Six Guiding Principles
1. The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.
Social curriculum is teaching students how to care for, interact with, empathize with, listen to, and respect one another. Establishing a positive social environment – one where children feel part of a safe, caring classroom community – is the keystone to academic growth. When children feel they are comfortably able to express ideas, questions, methods, and challenges, they will be able to support one another, learn from each other, and grow both academically and socially, as the two areas are so closely intertwined. On some level, the social curriculum is naturally threaded into the daily academic schedule. However, it is vital to implement it on a more intentional, deeper level. This comes through community building activities during morning meeting time, student spotlight days, constant random pairing of partners, sharing of big things in their lives, and having open problem solving discussions.
Social curriculum is teaching students how to care for, interact with, empathize with, listen to, and respect one another. Establishing a positive social environment – one where children feel part of a safe, caring classroom community – is the keystone to academic growth. When children feel they are comfortably able to express ideas, questions, methods, and challenges, they will be able to support one another, learn from each other, and grow both academically and socially, as the two areas are so closely intertwined. On some level, the social curriculum is naturally threaded into the daily academic schedule. However, it is vital to implement it on a more intentional, deeper level. This comes through community building activities during morning meeting time, student spotlight days, constant random pairing of partners, sharing of big things in their lives, and having open problem solving discussions.
2. How children learn is as important as what they learn.
Children learn in an array of methods. If we do not meet them where they are and in a method that works best for them individually, then the content – no matter how rich – will not resonate, resulting in major disconnect for those children. They will fail to grasp the lesson and, as the lessons continue to build upon each other, the students will fall further and further behind. However, we can tailor the lessons a little more for individual learning styles, and stop treating instruction and education as a “one-size-fits-all” idea. Striving to equally integrate visual, audio, and kinesthetic learning styles is imperative. However, taking instruction to an even deeper level of connection through integrating various content areas, other than just the tested subjects, will offer children ample opportunity to succeed. When students succeed, their confidence increases and their overall performance improves, which results in a more complete, well-rounded education.
Children learn in an array of methods. If we do not meet them where they are and in a method that works best for them individually, then the content – no matter how rich – will not resonate, resulting in major disconnect for those children. They will fail to grasp the lesson and, as the lessons continue to build upon each other, the students will fall further and further behind. However, we can tailor the lessons a little more for individual learning styles, and stop treating instruction and education as a “one-size-fits-all” idea. Striving to equally integrate visual, audio, and kinesthetic learning styles is imperative. However, taking instruction to an even deeper level of connection through integrating various content areas, other than just the tested subjects, will offer children ample opportunity to succeed. When students succeed, their confidence increases and their overall performance improves, which results in a more complete, well-rounded education.
3. The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.
Social interaction is the first method humans have with cognitive development. As babies, we begin the lifelong journey of learning how to speak, think, behave, and read people. We continue expanding the basic knowledge from our early years as time goes on. As we get older, much of our ability to read comes first from having someone read to us and hearing the phonological sounds and patterns. The same concept is true of overall cognitive growth. Our social interactions with classmates and teachers help shape the skills we need to be able to understand what we learn in the classroom. Children continue to refine skills as their social interactions become more complex over time, which helps to make stronger neurological pathways and increase their cognitive growth.
Social interaction is the first method humans have with cognitive development. As babies, we begin the lifelong journey of learning how to speak, think, behave, and read people. We continue expanding the basic knowledge from our early years as time goes on. As we get older, much of our ability to read comes first from having someone read to us and hearing the phonological sounds and patterns. The same concept is true of overall cognitive growth. Our social interactions with classmates and teachers help shape the skills we need to be able to understand what we learn in the classroom. Children continue to refine skills as their social interactions become more complex over time, which helps to make stronger neurological pathways and increase their cognitive growth.
4. To be successful academically and socially, children need a set of social skills.
Children who lack a set of social skills are at a disadvantage because they have difficulty engaging in the lessons and within the classroom, depriving them of focus, experience, understanding and processing feedback, and the feeling of being supported. With social skills, children are able to be more fully engaged in all aspects of their success academically and socially. When they have challenges they are able to communicate them and seek assistance, or feel supported because of relationships and community that is established through social interaction.
Children who lack a set of social skills are at a disadvantage because they have difficulty engaging in the lessons and within the classroom, depriving them of focus, experience, understanding and processing feedback, and the feeling of being supported. With social skills, children are able to be more fully engaged in all aspects of their success academically and socially. When they have challenges they are able to communicate them and seek assistance, or feel supported because of relationships and community that is established through social interaction.
5. Knowing the children we teach – individually, culturally, and developmentally – is as important as knowing the content we teach.
Knowing the children we teach helps us to be more intentional in the way we get them to connect to the content. We can trigger their interests and encourage their passions to help them increase their desire to learn. Knowing them also helps build the community and support that they feel within the classroom and they begin to trust and open up more so we can meet them where they are more efficiently. By knowing the children, we can make sure that they are represented - culturally, developmentally, and individually - and sense that they are valued. When they feel "heard" and understood, children are more likely to reciprocate that interest in their peers, their teachers, and the content we teach, which in turn creates a cyclical community of caring, respectful, cultured individuals.
Knowing the children we teach helps us to be more intentional in the way we get them to connect to the content. We can trigger their interests and encourage their passions to help them increase their desire to learn. Knowing them also helps build the community and support that they feel within the classroom and they begin to trust and open up more so we can meet them where they are more efficiently. By knowing the children, we can make sure that they are represented - culturally, developmentally, and individually - and sense that they are valued. When they feel "heard" and understood, children are more likely to reciprocate that interest in their peers, their teachers, and the content we teach, which in turn creates a cyclical community of caring, respectful, cultured individuals.
6. Knowing the families of the children we teach and working with them as partners is essential to children’s education.
By knowing the families of the children we teach, we are able to better understand the support system they have, or lack, at home and fulfill their needs more appropriately at school. We are also able to establish better communication between school and home so that there is more consistency and follow-up. Sometimes there is not enough time in the school day to give each student the one-on-one time they need to stretch them to the next level. Therefore, communicating with the families and informing and instructing them on how they can help at home gives the extra emphasis that the children need to grow.
By knowing the families of the children we teach, we are able to better understand the support system they have, or lack, at home and fulfill their needs more appropriately at school. We are also able to establish better communication between school and home so that there is more consistency and follow-up. Sometimes there is not enough time in the school day to give each student the one-on-one time they need to stretch them to the next level. Therefore, communicating with the families and informing and instructing them on how they can help at home gives the extra emphasis that the children need to grow.