The Eight Elements of Teaching & Learning at University High School
University High School was built upon the foundational belief that schools should be about people first and that relationships drive learning. We know that learning works best when people are met where they are and inspired to grow without limitation. Learning is a dynamic process that is intentional, reflective, and ongoing. These Eight Elements of Teaching and Learning serve as guiding principles for our pedagogy, both in and out of the classroom.
Element 1: Students and teachers see each other as unique individuals and active partners in a learning community.
In a 2019 New York Times column, former Yale professor David Brooks reflected on ways to make school more human. His hypothesis? Students learn best from those they love. In fact, current neuroscience research has proven that when people feel a sense of belonging and connection, the fight or flight receptors in the brain turn down, and those receptors essential for learning open up.
At the heart of this element is the concept that students and teachers must form an active relationship to drive learning. They must connect on an individual level and recognize what every person brings to the classroom. While teachers have more experience and knowledge of their subjects, students should be prepared to engage in their own learning, rather than simply wait to receive a list of the ‘right answers’. Similarly, teachers should empower students to bring their own questions, ideas, and knowledge to the class.
Element 2: Curriculum and content includes a range of diverse perspectives so that all students can see themselves as a part of the field of study.
In addition to forming a relationship with the other members of the learning community, students should feel an authentic connection between the curriculum of the course and their lives. Materials and content should reflect a range of academically accepted opinions and perspectives. All courses should have elements of mirrors, places where students see themselves and their experiences reflected in the coursework, and windows, places where students see into the experiences of those different from them. Additionally, teachers should encourage students to reject generalizations or negative self-perceptions about their potential in the course (ie, “girls aren’t good at math,” or “I’m just not a creative person”).
Element 3: Inquiry drives learning. Major themes guide classwork, and teachers encourage students to ask questions, make connections, and evaluate ideas.
The deepest understanding comes not only from material that is memorized, but from learning that wrestles with concepts and ideas. Classrooms that foster this type of understanding are places where central questions guide curriculum, and students are encouraged to engage with these questions in multiple ways.
Element 4: Learning cycles between content and application. As base knowledge is understood, teachers should push students to analysis, synthesis, and creation.
In every course, there are fundamental components that create the basis for learning: the notes in a clef, the parts of an equation, and vocabulary related to specific content. However, these foundational elements should not be the end point of a course of study. As students learn the fundamentals of a topic, they should be encouraged to compare, predict, evaluate ideas, and eventually create their own work. This cycle encourages a flywheel of deeper learning where students seek out further understanding.
Element 5: Material is explored in a variety of ways, using multiple techniques to introduce and reinforce skills and ideas.
Because active learning requires more than conditioned response, material should be presented in a variety of ways so that students can encounter concepts from multiple angles. Additionally, an inclusive classroom varies the way material is presented so that students are provided several ways of accessing ideas.
Element 6: Understanding is seen as an open, not a fixed, process. There is room for trial and error, refinement and reassessment, and a cultivated sense of perseverance.
In fixed-process classrooms, ideas or concepts are presented, practiced and assessed on a given date. The summative assessment on an idea or concept represents a single chance to demonstrate understanding. The level of understanding the student demonstrates on that assessment, at that moment, is a record of their understanding.
Viewing understanding as an open process requires recognizing that students continually develop their understanding over the course of a term. One student may understand a concept the day it is presented and be able to explain and use it in further work with minimal additional intervention. Another may require an initial presentation of the idea, followed by time to experiment on their own, receive instructor feedback, and practice with their peers before being able to demonstrate an understanding. Though their timelines may look different, both may ultimately arrive at the same depth of knowledge and application on the topic.
While deadlines, due dates, and assessment times are necessary for course organization, course policies should explain how and where students can develop ownership over their own timelines of understanding.
Element 7: Students can demonstrate their understanding in multiple ways, including cross-curricular and real-world applications.
A study conducted by Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education concluded that some of the deepest and most sustained learning in American high schools occurs in extracurricular activities. They concluded that this is largely the result of a combination of interest in a particular subject or activity, but also in the real-world nature of extracurriculars. Students studying a play to produce it on stage arrive at a deeper understanding than those just discussing it in a classroom. Students building tiny libraries for use in the community have a deeper understanding of geometry than those who only study it through textbook proofs.
January Term classes often have real-world, cross-curricular, and creative projects, and traditional semester classes are also enhanced by the inclusion of this type of work. Teachers and students should understand how the course content is applied outside the classroom, and authentic assessments should be included in the coursework.
Element 8: Reflection and self-evaluation are components of the learning process, and students and teachers are continually focused on personal improvement.
One of the best ways to prepare students for college and lifelong learning is to help them understand themselves as learners. To this end, reflection and evaluation are critical pieces of the process. Teachers should regularly prompt students to reflect on their preparation, participation, and assessment, and offer specific feedback on the process of learning, not just the students’ demonstrated understanding of a topic.
To read about the relationship between learning and grades at University High School, visit Alicia’s post “The Major Purpose of Grades is to Provide Feedback on Learning”.