Last year, senior Benny Laidlaw had no knowledge of gardening. So, when class selection time rolled around, the idea to schedule an independent study hour in the greenhouse for his last year of high school seemed perfect. Despite the fact that Benny was initially wary about his decision, it inadvertently created the perfect opportunity for him to expand his horizons past the regular coursework provided in class.
“Through adversity is the only way you’re truly going to reap the reward out of what you’re doing,” Benny said. “With the challenge of not knowing what I was doing, I’ve had to go out of my comfort zone. I feel like I know what I’m talking about for the most part now, but when I began, I was asking dumb questions: ‘How do plants grow again? They need sun, right? Can I grow plants without sun?’”
Though watching plants grow may not be the most exhilarating activity, Ms. Belsito, the teacher who oversees his work in the conservatory, keeps him occupied with additional hands-on labor. While Benny’s getting ahead in the germination process for the plants to be potted next year, the greenhouse wasn’t in the best condition, so he’s also in charge of its rehabilitation. Replacing the outer tarps, installing doors, taking inventory, and repairing the irrigation system are all jobs that keep him busy, alongside the simple maintenance of organization and cleanliness.
As he’s acquired more experience, Benny acknowledges his gratitude for the opportunity and sees his independent study as “one of the best things the school can do for someone.” However, his case is unique, providing for an even more individualized way of following something he’s passionate about. Jonathan Haga, the principal of FHC, explains the typical functionality of the extra class hour and how many of them aren’t spent in the greenhouse.
“We often offer courses that are prescribed,” Haga said. “[Students] might take it once or twice, but it gets to a point where there’s no sense in taking it a second or third time because the content doesn’t change. The passion the student holds encourages our teachers to find a way to allow them to utilize their knowledge, as well as the coursework, to create above and beyond opportunities that bring in real-world experiences and still provide a credit for it.”
Ultimately, it’s a partnership between the student and the teacher. An independent study course is taken by a student who wishes to pursue an endeavor further than they already have, and the teacher is then accountable for overseeing their success in the experience’s present and future.
However, the process for obtaining this opportunity requires effort. The student’s passion isn’t taken lightly but has to be proven, and both Haga and the chosen teacher have to sign off on permission to move forward; all the pieces have to fall in place.
“There’s not much that the administration has to do because we aren’t the content experts like the teachers are,” Haga said. “The students are the experts in the life they want to lead and the learning they want to do, and the teachers are responsible for getting them there, so [administration] doesn’t want to be a barrier to that. We just look forward to continuing to find new opportunities and new ways in which students can go above and beyond.”
FX, for example—the school’s platform for advertising relative news—contains the regular course curriculum, but this year there are a few students who have taken the next step in creating a more personalized program. Typically, for this class, it means separating time to do special interest projects and even working to create a portfolio of work that students can send off to a college and prove their knowledge.
One of these students is senior Hailey Beels. Having been immersed in the class all throughout high school ensured her a spot as an independent study student, and along with her regular jobs for FX, it gives her time to engage in more advanced priorities, such as the senior video. She is one of the few people in charge of compiling footage from throughout the year into a specialized film for the graduating class, which, besides all her side projects, is at the very top of her to-do list.
“The senior video has to be done in school because it’s saved on the computers here,” Hailey said. “So, I’ll use outside class hours to film for it, like going to school events, but during the actual hour, I’ll work on looking through sports highlights—which usually takes hours to sort all the footage taken not only by independent study kids but also regular FX students—and having an extra hour to do all that is so nice since FX itself is a heavy workload.”
Furthermore, Hailey’s desire to take on the year-long senior video assignment wasn’t the only thing that compelled her into this area of extra education; the additional hour her independent study provides simply gives her a further opportunity to advance her exploration of filming and editing, the career she wishes to pursue.
The opportunity to involve herself in a niche, year-long commitment has come in handy for piecing together her future plans. Hailey knows she would regret going to college for a dream she wasn’t sure of chasing, and this added time to examine her interest has given her a positive vision for what lies ahead.
“I’m going to [the University of] Michigan for film,” Hailey said, “so just being able to tell colleges that I’ve had these experiences with something I want to go into shows I’ve taken the initiative to go for what I want. It’s helpful because now Michigan is aware I’m not going to have to change my major a ton, knowing I’ve done this continuously throughout high school. The independent study, in particular, helps me be even more on top of that.”
Not only has Hailey proven this fact, but Benny has seen similar benefits from his time in the greenhouse, as well: it’s given him a chance to fulfill his laborious inclination to be a part of something outside the four walls of a classroom. Like many other students, he acknowledges that some people aren’t suitable for a pen-and-paper, note-taking way of learning, so the time he gets to spend in a more personally rewarding environment offers a further advantage beyond the academic norm.
“I was thinking about [making this a career] for a little while,” Benny said, “going into hydrology and conservation science because, to be honest, the planet’s only going to get worse from here. I’ve always wanted to work with my hands, and I like being outdoors so having something I can physically demonstrate the tenacity I have is nice. In traditional school, I have a really hard time expressing what I can really achieve, which is why I love my independent study: it’s a great way to apply one’s intelligence through something other than tests, something physical, tangible.”
