One Teacher, One Student, 100% of the Time
Serendipity brought me to Mable Sinnett Fox, the Outreach Director for Brightmont Academy’s Northville Campus. We both attended a local resource fair for “different learners” and happened to sit next to each other. In the initial exchange of “getting to know you” questions and answers it quickly became clear to me that she and Brightmont Academy were something special. I wanted to know more. Within a week, Mable and I sat down at the Northville Campus for a deeper conversation and a tour.
Brightmont Academy offers an innovative and highly successful learning experience for students. Their “One Teacher, One Student – All of the Time” philosophy is the foundation upon which the school stands and the key reason why they excel at educating students who struggle in traditional schools.
“Welcoming” best describes the school’s atmosphere. It is bright, warm, and noisily quiet with the murmur of students actively engaged in learning – and enjoying it! The classrooms attractively reflect the subjects studied therein and each has a state-of-the art computer. Accommodation can easily be made for a student’s particular learning style and/or for attention or sensory processing challenges. The hallways showcase student accomplishments. The student lounge facilitates peer socialization when students are not in class and an eat-in kitchen gives students the opportunity to cook and eat together.
The one-student- to- one-teacher relationship strongly promotes individualized, focused learning in a safe environment. Brightmont Academy’s experienced, highly accomplished teachers are skilled at identifying student interests and building their academic strength and confidence. Let me introduce you to one of them.
Keith Schafer, PhD teaches literature and Latin at Brother Rice High School for part of the school day and then shares his time and talents with his Brightmont students. Dr. Schafer, along with the other teachers at Brightmont Academy, acknowledges the value of “mentoring the whole child” by getting to know his students and recognizing their talents. He pinpoints his student’s strengths and preferred learning style and adjusts his instructional approach and pace to capitalize on them. More importantly, as his students achieve progress, they gain the self-confidence to support lifelong learning and success.
Brightmont Academy offers three learning paths to potential students. Please click each link for more information.
1) Full time student for 6th through 12th grades
2) Individual courses to earn credit or credit recovery for graduation
3) Tutoring including standardized test preparation
“I found the seminar yesterday valuable. As I mentioned, until my son presented with dyslexia, I never made the connection that I had this challenge myself. I’ve never been diagnosed as such, but knowing of the symptoms and, more evident, my son has this challenge I’m pretty sure this is also my challenge.Thanks to Mable Sinnett Fox’s vision and efforts, I can excitedly share that Brightmont Academy now provides learning opportunities to educators, too! Brightmont Academy recently earned the distinction of becoming a Michigan Department of Education approved provider of State Continuing Education Clock Hours for educators. On May 17, 2014, students, teachers, and families affected by dyslexia gathered at Schoolcraft College for a wildly successful education day. Here is what one participant had to say:
Remembering all of the learning experiences I had growing up, it brought tears to my eyes to now understand what I was going through. I just learned to cope and work around this and ultimately did okay. I still need to work with my son so the learning continues. Thanks for inviting me to come.”
– David R.
I expect great things from Brightmont Academy as it continues to expand its “sweet spot” and the number of people that it serves. I’ll be watching. I hope that you will, too.
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