Our faculty's deep dive into Neuroteach this winter has illuminated critical dos and don'ts in teaching. What emerged most powerfully from our discussions is the need to consistently check for student understanding: frequent low-stakes assessments, helping students self-assess, utilizing reteaching loops, ensuring every student works until they understand, and refusing to settle for low-effort grades.
Proctor’s academic curriculum is rooted in the belief that academic challenge, overt support systems, and a preference for hands-on, experiential modes of teaching creates enduring learning for students.
While at most schools the individual must conform to a set of systems, at Proctor the school grows around each student’s academic interests.
Graduation Requirements | |
---|---|
English | 12 Credits |
Mathematics | 9 Credits |
Science | 9 Credits |
History | 8 Credits |
World Language | 6 Credits |
Art | 3 Credits |
Programming | 1 Credit |
Weaving a Web of Support
Integrated Support
Proctor’s integrated academic support program weaves a web of support around each student.
Whether it is through our Learning Skills Program, peer-tutoring in math and writing, extra help sessions with teachers each evening, or the advisor system, students learn to advocate for themselves and their own learning.
Learn more about academic support at Proctor here.
Official Notes and Communication
At Proctor, the web of structure and support extends beyond individual relationships to the methods of communication within a student’s team of adults. Through our Official Notes system, electronic feedback is regularly sent to students' support teams, including the students themselves, parents, advisors, Learning Specialist, coaches, and dorm parents. These Official Notes are not negative, but rather constructive in nature and can serve as the impetus for face-to-face communication between student and advisor about academic performance, behavior, or community engagement.
Academic Concentrations Program
Academic Concentrations lie at the intersection of intellectual curiosity and academic rigor. By empowering self-directed students to design an individualized program of coursework, experiential learning beyond campus, and a culminating capstone, Concentrations assist intellectual development on a sophisticated level. Learn more!
Engagement - the “WHY”
Proctor teachers help recruit interest, sustain effort and persistence, and encourage self-regulation in students.. We continue to ask ourselves: How do we best engage learners and what do engaged learners look like?
Representation - the “WHAT”
Experiential learning allows for different ways of seeing, hearing, and experiencing information. Representation in learning is not just about equal representation of diverse learners, but about studying a concept by looking at, listening to, and experiencing it in different ways.
Demonstration - the “HOW”
There is no “right” method to teaching at Proctor, but rather we understand the need to use multiple tools, strategies, and approaches to teach students how to ultimately take responsibility for their own learning.