At CTD we believe that there is both an art and science to teaching. The science of teaching involves teachers working collaboratively to unpack and understand the standards to plan the scope and sequence of their instruction. The art of teaching involves the design of engaging and meaningful units and lessons using the “unpacked” standards. This is how teaching becomes personal and the teacher’s personality and individuality is expressed. Ultimately we look to our students and their work to evaluate our teaching using ANET and other multiple-measures of student learning as our evidence.
At CTD we have a student-centered approach to learning. We have implemented Thinking Maps school-wide to guide our students’ thinking and their academic conversations. Our instructional framework is built from Learning Focused. Our students are supported through strong community building for academic learning and the use of restorative justice strategies for classroom management. We also individualize learning (both for acceleration and intervention) through the use of small group instruction within classrooms and the support of a comprehensive team of instructional specialists.