Habits of Learning
The foundation of every lesson taught at Cardigan.
The Cardigan classroom defies simple descriptors, refusing to be defined by one teaching method or philosophical model. Each Cardigan class is different, determined by teachers, students, lessons, and countless other variables. Wander our halls and in one room you might see students collaborating on a mock trial, filling the room with active and engaged conversations. In another, students might be working out math problems on individual whiteboards, or participating in literature circles, or building rockets. Other classrooms might even be empty, the students spilling out into the hallway to test their Pinewood Derby cars or Gates prototype. And outside you might find still other students, observing the campus’s natural ecosystem and gathering data for a lab experiment, heads bent in tight clusters over samples dredged from the bottom of Canaan Street Lake. The lessons are as varied as the individual teachers and students and learning objectives.
There’s one thing, however, that remains consistent: Cardigan’s Habits of Learning. Cardigan’s Habits of Learning are the foundation of every lesson we teach-–whether it’s a beginning Spanish lesson on vocabulary, an advanced algebra lesson on logarithms, or an elective art class on digital photography. While sometimes overt and the focus of a lesson, other times the Habits of Learning are more subtle, providing a backdrop for more complex topics.
Our Habits in Action
Examples of real Cardigan lessons and the related Habits of Learning.
- Math: The Great Paper Airplane
- PEAKS: The Academic Toolbox
- Science: Murder and a Meal Mystery Lab
- English: Goodreads Capstone Project
- Visual Arts: All are Welcome
- Performing Arts: The Slap
- Humanities: Manifest Destiny on Trial
- Latin: If you See Something, Say Something
Math: The Great Paper Airplane
PEAKS: The Academic Toolbox
Science: Murder and a Meal Mystery Lab
English: Goodreads Capstone Project
Visual Arts: All are Welcome
Performing Arts: The Slap
Humanities: Manifest Destiny on Trial
Latin: If you See Something, Say Something
Growth Mindset: students will focus on improvement and understand that intelligence can be developed. We teach growth mindset through problem solving, resilience, and open-mindedness.
Self-Awareness: students will manage themselves and reflect on their decisions.
Coexistence: students will peacefully and productively collaborate with others.
Critical Thinking: students will question and analyze information to draw conclusions.
Communication: students will articulate ideas with clarity and precision through a variety of media.
Ownership: students will advocate for themselves and take responsibility for their life and learning.
Creativity: students will explore and imagine.
Students analyzing samples in the Murder and a Meal Mystery class.
Interested to learn more about Cardigan?
Submit the inquiry form at the link below and we will send you and your son a welcome package that includes our school viewbook and other information about any special academic or athletic interests he may have.