WHY THE METROPOLITAN SCHOOLHOUSE MODEL WORKS…

Metropolitan Schoolhouse is a unique, independent school within Chicago.  We offer whole-person, student-centered learning through an innovative and individualized curriculum.   Our educators hail from multi-faceted backgrounds and are truly dedicated to the development of our students.

Differentiation

Differentiation is the foundation of all teaching and learning at Metropolitan Schoolhouse. We keep the needs of our students at the core of all decision making. Due to our small class sizes we are able to adapt both large level curricular decisions as well as day by day lesson planning to the individual needs, abilities, and interests of each one of our students. Upon enrollment, the student, parent, and appropriate staff, will come together to craft individualized goals for the year. These goals will take into account academic and social emotional areas of need and will be reflected upon throughout the year in conferences with parents, teachers, and students all taking part.

Small Class Sizes

Small class sizes are a keystone of the Metro experience. Our average class size is seven students. Teachers are able to form connections and build meaningful relationships with each one of their students, which goes on to foster a more successful learning experience. The insight gained from the relationships we build with our students allows for more effective collaboration and implementation of tools and plans necessary to meet students’ individual needs. We have five multi-aged pods with an average of five students. We have one grades K-2 Pod, one grades 3-5 pod, two middle school pods, and one high school pod.

Social Emotional Learning

Social Emotional Learning is integrated throughout all teaching and learning at Metropolitan Schoolhouse. In addition to academic classes, all students receive group-based Social Emotional Learning (SEL) instruction which focuses on the development and real-world application of social flexibility, coping strategies, and executive functioning skills. Throughout the course of the school year, weekly SEL lessons encourage students in perspective-taking, examining how the brain and body communicate during emotional experiences, and recognizing when to utilize individualized tools to support regulation and learning readiness. Metropolitan Schoolhouse utilizes the Social ThinkingⓇ and Zones of RegulationⓇ curricula to scaffold this learning, as well as specialized activities tailored to best meet the goals of the group and the individual needs of each of our students.

Inquiry-Based and Hands-On-Learning

Metropolitan Schoolhouse has been dedicated to hands on, inquiry-based learning since it was founded in 2013. We believe that students need to be given the opportunity to extend and apply their learning into the real world. In the past this has included field trips, mock business plans, stock market challenges, and service projects. As Metro reaches into its 6th year we’ve decided to become a candidate for the Primary Years Program of the International Baccalaureate Organization. Integrating this program into our overall school structure and philosophy will allow us to have a more cohesive version of inquiry-based and hands-on-learning.

Metropolitan Schoolhouse is a candidate school* for the PYP. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy- a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education- that we believe is important for our students.

Learn About the International Baccalaureate Organization

Our Faculty

We pride ourselves on having a highly flexible staff that is able to adapt to the diverse needs of our students. Our staff responds to the varying needs of our students and maintains regular communication with parents regarding student progress. We maintain a staff of five core teachers as well as a variety of aides and additional faculty to support our students. Our teachers have a wide range of teaching and learning experiences from several different states here in the US as well as abroad. Our teachers model a love of learning, and as a school we respect this love by investing in the continuing professional development of our teachers. We have professional development days throughout the year that are responsive to the needs and interests of our staff and allow us to serve our students more effectively.

Meet Our Team