A unique school

Willow Bend Academy is truly a “unique” school. A video visit to Willow Bend Academy provides a brief overview of our unique method of teaching. We have been teaching this way for 20 years.  Our graduates have done well in college and the workforce.

This short video provides a brief overview of why we are “one of a kind”.  See video here.

Personalized Learning

The term “personalized learning” is a popular in many public schools.  In fact, the federal government spends billions of dollars to promote the concept.  Still, educators disagree on how to implement and what the term actually means.  Many schools rely on technology with instructional delivery via internet. Each student receives individualized instruction but this really takes away the personalization because teachers become facilitators of software rather than teachers.

Unique Students

At Willow Bend Academy we personalize by first administering diagnostic tests to determine a student’s strengths in the subjects and design a personal curriculum for that student. Some students, for example excel in reading and writing, but struggle with math – or vice versa. We are able to design a unique curriculum that addresses these matters. We fit the curriculum to the student rather than forcing all students into the same curriculum.

Our teachers have only 8 students. This allows teachers to have intimate knowledge of each student’s academic strengths and weaknesses. No two students are alike, so we teach them as individuals rather than just one of the larger group.

Students set learning goals (with teacher supervision) so they take ownership of their learning. Teachers instruct, guide and coach but do not dictate what must be learned and when. Student’s tests are administered when the teacher feels the student is “ready” rather than on a given calendar date.

So, yes Willow Bend Academy is a unique school for unique students.