​Bristol Academy
High School Courses for Home-Educating Families
MR. NICK GRABAR​
Nick Grabar knows how to foster creativity and teach critical thinking skills. For over 50 years, he's led team after team on the journey from passive participants to innovative, active problem-solvers. He is well studied in the psychology of what makes organizations excel, but his knowledge is beyond book learning. He has decades of experience working with people of many cultures, equipping leaders to recognize and enhance the unique talents and skills of every person on their team.
He was a consultant for NSA, which protects our country through cryptologic excellence. He had many other private clients, including Damler-Crystler.
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Prior to his work as a consultant, he worked for over 20 years at Eastman. His tenure there included learning directly from both Dr. Edward Deming and Dr. Joseph Juran. He was a manager in Eastman's Corporate University, and built team effectiveness in new international plants.
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​ In 2012, he shifted the focus of his teaching from the corporate world to his grandkids and their peers. He has a growing fan club of happy students and parents. Students talk about how much fun they have in his classes; parents rave about the broadened perspectives and improved thinking skills of their kids.
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Nick has been a member of First Broad Street United Methodist Church in Kingsport for over 40 years and has served in many leadership positions there. He volunteers as a mentor for for homeschooled students seeking to qualify for the Tennessee Promise Scholarship.
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He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and has been married to Cary for over 45 years. He has three kids and twelve grandchildren.
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"Both my younger daughters took Mr. Grabar's class in 2015, which was based on the book by Stephen Covey's son Sean, aptly titled: 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.
Nick Grabar brings in many extra resources and fleshes out his courses with wit and practicality. His desire is to help train our children to think clearly, know what they stand for (and why), and help them become able communicators with people of any age or background.
Nick Grabar is very encouraging and very thorough. I highly recommend his courses for any student interested in become a better person, who is more proficient in critical thinking skills. " --Ruth Grunstra
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"All of my kids have taken classes from Mr. Grabar. They come away full of stories to share, and equipped to think more reasonably. His Logic and Critical Thinking Skills class resulted in my kids bringing some unusual acronyms into our conversations.
"Mom, we need to remember of OPV here."
"What's OPV?" I asked.
"Other People's Viewpoints." Then they explained to me that not everyone thinks the same, so we need to consider OPV when deciding something as a group. This is just one example of the handles he gives them to remember to apply the problem solving skills he teaches.
Full disclosure: Mr. Grabar is my dad. I've spent a lifetime learning from him and can confidently tell you he will be a blessing to your kids. I highly recommend his teaching!"
--Alison Meredith
"My daughter had a wonderful experience in Mr. Grabar's 'Achieving Your Potential' course. She learned a lot about how to better organize and prioritize her life and the class inspired her to work on self- development in other areas. She even started giving me some pointers from the class. A worthwhile investment; I highly recommend Mr. Grabar's classes!" -- Karen Blackard
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"I worked with Mr. Grabar when he taught a class including my kids at the Blountville "HELP" Co-op. His class was outstanding. His expertise in teaching the kids to think creatively and critically is invaluable. He's a great communicator, too, and the kids really enjoyed his class. I highly recommend him!"
--Samantha Gray
CLASSES
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Fall 2023
Tuesdays, 8:30--10:00am
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Previously Taught Courses
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While my son was taking the Mr. Grabar's course which uses The Seven Habits as its primary text, I received an interesting email inviting me to register for a class working through The Seven Habits. The stated objectives were that participants would learn how to “strengthen interpersonal relationships,” “set effective priorities,” and “develop a game plan for individual change that really works.” This course was to be taught at a local university, in four day-long sessions, for $800! Oh, the irony! I am so thankful that Mr. Grabar gave my son this content (and far more) at such a bargain!
“My son has taken two classes from Nick Grabar, both his Achieving Your Potential class and his Logic and Critical Thinking Skills class. In both classes, I was very pleased with what my son gained. The concepts Mr. Grabar taught are so important throughout life but are often left out of traditional curriculum. Everyone needs to learn logic, critical thinking, and effective self-management in order to be successful in life. Mr. Grabar gave my son lots of personal attention and challenged him to push beyond his comfort level in completing some challenging assignments.
Mr. Grabar brings into the classroom his wealth of experience from decades of training leaders to improve their critical thinking skills and teamwork effectiveness. His lessons are captivating, and your kids will gain important life skills. I highly recommend his classes, but with this caveat: you must be prepared for your kids to bring into your family discussions some of the new and interesting ideas they will learn from him!”
--Katherine Wilson-Thompson, IBCLC
MR. GRABAR'S CONTACT FORM
To request more information about Mr. Grabar or his classes, please contact him using the form at the right: