Paideia is a K-12 college preparatory school of 999 students in the Emory University area of Atlanta; the elementary school enrolls 333 students. The elementary program includes twelve full-day, self-contained classrooms grades K-6. There are two teachers in each class of twenty-six to twenty-eight children. Teachers work together as lead teacher and assistant or as two co-lead teachers. Other than classes with specialists including art, music, physical education, and library, children remain with their own teachers throughout the day.
We believe the constellation of relative strengths and weaknesses among any group of students can differ widely; teachers decide when and how to offer extra help, when and where to augment a task to provide extra challenge, and when and why to take a step back to allow a child to process information. Social development is an integral part of a child’s maturation. Teachers help children learn how to work together cooperatively and effectively.