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The early years of education were satisfying for Flathead English teacher ‘Asta Bowen. During elementary and high school, Bowen felt completely fulfilled with her science, math, and regular English classes. When college came, however, she lost her drive. Nothing seemed to make sense. The connection between her and her studies diminished. She couldn’t understand how a person graduates from college and suddenly becomes educated.
“I was just jumping through the hoops,” said Bowen. “I really didn’t understand the goal of graduating.”
Then, while traveling after college, she discovered a private, alternative learning program for students in Australia, the Timbertop Program of Geelong Prep School.
“All that I have done since then is teach, teach, and teach some more,” said Bowen.
Soon she began to give special help to the students weren’t doing so well in class.
“I realized that many students are dissatisfied with their high school experience,” said Bowen. “Sometimes our school environment isn’t enough for some students to learn.”
Now, Bowen and a handful of faculty members, students and teachers have gathered to devise ways to better involve students who aren’t highly motivated to excel in high school.
“It’s really a question at this point, ”Bowen said of the debate over how to go about administering the survey. “I’m not interested in why students don’t find school appealing, I’m interesting in what we can do to change that.”
The group isn’t involved in minor, bureaucratic decisions either.
“We aren’t looking at things like the block schedule or (the) four-period day,” said Bowen. “We’re looking at what ways the current structure is serving students, and in what ways it could better serve students.”
One of the goals of the group is to find way for students to meet requirements for graduation in ways that will be most meaningful for them. An example would be allowing students to count a program like JROTC — which requires physical exercise — as a physical education credit or earn an art credit by painting at home and periodically checking in with an instructor, or maybe even earn a history and art credit by studying the architecture of the Flathead Valley.
“We have many ways that we think would be better for the students, as far as credits go,” said Bowen. “But we’re not sure if the students will go for it — that’s why we’re doing this survey.”
Bowen plans on doing a trial survey of about 300 random students. If the results show a large percentage of students want to make a change in the school, this group plans to have a “sit-down” with the administration to see what changes are feasible.
Bowen has high hopes she will be able to make some sort of difference in the student body at FHS, but, she said for the most part, it’s all to the students.
“This isn’t just my project,” said Bowen. “It won’t be any good unless everybody helps out.”
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