Rainmaker Education Thriving Wheel

At Rainmaker Education, we believe that supporting the “whole child” through the shared responsibility of the family/caregivers, school, and the community is the only way to have a monumental and lasting impact. By only taking aim on a singular environment of a child’s life, typically the school, we can miss the big picture of what it takes to cultivate confidence and equip each child with the tools they need to thrive.  

At Rainmaker our investment in this “big picture” process is what sets us apart from other educational advocates. We take a holistic approach to this work and create a collaborative plan that includes school, home, and community to create a lasting change in the lives of children and their families. 

Our Thriving Wheel approach to advocacy plays a particular important role when it comes to children who are dealing with learning differences or social /emotional issues. The Wheel shines the light on all environments that impact the child’s identity, relationships, confidence, ability to communicate, advocate and their overall emotional well being in the world they live in.  

Important factors in each piece of the Thriving Wheel

School Life:

• Having strong/honest and real relationships among students, staff, peers, and families
• Implementing meaningful, inclusive, individualized, and engaging instructional practices that develop students’ independence and love of learning
• Help develop habits, skills, and mindsets that build students’ social, emotional, and academic abilities
• Create an integrated system of school supports that includes extended learning opportunities and community partnerships
• Finding ways to display each child’s strengths and identity (Island of Competence) to build self confidence and resilience

Home Life:

• Focusing on strengths and not just weaknesses with your child. Build confidence.
• Communication is the key: clarify goals, be a good listener, offer new solutions, and stay positive even in the hard times. 
• Share the power and decision making process with your child. Things manifest when they are a team decision over a power struggle. 
• Recognize the limitations of your child’s school and be creative with ways to support your child. Don’t waste precious time and energy on being angry over things you can not change. Build bridges vs. waging war
• Become an expert on how your child learns best and share what you know with others who are invested in their success.
• Think life success over school success. Keep your eye on the big picture. Life is more than school.
• Create a space for healthy living and bring a strong dose of nature into your child's life.
• Take every chance to promote executive functioning to support organization, independence, and goal completion.
• Be the sympathetic adult in your child’s life and learning! 

Community Life:

• Recognize who your community is, and if you don’t have one, start building one. 
• Make sure you have the right outside providers on your team, don’t be afraid to try different and alternative solutions and move on when something is not working.
• Look to get your child in a community where their differences are not the focus and their strengths are on display and appreciated.
• Providing children with a healthy dose of mother nature helps with confidence, connection, and grounding. It can also help in building friendships. 
• Friendship outside of family is very important, helping make these friendships can be hard but investing the time will make a real difference. 
• Remember the community can be a great place to test skills and strategies. Taking some calculated risks and providing real-world learning opportunities is the only way to increase future independence. 
• When families and community members are involved in student learning, students improve their academic performance and gain advocates that promote their success, helping them feel more confident.