REAL Support Owner Christine Bernstein
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
Christine Bernstein must really like teenagers. After 25 years in the classroom, Bernstein is centering her new business venture REAL Support, around, you guessed it, teens.
“I like working with kids,” she said. “I wanted to follow my heart and at the same time help the community. A lot of parents are stressed out over keeping their teen students engaged and on task during the pandemic. I’d love to work with these teens and help their parents keep them on track. This will also help teachers by backing up students.”
Bernstein will meet with students in grades 7-12 in groups of five, four hours a day two days a week. Depending on scheduling, both morning and afternoon sessions will be available. The sessions are appropriate for teens doing full online or hybrid education models. Bernstein’s class sessions will provide learners, not only with support from an adult, but peer interaction.
“It’s a new model,” she said. “You might call it life coaching for teens, with an academic approach,” she said. “We’ll work on skills like time management, organization, how to prioritize tasks and life-work balance.”
With some guidance from Bernstein, students will use their skills to figure out what classes they need the most work in.
“When things are student driven, it helps motivate them,” she said. “When we trust they are capable of figuring out what they want to do, they are more likely to succeed.”
A typical day might include some skills training, working on school work and taking breaks, especially outside when possible, so everyone can interact and relax.
According to Bernstein, REAL Support means:
- Remote: Full remote or hybrid option;
- Enhanced: Life Skills;
- Active: Physical and Mental Engagement; and
- Learning: Class content.
Bernstein is well-equipped for the task. Most recently, she’s taught Spanish in the Pojoaque Valley schools for the past four years since returning to Los Alamos. She previously taught in New Mexico for nine years. In addition, Bernstein serves on the Los Alamos Public Schools Board.
“I love this town!” Bernstein said. “I wanted my kids to grow up here.”
Bernstein’s kids, now teens were part of the inspiration for her new business. She also was inspired by her network of educators nationwide. Her strong technical skills have given her a good understanding of online and hybrid education models.
“The pandemic is a new experience for all of us,” Bernstein said. “I think some good will come out of it. We’ll discover we can do things we never knew we could.”
There’s plenty more to learn about REAL Support. Contact Christine Bernstein at 505.670.2658 or ms.christinebernstein@gmail.com to find out if this experience could benefit your family.
