Kyrene de las Manitas' Innovation Academy in Tempe creates new way to learn in the classroom

Tempe school creates new way to learn in the classroom

Instead of being in a class with one teacher, there are several available to help students.

TEMPE, Ariz. - A Kyrene school is doing something new and innovative in what they hope will benefit students in the long run.

They have torn down the traditional classroom walls to make one big space for teachers and students to work together.

They're calling this the school of the future and say it is a way for students to get a more individualized approach for their learning because instead of being in a class with one teacher, there are several there to help.

It may look like a large classroom, but it is actually several of them all in one space with different teachers.

"Here we have taken all of these students across grade levels and wrapped a lot of support around them and put them into groups that are exactly their level," said Dr. Sarah Collins, Kyrene de las Manitas' principal.

In Kyrene School District's first-ever Innovation Academy, the teachers will all work together to come up with a curriculum for each subject and students.

"They look at data all the time. They are coming together, looking at data to decide, well, this kid has been in my group and needs to be pushed up and or really struggling, and let's add them to your group," explained Collins.

In this structure, students are surrounded by their teachers, but also student teachers and paid interns from Arizona State University, so they get more individualized attention.

"It really impacts the way we learn, and it was nice learning in a classroom, but here you get to be with different teachers and interact with other people," said a student.

The school's staff says this also helps with the issue many districts are facing with the shortage of substitute teachers because if one teacher calls out, the other teachers are there to take over the class, keeping the stability for students.

"The benefits are greatly outweighing the negatives, the team of educators that come together to plan for every single kid's needs," said Collins.

In 2023, they plan to add this to more grades. School officials say educators from all over the country have toured the classroom, so they can incorporate it into their school districts.

Kyrene de las Manitas Innovation Academy: https://www.kyrene.org/innovation