Our Approach

An Intellectual Approach

We use an intellectual approach to educate our students. We strongly believe in the intellectual potential and inherent goodness of all children. As a result, we are dedicated to nurturing the intellectual development of all of our students through their entire educational journey. The key component of our intellectual curriculum is the Understanding by Design (UbD; Wiggins & McTighe) Curriculum Planning Framework, and Dr. Arthur Costa’s Habits of Mind.

We organize our curriculum with the backward design approach. We begin with large conceptual ideas. These lead to enduring understandings and essential questions that we derive from the Michigan core standards and benchmarks. We then design assessments and instructional activities. The result is interdisciplinary and differentiated units of study that are challenging, integrative, and exploratory.

We strive to incorporate an active and engaging approach to learning. Learning experiences vary throughout each day, involving large group, small group and individual activities. Students are encouraged to make cross-content and cross-curricular connections. Our teachers build connections between what is being taught and how it is important. Students understand the relevance of what they are learning and how it applies to their previous knowledge and life experiences.

Habits of Mind

Our intellectual approach incorporates Habits of Mind (Costa and Kallick, 2000), attitudes that are essential for the success of students. The sixteen identified behaviors are indicative of an efficient, effective problem solver. When students practice these behaviors in school and everyday life, they learn to draw upon their intellectual, moral and emotional resources to make informed choices to guide their actions.

Persistence
Managing Impulsivity
Listening with Understanding and Empathy
Thinking Flexibly
Thinking about Thinking (Metacognition)
Striving for Accuracy
Questioning and Posing Problems
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision
Gathering Data through all Senses
Creating, Imagining, Innovating, Responding with Wonderment and Awe
Taking Responsible Risks
Finding Humor
Thinking Interdependently
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning

Embedded Curriculum

In our commitment to nurture the Whole Child and take the Developmental Approach to educating our students, our curriculum expands beyond academics. We integrate several curricula to provide a richer educational experience that grows the whole person and helps students become positive and productive members of society. We call it the Embedded Curriculum and these are its goals:

1 Students will know themselves, like themselves and be themselves (which leads to high self-esteem and confidence).

2 Students will be provided with opportunities to learn how to get along with others and build lifelong social skills (which leads to happiness).

3 Students will practice working together with others to solve problems (which leads to life success).

Smart Character Choices

We developed Smart Character Choices, our character education program, after recognizing that schools need to play a deliberate and consistent role in teaching students positive character traits. These character traits are the foundations of our program:

Kindness. Thinking and acting in ways that show you care.
Optimism. Expecting good things today and in the future.
Getting Along. Contributing to and gaining from positive relationships.
Responsibility. Choosing to act in a way that takes care of yourself and contributes to the common good.
Respect. Acting in a way that shows that I am valuable, you are valuable, and we as a group are valuable.
Work Ethic. Working hard and sustaining effort leading to feeling good about a job well done.

We weave these character traits into learning throughout each day rather than teach them in isolation, like the “trait of the month.” We also teach both school-wide and classroom procedures and routines to students as well as social protocols e.g. manners and etiquette.

Smart Character Choices contains all the components of a highly effective research-based bully prevention program.