High School Difference
Secondary School is the years of impossible choices where parenting becomes a real test of character. So, how do we do it differently at Pal?
Impossible Choices
We tell secondary students:
Choose subjects wisely.
Think about a career.
Grow up!
Their history teacher says things like, “In the past, kids your age were ruling empires or going to battle!”
Oh — and do all this before you even know what you can do!
Do it before you discover all the things you may enjoy, find meaningful, and motivating.
Oh — and by the way, do it all before your brain and body have even finished growing!
How does Pal help families navigate these impossible choices?
Building From Primary
We build on the “whole child” focus of primary in secondary.
Students continue to participate in Training Grounds so they have real-world experiences and responsibilities that shape their understanding of their own potential. They continue to experience what it feels like to be of service to each other and the community.
But now they are encouraged to try a broader range of co-curricular activities and elective subjects.
The Big Challenge of Choice
But what is the greatest challenge of secondary school, as we start asking students to make bigger choices?
It’s at this age that parents begin to see their children’s growing independence as a barrier to guiding and supporting them. At the same time, students are beginning to define themselves by what they are good at — and what they are not. And this happens right when they struggle most to understand what makes for wholesome choices. They can start to develop an aversion to learning what the adults in their life know is in their best interest.
To put it bluntly, when they experience difficulty or a lack of quick success, they have two choices:
Firstly, they can choose to think,
“This is hard, and I’m not finding it as easy as others — so I hate this subject/teacher/school.”
Or they can choose to think,
“This is hard, and I’m not finding it as easy as others — but I’m still making progress in something worthwhile.”
This is where we most need to work as a team, with a shared understanding of why learning matters and how it happens. Pal has spent years building the infrastructure of trust and communication to help you navigate the teen years as a family.