April 12, 2025 • 21 mins
Educational expert Tauanja Kittrell and host, TD Flenaugh, discuss the General Educational Development (GED) test, explaining its history, purpose, and structure. The GED, developed in the 1940s, is a four-subject test (English, science, math, social studies) that can lead to a high school equivalency. Flenaugh highlights the financial benefits of obtaining a GED, noting an average income increase of $9,000 annually.
Contact Tauanja Kittrell for GED Prep - pursuingpossibleprllc@gmail.com
She is a premier GED Prep coach. Kittrell emphasizes the importance of vocational training and entrepreneurship. She shares her extensive background in STEM education and nonprofit work, advocating for well-rounded education that includes vocational skills and community service.
Episode Highlights:
0:00:00 Introduction of the GED (General Educational Development Test)
0:06:04 Tauanja Kittrell's Professional Background: Kittrell introduces herself as a GED educational facilitator.
0:12:34 GED as an Educational Alternative: Kittrell discusses how the GED can be a valuable option for students who may not thrive in traditional school settings and who are homeschooling.
0:17:27 Vocational Opportunities: Kittrell highlights various trade careers that individuals can pursue with a GED.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
TD Flenaugh (00:00):
The G E, D. Now many of us have a negative idea
(00:07):
about this, but many of us don'teven know what it means. So it
is according to G, E, D.com, itstands for the general
educational development test. Sowhat is it? Why might it be
something that you need toconsider? And you know, how can
(00:30):
you study for it? What do youneed to study these? All these
topics are going to be coveredin our episode coming up today.
Tune in. Subscribe, relax.
Listen in. Hi. Thank you so muchfor joining the following for
learning podcast. We have thispodcast to help parents and
caregivers with having theresources, strategies and tools
(00:51):
needed to make sure that theirchildren are on track for
learning and to stay on trackfor success. So today we're
going to bring in an expertabout this topic. But before
that, we're going to dive intosome basics about the general
education test. GeneralEducation Development test. So
(01:12):
it was, it was developed in the1940s for soldiers who ended up
leaving high school to join themilitary, and so they had this
general education developmenttest so that they can get jobs
after they get out of themilitary. That did that required
(01:34):
a college a high school diploma.
Now obviously high schooldiploma usually takes four
years. And the general educationdevelopment test, or the GED, is
four different tests, has fourdifferent subjects. They have,
(01:57):
obviously, the English, thescience, the math and the social
studies. So those core topics orsubject areas that are in high
school, same thing in thegeneral education, development,
developmental test. So you doneed to study and make sure you
(02:22):
have those basic skills. Onaverage, they're saying that you
can make at least $9,000 more ayear if you were not able to
finish your high school diplomain a traditional setting, just
going through that process andactually finishing something,
(02:42):
finishing that test, studyingfor it, getting your skill level
up to the level that it needs tobe to pass the test, is
something that is a worthycause, and it's something that
is going to help propel youfurther. Now, because you're
going, if you're a child or evenyou're listening to this and
(03:04):
have decided to take this route,or maybe need to take that route
because of some different turnsin your life, you can also be
thinking about a trade or abusiness, and our guest Today
will talk more about that aswell. So all is not lost if you
(03:24):
have to leave high school, or,for example, if you're
homeschooling, and you know,you're maybe not sure how to end
it for your child, or like tohelp, you know, pass certain
qualifications, becausedepending on where you are
homeschooling, there's differentqualifications, different things
that you have to do. You may ormay not meet those, but your
(03:47):
child can still get theirgeneral educational development
equivalency or their GED right.
So let's dive into it. We'regoing to welcome our guest today
and really talk about what weneed to know as as all this
shifting is going on in theworld of education, with funding
(04:08):
of public schools, as well as arise in the amount of people
that have decided to homeschooltheir children, you
TD, today, we have a wonderfulguest by the name of Tauanja
(04:39):
Kittrell. This is our secondtime having her on the show, one
of my very good friends andeducation experts is going to
talk to you about the GED now,getting your kids on track for
learning and staying on trackfor success may be an
alternative path in yourparticular case, and if that is
true and. You want to know moretune. Okay, so please make sure
(05:06):
you stay tuned for this episode.
Like and subscribe.
Hi. Thank you so much forjoining the Falling for Learning
Podcast. I am TD Flenaugh. Wehave this podcast to help
parents and caregivers withhaving the resources, strategies
(05:28):
and tools needed to make surethat their children are on track
for learning and to stay ontrack for success.
Hello, how are you doing? Ms.
Kittrell, I'm good. How youdoing? How you doing? Doing?
Great. Okay, so let's talk aboutthe GED. And now sometimes
(05:52):
people are going to be verylike, taken aback by that, but
get into Can you tell us aboutyour expertise in this area?
Unknown (06:04):
Currently, right now, I am a GED educational
facilitator. I work in theDepartment of Corrections. So I
work with adults, primarilyhelping them to get prepared for
the GED so that they can gettheir diploma. It is a very
lengthy process, however, Idon't really look at it as
lengthiness. I look at it asbeing able to help them to make
(06:27):
that connection with themselvesand where they are with their
learning, so that they can getthrough.
TD Flenaugh (06:35):
Okay, all right, so tell us about your education
background. So, and you knowwhat really helped you to gain
the expertise that you have?
Unknown (06:48):
Well, I have a I have a very heavy STEM background. So
my background is STEM related,very heavy in sciences. So with
science, you know, it also comesmath. Last year, had the
opportunity of actually teachingAP biology. I also did intro to
robotics, and I also didphysical science as well, but
(07:10):
primarily, my educationbackground doesn't just stem
from the classroom. Um, I alsohave non profit experience as
well, where I've also helpedsupport non profits, who are
also in the educational space.
So I did a very long stint withgirls in technology. So with
that in mind, I was able tomentor and also have, you know,
(07:30):
the ability to make a differencewith that program at Johns
Hopkins University. And then Ialso helped to facilitate the DC
get program. I also worked witha nonprofit called Word beats in
life, which primarily deals witharts and helping individuals
look at their creativity andtheir creative side as it
(07:53):
relates to art, DJing spokenword and also enhancing
themselves in the classroom. Soit's I'm very diverse when it
comes to education. And also hadan opportunity to work in PG
County for a number of years,also serving as a educator in PG
County for PG County's publicschools. So also did math.
TD Flenaugh (08:19):
Can you pause for one second. Can you tell us?
Because we have people from allover what is PG County and where
it's located and all of that,
Unknown (08:28):
of course. So PG County stands for Prince George's
County, Maryland. So, so I workwith them for a number of years
because I was a uniform employeein DC, so that there wasn't any
conflict. I would work in PGCounty on my off days to support
education. So I've always beenin public service, but I did
divide myself equally to botheducation and also serving on
(08:52):
the front line as well.
Wonderful.
TD Flenaugh (08:55):
Okay, so it is our second time having you on the
show. But we want to also alwaysgo back to what is that thing
that sparked your love forlearning? You know you're really
desire to continue to learn anddevelop yourself as a child, as
(09:16):
a teenager, and keeps you goingas an adult.
Unknown (09:20):
Well, for me, learning has always been, how can I say
has always been part of me. Iwas an honor student from a very
young age. I was also an honorsstudent through high school, and
then even in college. Alwaysfelt myself being that person
that most people could come toto kind of help get them
through. So when you look at thementoring and the nurturing
(09:41):
aspect of you know, the thingsthat I do you know personally.
But then there's other peoplewho know me on a personal
matter, but also from theprofessional world that's always
been a part of me. Education hasalways been a very big piece.
And our family alone, and mygrandfather pretty much set that
foundation. So I. From a youngage, I was always taught that
(10:02):
people can take a title away,but nobody can ever take the
education and the knowledge thatyou acquire. So it's important
for you, it's important for youas a young person, to just make
sure that you always strive tostay knowledgeable about
different things and also havethat diverse aspect of what
knowledge looks like, becausethat's how you build wisdom, and
(10:24):
that's also how you grow anddevelop. So I've pretty much
done that from a younger age,and cultivate the same practices
even now. Where I stand even asan educator, you know it's
important for you to stayconnected, yes, make sure that
you also continuously learn,because you're only as good as
the things that you alsoacquire. So it's it's been
(10:46):
continuous for me,
TD Flenaugh (10:48):
the rewrite method and the rewrite method workbook
are your go to resource forhelping kids to learn, to fall
in love with writing, it has thetips, tools, resources,
strategies and skill buildingactivities to help kids fall out
(11:13):
of writing and into loving. Towrite, get your book set today.
Okay, all right, so let's getinto GED like, can you tell us
(11:34):
what it stands for? And you knowWhy might it be a path for some
people?
Unknown (11:41):
Well, the GED program is pretty much you acquiring
your high school diploma. Ithink that sometimes, when
people hear the GED, they'rekind of, it kind of comes with a
stigma. Sometimes it doesn'tmean that it's a bad thing at
all. What it means is that it'san opportunity for you to take
advantage of your education forwhatever circumstance that may
(12:02):
come your way. Now, some peoplehave to go the GD route because
of whatever circumstances theymay have met at that time. So
school is not always a good fitfor everybody, but getting into
a GD program, which will helpyou pretty much acquire the same
thing, like I said, that youwould normally do in high
school, except that you're notin a school setting, per se, but
(12:26):
you are in a educational programwhich still gives you the same
educational requirements so thatyou can get that diploma. So
TD Flenaugh (12:35):
what can you tell us about? You know, possibly
with some changes in funding topublic schools. Why might GED be
an option that people mayconsider in the future?
Unknown (12:49):
Well, we know that right now, education is a very
big topic. It is going tocontinue to be a very big topic.
So I just want to make sure thatpeople stay. How can I say
optimistic and also hopeful.
Again, it does not matter whatyou decide to do and what avenue
that you take, because at theend of the day, whatever is
(13:09):
going to be for you is going tobe for you. Now, let's look at
where some people may live. TheGD program may also be an option
for them. Again, it just dependson your circumstance, because we
do know that there's going to bea big shift, if it hasn't
already taken place in someplaces where some people will
have to do homeschooling. Yeah,so with homeschooling, you know,
(13:29):
there's, that's a whole another,different type of, you know,
system itself, and again, it'sstill educational, but it just
depends on what's going to be agood fit for you. Now, again,
education and the school settingis not always a good fit for
everybody. So if you do have achild who may have had to pivot
when the regular school systemand is deciding whether or not
(13:54):
they want to still continueschool, I would say that the GD
program does offer you theability for you to still be able
to acquire that diploma, butit's a different fit for you.
Yeah, now, just so I can givesome background about what it's
entailed with the GD program. Itis subject based, so you will
still have your math, you stillhave your reading, your
(14:16):
language, you still have yoursocial studies component, and
then you also have your sciencecomponent. So it's no different
from you actually being inschool. You just have to make
sure that you set up a systemfor yourself so that you can
definitely study and prepare sothat you can take that
examination.
TD Flenaugh (14:36):
Okay, so thank you for giving us that insight,
because I don't know if everyoneknows that, like it's, we know
it's like a general educationdiploma, but do, we may not know
that you have to showproficiency in these different
subject areas. And that evenbrings me to the topic that you
don't you, you're one of thethings that you do offer is. The
(15:00):
GED prep services yourself, sowe'll put your information in
the show notes. So in case youneed that kind of support, Miss
Cottrell definitely can providethat. And so when we're thinking
about going that route with theGED, one thing that you that
(15:21):
stood out to me when we weretalking about this is that you
don't want to just have as the GD, you also need to consider
other career aspects. And canyou tell us more about that?
Unknown (15:32):
Well, I'm always telling, you know, students not
to just put everything just in.
One thing, you know, I thinkit's important that we look at
where we are right now with theworld, and we also look at what
is going to be beneficial, notjust for self, but also
beneficial for community andalso family. Again, I know that
I've spoken about this in manyaspects, and even on my platform
(15:54):
before that we have to reallylook at the big picture things.
Education is the foundation forlife. It is going to help you to
navigate in many differentaspects in your life. But I also
think that it's important aswell that we also have education
as the forefront when it relatesto family and also advancement.
So it's important to be able toone build that family structure.
(16:17):
Because again, if you're gettingyour education and you also seek
vocation, okay, those are twoseparate things which will help
to build you. Vocation is veryimportant. And so what does
vocation look like? That meansyou can look at a trade, you can
look at other aspects. It couldbe a pipeline to building
something that you and yourfamily can grow with, and or it
(16:39):
can also help you to pivot intoa business. So I think that the
language, when we look ateducation, it does have to
change in that aspect, because Ithink that sometimes we just
filter one thing, and that'sbooks, books, books. No, it
should be very well rounded whenwe have service. And with that
service piece, it also comesvocation. So
TD Flenaugh (17:05):
can I just say, like, get more information about
vocation. So can you give us anexample of like, What do you
mean by vocation? Like, onecareer path, you know you're you
had to pivot, get your G T, getyour GED. And so what is one,
like career aspect related tothe vocation that you could do?
(17:27):
Well,
Unknown (17:28):
when I say vocation, I mean trades. So there's a number
of trades where I think thatindividuals should look at it
could be electrical. It can alsobe plumbing. You have solar, you
have transportation, you alsohave health related fields. And
like I said, the transportationindustry is definitely a big
one, because we know thatthere's been a lot of money that
(17:50):
has been put into theinfrastructure to building more
railroads and then alsoimproving other city services.
So again, that trade piece isgoing to be very big. So again,
I think that sometimes, youknow, we limit the mindset,
instead of just looking at it asan aspect of, okay, let me
acquire this, but you still needto have a trade. So I'm going to
(18:13):
say that I think that both,especially during these times,
is something that I wouldrecommend that everybody, if not
everybody, but at least with ourkids, we get them into the
mainstream of what vocationreally looks like, so that they
can also have an opportunity toput their stamp in the community
and also in the household. I
TD Flenaugh (18:33):
like that what you're saying, because we do
need people to take every youknow everyone, no matter what
your particular career is evendoctors need someone to fix
their plumbing, to do theirelectrician, you know, or you
may not have time if you're in acareer. And another part I
really want you to highlight, Imean that you highlighted
already was getting business.
You know, get your own business.
(18:57):
So can you give us an example ofa business someone might start,
they have their GED and what issome type of business they could
start that they don't have tohave, like, an extra like, you
know, because you were sayingearlier, we really talk about
books or going into highereducation, but we don't talk
about vocation or evenentrepreneurship that much. So,
can you give an example of abusiness someone may start that
(19:18):
doesn't require a lot ofeducation?
Unknown (19:22):
Well, let me say this.
I'm not going to say thateverybody has to have a diploma,
so let me just make sure that Iput that on the table, because
education is not always foreverybody. But what I am going
to say is that the moreeducation that you have, or the
exposure to education that youhave, it's going to help you,
because when it's time for youto be able to communicate when
it's time for you to be able tooperate different transactions.
(19:42):
You want to be able to stand onyour own. You want to be able to
have the understanding of whatis happening. Because we know
that literacy is an issue whenwe look at education. And I'm
not speaking bad on anybody, butthe literacy rates are not where
they need to be. Um, also thefinancial aspect and
understanding what financeslooks like. It's not where it
(20:04):
needs to be across the board. Sowhen I speak about education, I
am talking about education asthe aspect of having those tools
that is going to help build youand develop you so that you have
a clear understanding, so thatif you do want to start a
business again, it's going totake partners. It's not going to
always just be you. At somepoint you're going to have to
(20:26):
scale. So with that being said,you want to have an opportunity
to understand what's happeningfrom the beginning to the end
and in the middle. That's howyou're going to continue to
grow. That's how you're going tobe able to make a difference.
Okay, so education is going toalways be something that you're
going to need. Now, funny aspectof entrepreneurship. There are
(20:47):
many different businesses outhere, and I think that when we
talk about businesses, we haveto just make sure that when we
are looking to do that, it isabout solutions, it is about
community. It is about servingsomething so that it is solving
something. Um, it's okay to likeand love certain things, but I
think right now, especially inthe times that we're in, we just
(21:09):
want to make sure that we'redoing something that's going to
benefit somebody outside ofourselves. How are we solving a
problem?
TD Flenaugh (21:17):
Thanks again for supporting the falling for
learning. Podcast. New episodesgo live every Saturday at 5pm
you can watch us on youtube.com.
At falling for learning.
The G E, D. Now many of us have a negative idea
(00:07):
about this, but many of us don'teven know what it means. So it
is according to G, E, D.com, itstands for the general
educational development test. Sowhat is it? Why might it be
something that you need toconsider? And you know, how can
(00:30):
you study for it? What do youneed to study these? All these
topics are going to be coveredin our episode coming up today.
Tune in. Subscribe, relax.
Listen in. Hi. Thank you so muchfor joining the following for
learning podcast. We have thispodcast to help parents and
caregivers with having theresources, strategies and tools
(00:51):
needed to make sure that theirchildren are on track for
learning and to stay on trackfor success. So today we're
going to bring in an expertabout this topic. But before
that, we're going to dive intosome basics about the general
education test. GeneralEducation Development test. So
(01:12):
it was, it was developed in the1940s for soldiers who ended up
leaving high school to join themilitary, and so they had this
general education developmenttest so that they can get jobs
after they get out of themilitary. That did that required
(01:34):
a college a high school diploma.
Now obviously high schooldiploma usually takes four
years. And the general educationdevelopment test, or the GED, is
four different tests, has fourdifferent subjects. They have,
(01:57):
obviously, the English, thescience, the math and the social
studies. So those core topics orsubject areas that are in high
school, same thing in thegeneral education, development,
developmental test. So you doneed to study and make sure you
(02:22):
have those basic skills. Onaverage, they're saying that you
can make at least $9,000 more ayear if you were not able to
finish your high school diplomain a traditional setting, just
going through that process andactually finishing something,
(02:42):
finishing that test, studyingfor it, getting your skill level
up to the level that it needs tobe to pass the test, is
something that is a worthycause, and it's something that
is going to help propel youfurther. Now, because you're
going, if you're a child or evenyou're listening to this and
(03:04):
have decided to take this route,or maybe need to take that route
because of some different turnsin your life, you can also be
thinking about a trade or abusiness, and our guest Today
will talk more about that aswell. So all is not lost if you
(03:24):
have to leave high school, or,for example, if you're
homeschooling, and you know,you're maybe not sure how to end
it for your child, or like tohelp, you know, pass certain
qualifications, becausedepending on where you are
homeschooling, there's differentqualifications, different things
that you have to do. You may ormay not meet those, but your
(03:47):
child can still get theirgeneral educational development
equivalency or their GED right.
So let's dive into it. We'regoing to welcome our guest today
and really talk about what weneed to know as as all this
shifting is going on in theworld of education, with funding
(04:08):
of public schools, as well as arise in the amount of people
that have decided to homeschooltheir children, you
TD, today, we have a wonderfulguest by the name of Tauanja
(04:39):
Kittrell. This is our secondtime having her on the show, one
of my very good friends andeducation experts is going to
talk to you about the GED now,getting your kids on track for
learning and staying on trackfor success may be an
alternative path in yourparticular case, and if that is
true and. You want to know moretune. Okay, so please make sure
(05:06):
you stay tuned for this episode.
Like and subscribe.
Hi. Thank you so much forjoining the Falling for Learning
Podcast. I am TD Flenaugh. Wehave this podcast to help
parents and caregivers withhaving the resources, strategies
(05:28):
and tools needed to make surethat their children are on track
for learning and to stay ontrack for success.
Hello, how are you doing? Ms.
Kittrell, I'm good. How youdoing? How you doing? Doing?
Great. Okay, so let's talk aboutthe GED. And now sometimes
(05:52):
people are going to be verylike, taken aback by that, but
get into Can you tell us aboutyour expertise in this area?
Unknown (06:04):
Currently, right now, I am a GED educational
facilitator. I work in theDepartment of Corrections. So I
work with adults, primarilyhelping them to get prepared for
the GED so that they can gettheir diploma. It is a very
lengthy process, however, Idon't really look at it as
lengthiness. I look at it asbeing able to help them to make
(06:27):
that connection with themselvesand where they are with their
learning, so that they can getthrough.
TD Flenaugh (06:35):
Okay, all right, so tell us about your education
background. So, and you knowwhat really helped you to gain
the expertise that you have?
Unknown (06:48):
Well, I have a I have a very heavy STEM background. So
my background is STEM related,very heavy in sciences. So with
science, you know, it also comesmath. Last year, had the
opportunity of actually teachingAP biology. I also did intro to
robotics, and I also didphysical science as well, but
(07:10):
primarily, my educationbackground doesn't just stem
from the classroom. Um, I alsohave non profit experience as
well, where I've also helpedsupport non profits, who are
also in the educational space.
So I did a very long stint withgirls in technology. So with
that in mind, I was able tomentor and also have, you know,
(07:30):
the ability to make a differencewith that program at Johns
Hopkins University. And then Ialso helped to facilitate the DC
get program. I also worked witha nonprofit called Word beats in
life, which primarily deals witharts and helping individuals
look at their creativity andtheir creative side as it
(07:53):
relates to art, DJing spokenword and also enhancing
themselves in the classroom. Soit's I'm very diverse when it
comes to education. And also hadan opportunity to work in PG
County for a number of years,also serving as a educator in PG
County for PG County's publicschools. So also did math.
TD Flenaugh (08:19):
Can you pause for one second. Can you tell us?
Because we have people from allover what is PG County and where
it's located and all of that,
Unknown (08:28):
of course. So PG County stands for Prince George's
County, Maryland. So, so I workwith them for a number of years
because I was a uniform employeein DC, so that there wasn't any
conflict. I would work in PGCounty on my off days to support
education. So I've always beenin public service, but I did
divide myself equally to botheducation and also serving on
(08:52):
the front line as well.
Wonderful.
TD Flenaugh (08:55):
Okay, so it is our second time having you on the
show. But we want to also alwaysgo back to what is that thing
that sparked your love forlearning? You know you're really
desire to continue to learn anddevelop yourself as a child, as
(09:16):
a teenager, and keeps you goingas an adult.
Unknown (09:20):
Well, for me, learning has always been, how can I say
has always been part of me. Iwas an honor student from a very
young age. I was also an honorsstudent through high school, and
then even in college. Alwaysfelt myself being that person
that most people could come toto kind of help get them
through. So when you look at thementoring and the nurturing
(09:41):
aspect of you know, the thingsthat I do you know personally.
But then there's other peoplewho know me on a personal
matter, but also from theprofessional world that's always
been a part of me. Education hasalways been a very big piece.
And our family alone, and mygrandfather pretty much set that
foundation. So I. From a youngage, I was always taught that
(10:02):
people can take a title away,but nobody can ever take the
education and the knowledge thatyou acquire. So it's important
for you, it's important for youas a young person, to just make
sure that you always strive tostay knowledgeable about
different things and also havethat diverse aspect of what
knowledge looks like, becausethat's how you build wisdom, and
(10:24):
that's also how you grow anddevelop. So I've pretty much
done that from a younger age,and cultivate the same practices
even now. Where I stand even asan educator, you know it's
important for you to stayconnected, yes, make sure that
you also continuously learn,because you're only as good as
the things that you alsoacquire. So it's it's been
(10:46):
continuous for me,
TD Flenaugh (10:48):
the rewrite method and the rewrite method workbook
are your go to resource forhelping kids to learn, to fall
in love with writing, it has thetips, tools, resources,
strategies and skill buildingactivities to help kids fall out
(11:13):
of writing and into loving. Towrite, get your book set today.
Okay, all right, so let's getinto GED like, can you tell us
(11:34):
what it stands for? And you knowWhy might it be a path for some
people?
Unknown (11:41):
Well, the GED program is pretty much you acquiring
your high school diploma. Ithink that sometimes, when
people hear the GED, they'rekind of, it kind of comes with a
stigma. Sometimes it doesn'tmean that it's a bad thing at
all. What it means is that it'san opportunity for you to take
advantage of your education forwhatever circumstance that may
(12:02):
come your way. Now, some peoplehave to go the GD route because
of whatever circumstances theymay have met at that time. So
school is not always a good fitfor everybody, but getting into
a GD program, which will helpyou pretty much acquire the same
thing, like I said, that youwould normally do in high
school, except that you're notin a school setting, per se, but
(12:26):
you are in a educational programwhich still gives you the same
educational requirements so thatyou can get that diploma. So
TD Flenaugh (12:35):
what can you tell us about? You know, possibly
with some changes in funding topublic schools. Why might GED be
an option that people mayconsider in the future?
Unknown (12:49):
Well, we know that right now, education is a very
big topic. It is going tocontinue to be a very big topic.
So I just want to make sure thatpeople stay. How can I say
optimistic and also hopeful.
Again, it does not matter whatyou decide to do and what avenue
that you take, because at theend of the day, whatever is
(13:09):
going to be for you is going tobe for you. Now, let's look at
where some people may live. TheGD program may also be an option
for them. Again, it just dependson your circumstance, because we
do know that there's going to bea big shift, if it hasn't
already taken place in someplaces where some people will
have to do homeschooling. Yeah,so with homeschooling, you know,
(13:29):
there's, that's a whole another,different type of, you know,
system itself, and again, it'sstill educational, but it just
depends on what's going to be agood fit for you. Now, again,
education and the school settingis not always a good fit for
everybody. So if you do have achild who may have had to pivot
when the regular school systemand is deciding whether or not
(13:54):
they want to still continueschool, I would say that the GD
program does offer you theability for you to still be able
to acquire that diploma, butit's a different fit for you.
Yeah, now, just so I can givesome background about what it's
entailed with the GD program. Itis subject based, so you will
still have your math, you stillhave your reading, your
(14:16):
language, you still have yoursocial studies component, and
then you also have your sciencecomponent. So it's no different
from you actually being inschool. You just have to make
sure that you set up a systemfor yourself so that you can
definitely study and prepare sothat you can take that
examination.
TD Flenaugh (14:36):
Okay, so thank you for giving us that insight,
because I don't know if everyoneknows that, like it's, we know
it's like a general educationdiploma, but do, we may not know
that you have to showproficiency in these different
subject areas. And that evenbrings me to the topic that you
don't you, you're one of thethings that you do offer is. The
(15:00):
GED prep services yourself, sowe'll put your information in
the show notes. So in case youneed that kind of support, Miss
Cottrell definitely can providethat. And so when we're thinking
about going that route with theGED, one thing that you that
(15:21):
stood out to me when we weretalking about this is that you
don't want to just have as the GD, you also need to consider
other career aspects. And canyou tell us more about that?
Unknown (15:32):
Well, I'm always telling, you know, students not
to just put everything just in.
One thing, you know, I thinkit's important that we look at
where we are right now with theworld, and we also look at what
is going to be beneficial, notjust for self, but also
beneficial for community andalso family. Again, I know that
I've spoken about this in manyaspects, and even on my platform
(15:54):
before that we have to reallylook at the big picture things.
Education is the foundation forlife. It is going to help you to
navigate in many differentaspects in your life. But I also
think that it's important aswell that we also have education
as the forefront when it relatesto family and also advancement.
So it's important to be able toone build that family structure.
(16:17):
Because again, if you're gettingyour education and you also seek
vocation, okay, those are twoseparate things which will help
to build you. Vocation is veryimportant. And so what does
vocation look like? That meansyou can look at a trade, you can
look at other aspects. It couldbe a pipeline to building
something that you and yourfamily can grow with, and or it
(16:39):
can also help you to pivot intoa business. So I think that the
language, when we look ateducation, it does have to
change in that aspect, because Ithink that sometimes we just
filter one thing, and that'sbooks, books, books. No, it
should be very well rounded whenwe have service. And with that
service piece, it also comesvocation. So
TD Flenaugh (17:05):
can I just say, like, get more information about
vocation. So can you give us anexample of like, What do you
mean by vocation? Like, onecareer path, you know you're you
had to pivot, get your G T, getyour GED. And so what is one,
like career aspect related tothe vocation that you could do?
(17:27):
Well,
Unknown (17:28):
when I say vocation, I mean trades. So there's a number
of trades where I think thatindividuals should look at it
could be electrical. It can alsobe plumbing. You have solar, you
have transportation, you alsohave health related fields. And
like I said, the transportationindustry is definitely a big
one, because we know thatthere's been a lot of money that
(17:50):
has been put into theinfrastructure to building more
railroads and then alsoimproving other city services.
So again, that trade piece isgoing to be very big. So again,
I think that sometimes, youknow, we limit the mindset,
instead of just looking at it asan aspect of, okay, let me
acquire this, but you still needto have a trade. So I'm going to
(18:13):
say that I think that both,especially during these times,
is something that I wouldrecommend that everybody, if not
everybody, but at least with ourkids, we get them into the
mainstream of what vocationreally looks like, so that they
can also have an opportunity toput their stamp in the community
and also in the household. I
TD Flenaugh (18:33):
like that what you're saying, because we do
need people to take every youknow everyone, no matter what
your particular career is evendoctors need someone to fix
their plumbing, to do theirelectrician, you know, or you
may not have time if you're in acareer. And another part I
really want you to highlight, Imean that you highlighted
already was getting business.
You know, get your own business.
(18:57):
So can you give us an example ofa business someone might start,
they have their GED and what issome type of business they could
start that they don't have tohave, like, an extra like, you
know, because you were sayingearlier, we really talk about
books or going into highereducation, but we don't talk
about vocation or evenentrepreneurship that much. So,
can you give an example of abusiness someone may start that
(19:18):
doesn't require a lot ofeducation?
Unknown (19:22):
Well, let me say this.
I'm not going to say thateverybody has to have a diploma,
so let me just make sure that Iput that on the table, because
education is not always foreverybody. But what I am going
to say is that the moreeducation that you have, or the
exposure to education that youhave, it's going to help you,
because when it's time for youto be able to communicate when
it's time for you to be able tooperate different transactions.
(19:42):
You want to be able to stand onyour own. You want to be able to
have the understanding of whatis happening. Because we know
that literacy is an issue whenwe look at education. And I'm
not speaking bad on anybody, butthe literacy rates are not where
they need to be. Um, also thefinancial aspect and
understanding what financeslooks like. It's not where it
(20:04):
needs to be across the board. Sowhen I speak about education, I
am talking about education asthe aspect of having those tools
that is going to help build youand develop you so that you have
a clear understanding, so thatif you do want to start a
business again, it's going totake partners. It's not going to
always just be you. At somepoint you're going to have to
(20:26):
scale. So with that being said,you want to have an opportunity
to understand what's happeningfrom the beginning to the end
and in the middle. That's howyou're going to continue to
grow. That's how you're going tobe able to make a difference.
Okay, so education is going toalways be something that you're
going to need. Now, funny aspectof entrepreneurship. There are
(20:47):
many different businesses outhere, and I think that when we
talk about businesses, we haveto just make sure that when we
are looking to do that, it isabout solutions, it is about
community. It is about servingsomething so that it is solving
something. Um, it's okay to likeand love certain things, but I
think right now, especially inthe times that we're in, we just
(21:09):
want to make sure that we'redoing something that's going to
benefit somebody outside ofourselves. How are we solving a
problem?
TD Flenaugh (21:17):
Thanks again for supporting the falling for
learning. Podcast. New episodesgo live every Saturday at 5pm
you can watch us on youtube.com.
At falling for learning.
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