Being an educator of a teenager at School Beyond Limitations

Being a teenager in today’s ‘onlife’ society is, perhaps, more challenging as it used to be when we grew up.

At School Beyond Limitations we are mindful about this delicate phase in a person’s life and that’s why we constantly seek to strengthen the collaboration between all stakeholders: students, parents and facilitators alike.

The purpose of this collaboration is to build an awareness that educating young students – especially teenagers – is the most important task educators share with one another.

In order to understand the delicate phase a teenager is facing, all parties are invited to create an environment that gives our young students stability in a moment when they are on their way to find a clear direction in their lives.
As mentioned above, students find themselves in an increasingly complex world around them. Indeed, there is evidence that the conditions of today’s teenagers have changed considerably in comparison to their parents’ upbringing.
The flood of information, for example, they are exposed to, has little to do with their parents’ reality where everything was based on looking out for information.
We are living an era where students need to make their own responsible choices within a minefield of information.
At School Beyond Limitations we are aware of the huge responsibility that lies in being an empathetic and reliable guide who bases their actions on strong values such open-mindedness, global citizenship, respect, collaboration, contribution, appreciation, wellbeing of oneself and the other, mindful choices.

The delivery of such values is not a given since it requires an open mind as well as a fine balance between freedom and setting boundaries.

Both shared agreements as well as flexibility (based on listening and open dialogue) have proven to be an important answer to this dilemma.

School Beyond Limitations’ students are brought up to be critical thinkers.

SBL facilitators are aware of their important task and lead by modelling in the first place.
This allows teenagers to gain respect and trust. Eventually this helps students become the global citizens the society requires today.

Global citizens who are capable of moving in and out different cultural world-views by being aware of their own uniqueness as well as the uniqueness of the respective other.

With such an experience teenager develop into respectful human beings who understand the constraints another person may find her/himself in. This allows them to recognize the uniqueness of the person they have in front of them and – in collaboration – they walk the talk together.

As a student recently said: ‘… this school (School Beyond Limitations) has brought new opportunities and gave new meaning to individuals and to the learning method. During Corona – when people lost their focus, lost their purpose and lost themselves – SBL sounded like hope to them and now it not only sounds but it is showing hope for the brightest future for students…’

Another student phrased it as follows: ‘I believe that being a global citizen is about being one drop of water that will contribute to the formation of an ocean, in this case, the world. Global citizenship is about seeing and discovering the way people see reality and life, but not only stopping at appearance. Everybody is different and this is the beauty of life.’

At School Beyond Limitations we feel blessed to guide our students during their teenage phase and beyond.

In an environment of understanding and empathy young people build up their muscles that allow them to create a society of limitless possibilities.