FirstLine Approach to Teaching and Learning

Achieving the high aspirations we have for our students requires faculty and staff in FirstLine schools to focus on their own skill development and teamwork. While we have a long way to go in terms of developing our skillfulness to the level we would like, our approach to teaching and learning is characterized by:

• Classroom instruction that is rigorous, systematic, and inspiring
• Clear alignment of learning objectives across curriculum planning, instruction, assessments, and learning support
• An emphasis on reading, writing, and mathematics as the foundational skills for success in all classes
• On-going professional development that nurtures a dynamic community of practitioners continually honing their craft

Rigorous, Systematic, and Inspiring Classes

Classrooms that close the achievement gap are characterized by rigor:  high expectations for achievement, effort, and on-task behavior of all students; high standards for the quality of student work and completion of homework; intellectually challenging discussions and activities.  The teachers in these classrooms are systematic in their approach to ensure that all students make significant academic progress each year.  A systematic approach means having clear standards for each unit of study with on-going formative assessment practices to guide the teacher in re-teaching particular skills or concepts to the entire class, differentiating their activities for groups or individuals, and providing additional support to students as needed.  Most importantly, teachers need to inspire students.  Students learn best when they are engaged fully in the lessons and inspired to pursue learning for the sake of learning through sheer enjoyment or through passion for a particular subject.  Teaching that is simultaneously rigorous, systematic, and inspiring is difficult to achieve, but our aspiration at FirstLine is develop this skillfulness in all of our classrooms.

Layers of Learning Support

Our goal is to ensure high achievement for all of our students.  In order to do this we must  assure that no students “fall through the cracks.” We ensure this through daily, weekly, and quarterly assessments that let us know whether each student has learned what the targeted learning objectives for a particular unit.  Our teachers sit around and discuss formative assessment data, systematically and often: “Here’s what my students learned, here’s what they didn’t and here’s how we’re going to respond.” We use this information to provide layers of learning support:  from differentiated instruction in the classroom to afternoon tutoring, to pulling out groups to work with a resource teacher to additional classes for students who are significantly below level. These layers of support are structured into the daily schedule so students can receive the help they need as they need it.

Emphasis and Balance with Literacy and Mathematics

We believe that reading, writing, and math provide the foundation for future success in school.  Our students, even in the upper grades, have at least 9 hours of language arts per week, and all students have at least 8 hours of math per week, more if assessments show they need it.

In English classes, students have reading and writing workshops daily with differentiated groups, along with spelling, vocabulary, and independent reading.  In the early primary grades and when students are below level, they also have daily work phonics lessons with intensive support as needed.  Math classes emphasize computational fluency, conceptual understanding, problem-solving, mental math and estimation, and mathematical investigations.

Investing in Our Teachers

We believe that great teachers are the heart of great schools.  This belief drives our work to provide quality professional development opportunities and sustainable and supportive working conditions while at the same time achieving our goal of closing the achievement gap for all students.   As we develop our organization we will  continue to invest increasing amounts of time, effort and money in developing our teachers and leaders. We have intentionally assembled a diverse teaching staff across generations, ethnic groups, and life experiences.  It’s a professional community where people talk to each other. The balance of veteran and new teachers means that new ideas and experience-driven approaches mix in a healthy synergy.When it comes to teaching, we know that quality and community matter.

Academics

• Education Principles
• FirstLine Approach to Teaching and Learning
• Curriculum Overview
• Evidence of Results