Classrooms

Step into any Peoples Academy Middle Level classroom and you will see students actively participating in a variety of learning opportunities. Each classroom begins the day with a morning meeting. During this time, students and teachers greet each other, engage in a fun activity, share their thoughts and ideas with each other, and review announcements for the day. The purpose of morning meeting is to create an atmosphere in the classroom where everyone feels welcome, people learn about each other's interests, and a community of learners is established. Morning meeting is a critical part of the Responsive Classroom philosophy which Peoples Academy Middle Level uses as guiding principals and a foundation for all the work done in the classrooms and the school community.

The Responsive Classroom philosophy is based on several key components:

These skills are taught through morning meeting and our social skills curriculum. In addition, these skills are reinforced and applied in all content areas throughout the day.

Because the success of everything we do is grounded in relationships, students in grades seven and eight stay with their teachers for two years. This is a concept called “looping” in the education world. Not only does looping strengthen relationships, it also benefits student learning and success. Looping allows a continuous learning flow to occur.

What students are taught in the classrooms is based on the State of Vermont Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities Grade Expectations. This document breaks down the skills and strategies that students are to learn and be able to do upon completion of each grade.

You can view the Grade Expectations (GE's) on the Vermont Department of Education website at www.state.vt.us/educ .

The GE's delineate the learning that is to occur at each grade level and therefore aid teachers in creating curriculum and help all students meet high standards. Teachers use a process called differentiated instruction which allows students to study the same topic at their appropriate level. Teachers at the middle level build differentiated learning opportunities into their instruction in a variety of ways. Sometimes students have choices about products they will create to demonstrate learning. Other times, there will be choice in the process they will use to attain their learning. Another possibility is when students have choices about the content they wish to study. By offering a variety of learning choices, students are more engaged in the learning process and can take control over their own learning.

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