A Different Place to Learn

A new Montgomery microschool is helping students find and utilize their gifts.

Finding a Different Path

Mottenon's connection to school choice started long before PGF.

Her family moved to Montgomery from Indianapolis, where families could choose among public, public charter and private schools based on what they believed their children needed. When her daughter was entering high school, Mottenon spent two years searching for a school that could provide the smaller environment and support she needed.

In Montgomery, that kind of option was harder to find.

Her daughter cycled through several educational settings, including a zoned high school, private school, a community program, GED coursework and homeschooling. None provided the right combination of academic and social-emotional support.

The experience stayed with Mottenon.

Fifteen years later, she was seeing students in her classrooms facing some of the same challenges.

That third grader was one of them.

He wasn't the only student struggling to access learning because he couldn't read well enough. Mottenon had encountered older students who knew the content but couldn't demonstrate that knowledge on a test because they struggled to read the questions or put their answers on paper.

Those experiences changed the direction of the school.

"I originally had a different focus for PGF Learning Academy," Mottenon said. But after seeing students struggle, she felt called to create a school where they could have the smaller environment they needed.

What 12 Students Can Make Possible

PGF's microschool model gives Mottenon something that can be difficult to achieve in a traditional classroom: time and flexibility.

With a small group of students, educators can slow down when a student needs more time. Assignments can be adjusted so students can successfully complete them before moving to more challenging work. Students can also work in smaller groups and support one another.

For a student who has spent years feeling behind, that can change the experience of school.

At PGF, the goal for students who are struggling with reading is straightforward. By the end of the school year, students should be able to read at least a passage at their grade level, answer questions about what they have read and write legibly.

But Mottenon doesn't want students defined by what they can't yet do.

That's why students at PGF are described as having "Positive Gifts" rather than being "struggling students."

"We believe in a strength-based approach vs. deficit approach," Mottenon said.

The distinction shapes the school's culture. Students are encouraged to recognize their strengths while continuing to work on areas where they need to grow. They support one another, hold each other accountable and learn that mistakes are part of the process.

"We are able to laugh at our mistakes and keep striving to improve," Mottenon said.

Learning to Read the World Around Them

At PGF, literacy isn't confined to a reading lesson.

The school day begins with Morning Devotion, followed by reading and math. Afternoons include enrichment such as art, physical education and field trips. Students also have opportunities to use their academic skills in the community.

Recently, the students wanted a classroom pet. So a field trip was planned.

Before the trip, each student had to write three questions to ask the pet store staff. The assignment required students to think critically, determine what information they needed and put their questions into writing.

Along the way, they practiced grammar, spelling and punctuation.

At the store, they had to consider another set of questions: How much does a pet cost? What does it take to care for one? Which animals are appropriate for a classroom?

For Mottenon, that's the point.

Students are more invested in learning when they understand why they need the skills they are being taught.

"Practical experiences enable scholars to practice the skills learned in class, in the community and in real life," she said.

It's also a reminder that literacy is about more than passing a reading assessment. Reading and writing allow students to ask questions, gather information, communicate their needs, make decisions and participate in the world around them.

A School Where Students Are Seen

Ask Mottenon what families are looking for when they come to PGF, and she comes back to one word: seen.

Families want a school that recognizes their children's strengths and areas for growth. They want their children challenged when they are ready and supported when they need help.

Most of all, they want their children to actually learn.

That is one reason Mottenon wants more families to understand the range of educational options available to them, including microschools.

Every child is different. Children learn differently, respond differently and have different paths ahead of them.

For some students, a traditional classroom may be the right fit. For others, a smaller environment like PGF can provide the time, attention and flexibility they need to make progress.

Programs such as Alabama's CHOOSE Act can also help families consider options such as microschools, along with tutoring, technology and other educational resources.

For Mottenon, expanding awareness of those options is ultimately about expanding what families believe is possible for their children.

Her message to parents whose children are struggling is simple: "With the right environment and encouragement, anything is possible for your child."

Plant them in the right place, she says, and watch them bloom.