In an evolving educational landscape where holistic learner outcomes are increasingly recognized as essential, Teachers Gone Rogue (TGR) offers a year-long alternative professional development program designed to help educators transition from conventional systems to innovative, relationship-centered models.
Through TGR, educators not only learn how to support learner agency, but also gain strategies for sustaining their own well-being, preventing burnout, and fostering deeper collaboration with families.
This comprehensive program includes mentorship, professional development in inclusive practices, and tools to build relational, consent-based learning environments.
The demand for alternative, learner-driven, supportive environments is rising. Alternative education models offer more flexibility than conventional models and prioritize learner agency, but educators within this landscape still face substantial obstacles that limit their effectiveness. Despite the potential for creative and relationship-centered learning environments, alternative educators encounter significant challenges that hinder learner autonomy, holistic development, and meaningful relationship-building.
Key challenges include:
Difficulty Breaking Away from Conventional Models
Burnout and Sustainability Challenges
Program Longevity and Financial Stability
Resource Management
Limited Support for Diverse Learners
Barriers to Building Relationships
Community Engagement
Navigating Growth and Expansion
Teachers Gone Rogue (TGR) empowers educators with the tools, strategies, and mindset shifts to cultivate deep, supportive relationships with learners and families. Grounded in research from the Search Institute—which shows that students with strong, positive relationships are 3.5 times more likely to be motivated, twice as likely to be academically engaged, and 70% more likely to succeed—TGR helps educators create environments where students feel cared for, empowered, and able to thrive both academically and emotionally.
TGR encourages educators to act as facilitators of learner autonomy and emotional growth. Drawing from the Search Institute’s findings on the power of trust, shared power, and collaboration in building strong relationships, educators design learning spaces where learners explore their passions, build self-awareness, and develop essential life skills.
The program equips educators to overcome systemic barriers, offering strategies to create inclusive, equitable environments where every learner is seen and valued. Educators partner with families to ensure students are supported by a network of relationships, both inside and outside the classroom that foster growth and holistic development.
At the heart of TGR is a deep accountability to learners and families, fostering meaningful engagement and strong, values-aligned partnerships. By connecting educators with mentors and like-minded partners, TGR supports sustainable growth while maintaining a commitment to research-backed, learner-centered values. This approach enables educators to expand their impact and build vibrant learning communities where learners, educators, and parents are all empowered to succeed and grow together.
The Radical Learning Through Relationships Program equips self-directed learning communities with the tools and resources they need to transform their environments into spaces where trust, autonomy, and deep connection are at the center.
Through a combination of both online and in-person support, we guide facilitators and parents in cultivating a learning culture where learners, staff, and families grow, thrive, and learn together.
Self-Directed Education (SDE) communities are pioneering new ways to empower learners, prioritize autonomy, and foster emotional well-being, but this educational model comes with its own set of unique challenges. Facilitators and parents in these communities often struggle with limited resources, staff retention, and navigating deep-rooted, culturally-ingrained beliefs about learning. Additionally, concerns over enrollment and the uncertainty that can accompany stepping away from conventional education present significant barriers to growth and sustainability.
Despite the immense potential of SDE environments, creating a culture of trust, collaboration, and connection within these communities requires consistent support and practical tools. Educators and parents must work together to dismantle old patterns and embrace a learner-centered, relational approach. Without the right guidance, the potential for thriving learning environments can fall short.
We drawn on our extensive experience founding and directing Agile Learning Communities (Cottonwood NYC & Explora ALC), and supporting unschooling families through Radical Learning™, to develop a program that meets the unmet needs of SDE communities. Introducing the Radical Learning Through Relationships Program, a 10-month, holistic professional development and support initiative designed to help SDE communities overcome their unique challenges and foster growth, connection, and well-being.
Grounded in values of autonomy, consent, and communication, the program helps facilitators and parents rethink their roles, empowering them to form authentic relationships with young people that foster confidence, independence, and joy.
Our focus on holistic, ongoing support means that SDE communities receive the resources they need to overcome systemic barriers, leading to higher retention and enrollment rates, and deeper satisfaction within the community.
An in-person 7-day training designed to help educators and parents cultivate consent-based, learner-centered environments that move beyond conventional systems.
Through a mix of hands-on learning, play, somatic and reflective practices, and community-building, participants gain tools to overcome power struggles, foster autonomy, and create deeper connections with both kids and adults.
This immersive experience empowers participants to replace control-driven practices with collaboration, creating thriving, inclusive communities for learning and growth.
Educators learn tools for fostering learner autonomy and facilitating power-sharing in diverse learning environments. This includes strategies for supporting neurodivergent learners and helping learners take ownership of their learning.
Educators also learn how to guide families in supporting these values at home, creating a unified learning experience between the learning environment and home.
This online course focuses on learner agency and autonomy in education. Educators are guided to recognize and unlearn outdated beliefs that hinder young people's liberated learning.
They learn to create supportive environments where learners can pursue their interests and take ownership of their educational journeys.
The course emphasizes the importance of balancing guidance with independence, fostering trust, and optimizing conditions for learning, all while empowering families on their unconventional paths.
An online series with a professional diversity consultant who equips educators with knowledge and tools to create inclusive, equitable learning environments that celebrate diversity.
Educators learn to support neurodivergent and emotionally diverse learners, adapt teaching practices to meet the needs of learners from various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and engage families in conversations about inclusivity.
The goal is to create learning spaces where all learners feel deeply valued and supported.
An online series where educators receive hands-on support in facilitating learner-driven environments, with a focus on respecting and supporting learners’ self-determination while fostering independence.
This module also teaches educators how to help parents understand and support their child’s autonomy, aligning the home environment with the values of the classroom.
An online series with a business and burnout expert helping educators restore their passion for teaching by focusing on balance, well-being, and joyful, learner-centered practices.
Participants develop strategies for reducing burnout and building sustainable teaching habits.
Educators are also trained to share self-care strategies with families, promoting balance and well-being at home as well.
Educators are connected with experienced mentors in alternative education, self-directed learning, and youth rights advocacy.
Through peer mentorship and ongoing dialogue, participants deepen their practice and expand their professional networks.
Teachers also learn how to build strong community ties with families, enhancing the relational ecosystem for learners.
This component equips educators with the tools and training necessary to engage families and parents effectively in the learning process.
Educators learn how to organize workshops, host family engagement activities, and maintain regular, transparent communication between the learning environment and home, ensuring that parents feel involved and empowered to support their children’s education.
For educators interested in deepening their commitment to learner autonomy and equity, we provide a pathway to SDE Youth Rights Accreditation.
This international accreditation recognizes educational communities that advocate for the equitability of young people and supports communities that are actively working to create safe, nurturing, and transparent learning spaces.
Through this process, educators not only create equitable environments but also gain recognition for their work, helping to bridge the gap between alternative models and conventional perceptions of education.
For educators looking to open new alternative learning programs or micro-schools, we provide a pathway through collaboration with the Mosaic Microschools Incubator and other organizations that help education entrepreneurs launch and operate personalized learning environments that reflect their vision and meet the needs of their community.
Through these partnerships, educators receive support in the planning, development, and launch phases of creating new micro-schools or alternative learning environments.
This partnership offers mentorship, resources, and a comprehensive framework to guide educators through the process of building sustainable, relationship-centered educational programs
©Radical Learning™2024