Turning Passion into Achievement

The Aspiring Waitress

This week's special guest is Andy Smallman who will speak to us about finding that inner spark, turning it into passion and loving the life that follows. On his journey to becoming a teacher, Andy Smallman, founder of the Puget Sound Community School, found that the way he wanted to work with young people was not possible in any school setting he observed. "Teachers were extensions of boring textbooks. And students were being trained to be passive vessels, treated like mindless products on an antiquated assembly line." So he started a school, the Seattle-based Puget Sound Community School in which the basis is kindness and the students are free to choose what they want to learn. In other words, no required academics. In this way, students build on their strengths which nurtures their intrinsic motivation. The school is personalized to bring out the best in each individual student. In Andy's words, "I tell people that attending PSCS is like being in a healthy family. The role of the adults is to create a structure and provide a setting that allows healthy human development to take place. The staff, then, do what good parents do. We see to it that our students are in a loving, supportive environment and then we provide them opportunities." "Supportive Environment + Interesting People = Healthy Students. It's what I do for a living. And along with loving my family, it's what I do for a life." Join me every Wednesday at 6:30 eastern for a quick half hour inspiring interview.