How We Teach
Lead instructors Julius Su and James Maloney have worked with students from all backgrounds and at all levels:
- K-5 students as partners of San Pascual STEAM Magnet and Estrella Elementary;
- K-12 students throughout Pasadena and Los Angeles as science outreach directors at Caltech;
- High school students as lead instructors for our Caltech summer science program;
- College students as a professor at Pasadena City College; and
- Graduate students as a head teaching assistant at Caltech.
We have worked with hundreds of K-12 teachers on developing lessons, and are experienced at developing math, science, and writing curriculum.
Throughout our work, we have found that the following teaching methods are helpful to ALL students:
- Scaffolding: We chunk challenging material into pieces, and teach the pieces in a systematic and structured way, from most basic to most advanced.
- Deliberate practice: We check for understanding, perform formative assessments, and provide immediate feedback and direct instruction.
- Collaborative environment: We perform regular non-optional interventions, combining peer teaching with small-group instruction to ensure all students are thriving.
- High expectations and collective self-efficacy: We share a common belief that all students can achieve at a high level, and that we can drive this.
These methods are further supported by research:
https://visible-learning.org/backup-hattie-ranking-256-effects-2017/
We will use these methods to teach your child and the other students in S3.
Will my child be able to learn successfully?
This depends 100% on the effort they put in.
But we promise to teach them well and provide them with a supportive environment for learning. With one instructor for every 10 students and full-time synchronous teaching, we will be there to make sure your child has every opportunity to learn and stay on track.