The Next Great Adventure: What Happens After TVS?

“There is no absolute assurance that those things I plant will always fall upon arable land and will take root and grow, nor can I know if another cultivator did not leave contrary seeds before I arrived. I do know, however, that if I leave little to no chance, if I am careful about the kinds of seeds I plant, about their potency and nature, I can, within reason, trust my expectations.” -Maya Angelou

We use a variety of metaphors to capture the essence of what learner-centered education is all about, but the primary, and possibly most accurate metaphor is the one of the gardener. Our goal, like a gardener, is to provide optimal conditions and experiences in which the seeds of strong character and skills (as outlined in our Profile of a Learner) will take root and flourish long after a learner’s time at TVS has come to a close. 

As a PreK-8th grade school, High School is the “next great adventure” for our learners. 

Given that the majority of secondary programs in our area look very different from our model, (because, yes, the archetype of the High School experience still runs deep in American culture) parents, community members, and other educators are often curious about this transition to High School. Understandably, they want to know, “What happens after TVS? How do learners adjust to a more conventional experience? Do they figure it all out?” In many ways, what they are really asking is, “Did those seeds take root?”

Recently, we caught up with our small group of trailblazing alumni and some of their family members who were eager to share about life after TVS and the impact that the learner-centered experience has had on their educational experiences. 

Our current alumni consist of learners who attended TVS for 2-4 years through their 8th grade year.  Each of our alumni chose to attend their local public high school. These include Justice High School and Falls Church High School in Fairfax County and Alexandria City High School in Alexandria City. 

How do learners adjust to a more conventional experience?

Each of our learners spoke of the initial culture shift they experienced in their first few months of High School. Specifically, they shared the challenge of shifting from a high-trust environment such as TVS to an environment in which “young people are not trusted as much by the adults.”

One learner shared, “I was surprised that my peers were almost afraid of the teachers.” She noticed that her classmates avoided asking questions or seeking feedback from the teachers. 

Additionally, each of the learners shared that it was difficult at first to not have as many social connections as many of their peers had, due to not having attended their local public middle schools. 

In sum, all of the learners reported missing a learning environment that emphasizes freedom, trust, and curiosity. “I miss the amount of free time we had, all of the freedom we had, the trust that the guides had in the kids, and an actual desire to learn in all of the students,” one learner shared. 

Do they figure it all out?

As difficult as the transition was, each of our Alumni shared that they feel they are succeeding and even excelling in their respective environments and spoke of how TVS uniquely prepared them for High School. Here’s what stood out: 

1. Academically, they felt more than prepared overall. 

100% of TVS alumni report feeling academically “ahead” of their peers in nearly all academic areas, credited in large part to their writing and communication skills, historical and political knowledge, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. 

One learner shared, “I learned how to express myself at TVS. These skills have helped me in speech and writing in High School and on a larger scale. Also, I definitely have strong historical and political knowledge that I use all the time to apply to current events and connect the past to the present.”

The one area learners did not feel as prepared for was math. One learner shared, “Algebra was tough. This was the first time learning math at TVS became difficult for me and I avoided it.” This learner further explained that she would have benefited from more direct support especially without older peers in the studio to help as in previous years. Other learners shared similar feelings about math once they reached Algebra. 

Aside from the initial challenges, learners felt prepared overall. “The skills I gained at TVS overall well prepared me and put me drastically ahead of my peers,” one learner shared. Another learner shared, “I learned to have high standards of excellence in my work at TVS. This has helped me tremendously.”

In terms of course selection, all learners are taking some combination of Honors and AP courses across subjects. Even with the challenges associated with math, Two-thirds of learners went on to enroll in advanced math courses. One learner is enrolled in the IB (International Baccalaureate) program at her school. Another is enrolled in the STEM academy program. Another learner is enrolled in the Business/Marketing Academy program at her school. 

2. Their communication skills (with people of all ages) give them an “edge”. 

While many of their peers showed a reluctance to engage with their teachers, all of our alumni reported positive relationships with their teachers and other adults in their schools. They attributed this to the positive relationships they had with the adults at TVS and the frequency with which they were able to “use their voice” in a school setting. 

One learner shared, “TVS helped me learn how to build relationships, how to take initiative, and gave me a desire to learn and ask questions.” Another learner shared, “So many of my peers have built this imaginary wall between themselves and the teachers. They don’t understand that all you have to do is go up to the teacher and ask them questions- ask them for feedback. The minute you do that, the teacher loves you. They care so much when they see that you care.” 

Another learner shared that the Socratic discussions at TVS helped her hone her public speaking abilities- especially in the art of persuasion. This learner is heavily involved in her school’s debate club (which recently went to the state finals!). 

3. They know how to work on a team. 

Learners attribute the collaboration required at TVS, both in the various project-based learning experiences and even more so in the daily challenges of “learning to live together” in a small close-knit community, to have helped them find success in high school both in and out of the classroom. From group projects to team sports, 100% of learners feel that TVS prepared them to be excellent collaborators and team players. 

One learner shared, “Without TVS, I probably would not have the collaboration skills I have.” Another learner reported, “I think communication in group settings would be a lot more strenuous if I hadn’t been able to practice this as much as I did at TVS.”

100% of TVS alumni are involved in team sports and extracurricular activities. One learner is on her High School softball and field hockey teams. Another learner is on her school’s volleyball team. Another learner is a leader in her school’s theatre program. (All learners shared that these early team/extracurricular experiences in High School were critical in helping them build relationships and make friends). 

4. They are leaders. 

TVS Alumni have many of the skills that make them superb leaders- both of themselves and others.  

As leaders of themselves, learners report high levels of self-direction, goal-setting, and personal accountability for their learning. One learner shared, “Two of the most important things I learned at TVS that have helped me are how to lead and how to manage my time.” Another learner echoed this and stated that TVS gave her the “Leadership skills, time management, and organizational skills” that other learners her age do not have. “A lot of time is wasted in public school that could be allocated to better uses,” one learner shared. She and others reported using this time to do homework, reach out to their teachers, or get ahead on other things. Learners share that it is due to these skills that they can successfully manage a challenging course load and extracurricular schedule in High School. 

Additionally, TVS alumni are also leaders of others, taking on various leadership roles in their schools. One learner serves as the Sophomore Representative for the PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association) as well as Treasurer for the National Arts Honors Society. Another learner serves as her Class Vice President and Theatre Department Supervisor. Recently, this learner organized and executed a community food drive for a school service project. 

Finally, our alumni expressed a desire to continue to serve and lead at TVS. They were interested in opportunities to visit campus to speak to current learners, lead discussions, help with math and or reading/writing, etc. Furthermore, they were very interested in the idea of participating in an Alumni Group that would help them stay inspired, equipped, and connected to each other and to TVS. 

5. They know who they are.

If there’s one thing that stands out, TVS alumni know who they are. In learning environments that now emphasize grades and tests, it’s clear they aren’t defined by them. They have a deep understanding of what real learning is, and what it is not. 

When asked about adjusting to grades, one learner shared, “I completely understand it’s a game. I like to do well but I don’t stress out about it too much.” 

They acknowledge the common narrative about young people in conventional spaces and maintain a much more expansive view of who they are and what they’re capable of. They attribute this to the counter-narrative and the experiences they were offered at TVS. 

What do parents say?

Parents of our Alumni also report feeling like their learners are thriving and acknowledge the impact TVS had in helping them find success in High School. 

One parent shared, “It was tough at first. But she is doing so great now. She loves her courses. She is doing the STEM track like her older brothers and she is invested in a way that they never were. I attribute this to the fact that she was able to remain curious at TVS and see the link between her own effort and interest in something. She understands that what she gets out of something is directly related to what she puts into it.” 

Seeds taking root

We know that we are gardeners at TVS, continuously cultivating those seeds of self-direction, grit, curiosity, compassion, collaboration, and servant leadership- among many others. As any gardener knows, the outcomes are not always predictable. There are always variables outside of our control. Growth can be stubborn and difficult. It won’t always look the way we intended. Yet, something is always happening. By providing the optimal conditions, we can trust that most things we plant will take root and grow. 

Our small group of trailblazing Alumni and their experiences thus far provide evidence that the seeds of character and skill planted at TVS have taken root. As I reflect on this amazing group of young people, I am confident that these seeds will continue to grow and flourish in the lives of all of our learners, on their next great adventure of High School and, as designed, well into the future.  

After all, this is what real, life-worthy, learning is designed to do.