The Birch School is an experimental micro-school
The Birch School enrolls fewer than 50 students in grades five through 12. It is usual to have classes of 7 to 12 students. This low student to teacher ratio allows Birch educators to get to know each student well and utilize learning tools to keep each student on material that is right in their “zone of proximal development” – the cutting edge where learning takes place.
Respectful informality
Birch teachers also forge positive personal relationships with students. Teachers are an integral part of the school community. Teachers are addressed by their first names. They do not play “sage on the stage” but rather engage students with questions and suggestions they know their students will respond to. Our teachers dive right in with hands-on projects, experiments, plays and reenactments.
School spirit and strong bonds
Individualized learning in the basics
The curriculum is individualized, with a foundation in age-appropriate natural history, geography and history, science, technology, math, literature, writing, music and the arts. There are many possibilities for exploring areas of interest beyond the basics at Birch.
Our staff enjoys working with students; we love kids!
Recent large scale learning research showed that the greatest correlation to good learning outcomes is when the student perceived that her teacher liked her. This showed a stronger correlation than cognitive style, learning style, or test instrument type. Birch teachers strive to achieve real connection with each student- we seek out the best in each, cultivate the unique skills, adjust for quirks and flashes of brilliance and facilitate outbursts of creativity with patience, humor and, yes, affection.
