This post is part of the Targets in Action series, designed to help parents, teachers, students, and the global community better understand how the future of learning will look in action.

In our post last week, we explained why learning needs should determine a student's school schedule and the shortcomings of the current "one size fits all" schedule.

So the target makes sense in theory, but now you're probably asking yourself, "How could this possibly work?"

There are a few things we know:

Systems

Individualized timetables will require a system for sign-ups, attendance, availability of learning spaces and teachers, as well as progress tracking and accountability. WAB currently has a group of teachers who are specifically dedicated to creating this unique system and its implementation.

Our Middle and High Schools introduced Day 9 this year. It was created specifically to give students freedom and flexibility to schedule academic activities that may not fit into the traditional schedule, like an extended lab experiment, for example. WAB already created and is using an online management system to organize these activities for our students and their teachers, and it looks like this:

Mentorship

Students are not creating schedules on their own without oversight. It is not a complete free-for-all, and individualized timetables will be introduced alongside the "teacher in a classroom model" we are used to in schools. WAB has already implemented a mentorship system to ensure students are using their time productively and have specific goals in mind. Mentors monitor progress, reinforce soft skills like time management, and help students explore and meet their needs as learners. WAB teachers are currently undergoing mentorship training to be more effective in this role.

There is no blanket solution

Of course, the degree to which students are co-creating their schedules differs based on their time management skills and learning needs. Students will have opportunities to demonstrate their capacity to identify their needs and collaborate with teachers and mentors to determine their schedules. As mentors see their students' skills develop, they may have increased opportunity to personalize their schedules.

We discussed Day 9 in the Middle and High Schools, but there have also been other examples of this. Grade 7 students went off timetables for a month last March. In the Elementary School, Grade 5s had the chance to create their schedules by signing up for lessons at different times with different teachers and groups.