Fourth Grade teachers use an inquiry-based, student led engagement approach. This allows the students to learn in ways that best meet their learning styles and demonstrate their learning in ways in which they are most interested. Students at this point in their career at Good Shepherd are quite versed in technology and expertly show their work utilizing PowerPoint, Prezi and Google for Education.
All Resource Classes are quite sophisticated and have challenging expectations for the Fourth Grade student. Topics within the subjects of Music, Art, Physical Education, Spanish, Technology, Media and Research are presented in-depth and expected to generate complex two and three step thought processes. Information from these classes and the students’ progress in using classroom technology contribute to the overall experience for the students.
Classroom learning in the four Core Subjects- Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies, is individualized, incorporating differentiation and curriculum compacting. Topics in these subject areas are taught using student inferencing, critical thinking and self-directed learning. This allows the Fourth Grade students to prepare for the 21st century by understanding their own metacognition.
Preparation for tomorrow’s world is a constant objective and brings meaning and purpose to the educational experience. A true value of this grade level is bringing synchrony to student life and leadership. This is accomplished by students becoming role models for the younger children. Thus, Good Shepherd builds a sense of self and an understanding of others , accompanied by the necessary skills for future success.