Benton Hall Academy is a one-of-a-kind school. Although we meet and exceed all state requirements and are accredited by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) and the State of Tennessee, it is not standardized test scores, extracurricular activities or advanced diplomas attained by our faculty that set us apart from other educational settings. While I believe we do have excellent educators at Benton Hall Academy, I am proud that our well-trained and committed teachers are also compassionate people. I think that it is compassion, as well as a willingness to accept students as they are and where they are, that makes Benton Hall Academy an educational oasis for non-traditional learners.
At Benton Hall Academy, we understand and celebrate that all human beings are different in the ways we perceive the world, in the ways we express our feelings and in the ways we relate to others. We have always understood that some students learn differently from others. Rather than forcing out-of-the-box learners to conform to traditional teaching styles, classroom decorum and academic formulas, we believe it is important to offer these special children a learning environment that is as individual as they are themselves.
There really is no typical Benton Hall Academy student. All new students bring their own unique personal histories to the school. That history may include struggling with mental or emotional challenges, issues of depression, low self-esteem, extreme shyness, stuttering, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia and mild spectrum disorders. Somewhere in all those labels and definitions is the "typical" Benton Hall Academy student.
What our students do have in common with each other is an understanding of what it feels like to be different, to fail, to not fit in, to struggle and to feel misunderstood.
