Our five principles of instruction:
- Teachers know students as individuals and as learners.
- Students are sense makers.
- Teachers must design instruction for all students to do complex thinking and work.
- High cognitive demand teaching requires knowledge of content and understanding of how students interact with that content, knowledge of how students learn, and setting clear instructional goals.
- The measure of good teaching is student learning.
In every classroom, our teachers:
- Build a culture where every student matters and participates.
- Maintain a consistent focus on student reasoning.
- Assess students’ understanding every day to inform instructional decisions.
- Ensure student read and write in all content areas in meaningful ways, on a regular basis.
These principles and practices are the core of our school’s “instructional guidance system,” providing a framework for assessing student learning, allocating time and resources, identifying areas for professional growth, and ultimately, holding all staff accountable to serve the needs of our students.