The Five Foundations turn everyday lessons into launchpads for self-directed growth. Learn how planning, tracking, resourcefulness, collaboration, and flexible mastery make agency teachable—and measurable.

I’ve found that a common reaction to the phrase “self-directed”  involves the following presupposition: letting students fend for...

Instead of marching through a rigid syllabus, learners help decide what they want to achieve, how they’ll get there, and how they’ll prove they’ve arrived–even if it involves obtaining an accredited school diploma. The payoff is a classroom learning environment buzzing with curiosity instead of compliance, where feedback feels less like a scoreboard and more like mile-markers on a long-distance walk students actually care about.

Traditional schooling models often aim to develop students who are independent thinkers, self-motivated learners, and collaborative problem-solvers. However, the very teacher-led practices that shape these environments often hinder students from fully realizing these goals. Essentially, traditional teacher-led approaches may inadvertently stifle the very qualities they are trying to foster.