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How it works
One semester,
step by step.
Assessment, planning, weekly check-ins, monthly parent meetings and an end-of-semester review. For a real family, that means 18 weeks of concrete adjustments.
The method underneath · Design thinking
Understand the child first,
then design the learning.
In 2014, David Kelley, founder of the Stanford d.school, authorized YouthMBA Academy to bring design thinking to China. More than a decade later, we use the same method to rethink how the next generation learns and grows: not a standard timetable, but walking a child through these five steps again and again, until they can do it on their own.
Hua Zhang · Founder, The One School
- 01 Empathize
Empathize
Understand the child first. Talk with the child and parents separately to see where they're stuck, and what lights them up.
Your child learns: to put feelings into words - 02 Define
Define
Find the real problem. Out of a pile of worries, circle the one or two things most worth tackling this semester.
Your child learns: to focus on what matters - 03 Ideate
Ideate
Explore several solutions. For the same problem, list different approaches and let the child help choose.
Your child learns: to find their own solutions - 04 Prototype
Prototype
Start small. Try the new plan for one week instead of changing everything at once.
Your child learns: to try new things - 05 Test
Test
Review and iterate every week. Keep what works, replace what doesn't, and run it again next week.
Your child learns: to adjust on their own
Every 18-week semester runs these five steps again and again. Once a child can walk through them alone, they no longer need managing.The authorization and its story →
One semester · 18 weeks
One chart,
a whole semester.
Each cell is one week. Assessment and planning in the first two weeks, weekly check-ins after that, a parent meeting every month, and a report and Hua Zhang's review at semester's end.
Assessment
In the assessment,
we look at five things.
No conclusions from a single test. We look at the child within a real week of their life.
Deliverables
What you receive:
four documents.
When parents can see progress, they don't have to guess whether the money is well spent.
Assessment report
Where your child is stuck and where they shine, how this year's education spending is distributed, and where to begin.
Semester plan
Two priority goals, a weekly rhythm and which extracurriculars to keep, all on one page.
Check-in notes
What we found, why it happened and what changes next week. Every session is documented.
Progress report
What was achieved, what changed and where next semester goes. Reviewed personally by Hua Zhang.
A week in practice
Just two things a day.
The rest of the time is the child's.
A Grade 4 child in half-day school, afternoons in week three. The exact time doesn't matter; getting it done does.
The role
A learning strategist
is not a tutor or a homework monitor.
| Tutor | Daycare / homework monitor | Admissions consultant | Learning strategist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What they do | Teach one subject | Check completion | School selection and applications | See the whole picture, make judgment calls, adjust |
| How often | Several times a week | Daily | Application season | Weekly check-ins, monthly meetings |
| What they focus on | Can the child solve this problem? | Is the homework done? | Which school can they get into? | Time, methods, spending, direction |
| End goal | A grade in one subject | Work handed in on time | An offer letter | A child who gradually no longer needs managing |
The parent's role
For parents,
from enforcer back to teammate.
Join the parent meeting
Share what you see at home, and what worries you. Many adjustments start with a parent saying, "Lately he keeps…"
Nag less, notice more
When you see your child start something on their own, say so. It works better than ten reminders.
Leave the decision to your child
Whether to sign up, whether to drop a class: let your child give their reasons first. Children who own their choices give them their all.
Curious what an assessment
would reveal about your child?
The first conversation is free and takes about 30 minutes. At the very least, you'll know the one thing most worth tackling now.