Experience is the best teacher (besides our teachers obviously).
We have an extraordinary team of educators and administrators who step up every day to elevate the wonder and joy of our students. When you meet our faculty and staff members, you’ll notice how much they care our students and each other.
Teachers love that TPS fosters a spirit of creativity in children and the freedom to be creative themselves. They also love supporting and challenging one another and helping each other grow. We employ a team teaching model where teams across the school work together to support each other and their students. In the classroom, we believe “two heads are better than one” and each teacher is actively involved in classroom organization and management and students view both teachers as equals. Teachers complement each other’s strengths and know they don’t have to tackle challenging situations on their own.
Team Teaching
Our Team Teaching model is another example of how relationships help to foster collaboration and a strong sense of community at TPS. Each classroom has at least two lead teachers who work together to prepare lessons, support the individual learning needs of students and provide models to students of what a successful collaborative working relationship can look like. Team teaching extends far beyond each homeroom classroom as specialist teachers work closely with homeroom teachers to provide an integrated curriculum that allows students to explore subjects in multiple ways, such as learning about birds in science, writing poetry about birds, then learning bird names in Spanish, singing bird songs in music, and making birdhouses in art.
Master Facilitators
The role of our teachers is critical in balancing the pursuit of academic excellence and the social and emotional growth of each child. Teachers are the intentional guides to this discovery and exploration. As a community working together, teachers understand the progression that is possible in each child, and they know exactly the right time to pose the next question or offer the right boost forward. Beyond caring and personalized learning for the individual student, the teachers facilitate the creation of a classroom community that is steeped in collaborative discovery and meaningful connections. We know that when children and teachers are partners in their learning, it brings a deeper understanding, appreciation, and spirit to their studies. With teachers as their guides, children are given tools to drive their own learning as they progress forward.
Professional Learning Communities
TPS is deeply committed to seeing, valuing, and celebrating the diverse identities of everyone in our community. As part of that commitment, faculty and staff all participate in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) to grow in their own DEI experiences. PLC’s help us to create a school community that centers diverse voices and perspectives and ensures that every community member can show up, unapologetically, as their whole selves. During PLC’s, faculty and staff apply a storytelling framework to build the strategies, language, and capacity necessary to address moments of racial stress. This is a part of our ongoing commitment to focus on the whole child, guide social-emotional learning, and ensure that every child experiences belonging in our community.