About this episode
Brad Masterson discusses his journey in education, the challenges of traditional systems, and the founding of Summit West Independent School.
This episode features Brad Masterson, co-founder and principal of Summit West Independent School in Okotoks, Alberta. With degrees in Kinesiology and Education from the University of Calgary, Brad reflects on his path into teaching, including his experience as a mature student and the motivations that led him to pursue education as a career. The conversation explores his early career challenges, particularly his struggle to fit within the traditional public system, and how that led him to teach in an alternative education system with a “self-directed learning” approach through Green Learning Academy. The history, functionality, and demise of this school are covered. Brad describes his departure from Green Learning and the lessons learned from this experience. We cover the next chapter of his life, the birth of Summit West Independent School. Brad takes the listener through the creation of Summit West Independent School, highlighting the realities of starting a school: the effort, setbacks, and importance of strong relationships with his partner Tracy, with parents, and government stakeholders. From past lessons, we covered how they have established a vision for this school. There…
People in this episode
Host: Mickey Horvath
Guest: Brad Masterson
Topics covered
- education
- alternative education
- self-directed learning
- school creation
- teaching philosophy
Keywords
- education
- alternative education
- self-directed learning
- Summit West
- Green Learning Academy
- teaching philosophy
- curriculum design
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Summit West Independent School, Green Learning Academy, University of Calgary
Places: Okotoks, Alberta
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