The New Schools Michal Leshem - Starting a Microschool
Michal Leshem is a Cyber Technology Expert with over 15 years of experience in an elite Intelligence unit of the Israeli Defense Forces. She managed large-scale complex development programs and product integrations that delivered breakthrough results, for which she has received the prestigious Israel Defense Prize from the president.
In the past few years, Michal transitioned to the Education field which has always been her goal and passion. She obtained a Master of Education degree in parallel to co-founding Israel's National Cyber Education Center (CEC). Through her training, she read about Acton’s approach to learning and education and fell in love with it. She worked as a part-time guide in Acton Academy Verona and this year, she became one of the Co-founders and the Head of School of Acton Academy Bergen County New Jersey. Michal is also the Co-Author of “The Exploring Twins” Book Series, an original book series for children grades K-4 who love to read and explore science. She is also a proud mother of 4 wonderful boys.
Key Takeaways:
3:25 The main difference of Acton compared to all the schools that Michal has explored
10:00 Top great things about Michal’s COVID experience
23:30 Michal’s opening pitch to a new family inquiring about Acton
26:50 How they help kids during their adjustment period from traditional schools
28:45 Why Acton guides do not answer questions
39:00 The importance of the right mindset
Quotes:
- “Always talk about the why.”
- "Each person can really find their own path, and sometimes this path has nothing to do with college or university."
- “Try something else instead of giving up.”
- “You get smarter as you work on something. It's not about how much IQ you have but about how much you can actually do when you walk into your path.”
- “For younger learners, structure is very important.”
Links:
LinkedIn Profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michal-leshem-14a6a71/
School Website - https://www.actonbergen.org/
Book Series - https://www.theexploringtwins.com/
Michal’s Blog in Hebrew - https://michalandacton.com/
Michal’s Blog in English - https://acton-myjourney.com/
Resources:
Carol Dweck - The Growth Mindset
Laura Sanderfer - Courage to Grow