Throughout my career as an educator, I noticed something as years went on. I saw how the traditional school model did not always work for every child. I saw how challenging it was to meet the needs of different learners with a one-size-fits-all system.
I serve as the teacher and director at The Innovation School, a small, project-based, private school in Bismarck, North Dakota, in our 9th year. Our school was created for all students, but specifically in mind those who struggle in traditional classrooms but thrive when learning becomes hands-on, personalized, and real-world.
I have been part of numerous cohorts and fellowships where I meet people firsthand from all around the country who are building schools like ours because families are asking for something different. Parents are searching for places where their children can feel known, supported, and challenged in ways that fit who they are, not who the system tells them they should be.
Our school looks very different from a traditional classroom. Students work in mixed-age groups. Projects drive learning rather than worksheets. Math might happen through designing, science while growing plants in a hydroponic system, or history through virtual reality and Socratic seminars.
One of our first students joined our school after years of frustration in a traditional classroom. He was constantly told to sit still, follow the same pace as everyone else, and complete assignments in ways that didn’t make sense to him. He was diagnosed with dyslexia, but was still expected to learn the same as his peers. Over time, his confidence faded, and his behavior also deteriorated. When he first arrived at our school, he didn’t trust us or the school. He led with his negative behaviors, and it took time to rebuild trust in teachers, in school, and in himself.
Over time, that student began to change. When we introduced a hands-on engineering project, he immediately leaned in. He spent hours experimenting, building, and revising his design. For the first time since he was a toddler, learning felt natural to him. This student completed all of his elementary and middle school years with us, and became our expert at all things building, tech, and fixing. In 7th grade, he started his own company, where he fixed broken parts on lawn mowers. When he graduated, he and his family told us that he wouldn’t be where he is without the school.
Experiences like this remind me that many students who struggle in traditional settings are not simply failing school. Rather, school is failing to create a space that honors how they learn best.
Innovative learning models like The Innovation School are part of a growing movement to expand educational opportunity. These places are often small, flexible, and deeply in tune to the needs of individual students. Because we operate outside traditional systems, education entrepreneurs have the freedom and flexibility to experiment, adapt, and design learning experiences that truly center on the student.
When students feel seen and understood, their curiosity and love for learning blossom. When learning connects to real problems and real experiences, they feel motivated. And when students are given space to explore their strengths, they build confidence and leadership.
Education should never be a one-size-fits-all system. Every child learns differently, and families deserve options that best suit those differences. The question we should ask is: What would school look like if it were designed around students rather than systems? I believe there isn’t a one-size-fits all answer. The solution will look different in every community, for every family’s values, and for every student’s needs, and we should have the freedom to build accordingly.
If there is one lesson I’ve learned from working in an unconventional school, it’s that when students find the right learning environment, it can be life-changing.
