Innovator Academy follows a different schedule as a hybrid school. Three days a week, the Eagles attend school together, and the other two days they work from home.

Operating in this way allows freedom for our families to travel, freedom for the Eagles to pursue their passions, and it helps keep our tuition low.

Sometimes, parents are unsure about what schedule they should follow at home. We don’t like to create plans to follow or assign specific tasks to be completed as we want each family to be free to develop their rhythm. You can read more about rhythm over schedules here.

We do make suggestions for the younger learners. For young ES Eagles, levels 1-3, we feel a primary goal should be 20/20/20. Twenty minutes each math/reading/writing. However, you want to accomplish that at home is up to you and your child.

We also suggest they start the week with a meeting to talk about SMART goals and plans for their week. Then it’s easy to follow up on Friday to see what has been accomplished that week.

For MS or above, they should be self-sufficient by now. The challenges they are given each week on Journey Tracker are robust enough to provide work for at least one more day at home, if not two.

At this stage, we recommend 45/45. Forty-five minutes of Khan Academy each day, 45 minutes of a deep book, and 45 minutes working on their writing assignment. They typically have a lot of research and pre-writing to do with each challenge.

The best way we’ve found to make things run smoothly is a delicate balance of availability without micromanaging. Checking in on Monday and again on Friday is a healthy balance of accountability and availability. Checking in every day on goals is micromanaging.

Some families have chosen to use the reward of a “fun Friday” for goals getting accomplished. Some families choose to remove privileges if work is not getting done. We support each family in their approach to consequences or rewards for effort.

We understand that adjusting to a learner-driven approach takes some time and lots of work on the parent’s part to let go of past mindsets. Laura Sandefer’s blog for Acton parents is a great place to find help and support on this journey.

Learning is always a journey. Sometimes, the road is a little rockier for the grown-ups than it is for the children. If you institute these simple tips, you may find your weeks are smoother and filled with peace.