How do we teach? Aug 2024

What does Kishami Academy use for curriculum? It varies to meet student needs, individually or as a group. We often begin with Pikes Peak Library District, Kishami Academy's accumulated library, and thrift stores. We analyze workbooks, do research on students needs, search for topics that cover what we are looking for (or student interests/requests), and develop our own lessons built from these basics. Teachers are on Study.com, Great Courses Plus, and Khan Academy to increase their own knowledge, interests, and expertise, or to find programs that will aid in student engagement and learning.
Currently the books shown in the photo are group work. We are working on grammar structure, complete sentences, penmanship, spelling, analyzing documents, citations, and proving your answer. We are also working on self-awareness and developing your character -- this includes S.M.A.R.T. goals, looking deeper into who we are as a person and who we want to be, helping to find our own triggers and ways to help ourselves function more beneficially.
For mathematics, students are in their own Saxon math text, filling in gaps through Prodigy, Khan Academy, and Study.com. They also get some individual or small-group work on issues that keep creeping up to prevent their forward movement.
Students also have access to textbooks, Pikes Peak Library District, Study.com, Great Courses Plus, Khan Academy, and exploration areas in the school.
We attempted to step into writing 5-paragraph essays -- the errors and misconceptions were too great to continue without backtracking to combat some of the issues.
We also attempted to move into Chemistry, but the concepts were too above the general class. The students ready for this subject are entering into courses through Study.com and Khan Academy to work at their own pace. The other students are slowly going through Khan Academy with assistance from teacher and parents.
We also attempted Critical Thinking. This was going swimmingly for a few weeks, then we hit material that was too difficult for the students and stumped the teacher as well. We are taking a small break from this as the teacher finds more appropriate (manageable) material for the class and does some Study.com and Great Courses studying on her own to be able to lead, teach, and answer questions the students have.
This is how our school functions. We push into new subjects, or push into higher levels of subjects as the students show they are ready. If they then show frustration, we back up and work to cement in the concepts and habits that prevented the growth. Then we will move forward again. Some students "get it" and are ready to keep moving, and we let them -- with individual lessons, self-taught lessons, online assistance, encouraging their personal motivation to grow.