Parent Information
Intro
Welcome to Mr. Serrano’s Classroom Web Page! It is an honor to be able to be a part of your student’s educational rearing. I have been teaching for almost a full decade, specializing in secondary education. Having taught mostly in public schools, I am aware of the kind of expectations schools, districts, and the state require for your student in order for them to matriculate to higher grade levels. In a mixed class setting such as that at EverGrow Academy, it can be a little anxiety inducing wondering if your student will be adequately prepared as a scholar as they move into high school and even college in the fastly approaching future. It is my primary objective in this program to equip for student with the academic and literacy skills that will guarantee them an edge in any current and future academic settings they may find themselves in. Decades long academic research shows us that a student’s ability to pass assessments is less about content knowledge and more about academic skill aqcuisition. Basically, it’s less about what they know and more about what they can do with what they know. In my class, we build up our content knowledge through the use of academic and literacy skills, and not the other way around as many other classrooms do. Through this manner, whether your child is testing out of a charter school or other private school program, they are prepared to take on any assessment or class in the future, even in a public school setting.
As a homeschooling parent, the responsibility of your child’s education falls on you. I am here to help. The purpose of this webpage is to provide not only information about what happens in our class, but also to provide you with materials and guidance on how you can further your child’s academic skill aqcuistion at home. Together, we can develop not just an environment of learning, but a culture of learning that exists inside and outside of our EverGrow Classroom.
Four Different Kinds of Students
All people learn differently. At such a crucial age of social, physical, and emotional development, your student is beginning to find themselves as both scholars and as regular people. Once we find our academic “niche”, we naturally move towards academic settings and behaviors that best touch on that “niche”. You may already notice this in your child and the preferences they exhibit in their daily work and routines. Regardless of what kind of learner your student is, a well-rounded scholar uses and develops learning skills and strategies from multiple areas. This is the objective in my class at EverGrow Academy; to foster the whole child and help them grow beyond what they are initially comfortable with. Below is an overview of the kinds of learners found within the classroom. Consider which categories your student falls into naturally, and then which ones your student may struggle with. You can naturally foster these strategies with your student in their home life, extracurricular activities, and other working environments.
Four Different Kinds of Teaching
The objective in my classroom is to develop the natural inclination towards learning each student has alongside developing other methods of learning to create academic well-roundedness and competency. Each assignment and activity done in class touches on one or more of the respective academic strategies. Our class cycles through each strategy as we progress through each subject and the related text and materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is progress reported?
In traditional classrooms, letter grades are assigned as a measure of progress. It is important and necessary for me to provide to you as accurate as possible the progress your student is making developmentally. Since there are multiple categories of learning that your student will be developing, progress reports are based on completion of classroom assignments and activities respective to all four learning strategies detailed above. Each assignment or activity completed in class is evaluated through a simple 3 tiered system based on effort and accuracy to assignment directions:
- Exemplary: Student demonstrates academic skills in completing the assignment beyond directions and expectations.
- Competent: Student demonstrates academic skills in completing assignment in line with directions and expectations.
- Developing: Student demonstrates academic skills in completing assignment below directions and expectations.
- Need Improvement: Student demonstrates significant inablility in completing assignment/did not complete assignment, follow directions, or meet reasonable expectations.
Progress reports are sent out through e-mail monthly or by request.
How can I keep track of my student’s work?
All work is completed inside the student’s binder and checked every week on Thursday. You can check your student’s binder at anytime and compare it to the assignments on our classroom calendar.
What is the best way to communicate with Mr. Serrano?
You can e-mail me at jon@evergrowacademy.com or message me through the procare app.