Outdoor Play Pedagogy in The Mups (2nd/3rd)
At the beginning of the academic year, the Mups spend the first six weeks focusing on building the foundations of our classroom. One of the biggest ways we do this is through spending lots of time playing outdoors. By prioritizing outdoor play, our goal as teachers is to foster social-emotional growth and build a sense of community among students.
Studying Sol LeWitt in The Middles (4th/5th)
On a beautiful late winter day, the Middles set out on a visit to MASS MoCA. The drive from the Center School was long and windy, passing favorite landmarks along the way… the ice cream spot, Berkshire East, and the iconic view of North Adams from the hairpin turn.
Studying Black Environmentalists in The Forest Primes (K/1)
The Forest Primes have been deepening their thinking around the underrepresentation of the Black community in nature by learning about some influential Black environmentalists from the past and present.
Supplementing Our Work With Real People in The Uppers (6th-8th)
Teaching a book for the second consecutive time allows teachers to delve even deeper into the material, try new lessons, and uncover subtleties and details that might have been overlooked.
Celebrating Black Musicians in The Dancing Primes (Toddlers)
For Black History month in the Dancing Primes classroom, we decided to really focus on learning about and celebrating black musicians. We listened to a lot of different music by black artists such as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Prince, the list could go on and on.
Experiencing Shakespeare in The Uppers (6th-8th)
On Friday, March 1st, my Shakespeare Elective class took a field trip out to Lenox to see a production of Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare and Company. This show is part of their Northeast Regional Tour and is a student-friendly 90-minute version of the play.
Thinking About Rights in the Lumber Primes (K/1)
For the past month, the Lumber Primes have been thinking, learning, reading, talking, and creating art focused on the idea of rights.
Wondering About Outer Space in the Puzzle Primes (3 year-olds)
In our preschool classroom, we adhere to an emergent curriculum approach that pivots our teaching strategies based on the evolving interests of our students. Recently, we observed a collective fascination with outer space among the children, prompting us to integrate this theme into our curriculum organically.
Spending Time in the Sunshine in the Uppers (6th-8th)
One of the most striking things for teachers teaching outside during the early Pandemic was how well regulated people felt just by being outside. Every extra noise made by a toe tapping energy, a door opening and closing, a side conversation between a teacher and student, was swept away by the…
Artist Study in the Mups (2nd/3rd)
In mid-January, the Mups embarked on our third art unit of the year, an artist study. With three teachers available to teach art this trimester, we thought we would take advantage of the abundance and teach three different artists.
Studying Black History Through Music and Iconic Black Artists in The Mups (2nd/3rd)
Our Mups Green students recently embarked on a study through Black history using the transformative power of music and iconic Black artists as our guide. Through an immersive exploration of the stories and music of Black artists, our young learners delved into the rich tapestry of Black culture and tradition.
Doodling for Understanding in The Uppers (6th-8th)
One of my favorite tools in my teacher toolbox is to have kids draw little pictures or doodles to reinforce their learning. Drawing engages different parts of the brain as kids explore new ideas, wrestle with a complex texts or review concepts.
Unveiling Insights Through Deep Class Discussions in The Uppers (6th-8th)
Engaging in deep discussions within the walls of a classroom can be one of the most powerful ways for students to access and retain information. Currency is exchanged in the form of reflections, questions, and opinions, while ideas snowball from one student to the next.
The Value of Representation in The Forest Primes (K/1)
Outside, the Forest Primes have been thinking and talking about representation—the value of it, as well as the harm that occurs within its absence. In the book Our Skin, we learned there aren’t as many books written about people of color and how this is an example of racism.
Leading All Schools in The Middles (4th/5th)
It’s Middles-led All School season and the excitement is palpable in our classroom. Each week, four or five students meet with one of the teachers to plan, prepare, and then lead the All School.
The Sixth Grade Country Study: A 20-Year Focus on Social Justice and Activism
Every year the Sixth Grade Uppers embark into the depths of world geography, world culture, and a general study of cartography. It’s an exciting unit for the kids, they look forward to it every year, and we always hit the ground running with enthusiasm and joy for getting to know the map of the world, choosing a continent to study, and eventually choosing a country to study.
Discussing Skin and Racism in The Lumber Primes (K/1)
Before launching into our discussion about skin, we first checked in with the Lumber Primes to see what the children remembered about gene expression from our previous discussions:
The Building Blocks of Social Justice Teaching in The Dancing Primes (Toddlers)
We are working on teaching building blocks for social justice learning in the Dancing Primes. We are working on identifying and naming colors as well as observing the colors we see in each other and in books.
Thinking About Skin With the Forest Primes (K/1)
Spring Science Investigations in 7th Grade
The 7th graders are bouncing along in science this winter exploring the properties of springs. The first part of this exploration is to find out what a spring constant is.