JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
July 26, 2013 -
PRLog -- The leadership and faculty at Hendricks Day School, located in Jacksonville, Fla., have begun a journey of differentiation within their school curriculum. This
Jacksonville private school which caters to Pre-K through eighth grade students, has an impressive student-to-teacher ratio, however steps have been taken to further the effective teaching styles of all faculty members. Principal Shane Tripp and head of school, Dr. Linda Johnson have welcomed associate professor of childhood education Dr. Christine Weber to Hendricks to assist the faculty in different ways to guide the curriculum.
Weber begun the educational transformation at Hendricks Day School by first highlighting what she calls “The Pathways to Differentiation”
. This started with first separating the faculty members into grade levels to identify the goals within each and every group. Next, Weber held group workshops which discussed topics such as creative thinking, misconceptions, and the planning of tiered activities. Weber took the time to properly explain these ideas to faculty members in order for them to take the concepts into their own words for classroom settings. Following these initial workshops, Weber found classroom visits to be very important, as she was able to meet individually with teachers and provide resources, materials, and teaching suggestions.
Weber also demonstrated creative ways to assess the prior knowledge and misconceptions of students regarding specific subjects. Weber says that it is important to, “never assume that students know the basic content (accurately)
before teaching.” This is a concept that the entire school can utilize, as approximately 7% of
Hendricks students are classified as gifted and 14% of Hendricks students learn differently. This wide array of student abilities truly showcases the need for educational differentiation.
Hendricks Day School prides itself on the quality of education, rather than the quantity of students. With a core focus on how to think, rather than what to think, Hendricks Day School reinforces the need for personalized and tailored education for the young mind. Head of School, Dr. Linda Johnson states, “Teachers and families, working in tandem, create the best arena for student growth and development.”
This same idea correlates with the core values of Hendricks Day School, to develop the whole child by focusing on individualized, strength-building engagement in the pursuit of academic, social, and emotional growth.
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