Wayfinders

10/11/2025

12/09/2025

05/09/2025

The drop in enrollments is showing up across Western nations, especially in the US, UK and Australia.

This isn't just an "Australia" problem.

It's a worldwide concern.

Rather than trying to re-create a broken system, we're leveraging what works to help kids be successful in the 21st century.

Rote memorisation and convergent thinking are no longer applicable for the work force our kids will be entering.

We need divergent thinkers who can leverage a wide range of skills to meet the needs of the market place. AI will be replacing many computer-based jobs that currently exist.

Our aim is to prepare our learners with entrepreneurial skills to be able to make their own way in their local communities and beyond.

“The public school system is expected to see a drop of millions of students over the next five years, a hit that will affect schools financially and potentially lead to the closure of more districts.”

https://reason.com/2025/09/03/as-public-school-enrollment-drops-alternative-options-gain-traction/

01/09/2025

Can we prove that we are doing all these things RIGHT NOW?

Definitely not.

But, this is our plan.

The lady who commented doesn't know me and doesn't know that I follow through on my word.

She also doesn't know my dedication to ensuring what is best for kids in a school.

She doesn't know all the things I've seen that have helped teach me 'what not to do.'

So have your doubts if you want - but don't doubt that we do what we say, and the quality of our work.

(And if you don't believe in what we're doing or saying, just move on. Your projections and 'yeah buts' are not welcome here and will be blocked.)

22/08/2025

Direct Instruction = prepackaged lessons that are scripted and the teacher delivers them.

Yep - a teacher who went to uni for 4 years to learn how to design, and teach lessons reads from a script and that is how kids are expected to learn.

There is no room for variation, for individualising lessons, for doing anything outside the box.

It doesn't matter if most kids don't benefit from this methodology, it's the bandaid educators are attempting to put on an amputated limb.

Decreases in literacy and numeracy rates on standardised testing; higher number of kids disengaging from school/learning; along with increases in home school enrolments are leading to this rise of "direct instruction" being used to 'solve' the problem.

This won't solve the problem, though.

It's going to create further disengagement and a continuous decrease in test scores.

Kids need authentic engagement. They need to be involved in solving real world problems.

The days of compliance based learning where children sit like automatons being programmed to work in factories are over.

Wayfinders will NOT be using direct instruction.

We know it doesn't work.

We're working to design learning that relevant to kids, that is interest based and is authentic.

22/08/2025

I don't want this to sound blasé or like I'm downplaying support for kids.

I'm not.

Wayfinders is about SUPPORTING KIDS.

In ways that work for them. Not in the way someone else tells us we have to.

Our vision is to engage allied health providers who can help support kids. We haven't worked out all the details, but we plan to have providers on site to provide therapeutic support - it might look like upskilling teacher aides who implement therapeutic programs for kids; it might look like therapeutic sessions with practitioners; it WILL look like providers helping to upskill our educators to recognise and address children's needs.

We don't always need a diagnosis - we can provide remediation when we recognise the need.

So when the government says they're doing this new initiative and schools will take on the support for kids, I'm not worried.

Wayfinders will be leading the way.

(I do have concerns about schools doing this where staff are under resourced, not properly trained and don't have knowledge of disability.)

We can't do this without your help, though.

Transparency is a key value of mine.

We need to raise $300-500,000 to even be able to open our doors.

We don't have a bank account quite yet, but we will be looking at a crowd funding model once we do.

For now, please share our posts.

Tell your friends and family about us.

Speak to your allied health providers and whoever owns their businesses (if they aren't the owner.)

Share Wayfinders with your local, community based groups.

The goal is to build Wayfinders locations all over Australia.

We're not looking at a one-and-done model.

And, if you haven't yet, pop over to www.wayfindersau.org and register your interest as a parent, collaborator or educator!

21/08/2025

Wayfinders will be registered as a school.

But, our purpose is to NOT operate like a traditional school - we know it's not working.

We want to create a new paradigm in education and set the standard for what a different pathway forward can look like.

We don't want to be a place hyper-focused on "academic excellence."

Frankly, we don't even want to consider "academic excellence" because what does that mean?

As an educator of 20 years, with too many degrees in education, here's the tea...

Academic excellence is about getting good grades. To get "good" grades, you are compliant, you think inside the box of the parameters of the assignment, and you are likely sacrificing your creativity and interest for the grade. You are likely to have anxiety and probably grind your teeth in your sleep. You are always trying to be "successful" because that is what is expected of you, not what you want to do.

You leave school with all As and get a comfortable government, or large corporation job. You have a modest salary and go every day to a job you don't really like, but puts food on the table. At some point you may decide to work on the 'severed' floor (like on the tv show). Maybe not.

Your divorce rate is pretty high and you take 1.5 vacations per year with your 1.6 kids and partner/spouse. Until you get divorced and then take 0 vacations per year because your income doesn't stretch that far.

But, you were "academically excellent" in school.

OR

You go to Wayfinders and learn real world skills. Your interests are leveraged to ensure you are engaged with interesting topics, and still meet curriculum requirements.

You are encouraged and taught to think outside the box. Your entrepreneurial and real world skills are rewarded when you start your own business at 13.

You know your lane. You have created the path.

You leave school with skills to forge your own future, making more money than your comfy job 'excellence' counterparts AND you have more flexibility in your life. You love going to work because your work is your soul's mission.

Two roads diverged in a wood and you took the one less traveled by and it has made all the difference. (Robert Frost)

P.S. Don't start spewing hate about the academic excellence kids - I lived that path.

20/08/2025

I was speaking with a colleague about one of her clients who has an extensive trauma history, and is mostly likely neurodivergent. This little girl is 10 years old.

She got F's on her report card for effort.

F's.

Effort grades are not based on any 'standard' or curriculum or anything substantive.

It is usually based on a few factors like: participation, persistence, behaviour and homework.

Parents are often shocked and outraged when they see their children's effort grades. They don't know whether to complain, or to just ignore it. I was shocked by the number of parents on socials who say they just ignore it.

What value does it have?

And, how can educators, in good conscience, give kids an F for effort?!

Why are the kids not participating, or persisting, or struggling with behaviour or not doing homework?

If those are the markers, how are we not investigating the WHY, and just failing their effort? 😳

I'm keen to hear about YOUR experiences with effort grades on your kids' report cards.

Do you see a value?

18/08/2025

So much has been happening behind the scenes - I haven't even had a chance to post!

I'm a one-man-band over here, in regard to social media. So I'm running my biz (See Beyond) and doing all the things behind the scenes with our working group.

Board Member selections are well under way. A huge thanks to everyone who has submitted applications. You should have received an email from us outlining what is happening, and what you can expect (check your junk mail if you haven't seen it).

My vision for a school has been a 'thing' for ages. But, the benefits of waiting until the time was right mean that I can use AI to generate legal documents that would have cost in the thousands. And, I would've had to pay out of my own pocket for them because we're not a recognised body that has a bank account. 😵‍💫

There are a few grant opportunities that look advantageous, and I'm excited to have a look at how they can help cut costs. We'd also love to partner with local businesses and groups. So if you're in Greater Brisbane and interested in our concept, please let us know!

We're narrowing down a few locations to have a short list of sites that might work for us. We need to start small, and likely rent a space. The costs of establishing our own are astronomical.

Next up:

Working group meeting, set a calendar for the pathway forward, start fundraising and consider curriculum development.

Don't forget, you can register your interest as a parent, educator, collaborator at www.wayfindersau.org. We have email lists up and going - but haven't sent any emails yet, so don't worry if you haven't seen anything!!!