We are happy to welcome back Jaime Porras for this episode! Jaime Porras is the District Vice President for Fusion Academy, overseeing nine campuses across Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. With more than two decades in education (including fourteen years at Fusion), he has held roles from teacher to Head of School and is passionate about fostering student-centered, relationship-driven learning environments. He holds an MA in Education with a focus on Social Justice from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BA in English from Ohio State University. A proud Buckeye and Culver City resident, Jaime enjoys sports, travel, literature, and discovering the best tacos in L.A., where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Jaime joins us for this episode to discuss how the 1:1 learning model at Fusion Academy has become increasingly important in recent years as students have faced growing challenges with anxiety and depression, and disengagement. He explains that the pandemic drastically worsened many students' struggles with executive functioning and social anxiety but how, in a 1:1 setting, Fusion is able to provide a safe, supportive space where students can rebuild their confidence and reconnect with learning. By removing the pressure and comparison of a traditional classroom, students feel safer to take risks, make mistakes, and grow.

Jaime highlights the importance of building a strong mentor-student relationship in which the teacher can truly understand and cater to each individual's unique needs, interests, and learning style, a personalized approach that also helps address issues around executive functioning, as Fusion teachers break down assignments into manageable steps while also explicitly modeling positive behaviors and social-emotional skills. Jaime notes that the 1:1 environment allows students the space to process feelings of failure in a healthy way without judgment from their peers.

At the same time, Fusion works to build a sense of community and belonging via shared social spaces and activities, although the focus remains on creating an environment customized for each student's needs. Jaime believes that this model will only become more important in the years ahead as schools grapple with the lasting impacts of the pandemic on student mental health and engagement.

Our conversation highlights how the 1:1 approach at Fusion Academy empowers students to rebuild their confidence and reconnect with their strengths even in the face of significant challenges. As the education landscape continues to evolve, this model may serve as an important blueprint for supporting the diverse needs of today's learners!

Show Notes: [2:27] - Jaime describes how post-pandemic isolation worsened student anxiety and depression while boosting demand for 1:1 learning. [5:59] - 1:1 environments reduce social pressure and allow teachers to address each student's unique needs. [9:00] - Jaime stresses that individualized settings can lead to belonging, safety, and feelings of mattering. [12:08] - Learning begins with love and rapport, creating trust before taking on executive functioning challenges. [14:01] - Jaime explains how executive functioning develops with maturity, so Fusion Academy celebrates incremental progress. [17:11] - Jaime notes how 1:1 settings allow students to process failure safely and quickly recover. [19:41] - Fusion removes traditional school obstacles, focusing on individualized support without judgment. [22:37] - 1:1 learning suits kids who need safety, personalization, and emotional comfort. [23:08] - Jaime highlights Fusion's flexibility to adjust instantly for each student's needs. [25:21] - Jaime compares Fusion's structure to private lessons that separate focused learning from broader social experiences. [27:46] - Small-group environments let students more easily build real friendships and resolve conflicts. [29:48] - Jaime criticizes traditional schools for pressuring kids into activities that adults rarely pursue. [31:53] - Hear Jaime share a student's gradual growth from isolation to leadership, proving that patience and personalization can lead to confidence. [35:19] - Jaime predicts that 1:1 education will shape all schooling by highlighting growth over conformity. [38:30] - Where can Jaime be reached?

Links and Related Resources:

• Episode 52: How a 1:1 Instruction Model Helps Students with Jaime Porras and Vailet Yarijanian

• Episode 154: Why Self-Efficacy and Self-Advocacy are Important for Diverse Learners with Ashley Harding

• Episode 189: The Private School Option for Kids with Learning Differences with Collette Bowers Zinn

• Episode 243: From Inclusion to Belonging: Creating Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools with Amanda Morin

Connect with Jaime Porras:

• Fusion Academy Website