What does work look like at Ascent?

By Samantha Jansky and Janita Lavani

Note for readers: We sent this message as a letter to our amazing families who are doing the important work of trusting and empowering their children everyday.

Picture this: Your child is 19, standing in a crowded apartment kitchen in a city far from home. They just started their first job. The Wi-Fi isn’t working, rent is due soon, their boss gave them unclear expectations, and they have to figure out how to advocate for themselves- professionally, calmly, and without anyone else stepping in. They’re exhausted. They’re unsure. But they don’t shut down. They problem-solve, they adapt, they figure it out.

Because years ago, you made a decision.

You chose a learning environment that didn’t just prepare your child to do school well– you chose one that prepared them to do life well. One that asked them to think critically, set goals, collaborate, take ownership, and fail forward- over and over again.

And that choice- while brave- can feel murky in the day-to-day. Especially when you can’t always see the path your child is cutting. Especially when “hard work” doesn’t look like it did when you were in school; worksheets or red-ink grades or report cards on the fridge.

We know. That’s why we’re writing this.

During our “April Slump” this year (an expected time of the year where we sense parent confusion rise), we’ve received an influx of emails and had some heartfelt conversations with parents about hard work- what it looks like at Ascent, how it feels, and how learners and parents relate to it. We’ve also been looking closely at the numbers on the back end and engaging in one-on-one conversations with the learners themselves.

As the “middle women” between home and the studio, we (Samantha and Janita) have a unique view into both worlds. And we’ve noticed a gap- a growing quiet narrative, sometimes spoken and sometimes implied, that sounds like:

“My child’s just not working.”

“We love that they’re learning life skills… but we need to hire a tutor for the academics” (or “we have to do the math at home”).

“You have to take the good with the bad.”

This narrative doesn’t match what we’re seeing in person or in the data- it also hinders growth and discourages real learning. And the extreme of this- hiring a tutor- sets your child back from thriving in this environment, when they’re being told they have to sit and be taught by a teacher in order to learn.

So we want to offer more insight into what work actually looks like at Ascent- because it is real, and it is hard, and it is amazing.

And the learners know it, too.

There will always be a gap in parent perception and life in the studio, but when we noticed that the gap was possibly causing a false-narrative to take place, we gathered the team and dug in. We pulled data- time spent, badges earned, software lessons logged- but we all pulled individual context – we asked Guides to reflect on Work Cycle Check-Ins (the one-on-one progress and goal-setting conversations with each learner) and share their observations from inside the studio.

Then, we took it straight to the learners- particularly in Discovery Studio where this narrative is the strongest amongst their parents- and told them honestly: there’s a perception from the parent community that you aren’t working very hard. We asked them what they thought about this, why that perception might exist, and what the truth is.

Here’s what they had to say:

“We are working way more than playing.”

“We celebrated 11 badges at the last weekly badge ceremony, which is close to our record of 14!”

“We work so hard, and are really committed to our goals!”

They reflected on how far they’ve come and shared how earlier in the year, in Session 2, most of the studio was writing Xs on their goal sheets- a reflective symbol meaning goals weren’t being completed. Now, they’re giving themselves mostly “checks” and “check-minuses,” the symbol meaning they’re consistently working toward and achieving their goals. They even recognize that “too many ‘check pluses’ (symbol for exceeding a goal) would mean the goals weren’t tough enough!” They have a keen sense of each other’s progress because they lead SMART Goal check-ins in small groups every day.

When asked why they think parents may not see their effort, the learners took responsibility and didn’t deflect blame. Instead, one of them immediately said, “It’s probably because we don’t tell them anything!”

What Work Looks Like

The majority of learners are working in a balanced way- making progress on their long-term goals, growing in their independence and focus. And for those still figuring it out- especially those who have only been reading or writing for a couple years- they’re surrounded by positive peer pressure. And we can’t overstate how powerful that is.

Work looks different at Ascent. It’s not slower, it’s certainly not easier- it’s different. It’s reflective of the real world, which means the progress is not always linear and it’s not dependent on age. Here are a few examples of academic work we celebrate that looks starkly different from a typical elementary school:

A learner is currently trying to stop reading. She devours books and spends most of her time reading. At any given time of the day, you’ll find her tucked away, deep in a book. Is she avoiding her badge plan? Maybe. Is she avoiding work? Absolutely not. Is she learning life lessons about what she loves and how to achieve balance? Absolutely. Are we ok with learners reading all day? YES.

Last session, a learner, at face value on his badge plan and in software programs didn’t do much work. He maybe logged 1-2 hours. How did he spend his time? Meticulously working on the Montessori Language Arts Works as part of his badge. Carefully writing each letter, and carefully binding each work before submission. The guides noted that they haven’t seen anyone work this carefully through their Montessori work. He is proud of it and it is hard.

This session, one learner is finding her flow in math. She’s averaging 450 minutes per week in Beast Academy. She’s motivated to learn- focused not as much on her badge plan as she is on her journey learning math. Of course she’ll get her badge, but the learning is what counts in her mind right now. The motivation is fully internal. Alongside her is a friend, who saw how much work her friends were doing. She quickly wanted to catch up to her friends (and, let’s face it, some good old competition can be helpful with the right mindset!). She logged 800 minutes in math to reach her goal. Reading and language arts were on the backburner- which was part of the plan she shared with her guides. And just this week we found out that one learner has set a goal to be the first-ever Ascent learner to finish all of Beast Academy. She is doubling down.

Here’s what typical Work Cycles at Ascent look and sound like in each studio- we grabbed a few quick videos in the last few days- not the most professional videos but they offer a quick peek!

Here’s what we know:

Our learners are working hard. They’re excelling academically. Most of them are far outpacing their traditional-school peers– not because we’re racing them ahead, but because they’ve been given the time and trust to go deep- and they are taking the opportunities given to them.
This works. We know that this works for both types of young people; those who flow through their intrinsic motivation, and those who need to find it. For the former, the systems support them in finding their “Why.” But for the majority, those who are learning and understanding their own volitions, this model works wonders when the learners are empowered at Ascent with parents at home holding up their promises.
Parents need more visibility. We’re doing our part to tweak our systems as needed. This includes offering tools like the Weekly Summary (Discovery and Explore) to come home with your learner each Friday, to continue the dialogue in the studio about the learners’ responsibility to share with their parents, and to offer guidance, tips and language to use when you feel stuck as a family. Of course you will never have full visibility into your child’s life at school, which is true on some level anywhere you go. And frankly, some distance for the learners- space from parents for them to think, fail, try again- is by design.

What You Can Do

We know it can be hard to see the work. So here are a few ways to stay connected:

Ask your child to show you their work. If they get stuck or don’t know how, email their Guide together.
Want to know what the studio feels like during the Work Cycle? Come observe. Just let us know in advance.
Use the Weekly Summaries that come home on Fridays and the session schedule to start deeper conversations.
Reach out to us anytime. A Journey Meeting or even a quick sit-down with Samantha or Janita can go a long way.

And if you feel the urge to control- or to find company in comparison with other parents- we invite you to pause and reflect:

Are your expectations about work and communication clear to your child?
Have you removed distractions and set up consistent systems of accountability?
Do your words and actions communicate belief in their ability to learn without traditional instruction?
Are you comparing my child’s progress based on real information- or fear? If fear, how can you address the fear with a growth mindset?
Do you recognize all the ways my child is already ahead- academically, and as a whole human?

Here’s the final truth: we don’t know exactly what the future holds for our children. Many schools claim to know what knowledge or skills will be essential but offer outdated approaches, or don’t go beyond standardized testing. But we know that more than any specific subject, our children will need:

The resilience, skills and ability to work through hard things
To critically and compassionately think freely for themselves and adapt when the path isn’t clear
To collaborate, communicate, and take full responsibility for their choices
To lead with purpose, not just follow instructions

That’s what we’re building here. That’s what real work looks like at Ascent. And it’s happening every day.

We’ll dig into these specifics — the work they are doing beyond the academics- in more posts coming your way.