New Roots Charter School is a “Montessori-inspired” learning environment, designed to utilize research-based best practices that have been proven effective in Montessori schools around the world for nearly 100 years.
One element at the heart of our practice is our New Roots Commitment: Respect Yourself. Respect Others. Respect Our Environment. The core value of respect is central in Montessori schools world-wide, and is used to inspire reflection and deeper understanding of the “why” behind how we are expected to behave as positive members of a community.
Other aspects of our school program inspired by Montessori philosophy and practice include:
- Student-centered classrooms with a sense of community. The classroom set up is versatile so that students can work individually or in groups. Teachers use a variety of lesson modes -– whole class, small group, and individual.
- Discussion and dialogue are used as a tool to develop respect, listening skills, insight, and understanding, and becomes a building block for community. Students gather in small or large group conversations, referencing text and responding to one another’s comments.
- Curriculum encourages both convergent and divergent thinking.
- Hands-on work connects themes and concepts learned in class. Students are engaged in projects that interweave subject areas, and they regularly leave the school to do field studies.
- Multi-layered projects allow for a variety of modes of learning.
- Block scheduling. This allows for collaborative projects and hands-on activities.
- Variety of instructional and assessment practices. This honors the diversity of intelligence and capacities that characterize developing human beings.
- Clear objectives, rubrics, and tools for self-evaluation. For more involved assignments, students are given stated objectives and rubrics with detailed descriptions of the level and kind of work they are expected to do. They are also expected to evaluate their own work based on these rubrics, as well as receiving peer and adult evaluation based on those rubrics.
- A focus on service with the support of instructional lessons. Meaningful service work happens when students are prepared for the work of the heart. This is an essential component to a developmentally appropriate curriculum for the adolescent.
- A curricular context for community life. The coursework encourages adolescents to find their place in society.
- A curricular context that fosters a sense of hope and progression of the human spirit. This curriculum includes action in stewardship of the earth and humanity.
- A structure in place for the care of the environment.
- Opportunities for economic independence help the adolescent feel useful, capable of effort, and proud of their own transition to adulthood.
- Whole to part (and part to whole) learning. What is the big picture that will pique adolescents’ curiosity and draw them into the work? The teacher reminds students to move between the whole to the parts and back again to help them understand relationships and concepts rather than facts in isolation. These studies take students into the world, concretely show them the concepts they have studied in abstraction, and help them to develop compassion for all of life.
- De-emphasis on competition and re-emphasis on cooperation. To encourage a sense of generosity and abundance rather than scarcity and fear, teachers design activities and lessons to show students that “Everybody does better when everybody does better.”
Over the past 16 years, I have often heard families describe the New Roots experience as “transformational.” Rooted in Montessori principles and integrating education for a sustainable future practices and standards, our New Roots educational model is consciously designed to support the development of the whole person in powerful ways. I am grateful for the amazing faculty, staff and students who bring this school community to life every day.
With gratitude,
Tina
Tina Nilsen-Hodges
Founder, Principal and Superintendent