How The Wearys Prepare Their Children For An Ever-Changing, Modern Future

The Wearys Were Worldschoolers Searching for Education Their Kids Actually Enjoyed

Mickelle Weary didn’t buy into the traditional system because, for her, it wasn’t efficient or effective in preparing her two kids for an ever-changing future. This modern family traveled the world learning from real life experiences while homeschooling on the side. “After six years and 30 countries, we were getting a little tired of the travel. We weren't appreciating it as much. So, we decided to settle.”

“I'd been doing everything, and my son, Tag, wasn't really enjoying anything. He wasn't liking what I was providing. He couldn’t tell me what he wanted.”

After relocating to Portugal, Mickelle had already tried international schools, homeschooling, and some online schooling. Nothing really seemed to Fit.

“When Tag was eight he wasn't loving learning. He just... he was frustrated. We would be homeschooling. I'd have Ela on one side and him on the other side. If he didn't get my full attention, he would break down. I knew this was not normal for a kid his age. So we got him tested with an educational specialist and she told us he's got ADHD.” Once we read more, and learned more about him, his needs started to make sense.

“I was told that if Ela had been in the classroom, she would have been fine, but she would have got lost and overwhelmed because they move so fast. Although she has a deep understanding of subjects she loves, she takes in information slowly. She needs to work at her own pace. Writing is also really hard and really slow for her. Instead of focusing on the subjects that are hard, she pursues long sessions of science and art. Inevitably, she'll need to research and write, and is motivated by her love for these topics. Her projects are outstanding, and 100% self driven.”

“There are many neurodiverse learners out there. As someone who used to teach in the classroom for 10 years, I thought, yeah, schools meet the needs of enough kids. And they are “good enough”. But after learning alongside my kids, and pursuing alternative forms of education - I'm still very aware of what's going on in traditional education - I now believe that traditional school is actually harming as many kids is it's helping. There are just not enough alternatives these days. Families need more choices.”

Trying Kubrio On For Size: Would It Fit These Two Different Siblings?

“Tag was like: No, I don't want to do it. And I said, Okay, well, then what are you going to do?”

Ela, 14 at the time, was enthusiastic about starting a new adventure with all of the clubs and learning experiences on offer that piqued her interest. There was no cajoling needed there. However, Tag was a different story. Mickelle couldn't find anything to meet his interests. So she said to him: “Try it for a month and then we'll see...”

Two weeks in and he loved it.

“At Kubrio half of his classes are student-led. He loves Gaming club, he loves Chess, and he wants to start a Smash Brothers club. But he's also taking a lot of the tech things: the Unity course, C-sharp and all those things.”

The siblings use it as a foundation for their learning and as a way to get exposure to different topics. Our facilitators help guide them along their learning journey in choosing the right amount of challenge for their particular level.

“Sometimes Tag takes classes that are too hard. We talk about the etiquette, it's okay to say it's too hard, but you don't ghost. Other times too easy. When he had first started, the facilitator said “Tag, I think this might be too easy for you.” And he responded, “Okay, I want to try it anyways.” And then it was too easy. And I said: send Oliver and Sammy a message. Tell them that they were right, it was too easy, and you're gonna bow out.”

“Alternative education is definitely the thing for us. It's been able to help us teach our kids how they learn. Neither has been miserable. They're not just doing okay— they're thriving. And they're learning what it takes for them to learn.”

Kubrio As The Foundation For Their Interest-Led Learning Journey

The Wearys were set on getting more friends for the kids. Kubrio fulfilled that need right away and they are pursuing more in-person connections as their online community is already well-rounded and fulfilling. Mickelle found that with the community and support at Kubrio, she was able to zoom out and focus on the long term vision for her kids’ education.

"Instead of being in the weeds—in the curriculum, trying to find the resources, the materials, the things that interest them—I could come up and see the bigger picture and look at who they are.”

“Tag’s staying busy enough and he’s got friends which is fantastic.”

“Kubrio helped to develop her leadership skills. Before, I don’t think she had a lot of opportunities to use it. Kubrio is the first time she's had multiple opportunities to be a leader."

“I'm now thinking about my daughter going: Oh, what kind of science is she interested in? And I look for programs that support biology. I'm also helping her identify what her passions are, and looking for ways to extend them. She loves art, and Kubrio took her art into the digital world using several Adobe programs. We try new stuff all the time. If she responds, fantastic, if she doesn't, we let it go.”

“She was the first Kubrio student to ever co-facilitate a class. She was the second to host the vlog. I'm so incredibly pleased that Kubrio has found ways to use her as a leader and put her in a position to give her opportunities that she might have only had as an adult. It makes me super happy. I see her staying because she's got these opportunities, she's loving the stuff she's learning and she keeps discovering new interests... and all this other stuff! She's definitely overbooking herself more than anything.”

Every Student Is Different: And That’s The Beauty Of Personalized Education

Mickelle found that Kubrio has sprinkled new ideas and ways of thinking about her children’s futures. She told us: “There was that podcast on “Hacking the College Experience”— I've never thought college was going to be right for Tag. And as a tech guy, I don't know that it's necessary, to be honest. There are ways to provide that camaraderie of college without paying the high college tuition.”

The Wearys continue to follow their children’s interests and support their learning in a personalized, exploratory way. “I am also learning at Kubrio - the book club, Clubhouse - these opportunities up my game. For instance, What are we doing about Ela for college?”

Both Ela and Tag are encouraged to discover their own path and become confident in pursuing their passions, whether that means college or not. With Kubrio as their foundation and a supportive family dynamic, they’re gearing up for a fulfilling future.