A recent blog post by Thomas Arnett of the Christiansen Institute asks: Is this the moment in history when K–12 school systems get disrupted? Yes, conventional classrooms being forced online and with increased challenges engaging students has prompted many families and educators to look for alternatives. The article asks if these shifts beg the question:… Read More »
Category: Innovation
Our Commitment to Community: Seeing 2020
Community, that feeling of love and belonging. Of having a home and being welcome. Community is a priority at LEADPrep. We know learning happens more easily when students feel safe, connected, and genuinely care about one another. Being small and having one teacher per five students allows us to get to know each other, build… Read More »
Getting Creative in the New Normal
How does a micro-school support the safety needs of students during a pandemic and the social-emotional mental health needs of each child? We get creative! LEADPrep has done several things to adjust to the new normal. Social Connection First, we have created a hybrid schedule, with mornings learning online and afternoons outdoors–six feet apart and… Read More »
Embodying a Pedagogy of Care
LEADPrep students are seen, heard, valued…thriving. This pedagogy of care is intentional. Pedagogy is the science of teaching. Our LEADPrep pedagogical approach includes fostering student-teacher relationships that are reciprocal, with students having voice and choice, “agency.” Students are seen and heard, with teachers demonstrating care by adapting their teaching to meet the needs of all… Read More »
Moving to Learn
Kinesthetic or tactile learning is a learning style in which students carry out physical activities to gain information, rather than passive activities such as listening to a lecture or watching demonstrations. For students who are kinesthetic learners, moving helps memory happen. A kinesthetic learner has a hard time learning through traditional lecture-based classes. To put… Read More »
Birdwatching for Mental Health and Environmental Awareness
If you see a group of LEADPrep students on one of their weekly Friday experiential learning outings, don’t be surprised to see them looking up. They are birdwatching for mental health and environmental awareness. Birding is becoming a more and more popular past time, and with a younger and younger crowd. But it’s more than… Read More »
“Gifted” Students Thrive with Us!
In education, traditional gifted students are sometimes identified as “low maintenance.” The thinking is that they are “so smart” they don’t need much help. These students can get their work done and done well on their own, so teachers can concentrate on the students with larger academic needs. At LEADPrep, we know that each student… Read More »
Teaching Multi-Age English in Micro-Schools
Our guest blogger this month is Jacob Janin, who is in his second year teaching English at LEADPrep. He received a BA in philosophy from Whitman college, and loves audiobooks, cooking, and sports. At LEADPrep, we believe that our primary responsibility in English class is to foster within our students a lasting love of reading… Read More »
Stepping out of Time for Intensive Active Learning
Most schools today, in the 21st century, employ the same type of schedules for education that were used way back in the 19th century! Micro-schools have the benefit of being able to use time as a tool – and to create ways for students to delve deeply into non-traditional subjects. “Intensives” are a unique opportunity… Read More »
Outdoor Education – Changing the Way Kids Learn
Desks, chairs, tests, homework, and classrooms are the traditional components all firmly labeled in our minds as the most obvious and mandatory aspects associated with education. Obvious, yes, but not mandatory. Recently, you might have seen the news that Washington is the first state in the nation to license outdoor preschools. This model is nothing… Read More »