Developing A Student-Centered Curriculum & Meaningful Relationships

December 6, 2018

Earlier this Fall, the Inspired Teaching team and our partners at the Astra Center for Innovative Education launched the #EngagingSchools tour to observe engagement-based education across the country. Our tour began in New York City, and included visits to Fall Creek, Wisconsin, and the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School.

The National Alliance for Engagement Based Education’s #EngagingSchools tour continued at two uniquely inspiring schools. From a mathematics class that includes writing poetry and building benches, to a bunny who’s regularly seen roaming the hallways, both City Neighbors Hamilton School and Grace Episcopal Day School expanded our minds as to what school can look like.

We’ve begun to pick up on common characteristics of engagement-based schools during our tour — but there are also always a few attributes that make a particular school stand out. At City Neighbors Hamilton in Baltimore, it was their dedication to a student-centered, engagement-based curriculum that makes them shine.

Student-Centered, Engagement-Based Curriculum

At City Neighbors Hamilton, the curriculum is driven by student interests and needs. Because the students are different every year – so is the curriculum! A teacher shared, “Nothing is ever the same from year to year, The question is, ‘What do students need?’” The school’s dedication to providing every student with personalized, hands-on learning opportunities is evident throughout the school. While studying proportions, a math class built benches to understand the real world application of the subject. During another unit, students chose social justice topics to research with a mathematics perspective – like a statistics project focused on the gender pay gap. In art class, students can choose what type of art to do each day. In science, students choose their dependent variable (what to measure) in their experiments.

Students also experience a variety of assessments, many far more creative than traditional tests, including reenactments and journal entries. In some instances, students even help to design the rubrics that teachers use to assess. The elevation of student voice and choice has created an environment where students thrive. As one student put it, “I’m excited to go to school, and not just because of lunch or recess, but other fun things we do!”

City Neighbors Hamilton was founded on the guiding question,“What would it take for every child to feel known, loved, and inspired?” and it’s clear from our visit that they remain driven to find the answers.

A Joyful Environment Built Through Caring Relationships

It didn’t take long for us to discover that at Grace Episcopal Day School (GEDS), caring relationships are what make this school community such a successful one.

Students are authentically engaged because they feel like part of a tight-knit community. A fifth grader contrasted Grace with a previous school he’d attended, sharing that at Grace “people are really connected.” The fourth and fifth graders illustrated this sense of connection as they beamed about their favorite teacher. The students emphasized that she solved student conflicts without making anyone feel bad and made sure all students were participating. One student described the teacher, remarking, “She believes in you and knows there’s something special inside.”

Peer to peer relationships are essential at Grace, as well. Opportunities to build meaningful connections are integrated into the school’s structure, through programs like Big & Little Buddies, where older students are paired with younger students. Students also voiced their appreciation for Grace’s familial feel, which contrasts other schools’ zero tolerance approach. One student shared, “People here hug. At my old school you lost recess if you touched someone.” The intentional effort to develop students’ nurturing skills extends to animals, as well. Coniglio, the school bunny (who is older than most of the students) has free reign to explore the school, and students know to keep an eye out for him, and care for him, as needed.

Relationships between teachers are particularly strong, too. Teacher turnover is very low, with only 1-3 new teachers each year, and teachers stay at Grace for an average of 7 years. Building an adult community at Grace comes naturally with so many veteran educators and a work culture dedicated to collaboration. Teachers frequently work together not only on lesson planning, but in the classroom; it’s not uncommon for teachers to stay with their students during specials, like Art and Music. The caring relationships fostered at Grace result in an environment where students and teachers feel supported and safe taking risks.

As the #EngagingSchools tour wraps up, stay tuned for our final report which will synthesize key takeaways and will offer guidance on implementing engagement-based teaching practices. Follow us on Twitter at @InspireTeach and our partners at @AstraInnovate for the latest updates.

Micaiah Anderson

Community Outreach Specialist

As a Community Outreach Specialist, Micaiah is responsible for program promotion and outreach support for Inspired Teaching events and workshops. Micaiah has a passion for collaborating with community members to build-power and connect. She is an educator with a heart for youth and has experience supporting students fight injustices within their schools and communities. She has a BA in Political Science from, the real HU, Hampton University & anticipates graduating in May 2024 with a Masters of Arts degree in Educational Policy Transformation from Georgetown University.

AUTONOMY

"I want to have a say in what happens to me."

Autonomy is the need for independence; the ability to make choices, to create, to explore, and to express oneself freely; to have sufficient space, to move around, and to feel unrestricted with opportunities to exercise free will.

Brady Maiden

Outreach Coordinator

As the Outreach Coordinator, Brady helps maintain Inspired Teaching’s social media presence and supports the organization’s mission to connect with DC community leaders, educators, and parents. Brady has her Master’s in Public Policy from George Mason University and her BS in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. She is passionate about community, equity, and coalition building recognizing that learning and growing with the community at large is how we continue to be impactful.

What brings you joy in life?

I find joy in spending time with my friends and family and meeting new people. I like going to concerts and festivals, and finding new books to read.

The Learner’s Cycle, Wonder-Experiment-Learn, and the Teacher’s Cycle, Observe-Plan-Instigate, comprise Inspired Teaching’s approach to engaging students in inquiry-based learning.

When they are engaged in the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, students are immersed in learning. They take the lead in designing authentic learning experiences around their own interests and their school’s standards of learning. Each discovery leads to a new question which in turn leads to more wondering and more learning. In the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, Learn is not a destination or an endpoint; it is a deeper understanding, leading to a deeper wondering and new possibilities that create new entry points to further exploration. The cycle continues because what students have learned generates more wonderings that require more experiments that foster more learning – and on and on.

The Observe-Plan-Instigate Cycle is the work of an Inspired Teacher. While a student is expected to follow the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, the teacher joins them on the learning journey while following their own cycle of Observe-Plan-Instigate. This cycle ultimately serves to ensure an inquiry-based atmosphere is at play in the classroom.

Jaqueta Abbey

Teaching and Learning Specialist

Jaqueta is the Teaching and Learning Specialist for Inspired Teaching. In addition to her current role with Inspired Teaching, Jaqueta is a first-grade teaching assistant. Her background features a variety of traditional and non-traditional experiences in the field of education, including working as an adjunct professor, teaching summer reading programs to children and adults, and tutoring children in the foster care system. Jaqueta earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

What brings you joy in life?

Creative self-expression! In addition to my passion for storytelling, I love dancing of all kinds. I've studied belly dance, bachata, and Brazilian Zouk among other styles. I also enjoy glass fusing, crocheting, photography, and cross stitching. These art forms allow me to express myself and build connections with other people at the same time. I think life would be a lot less vibrant without artists and storytellers!

Michelle Welk

Communication & Marketing Specialist

As Communications and Marketing Specialist, Michelle is responsible for finding and creating new ways to highlight Inspired Teaching and promote its programs in order to expand and deepen the organization's impact. Michelle has worked in communications in an array of settings, from creative agencies to state politics to national nonprofits. She has a BA in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and is passionate about education, access, and equity.

What brings you joy in life?

My son, the beach, making a persuasive argument and good food!

Max Peterson

Real World History Assistant Teacher

Max received his Bachelor’s degree in History and African American Studies from Boston University in May 2016. He has worked in museum curation at the Museum of the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Max has worked with young people of varying ages from young children to young adults transitioning to college.

Feedback and Accountability

We grow through feedback and an understanding that the quality of our work is a reflection of what we are learning, but the shift to remote learning this spring disrupted a lot of the tools teachers were used to using to evaluate student growth. How might we do things differently this fall? Participants in this workshop will explore ways to bring meaningful assessment into the virtual and/or socially-distanced classroom and approaches to student feedback that strengthen motivation, and build relationships and achievement.