Northstar Approach

The Northstar Approach illustrates how we think about education and learning at the Northstar School. Traditionally education and learning have been confined to the four walls of a classroom and thought of as an activity taking place between the two kinds of people in it, students and teachers. At the Northstar School we believe education and learning can happen anywhere and from anyone, and we believe it is our job to show this to our students and help them understand how to keep learning throughout their lives.

At Northstar learning is much more than four-walled classrooms and a single teacher to facilitate. Our learners learn from their peers as well as on their own. They learn from our excellent Educators who create and guide engaging learning experiences and from a carefully designed physical Learning Environment that inspires exploration in our learners. Northstar Parents & Community partners support and expand learners’ horizons.

Learners

We like to refer to our students as learners. Being “a good student” is often associated with being disciplined and doing well on tests – traits that might not be very reflective of a child’s actual learning. Instead, a good learner is someone who can apply learning strategies to explore, form and better understand new concepts and ideas. At Northstar, education is not about acing a test, but about personal growth through deep understanding, and the language we use reflects that.

Educators

Without quality educators, it is impossible to provide quality education. The word “teaching” tends to be associated with the act of “instructing”, ie. the transfer of knowledge to students via lectures. At Northstar we think of teaching as being so much more than limited to classroom instruction. In fact, we believe good teaching is about listening more and talking less, about understanding and motivating and about fostering connection in order to establish a safe space for students to explore, experiment and reflect. To reflect this more holistic view of a teacher’s role in education, we like to use the word educator.

Learning Environment

Physical surroundings matter. They can affect our mood and inspire our behaviors. At Northstar safety comes first – learning happens best in physical spaces that feel safe. But our campus is also designed to inspire exploration and investigation – inside and outside the buildings there are rich learning opportunities in the form of tools such as the latest technology or in the form of natural phenomena such as the more than 80 different tree species that grow on campus.

Northstar Approach

Learners

Educators

Learning Environment

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