San Francisco, CA
Laurel Hill Nursery School and Pre-Kindergarten

Teachers Are:

OVERALL RATING: (4.6)
Full of energy and seemingly happy in job
Patient and affectionate with children
Talks with children and listens carefully when they are talking with him/her
Praises children for accomplishments and good behavior
Provides feedback on what my child does during the day
Shares insights on my child that are helpful and accurate
Identifies my child’s strengths and weaknesses
If necessary, provides additional support to my child during pickup and drop-off
Resolves disputes quickly, calmly and fairly in a manner that allows children to learn from the dispute
Notices children who are not on task and/or engaging with other children appropriately and quickly reengages them
Manages the energy level of the children so that all children feel safe and able to learn
Provides additional support to a child when s/he is clearly failing in her/his efforts
Strikes the proper balance between active and quiet play for children

source:

Director's Comments on Individualized Teaching

Description of how teachers work with children who are  "behind," "excelling" or "different" from the majority of students

Each child is expected and encouraged to develop at his or her own pace. If we see that a child is meeting a developmental challenge or struggling with a certain area of development, we will provide special support throughout the day and/or meet with the parent to coordinate support at home and at school.

Parents' Comments on Individualized Teaching

Parent #1
I feel this staff is fantastic- each teacher brings his or her own style which I have found to speak to different children with different times and situations. ( I.E. A male teacher and a male child) They really foster each individual child's independence and encourage free expression through learning.

Parent #2
The teachers at Laurel Hill are great. They're individuals, so have individual strengths, weaknesses and special talents, and the kids at school tend to gravitate toward the teachers who can provide what they need. The other parents are great co-teachers, too. Laurel Hill is an interesting community of people each bringing his or her own special thing to the school. The art specialists at the school are also parents of children at the school and the kids love them. An outside music teacher comes in monthly and the kids love that, too. We wish that a structured music time was scheduled more often, but rare is the day that there is not music of some sort coming from one of the classrooms. At least two of the teachers are talented singers.

Parent #3
My child's 'primary' teacher is likely the weak link on the teaching staff at Laurel Hill. by and large, the teachers are EXCELLENT. one thing that warrants a big mention: parents provide two special 'activities' for kids in the AM and PM every day. this can be anything from a baking activity to making paper airplanes to understanding how and why magnets work. this adds tremendously to the preschool experience at Laurel Hill.

Parent #4
My daughter's teacher is great, and lovely, and respectful of my daughter sometimes more so than I. Also the numbering system is not relevant because all the other teachers are parents rotating through on their work day.

Parent #5
Some of these statements do not apply in a play school environment where kids aren't 'taught' in the traditional sense.

Parent #6
Children at Laurel Hill are allowed a lot of freedom yet there are rules and guidelines. Children are allowed to express themselves in many different ways and all children are accepted and differences celebrated. The teachers were extremely attentive and with the help of parents, there is always a chance to help children work through difficulties

Parent #7
All of our teachers at the present time are exceptional. They are committed to our philosphy - playbased child centered structure. They primarily observe the children and only interfere when absolutely necessary.

Parent #8
The staff is cohesive, loving, and respectful of the needs of children and their families. The school also has awsome art and music teachers as well as connections to family support services.

Montessori? Waldorf? Play-based?

What school type is right for your child? Is one model better than another? What does the research say?

View an example from the Savvy Source guide to learn more.

Help your little one to learn good manners by having a tea party. Set a table with your finest plastic ware and be sure to use your best manners. Modeling this behavior in playtime helps your little one to remember it at dinner time.

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