TEACHING AT PRESIDIO HILL SCHOOL

Presidio Hill School, founded in 1918, is the oldest progressive school in California. Its founders, two women poet-artists, were greatly influenced by the work of John Dewey and other progressive educators writing in the early twentieth century. This child-centered approach has been the foundation of Presidio Hill School for more than 90 years.

Presidio Hill teachers create a culture of expectation and inspiration for their students. They understand the inevitability of change and have in their power the ability to shape that change to the advantage of their students. Presidio Hill teachers also understand their responsibility to keep learning as they grow and develop alongside their students. Rather than a community of the learned, we aspire to be a community of learners.

The teaching methodology is grounded in progressive tradition and includes the following elements:

Teachers:

• Make decisions with the child's best interests as the primary consideration.
• Are constructivist in their orientation, believing the children need to construct their own meaning from the work at hand.
• Create thematic, interdisciplinary units of study.
• Teach a conceptual, problem-solving, visual, manipulative-based math program in all grades.   TERC Investigations is employed in the Lower School.
  
• Teach reading from a balanced, whole language literature-based approach that incorporates phonics instruction in the early grades.
• Use the "writing process" approach to teaching writing.
• Create activities in which children actively "do" science (hypothesizing, collecting data, sharing information, experimenting) rather than merely reading about it.
• Engage students in cooperative learning.
• Use authentic assessment strategies such as portfolios, narrative reports, anecdotal record keeping, rubrics, and demonstrations in order to track student learning. We do not give standardized tests to young children.
• Create their own curriculum in collaboration with colleagues. We work largely without textbooks and those that are in use do not drive the curriculum.
• Create grade level and subject specific standards or benchmarks.
• Are familiar with the use of technology and use it in developmentally appropriate ways with students. Teachers use technology, including the school's website to communicate with parents.
• Know something of modern brain research and its application to the classroom.
• Plan and implement experiential education elements, closely tied to classroom curriculum.  Possibilities include field trips, overnights, outdoor education, environmental education, service learning, and so on.
• Engage students in questions and actions focused on environmental responsibility and stewardship.
• Have an international, global perspective through travel, living abroad, reading, or other means.
• Create multicultural units of study and model a respect for diversity and inclusion.
• Know something of motivational and attribution theory and use this knowledge to create an ethos fostering intrinsic motivation.
• Model and teach ethical values and character.

If you are interested in working in an environment that expects collegiality and cooperation, stresses teacher growth as well as that of students, offers small classes within a dynamic, diverse and supportive community of students, parents, and fellow teachers in one of the finest and most interesting cities in the world, let us hear from you.

Thank you for your interest in Presidio Hill School.

Scott Duyan
Head of School