WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD
BY CATHY ALBRO
My sister recently asked me to help her look for a school for her six-year-old son. I have worked with teachers all over the country for the last ten years to help them create classroom and curriculums that focus on active and experiential learning. Here are the major questions to ask and the answers and observations you would hope to see.
- In what ways do teachers use current research (about the brain, retention, child development, etc.) to influence their teaching?
If the classroom is preschool through second grade, teachers should be using the research from Piaget, Vigotsky and other child development experts that enforces the philosophy that children construct new knowledge based on prior knowledge and learn best through concrete experiences.
In the last ten years, brain research has proven that children need breaks, varied activities, opportunities to discuss with others, lots of water, etc. for optimum learning. Retention rate research has proven that most people retain an average of 5% when listening to a lecture, 50% by discussing, 75% by doing and 90% when teaching others.
Make sure teachers know the natural progression for acquiring literacy and provide plenty of opportunities to learn in this way.
- How are children's individual needs and interests met? Are environments and teaching strategies matched to how each child learns best? How do teachers constantly assess how children learn and what they are ready to learn?
Students are intrinsically motivated to learn when their interests are met. How do teachers know what each child's interests are and how do they incorporate those interests and strengths into the curriculum plan?
Do teachers know about Howard Gardner's research on the 8 intelligences? How do they use this research in planning for their students?
Do teachers use the K-W-L approach when beginning a new unit of study? K stands for-KNOW-find out what students already know about the topic. W is for Want to Know -find out what they would like to learn about the topic (teachers can give input here as well) and L stands for what did we LEARN (as a review).
- In order to foster intrinsic motivation and to help students learn to make good choices, teachers should provide an environment based on shared control. To what degree does this occur?
Is there a sense of "community" in the classroom
or a feeling of dictatorship with the teacher in charge
most or all of the time?
Is there consistent support from adults that helps students become independent problem solvers and facilitates positive peer relationships?
- Are learning opportunities and assessment "authentic" most
of the time?
Worksheet should be kept to a minimum with a focus on writing and reading for real reasons. For example, writing a letter to a pen pal, collecting data for a science experiment, brainstorming a list of what you know about a certain topic, etc.
Do they use the "scientific process" to learn something new? Are students encouraged to ask and answer "I wonder" type
questions? Do they use Bloom's Taxonomy to provide higher
level thinking opportunities? (compare/contrast, predict,
hypothesize, extend, analyze, retell, etc.).
Paper and pencil assessments (tests) should be used only when appropriate for best assessment. Most assessments should be through teacher observation and student work samples. Do students have opportunities to apply their knowledge or do they just regurgitate through memorization?
Most learning opportunities should be integrated (science combined with art, reading and drama, etc.)
- Can parents be welcome and frequent visitors to the classroom?
Parents should be encouraged to participate in their child's classroom (examples
May be listening to and reading with children, helping with writer's workshop, sharing a particular career, hobby or talent, etc.)
In many schools, student led (or shared) conferences with parents are effective (another example of shared control). If there is a need for a private conference with a parent, a separate phone or face-to-face meeting could be arranged.
Parents should be informed regularly about what's happening in the classroom.
- What is the school's philosophy about ability grouping?
Creating small groups for learning is very effective. It provides time for students to work together and for teachers to work more closely with each student. It is also a great opportunity for students to learn to be more independent.
It is important that students mostly meet in mixed ability groups to avoid labeling of always being in the worst group or the best group. The advantages are that students learn more from each other when mixed. There are times, however, when grouping students with similar learning needs is good. The teacher must make sure that students change groups for different needs/interests if they are grouped occasionally by ability.
Teachers should use a "differentiation" approach,
which allows students to engage in the same activity but
teacher support, and expectations differ (i.e.: students
all write a letter to someone, but length and vocabulary,
content, editing, etc. are different based on ability).
Teachers must know students very well in order to make
this work successfully.
- What is being done to foster children's creativity and to promote fun and spontaneity?
You can have fun and learn at the same time. Do students
seem joyful and eager to learn?
Are there many opportunities for students to be creative throughout the day? Do all students have time everyday that is theirs to plan and carry out?
Are there plenty of materials in the classroom that are accessible to students to help them be creative?
- What do teachers do to model new process they expect children to learn?
Teachers need to share out loud their thinking process. It is frequently helpful for students to see/hear their teacher model how to write a paragraph, how to solve a math problem, how to compare characters in a story, etc.
- How are teachers encouraging students to collaborate with each other?
Do students frequently work together in partners or small groups?
Are students supported in their role of partner/group member? This must be learned and usually does not happen naturally. (Eye contact, taking turns, cooperation, carrying on a conversation, etc.)
- Are teachers respectful of their students?
Do they follow the same expectations for themselves as they have for the students (i.e.: If students are only allowed to have water to drink, is that what the teacher drinks?)? Shared control is also part of the respect picture.
Do teachers do what is best for children or what's best for them?
- Do the teachers belong to professional organizations? Do they frequently read, attend seminars, meet with peers, etc. to learn new methods and ideas?
Some professional organizations are:
NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children-for teachers 0-8 years)
ASCD (Association for the Supervision of Curriculum Development-for K-12 teachers)
IRA (International Reading Association-for all ages)
Every discipline has its own professional association as well.
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