Love for the environment and the outdoors
Our natural playground is almost double the size that is required to have for 82 students. That means we can include more natural elements than most places have room for. We planted fruit trees, shade trees, and mini spruces and have a large garden in the warm months filled with vegetables that the children help tend to and are welcome to eat and bring home! We have many strollers including a six-passenger stroller so that the teachers can take their classes out for walks near the Cove. Our goal is to encourage the children to love being outside, have an appreciation for the environment, and be able to explore nature in a safe yet real-world setting.
Play-based learning
We believe that a child's only job is to play and through play a child will learn, build self-confidence, obtain new skills, and reach new milestones. Our job is to create classroom centers - both indoors and outdoors - that are set up to include many types of play and learning. Toys and books are rotated often to maintain interest and promote curiosity. Our goal is to give each child a love of learning through new adventures and experiences every day.
Growth Mindset focus
The first five years of a child's life are very formative. It's when a child is discovering the world around them and deciding who they want to be in that world. It's the time when they are learning appropriate behavior, empathy for others, how to be kind and thoughtful, how to be resilient, and how to train their brains to overcome negativity, challenges, and struggles. To give the students the tools and thought patterns to achieve positivity and kindness we have developed a Growth Mindset curriculum. Each week of the school year we break those promises down to reinforce further concepts such as focus, persistence, hard work, and being a team player.
Feeling of home
We strive to create a learning environment that feels home-like, therefore warm and inviting. As examples of what we have done for our space think wood floors, warm/homey upholstery and furniture, and a natural playground that looks like your backyard. We want to be more than a school. We want to be an extension of family.
Positive discipline approach
TLG follows the Positive Discipline method for handling challenging behaviors in the classroom. The tools and concepts of Positive Discipline include mutual respect, identifying the belief behind the behavior, effective communication and problem solving skills, discipline that teaches (and is neither permissive nor punitive), focusing on solutions instead of punishment, and encouragement (instead of praise). Encouragement notices effort and improvement, not just success, and builds long-term self-esteem and empowerment.