Academics

The Center for Teaching and Learning

The Path to Independence

The GPS Center for Teaching and Learning is a welcoming, safe, and student-centered space designed to support teacher instruction, while helping girls recognize their potential in the learning process.

Meet Our Learning Specialists

The GPS Learning Specialists are able and prepared to provide support for all GPS students, including those who have been diagnosed with learning differences. The Learning Specialists support both Middle and Upper School students and serve as a resource for faculty.

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Renee Romero

Learning Center Specialist
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Kipton Lankford Tugman ’92

Learning Center Specialist
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Information is like water—it comes in a variety of forms; learning is about identifying the means by which you need the information to understand it.

The Executive Functioning Skills Toolbox

Executive functioning skills are those that help students organize, plan, and prioritize. They are responsible for working memory, flexible thinking, and inhibitory control. With the help of the Learning Specialists, GPS students hone skills that will help them succeed in and out of the classroom including:

Time management
Self-advocacy
Study strategies
Planning
Organization
Processing

A Multi-tiered Approach

The Center for Teaching and Learning follows a multi-tiered approach to help girls achieve independence in their learning journeys. In Middle School, in conjunction with the social-emotional skills taught by the GPS Counseling Specialists, Learning Specialists teach executive functioning skills such as time management, organization, and study strategies through various classroom and advisory activities. In addition, girls with learning profiles spend their study halls in the Center for Teaching and Learning so they can receive extra support. They can also take tests and quizzes in the Center for Teaching and Learning.

In Upper School, Learning Specialists serve as liaisons between students and teachers, facilitating conversations and working with students to become their own advocates. They also support students in the classroom, working with small groups to emphasize concepts, answer questions, and offer study strategies.

Understanding Learning Profiles

Defined as a complete picture of a student’s learning preferences, strengths, and challenges, a learning profile helps GPS Learning Specialists build an educational plan around a student who has been diagnosed with learning differences. Whether she needs help prioritizing projects, scheduling her day, or requires additional testing time, learning plans at GPS focus on student strengths as they work toward their own chosen goals.

The All-Girls Difference

At the Center for Teaching and Learning, each girl is welcome and encouraged to:

Feel comfortable asking questions
Advocate for themselves
Take risks
Talk through questions or concerns
Study effectively
Plan her schedule
Manage her time

“We look at the whole girl. We review her information holistically and really try to meet her where she is and take into account her social-emotional wellbeing as well as her academic performance. Want to make sure she’s emotionally OK before moving forward.”
—Renee Romero, Learning Specialist