A Traditional* School Students… …learn in same-grade classes; work in same-ability groups and/or keep pace with the needs of the larger group. .…stay seated at their desks most of the time and attend to the teacher’s lesson or class discussion. .…learn with textbooks, papers and some manipulatives, generally in response to the textbook scope and sequence and MA Curriculum Frameworks. .…work for 45 minute periods throughout the day according to the teacher’s schedule for the large group. .…typically pass in papers for teacher correction and receive grades or percentile scores as feedback. Errors are seen as wrong answers that result in lower grades.  .…demonstrate their learning through class quizzes and tests, worksheets, standardized achievement tests, MCAS tests and sometimes portfolios.  …attend school for 6 hours per day (except for half day kindergarten); instruction includes all core academic subjects, art, music and physical education.

HVM Students… …learn in mixed-age classes at their own level and pace; students often coach and learn from each other. .… work in various places in the room as needed for individual and partner learning.  …learn with engaging, hands-on Montessori materials in response to Montessori Curriculum that has been aligned with MA Curriculum Frameworks. …work independently for 1-3 hour work blocks, according to weekly Work Plans devised by teachers and students in response to Individu-alized Learning Agreements and Annual Goals. … spot and learn from their own errors through feedback from the Montessori materials and work with partners to self-check and discuss. Errors are seen as important to the learning process. …demonstrate their learning through ongoing classroom-based assessments, student work samples, standardized achievement tests, MCAS tests and HVM’s Learning Benchmarks portfolios. .…attend school for 7+ hours per day (including full day kindergarten); instruction includes all core academic subjects, art, music, physical education and Spanish.

A Traditional* School Teachers… …prepare daily lessons and serve as director and deliverer of whole or small group instruction. …work usually on their own or with a part time aide in classes of 20-30 students (for a 1:30 maximum ratio). …work usually with whole class or sometimes small groups; provide lecture/group teaching and explanation; request attention to directions and completion of tasks. …use curriculum that may be thematic or, more commonly, separated by discipline; curriculum is usually fairly compartmentalized.  …communicate student progress through quarterly report cards and letter grades. Some schools also provide 1 or 2 parent-teacher conferences.  …expect respectful conduct at all times; may not be consistent with behavior issues from one classroom to another.   …work with colleagues sporadically usually after school hours when time and energy allow; usually develop curriculum activities for individual classroom.

HVM Teachers… …carefully prepare the learning environment and serve as guide, consultant and facilitator for individual learning. …work with a full time assistant in classrooms of 20-25 students (for a 2:25 maximum ratio). …work closely with individuals and small groups; provide explanation and demonstra-tion; request self-assessment, self-direction and goal setting from students. …use curriculum that is interdisciplinary, at times thematic and project-based, showing connections across disciplines.  …communicate student progress through 2-4 parent-teacher conferences per year with discussion of student work samples, quarterly Individualized Learning Agree-ments and an annual progress report. …expect and teach grace, courtesy, respect and responsibility at all times to create a peaceful atmosphere throughout the school.  …work with colleagues during the school day twice a week and on prescheduled professional development days to collaboratively study student work samples, develop new curriculum and engage in continuous improvement.