What are you into? This is always the first question I ask during the initial conversation (usually by phone) with every kid I write a homeschool plan for - whether they want to attend Deep Root Center or are homeschooling on their own with DRC's consultation services. The responses range from an excited three-minute list to quiet "I don't know" with a nearly audible shrug.

After doing this for ten years, I have some thoughts about the "whys" behind those opposing responses.

I speak with kids who have been in school - and have given it their all - to no avail. Many of the teens gave up trying long ago. They understand the system inside and out and know that no matter what they do - it will have the same result - failure. There are many underlying reasons - but the outcomes are the same.

Some kids surrender to the inevitable - actually give up altogether. They have learned to hate learning - their ambivalence and apathy is palpable. These are the kids I have to pull every piece of information from. I work hard to get them to engage - even the tiniest bit. They give me nothing to go on. I have to guess, and when I make a suggestion - they whisper "sure" or "ok" with zero enthusiasm. I hang up or conclude the meeting - so sad that I could not break through - as defeated as these kids probably feel.

Then there are the fighters - the kids who know on a visceral level that school is not designed for them and refuse to go but are still excited about learning. They are fiery and fierce. These are the young people that give me hope for the future.

So, when I ask, "What are you into - not just school subjects but in life?" All the buried ideas, interests, and passions erupt into the light of day. Their enthusiasm is fueled by my interest and questions as the conversation continues. These kids who have been shut down by the system are suddenly alive and excited to explore the possibilities.

This exact scenario happened a little over a week ago. The mom of two teens had contacted me the day before because CPS was involved (educational neglect), and they had recommended that she call DRC.

When I say this 16-year-old was on fire - it is not an exaggeration. After explaining the process - and learning that he was held back twice, I asked the title question. This kiddo went off. He is into agriculture - plants specifically. He has a grow tent in his room and has figured out how to propagate house plants. He is also learning how to create bonsai. (I asked him whether he knew about Ikebana - the art of Japanese flower arranging. He hadn't, but he was going to look it up.)

His joy and enthusiasm fed my excitement and interest - in the end (after a very long conversation of bouncing ideas off each other) - we devised a homeschool plan centered around plants and his experiments with seed germination. Math is collecting data, arranging it in charts and graphs, and nailing basic computation - to learn business math and accounting. Part of ELA is keeping a detailed journal of his experiments propagating house plants and checking the viability of old flower and vegetables seeds (from his grandma), and writing his ultimate aspirations - perhaps even a business plan. I suggested studying Japanese culture for Social Studies based on his interest in bonsai - but he wants to study the World Wars. His science is a no-brainer - the kid lives and breathes the scientific method.

He had never considered that his passion for plants - could be anything more than an enjoyable hobby. He already understood that learning was fun - now he knows his interests have important implications for his future.

But the school labeled him a failure because he refused to sit down, shut up, and do the rote work that had no meaning to him. He was not interested in complying - simply to satisfy authority. Damn straight, he said "no" to the game of school. He didn't know how but understood he would be better off not jumping through hoops with the same dismal result - just for the sake of checking off all the meaningless boxes.

Now, with a bit of guidance, he is off and running. I didn't need to tell him to have fun - he is already doing that! I can't wait to watch where this kid goes and what he does with his passion for plants and life.

This is just one example of what drives me to do what I do. So many kiddos are falling through the cracks because they were told they don't measure up to "normal" expectations. They can exceed and succeed beyond anyone's wildest dreams if given a chance to step outside the box.

I firmly believe that one day in the relatively near future, I will no longer have to ask, "What are you into?" because every child will have the opportunity to freely choose, develop, and follow their interests and have a profound understanding of what it means to love learning. This means - someday, maybe soon, I will happily be out of a job and ready to explore the next opportunity. But in the meantime - I am here to advocate for every kid who needs me.

Did this week's story speak to you? Did you struggle in school - misunderstood and miserable? If so - my guess is you had no other options but to suffer through it (like me) or drop out as soon as possible.

DRC is here now for any child who needs us. We work with every family whether they can afford our services, --- or not. This policy continuously puts our bottom line in serious jeopardy.

Other actions you can take to support our kids:

Thank you to Stewart's Shops for funding our grant request with a $300 check this past week. We are grateful for their continued support of our work!

We are excited to have a couple of kiddos entered in the juried art show at the Massena Library. The opening reception is March 2nd - 11:00 -11:45. The exhibit is up until March 22nd. If you get a chance - check out all of the amazing art.

Both Centers will be back in session this coming week after our week-long winter break.
These are the cuties I spent my week with:

Thank you to DRC-Canton parent Josh L. for removing and replacing the decrepit original (to the house) backdoor with a much more solid and reliable one last weekend.

Our week in pictures from both Centers (ignore the blurry photos from Canton. I accidentally had the flash set on my phone when documenting our Kitchen Sink Science session, on Thursday.)

We have become a culture of obnoxious, busybody finger pointers. And I will argue that it is a problem of epidemic proportions.

It seems totally natural to comment and spotlight things about other folks that are absolutely none of our business. From personal choices or behaviors to how someone looks - whether we know the person or not - we are obsessed with pointing out the teeniest of tiny negatives or "wrong-doing."

I won't get into the psychology of it all - but from my vantage point, it appears that we are either drawing attention to things we see in others that we don't like in ourselves, it is a way to feel superior, create drama or pure entertainment, or we are simply jealous of others and their ability to make choices that allow their personality to shine through.  

It concerns me that judging folks for the petty things that are hurting no one and none of our damn business - and at the same time, withholding the multitude of systemic changes that will actually help society as a whole - in the long run - has become a national past-time. Stop it!

In our obsession with pointing fingers  - we forget that basic kindness, respect, care, and compassionate connection are the only way forward as a species.

YouTube Collaboration

Grateful for Volunteers

We have a delightful "crop" of regular volunteers who are connected and engaged with our learning communities this year. (Thank you, Kris, Virginia, Abby, Esme, and our new SLU CBL students - AJ and Carter.) New faces with fresh ideas and interests are always welcome. If you are interested in joining us - you can complete our volunteer application here.

Our week in pictures from both Centers:

 I am an intensely competitive person who has spent the past ten years building an environment designed to support and encourage people to focus on collaboration. So, which of the title terms works here?

Maybe it will become apparent with a bit of clarification.

In my head, the competition is always with myself - no one else. I expect exacting perfection from myself. As far as I can analyze it, the main reason is to avoid disappointing the people I make promises to and likely to prove to myself and others that despite being neurodivergent, I can absolutely do anything I say I will do - excellently.

Here are just a few examples:

• I hate being late - I don't want to make anyone wait on me - so I am often way(!) early. 
• I push myself to get things done earlier than I said I would, including trying to answer emails or messages as soon as I get them (but there are times things get lost or forgotten in the onslaught of communication I receive every day - which then spikes the "guiltometer".)
• I double, triple, & quadruple-check everything I send out to ensure no mistakes - but even then, I often miss something that I find as soon as I hit "send." (Cue the mortification.)
• I create (most) everything that goes into the world from DRC. This is totally something I take pride in. I consider myself a writer and creator and I am always trying to make my writing & designs better/more informational/(funnier) than the ones before. 
• I write everything in the Grammarly Editor app because I don't trust I will remember grammar or spelling rules and I want everything I write perfect. (Full disclosure - I never retained any grammar rules - despite a remedial class in college. I especially can't figure out where the freaking commas go, and I certainly can't spell worth shit.)
• I am devastated when I get below an A on any quiz or exam. (Which is even more perverse when you consider I don't believe in grades - or testing.)
• I need quiet and solitude for my brain to function optimally - yet, on the daily, happily choose to be surrounded by the noise and chaos a group of young people bring to any space.
• I like a challenge and love to learn new things - but I frequently get overwhelmed and frustrated with instructions and ditch them to eventually, after screwing up and making a huge mess, figure stuff out on my own. 
  
  

Lest you think I take myself entirely too seriously, I also treat making fun of myself as a competitive sport. (Honestly, it is way to easy and a guaranteed way to get a laugh.)

As hard as I am on myself, I am equally as easy on everyone around me. They all know the only thing I expect in spades is respect - in fact, it is our only rule at Deep Root Center: "Respect Yourself, Everyone Here, and this Place." And within the mutual appreciation, kindness, and care, collaboration is born. 

So, with this information - have you decided? Which am I - an oxymoron, a paradox, or something else I never considered? And how many of you identify way to closely with this entire narrative?

Either way, this is one more reason How do You Solve a Problem Like Maria is my theme song and will likely be my epitaph.

*Points for recognizing the musical it is from. (Ha, gotcha - there are no points or rewards - just a feeling of self-satisfaction!)
H/T to Kris R., our DRC- Canton Tuesday Volunteer and brand new board member, for instigating this thought process.

We have added four kiddos to our Massena Crew in the past two weeks and one to the Canton Crew. We are excited to welcome them to Deep Root Center.

In other news of additions - we are happy to announce two new board members to the DRC Fam. Welcome: Kris Rozelle, a local artist who has been volunteering at both Centers for the past few months and Lexi Marolf, the children's librarian at the Massena Library. Stay tuned for their bios on our Staff and Board page.

We had a busy week at both Centers which also included birthday celebrations: