Ten Principles of Successful Classrooms

  • Learning from a "felt need"
    Students are presented with meaningful, higher-order activities that create the context for learning and build a "felt need" to learn the lower-order skills.
  • High Academic Standards
    All students are expected to achieve at high levels utilizing the teacher, peers, and other resources to meet with success.
  • Focus on Higher-Order, Open-Ended Problem-Solving
    Problem-Solving activities are the focus of the learning environment, setting a context within which to learn lower-order skills.
  • Taking Responsibility for Learning
    Students take responsibility for setting goals, scheduling time, utilizing resources, and making other decisions.
  • Connecting Learning
    Students see learning as being connected across the disciplines, to the "real world," and to their own lives.
  • Working Well Collaboratively
    Students engage in collaborative problem-solving on open-ended problems with peers, working independently on subtasks.
  • Individual Learning Path
    Teachers differentiate instruction and assignments to meet the needs of each individual learner.
  • High Social Capital
    Students have strong, consistent relationships with adults in school; parents and other adults are involved as partners in the learning process.
  • Technology Infusion
    Technology is used as a tool and a resource to support learning and not seen as a goal unto itself.
  • Global Citizenship
    Students understand their role as contributors to a global society and make strides to contribute to the betterment of their world.