The Structure of The KJDS Classroom

KJDS has the advantage of being a small school. Its average student-teacher ratio is about 10-1 in all grades K-5. Teachers know all the students very well and students have a deep, personal relationship with the teachers. In the KJDS classroom, everyone can be heard, and a few minutes of one-on-one time with a student can lead to great gains in academic achievement. There is a great fostering of mutual respect as there is abundant exchange of thoughts, opinions and philosophies.

Additionally, a small classroom offers more opportunity for in-depth peer collaboration. Students know each other better, are more interdependent and therefore, are more successful at group work. There are fewer and smaller groups and more time for students to share their own discoveries. Children have more opportunity to come to their own conclusions after “hands-on” experiences.

Other factors unique to KJDS are its multi-aged classes, individualized instruction and flexible ability grouping. Each child is in various multi-aged groups during the school day, usually grouped in two-year spans. Each group of children is learning what it needs to know, according to the level it has mastered. Because children are periodically advanced in ability level during the year and certainly from year to year, children are very motivated.