Today we’d like to introduce you to Tania Bertolone.
Hi Tania, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
To understand my story, I feel I have to go back… way back. I happened to be the classic traditional student who did very well in the “system”… or so I thought. I graduated 3rd in my class with well over a 4.0, was Vice-President of the National Honor Society, Vice President of my class, and was involved in sports. I knew how to play the game, take the tests, and do the homework.
All this and quite honestly, I never felt particularly inspired in school, except for two years that I can remember; when I was in 5th grade and in my 10th grade Biology class. What made those two experiences so inspiring was not necessarily what I was being taught, but how and by whom. It was all about the environment I was in and the teachers who were guiding me. Fast forward to college and the very successful joyful 4.0 student, never felt more lost in life.
Looking back, what I realize was that when I went to college, I lost my sense of community and my sense of self. While my traditional education may have taught me how to be a good test taker, it failed to teach me certain lifelong skills that I would need to be successful in life. I clunked my way through college and ended up graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. While this added some fun and excitement to the next several years of my life as I moved to both coasts of the US, trying to “find myself”, I did eventually come back to education.
I finally came back to the world that I had thrived in so long ago. I earned my teaching certification in Middle Childhood Education and began my career as a teacher. For the first few years, I was just trying to get on my feet, and after about my fifth year, as I settled into my style of teaching, I began to see the cracks. Too many students were uninspired and getting pushed through a system that wasn’t made for them. Concrete walls, rushed schedules, and more TESTS… UGH.
I started searching for something more inspiring. I knew there had to be a better way or at least a way that felt better to me. That’s when I discovered Montessori. Studying and then working in a Montessori environment for the next several years was eye-opening for me. I finally found an environment that understood what I now interpret as an education that puts well-being first. I discovered the importance of preparing a beautiful environment for learners and allowing them time to dive deeply into the work that they are interested in.
I learned what it meant to slow down and teach life lessons; care of self, care of others, and care of the environment. Perhaps the most important thing I learned was the necessity of developing and nurturing a loving and caring community. I will be forever grateful for the things I learned during my time in Montessori, but I slowly began to realize that even in that world, the restrictions of traditional education found their way of seeping in.
It was difficult to stay true to an alternative pedagogy that was trying to live within the traditional world of education. There were too many teachers, students, and parents who felt restricted and dissatisfied, and again I thought, there has to be a better way. This is when the idea of The Learning Café came to be. I wanted to create an environment where students, parents, and teachers had freedom, flexibility, and choice in education. I wanted to create an environment that focused on the well-being of all who are a part of it.
I envisioned a world where schools are nurturing and loving communities with environments where children and adolescents are joyful and spend their time with happy healthy adults who inspire them, encourage them, and invite them into engaging and meaningful learning. This beautiful journey through education would help them to become happy, healthy, whole adults who would be successful in life because they have been given the tools to do so. And so here we are. We opened The Learning Café (TLC) in September of 2022 and the results have been incredible.
We have amazing students and families who are a part of our community and we are growing quickly. Teachers engage and inspire students by inviting them into meaningful learning and following their interests and curiosity. TLC thinks outside the box when it comes to the schedule. Rather than a traditional 5-day-a-week, 6-hour-a-day school week, TLC provides freedom, flexibility, and choice by allowing students to choose their classes and create their schedules based on their life rhythms and interests.
If they want to take one class a week, they can do so; if they want to take four classes a week, they can do that too. It puts education in the hands of the families and the students by allowing them to create their path to learning rather than being forced into a cookie-cutter schedule and curriculum. A variety of classes and workshops are offered throughout the year consisting of state-aligned academic courses, creative and physical expression classes, and practical life skills experiences.
Overall, TLC allows students to become happy, healthy, whole adults who will be successful in life because they have been given the tools to do so. While we are just getting started, we have many plans for the near future and feel very fortunate to be located in the heart of Chardon Square. It is a community that has welcomed us with open arms and we are very grateful.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest struggle for me comes from a business standpoint. I’ve been an educator for over 20 years, so it’s familiar to me, but the business piece is new. That’s been a whole new learning curve, but I love every minute of it, and I have a lot of wonderful supportive people around me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Learning Café? The Learning Café (TLC) is an innovative education program that allows for a unique and alternative approach to learning. With a focus on individual well-being, joyful engaged learning, and community, TLC leans on the five pillars of Positive Psychology: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement.
These pillars are woven throughout the environment with adults who treat the students with respect and see them as equals; having a power-with dynamic rather than one that is power-over. When conflict arises, TLC uses a restorative conflict resolution process to ensure healing and future healthy relationships. Teachers engage and inspire students by inviting them into meaningful learning and following their interests and curiosity.
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Well, I’m just starting myself, but my best advice would be to surround yourself with supportive people. Listen to those who push back, but only as a way to give you feedback. And lastly, if the work leaves you feeling inspired and doesn’t feel like work, you’ve found your sweet spot, you’ve found your meaning and purpose. Move forward from there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thelearningcafecommunity.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelearningcafecommunity/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelearningcafecommunity
