When I vacation with my daughter, Mila, I always look for a local playground. Although she is a good travel buddy, I know my child can only take so much of being a tourist. Watching her play in a group of children, I often find myself reflecting on her childhood and education. My role as Head of the Experiential and Lower Schools for Shorecrest puts me in a unique position to consider how our image of a child informs what we, as parents and faculty look for in a school.

Project-based learning. In-depth investigations. Student-centered curriculum. Terms like these describe the kind of learning that happens in the kindergarten through fourth grade Shorecrest Lower School, but what does that look like in action? Read on for a snapshot of all that goes on in just one week at Shorecrest.

Our collective belief that the social curriculum is just as important as the academic curriculum led The Experiential and Lower Schools at Shorecrest to embrace Responsive Classroom Approach.

ABOUT THE CHALLENGE:

As a school leader, I strive to spend time in all of our Lower School classrooms getting to know teachers and students, as well as learning how I can best support them and help the school grow. One of the benefits of being a small Kindergarten-4th Grade elementary school is that I am able to get to know students as learners overtime. When I discovered that there was a national “Shadow a Student Challenge” put out to all administrators, I quickly threw my hat in.

For one day during the week of February 29-March 4, administrators were asked to clear our schedules, silence our walkie-talkies, throw on sneakers, and immerse ourselves in student life for a day. This is the first year of the Shadow a Student Challenge, which was sponsored by School Retool, a professional development nonprofit created by the Institute of Design at Stanford University, as well as Ideo, a design and innovation consulting firm; and the Hewlett Foundation.