Learning Coach
High School Student
Margaret Abete is a Learning Coach for her grandson Luis, a high school student at Texas Connections Academy @ Houston (TCAH). She also serves as one of the school's Community Coordinators. Learning with his grandmother and TCAH expert teachers has helped Luis thrive academically and emotionally. Margaret shares her experiences as a Learning Coach below.
"As Luis' Learning Coach, I can emphasize that learning does not begin and end with school; every day he wakes up, there is the possibility of exploring and learning something new. We explore not only through reading but also by using venues such as museums, activity centers, libraries, parks, and more. We live in an area that has so much history, appreciation of the arts and sciences, and a unique landscape that there is always something different that we can do.
My son and I had considered alternatives to the traditional bricks-and-mortar schools for Luis because anxiety issues made it difficult for him to receive a quality education in a traditional setting. We also knew we did not want to traditionally homeschool him. After some research and attending a presentation for TCAH, we felt that we had found what we had been looking for.
From the beginning, I felt very comfortable in communicating with the staff, his teacher, and even tech support staff.
— Margaret
I read about the TCAH Community Coordinators, and, as I have always been interested in exposing my family to learning through hands-on experience, I thought that volunteering to help with field trips would be another way of sharing Luis’ learning experience. I thought that if I could do this for him, then certainly I might be able to share some of these things with other families who may not have the time to find them on their own. I wanted to expose what is available in our community and promote a fun way of learning, as well as facilitate interaction between the students and families.
So, here I am assisting with TCAH field trips and getting more and more excited as the attendance increases. It takes time for everything to fall into place, and I am learning what will draw our families to share in fellowship and learning. I never get discouraged; I just keep trying to find different things for all of us to do, so TCAH students, families, teachers, and support staff all become acquainted and comfortable with one another, our new environment, and the goals that we are attempting to accomplish."