Our school strongly believes in and relies on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to support all our students. UDL is a teaching approach that aims to make learning accessible and enjoyable for everyone, no matter their abilities, learning styles, or backgrounds. 

Think of it like planning a party where you want all your guests to enjoy the food. You'd offer a variety of dishes to accommodate vegetarians, people with allergies, and those who like different flavors. UDL does this for education, providing multiple ways for students to learn, engage with the material, and demonstrate their knowledge.

 For instance, in a history lesson, a teacher might use a video, a textbook, and a podcast. This gives students the choice to learn in the way that suits them best. The teacher might also offer different ways for students to show what they've learned, like writing an essay, creating a presentation, or performing a skit. This approach ensures that every student has the opportunity to learn and succeed, regardless of their individual strengths or challenges.

• Our curriculum is designed to start with the end goals in mind, which we call Power Standards. These are the key skills and knowledge we want students to learn by the end of each unit. We then create tests and assessments to check if students have mastered these goals, called Mastery Checks.

• After setting up these goals and tests, we plan the lessons and activities to help students learn what they need to know. By working backward from the goals, we make sure every part of our teaching is focused and helps students succeed. This way, we know that everything we do in class is helping your child reach the important learning targets.

• To construct our learning experiences, we use a lot of lesson frames and routines called Eduprotocols. These are like reusable lesson plans where the format stays the same, but the content changes. Because students know the routine, they can focus on learning and being creative without worrying about what they need to do next. This makes the learning process smoother and emphasizes the subject matter.

• In a typical classroom, every new lesson means students and teachers spend time figuring out what to do, which can be distracting. With EduProtocols, students spend less time figuring out the instructions and more time understanding the content. This approach helps students learn more effectively.

• Each unit in Toddle ends with 1-2 performance tasks. These are special assignments that evaluate a student's ability to use what they've learned in practical, meaningful ways. Instead of just memorizing facts, these tasks challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills creatively, often in real-world situations. 

• The GRASPS framework helps ensure these tasks are Goal-oriented, rooted in Real-world scenarios, require Authentic performance, have a Specific purpose, allow for Personal choice, and are Standards-based. 

• To support different learners and promote choice and independence, performance tasks usually offer various formats for completion and extensions for deeper exploration or to challenge more advanced students. These tasks are graded using a rubric on a scale from 0-4. We encourage reassessment so students can try again if needed. We also support student self-assessment and peer assessment, if they feel comfortable with that approach.

At Brilliant Microschools, we believe math should be engaging, meaningful, and fun while helping students develop critical thinking and real-world problem-solving skills. One of the ways we do this is through our Three-Act Tasks, a hands-on, interactive approach that brings math to life! 

Our teachers embody the essence of being "VIGOROUS" educators: 

• They possess an insatiable curiosity, demonstrating a profound hunger for knowledge that drives them to seek innovative solutions and fresh insights in the ever-evolving field of education. 

• They thrive on feedback, using it as a catalyst for growth and continuous improvement. 

• Their superpower lies in their remarkable ability to learn, adapt, and consistently enhance their teaching practices. 

• Their resilience and adaptability shine through as they navigate challenges with unwavering determination.