In this episode of Classroom Conversations, we dive into an innovative approach to elementary education that focuses on challenging students based on their skills rather than strictly adhering to their age or grade level. Join our hosts, Derek Bargatze, Gregg Garner and Craig Duffy, as they explore the Academy for GOD's philosophy of fluidity among grade levels, where students can advance in specific disciplines at their own pace.

Through insightful discussion and real-world examples, we’ll uncover how this adaptive approach empowers students to reach their full potential and fosters a love for learning. Whether you’re an educator, parent, or advocate for personalized education, this episode offers inspiration and practical ideas to rethink how we support young learners.

In the second part of our series on school incentives and student motivation, Founder Gregg Garner, Vice Principal Derek Bargatze, and Director of Education Craig Duffy focus on the journey from extrinsic rewards to discovering intrinsic purpose. What drives students to overcome challenges? How do they reach the point where their effort feels meaningful? We explore how teachers and systems can help students connect rewards to personal growth, encouraging them to ask, "Why do I do what I do?" When students understand that their time and energy are valued, they’re more likely to rise to challenges with purpose and resilience. Join us to uncover how motivation shapes success and fulfillment.

In this two-part series, Founder Gregg Garner, Vice Principal Derek Bargatze, and Director of Education Craig Duffy explore how schools use incentives to motivate students, focusing on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Part one examines curiosity, autonomy, and purpose-driven learning for its own sake. Our hosts discuss how symbols and rewards tied to extrinsic motivation can evolve into a conscious process where students discover intrinsic motivation to meet goals and expectations. We also consider the importance of teachers recognizing a student’s developmental stage, guiding them to understand the purpose of incentives, and how cultural values shape the meaning we assign to rewards. Tune in to transform how we inspire learning!

When young people are motivated by purpose and how they understand themselves and their future, guiding students into adulthood is a joy! Our job at the Academy is creating the venue and time to do that, and our structure shows that priority. By their junior year of high school, Academy students are given internships to focus on a particular occupation of interest and receive professional investment in that career trajectory. Hear more from our administrators in this episode on how equipping students for the workplace is a vital component of their high school experience. 

This episode is a discussion on how to appropriately give a student’s brain the necessary time and space to absorb information and solve problems, specifically through rest and movement. Studies show that students who are in intensive learning environments need time to process through both structured and unstructured play. While The Academy is making intentional steps to promote critical thinking, we’re also coupling that expectation with appropriate recess and break times throughout a student’s day.

Derek and Corey invite the Academy’s Lead Administrator, Alison Sherrod, and Principal, Alex Castro, onto this episode to discuss K-12 events and fundraisers which have become an integral part of The Academy for GOD. Join them as they share success stories, and uncover the impact these activities have on student engagement, community spirit, and overall school culture.

Join Gregg D. Garner, Derek Bargatze, and Corey Foster as they discuss the topic of homework and the Academy’s approach to the development of a student emphasizing values such as stress management, meeting deadlines, and capacity development.

Gregg, Derek, and Corey dive into the world of project-based learning and its role in the classroom from kindergarten through high school considering the outcomes of this specific type of class dynamic: collaboration, focus, and grit. Also, this episode gives a peek inside the Academy’s elementary level system for students.

Gregg, Derek, and Corey are back to discuss more key components of The Academy for GOD Philosophy: play, project-based learning, and self-directed study as a method to empower students to become autodidactic learners able to offer solutions for real-world problems.

Gregg D. Garner, Derek Bargatze and Corey Foster examine the role of standardized testing and other evaluative markers among traditional and private schools while contrasting a non-traditional approach such as what the Academy implements with Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences.