Teaching & Assessment

TEACHING APPROACH

Bloom Community School's teaching methods are grounded in constructivist and culturally relevant approaches. Constructivism emphasizes that individuals build their own understanding of the world through experiences and reflection, constantly adding and revising their knowledge.

Drawing upon research in educational theory, neuroscience, and developmental psychology, Bloom understands how children learn best and the teacher's role in supporting that learning. Furthermore, the school believes in providing culturally relevant and personally meaningful educational experiences. Students learn about the learning process itself and build knowledge through meaningful and authentic projects that connect individual skills to broader themes.

Bloom's teaching approach is diverse, incorporating peer learning, whole-group, small-group, and personalized instruction, support, and critical thinking facilitation to empower students as self-directed and confident learners.

This approach emphasizes:

Inquiry—asking questions and embracing mistakes.
Project-driven, integrated learning across subjects.
Community connections through professional collaboration.
Cultivating 21st-century skills: critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, communication, information literacy, media and technology literacy, flexibility, initiative, social skills, productivity, and leadership.

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

At Bloom Community School, assessment aligns with our teaching and learning philosophy. It's a tool for refining instruction and personalizing learning. We take a holistic view of each child, valuing the teacher-student relationship as key to authentic assessment.

Instead of standardized tests, we integrate assessment into daily learning through goal-setting, self-reflection, peer discussions, and teacher feedback. Teachers use observation, dialogue, work analysis, and their knowledge of learning standards and developmental models to understand student progress. This understanding informs how they support students in solidifying skills, challenging themselves, and learning from each other.

We also use portfolios and formal benchmark assessments for literacy and math to provide consistent data on academic development in these areas.

Parents receive clear communication about their child's progress through two annual parent-teacher conferences and written documentation.