Our Academic Plan

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The 5 Teaching Protocols
Every day in our classrooms, our teachers use a system of proven best teaching practices to help pupils reach their fullest potential. These techniques include:

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Differentiated Instruction: Every child learns differently and brings his or her own unique skills, interests and knowledge to the task. Differentiated Instruction focuses on actively engaging pupils by teaching to each child’s interest and ability level every day and in every lesson. Not to be confused with “tracking” or grouping by ability level, differentiation ensures that each child masters the appropriate skills and concepts before moving on. 

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Essential Questions: Essential questions do not lend themselves to a singular, factual answer. Instead, they are designed to make pupils think and encourage them to consider a wide range of approaches and possible answers. Each day, essential questions for every lesson are posted in the classroom and serve to stimulate thought and focus for that day’s lesson. These high-order questions help not only to shape the lesson, but also to focus child's minds and stimulate their thinking.

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Vocabulary: Almost all new learning includes unfamiliar language or suggests alternative definitions for familiar words. For this reason, The Samglad School teachers make a habit of posting the unfamiliar words associated with the day’s lesson and employ many instructional strategies to facilitate the acquisition of new vocabulary. By writing vocabulary on the board, teachers and pupils are reminded of the central role that vocabulary plays in effective instruction, learning and communication. Teachers will know that new learning has taken place when pupils begin using the new words appropriately when framing their own questions and answers.

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High Order Assessment: The Samglad School class instruction works toward deeper understanding in academic areas that are measured by high-order assessments. These daily assessments take many forms (quizzes, short writing assignments, group projects, oral reports, etc.) and are the basis for differentiated instruction the next day. They also help ensure that pupils are progressing. This type of assessment helps demonstrate how deeply pupils have been able to think about the lesson’s essential questions and whether the teacher has been successful in building their understanding of the subject and targeted thinking skill, or if changes are needed.

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Writing Mastery: Writing is a skill which, just like playing a sport or musical instrument, isn’t acquired overnight. We think in language, and language and thought are so intimately connected that it is impossible to imagine one without the other. Writing mastery requires continual practice from an early age, and all Samglad School pupils are expected to write for every class every day. Written work should be an integral part of each day’s lesson, and will continue to play a role in child's lives both in college and in most careers.

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OTHERS:

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Curriculum Mapping
Curriculum mapping is a method of writing and managing school curricula that guides teacher lesson-planning, identifies gaps and repetition in instruction, and ensures that skills and concepts are being introduced in the right order to achieve cumulative and efficient effect. 

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Parents - Teachers Association
The Samglad School teachers meet with parents and their pupils three times a year to review the child’s progress. 

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