​
​​The 12 Components of the Inspired Learner Model

The extent to which a child can productively engage in the learning process is directly related to how they perceive and experience their school's culture. Unfortunately, many children experience school as a hostile environment where they feel discouraged and unfairly judged. Inspired Learner Model (ILM) schools view students as the core of the community rather than occupants on the bottom rung of the ladder. It is a top priority that students feel supported in their educational journey. Creating schools where the adults are seen as part of an away-from-home extended family is key because it’s important to build and support sincere and caring safety nets for all children.

The components discussed below are the building blocks for creating this culture and support system. That said, ILM is an adaptable model and thus these components are adaptable as well. The single goal is to abolish the WCIM structure and fully replace it with a learner-centered environment. Not every component must be implemented to do this. However, each component a school adds will increase resilience and strength to the model.

We have broken the components down into two groups. The first are the Core Components. For most schools transitioning to  ILM, this will be phase one of the process as they do not require a radical restructuring of the school day or the school calendar. Schools that seek to add more hours to the school day or more days to the school year can implement phase two Secondary Components.

 ​
Core Components 
Phase One Implementation

1. Project and Activity Based Learning (PABL) 

Participating in learning-oriented projects and activities enables children to be active participants in their learning process. This kind of learning is usually called "project-based learning". In ILM, the word “activity” has been included as well because not every active learning pursuit is a project. For example, learning to play basketball, participating in a chess club, or doing improv are fertile learning experiences, but not really projects. In ILM it is referred to as Project and Activity Based Learning, or PABL. 

PABL is a key component of ILM and perhaps most sets the program apart from the way learning currently happens in public elementary schools. When a student sinks their teeth into a task, they learn without even realizing they are learning. There is virtually an unlimited number of projects students can do or activities in which they can participate. Ideally, the projects and activities reflect and engage a student’s own interests and passions, although teachers can also inspire students to do projects in areas that might not otherwise become a newly discovered interest.

Many children do not get to enjoy or benefit from extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs, participation in student government, etc. because of family finances, scheduling incompatibilities, parents or guardians who dissuade them, and/or a lack of self-confidence. This is a tragedy. All kids should be able to have these opportunities to participate, grow, enjoy what they love, and be part of something. In ILM schools, one of the goals of PABL is to have extracurricular activities built into the school day so that no student is left out. 

​2. Enhanced Learning through Technology - Online Learning and Virtual Reality

Online learning gives us the ability to have the world's greatest minds in every classroom. It is an elegant solution to the unrealistic and stressful workloads put on teachers. When properly incorporated, it can free up not just instructional time, but also the time spent preparing lessons, grading, and disciplining. It guarantees that all students can be challenged at their current mastery level, meaning that teachers don't have to get bogged down figuring out how to teach to the most and least advanced students, and everyone in between, all at the same time. With today's technology, it now makes little sense for tens of thousands of teachers across the United States to be teaching the same lessons. Online learning is another key component of ILM.

In the transition toward an ILM school, some rooms become dedicated Online Learning Centers with laptops at work stations. This is where a large portion of state-mandated instruction takes place under the supervision of monitors.

​There are many effective online learning programs on the market today, with more continually being created. Each school or school district should choose the programs that work best for their student population, budget, and goals.

​3. Assessment Centers & Tutoring Centers

In each ILM school, at least one classroom becomes an Assessment Center where all students are assessed regularly to evaluate their progress in achieving their grade-level expectations and optional personal learning goals. The teachers who oversee these centers make interventions as needed to keep students on track with goals and expectations.

Some classrooms become tutoring centers. The teachers working in these centers provide extra learning support for students. These tutoring centers are for all students, whether they are below, at, or above grade level in their studies. All children are encouraged to reach their full potential, and these tutoring centers are not just to ensure that struggling children attain a minimum standard, but also that all students can accelerate their abilities.

​4. Student Choice / Student Interests and Passions

One of the best ways teachers can inspire student learning is by offering students choices about their learning. This allows students to develop their interests and create a personalized curriculum that has intrinsic value … a huge step forward with inspiring motivation to WANT to learn.

​The parameters of student choice can vary based on factors such as the subject being studied, school resources, education goals, and the child’s age, maturity, and ability to engage. Regardless of the scenario, having a focus on student choice is key to creating a learning environment where students feel empowered and are thus motivated to learn. When the choice is combined with a feeling of purpose, the learning process becomes even more potent.

​Having choices also helps students learn differentiation and guards against apathy. Since students are tapping into their own passions and interests, they are more joyful and invested in their learning. This benefit also extends to teachers, who generally find teaching less of a struggle and more rewarding and fun when students have made choices that spark their natural ability to acquire skills and knowledge.

Student choice in ILM schools is composed of the PABLs and some online programs. Although children are given a wide latitude to choose what to pursue, it is done within the context of educationally sound parameters. To exercise these choices, the student must be making steady progress with achieving state academic standards. This also gives students the incentive to satisfactorily complete their assigned core studies before being permitted to register for courses that contain projects, activities, and studies in their own realms of interest and passion. Behavior standards must also be met, which additionally acts as an incentive for children to self-regulate their behavior

​5. Peer and Cross-Age Mentoring

These arrangements are typically arranged between older and younger students so the younger students can benefit from the experience and knowledge of the older ones. Peer mentors need not even come from the same school. For example, a middle or high school student can mentor an elementary school student in a properly supervised environment. Peer mentorships can also be arranged between similar-aged students if one is more advanced in the material than the other. The older / more advanced children gain confidence in the process, while tutoring also reinforces the knowledge and skills of the older students. An additional advantage to mentoring in the student-centered classroom is that it takes the pressure off the teacher, freeing their time for overseeing and mentoring the PABLs.

​6. Teacher as Facilitator

In creating a learner-centered classroom, the role of the teacher changes from one of imparting knowledge to facilitating an atmosphere of curiosity, discovery, and self-motivation. For example, instead of assigning worksheets, practice problems, specific reading passages, or lecturing, teachers focus on designing active, engaging learning experiences based on the strengths, interests, and passions of the students.

Teachers also reach out to other people in the greater community who can bring new perspectives and experiences into the classroom. This could include older students (even from other schools) and sometimes students of the same age who have already mastered the material. Also, an art teacher may reach out to an artist in town, a math teacher to someone on the high school math team, or a history teacher to the director of the local history museum.
​
To ensure students thrive, teachers emphasize responsibility, provide structure, give feedback, clearly communicate learning goals, and create a safe and supportive classroom environment through the volunteer instructors. This type of classroom tends to be more enjoyable, less stressful, and more rewarding than in the teacher-centered model.

 
​7. Charismatic Leadership / Life Coaches / Role Models / CMO

ILM includes a special role for charismatic leaders to inspire and motivate everyone in the school. Recruited by the principal, this position requires building individual relationships between students, their parents/guardians, everyone who works in the school, and the greater community. This position is sometimes referred to as the Chief Motivational Officer, or CMO. Their job is to be an enthusiastic life coach for students and inspire everyone in the school community to develop and maintain a more positive and healthy attitude about themselves, their work/studies, and their relationships with others.

 
​8. Personalized Student Growth Plans

To get the most from the thousands of hours spent in school, it makes sense to have a well considered instructional strategy. All students in ILM schools have a Personalized Student Growth Plan, which is a formal holistic plan and process that sets learning goals based on personal and academic interests, as well as the completion of grade-level requirements. The student takes an active role in creating this plan along with the support of a team of adult mentors that can include teachers, counselors, parents, community members, and the CMO. As the student gets older, they will take a larger role in creating the plan.  

​9. Parental Involvement and Community Engagement

Including parents and community members in the classroom builds on the concept of PABL and expands the school’s engagement with the entire community. The passion and knowledge in the community passes on to the students, and also builds links between the classroom and the world. Relationships are fostered which can create off-campus locations for PABLs such as off-campus swimming pools, tennis courts, bowling alleys, pottery studios, music recording studios, TV and radio stations, golf courses, farms, etc. Every teacher acting as a subject area specialist is building relationships and recruiting individuals from the community, or from within the schools, to lead PABL classes.

​10. The Home and School Partnership

It is essential to maximize the relationship and support for the child at home. One charismatic leader will facilitate and work directly with the home in extending learning and support beyond the child’s school day. The facilitator will direct each parent to the Parenting with Dignity program, help set-up a home space for learning, and invite parents to participate in school activities where their child is engaged in various “student choice” activities. Parents will also be encouraged to volunteer in the student-centered personalized instructional model in any suitable capacity.

​
Secondary Components 
Optional Phase Two Implementation 

​11. Extended School Days

Elementary school hours do not align with the typical adult workday, leaving parents and guardians struggling to adjust their work schedules or find childcare to fill the gaps. In order to offer this support, ILM schools open earlier and close later, perhaps operating from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. These earlier and later hours offer engaging, supervised activities for any child who shows up at school. Here's an overview of how the school day may look:

​7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. (Before school support): School is open for students to work at independent workstations. They would work on their personalized academic plan, projects, and/or pursue knowledge and interests of their own choosing. For younger children, it may mean a camp-like setting with games and other organized activities. Students may show up at any time during this period.
 
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.: This may be the "regular" school day where students would be expected to attend, and attendance would be taken.

3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (After school support): These hours are similar to the early session, but students may leave at any time in compliance with an age-appropriate school supervision policy.

​12. Longer School Year

Adults typically work 260 days a year, yet most schools are open 180 days per year. With ILM, schools are urged to remain open 220 days.
 
As with extended school days, a longer school year is easier on parents by reducing childcare burdens. It also addresses what is often called the “summer slide” when students experience a decline in academic skills, especially in math, over the long break. More time in school also means more opportunities for social growth, the pursuit of academic goals, and more thorough / less rushed instruction in areas that require more time for understanding and mastery.
 
By using ILM, schools are able to extend the school day and the calendar year without increasing budgets.