Reflecting on Growth and Preparing for What Comes Next (Nov 17–21)
Highlights: How did we turn learning upside down?
This week marked the final stretch of Session 2—a time for heroes to pause, reflect, and take ownership of their growth.
Learners set their SMART goals for Session 3, then gave one another thoughtful feedback to help make them more specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and tough/timely.
Heroes hosted their Exhibition of Learning, proudly sharing their work from the session—businesses, products, new tools, art samples, writing samples, and more.
After the exhibition, heroes gathered as a group to analyze attendee feedback. They identified areas for growth and made decisions about what they want to improve for the next exhibition.
The latest in educational technology for self-paced mastery in reading, writing, and math
Learners continued pacing themselves through core skills independently.
(No major tech introductions this week, but heroes used digital tools to support goal-setting, planning, and Exhibition preparation.)
Hands-on, project-based quests to master the tools and skills needed to solve problems in the real world
After participating in the Almonte Children’s Business Fair over the weekend, heroes returned on Monday to reflect: What worked? What didn’t? What did customers love? How does a business adjust to feedback? Discussions touched on loyal customers vs. volume, market fit, pricing, and how to use data to make decisions.
With the Exhibition approaching, learners explored what makes a meaningful exhibition. They discussed purpose, audience, and storytelling—and divided responsibilities for planning, preparing, and presenting.
The Exhibitions also included a Mini Market, where learners sold their products once more and compared the experience with the larger Almonte market.
After the Exhibition, heroes revisited attendee feedback and reflected deeply on their strengths and weaknesses. As a group, they made intentional decisions about what they would change for their next public event.
Perseverance was required of the heroes this week as they were tired after working at the Almonte Children's Market over the weekend and still had their Exhibition and Mini Market to prepare for Thursday--launches and discussions focused on this a few times this week.
Written promises and covenants that form a tightly bound community
Throughout the week, learners practiced the difficult art of enforcing studio promises with kindness, courage, and tact—a sign of increasing maturity in holding one another accountable.
Deep Socratic discussions about heroes, history, and self-governance
Heroes examined what makes a goal truly SMART. After editing an example as a group, they each drafted their goals for Session 3—an important step as they prepare to set longer-term goals next session.
Monday’s launch invited heroes to reflect on their Almonte Market experience, comparing their expectations with real outcomes. They analyzed profits, sales patterns, what sold out, and how they might adjust production and strategy for future markets.
As they approached Exhibition Day, learners discussed what it means to finish strong. For one hero, this meant working independently and staying focused; for another, tending to time-sensitive refrigeration needs before anything else.
Memorable quotes from learners this week
“I’m going to keep practicing.”
“It’s achievable if she works hard.”
“If I knew we were going to put these up, I wouldn’t have chewed mine.” (written documents that all learners had prepared)
“Could you make that more specific?” (critiquing a peer’s SMART goal)
“Could I please remind everyone to establish the Rules of Engagement?”
“I don’t think it’s right for you to join circle because you left to get food, and circle is sacred. You need to arrive on time and be prepared.”
