I love that contrast. I love that one day we’re huddled together in a small circle, working through a math concept or writing a story, and the next we’re outside with thirty kids building a giant group art project or cooking a meal together. Both experiences matter. Both teach lessons that go beyond academics.

When I think about what I want for our learners, it really is this: a place where they can feel seen and supported in their individual growth, while also belonging to something bigger than themselves. And somehow, in the rhythm of our week, we’ve found a way to offer both.

It really does feel like the best of both worlds.

💚