Tremont School’s instructional time looks a bit different than in a traditional setting. Our class sizes, faculty choices, daily schedules, and problem solving focus are developed in service of our goal: To individualize instruction for each student.
Every student benefits from instruction that takes into account their strengths and challenges. Everyone has strengths and challenges; this internal variability comes with being human.
At Tremont School, our teachers work with students closely to understand their strengths, challenges, and goals in a holistic way. At the beginning and end of each year, we assess student achievement in core academic skills. This information, along with goal-setting conversations with students and parents and an understanding of individual learning styles, creates the foundation for the individualized instruction teachers provide for students.
For example, while one student may enjoy a traditional approach to mathematics instruction, working with a teacher to master material as published in a textbook, another may respond best to a custom-designed scope and sequence that incorporates more hands-on activities for conceptual understanding, repetition, and an emphasis on strengthening foundational skills. The approach that works best for one does not necessarily work well for the other. Tremont’s model assumes this variability in students and is designed to integrate these different needs from the outset. This progressive and inclusive model creates a supportive classroom environment where students are not competing with each other but are challenging themselves while appreciating others’ strengths and learning styles.
Individualized instruction is incorporated into contract blocks in the Middle School schedule, and is part of both individualized coursework and tutorial blocks in the High School.