Brewster’s Best Approach to Learning

Brewster’s “best practices” set us apart from most independent secondary schools in the following ways:

Authentic assessment—Through diverse evaluations, we ensure that our curriculum meets real-world expectations.

Classroom management skills—At Brewster, we set the standard for classroom teaching that others follow by recognizing that the most effective teachers are those who manage time, space, and behavior and maintain high expectations for their students.

Cognitive strategy learning—You’ll learn to recognize the most important elements in learning tasks and monitor your own performance in relation to those tasks.

Collaboration and teams—Our distinctive team-teaching approach is at the core of Brewster’s student-centered environment. Teachers work together in teams (eight teachers per a group of approximately 50 students) to monitor each individual student’s progress.

Cooperative learning—Want to be the teacher? At Brewster, you’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate your individual mastery of a subject and contribute to the learning of others by leading a class.

Curriculum-based measurement—To ensure that students progress in their learning, we monitor and measure their performance frequently throughout the school year rather than at the end as many other schools do.

Direct/explicit teaching—Good teachers aren’t defined by how long they can lecture in front of a class. Rather, they are the ones interactively involved in their classrooms, modeling their expectations to students and mentoring them so they can achieve their academic goals.

Information technology—Brewster is second to none in the extensive integration of technology in the classroom and academic spaces as research has shown positive effects on technology skills and student achievement.

Mastery learning—Imagine a curriculum that is designed around you, your individual grasp of various subjects and your progress. That's the basis of our mastery approach.

Peer mediation—At Brewster, learning is not something that is limited to teachers and classrooms. You will also learn from your classmates—and learn to hold one another accountable—through peer tutoring, peer mediation in residence life, athletics, and an array of other leadership opportunities.

Reward and reinforcement—Everyone likes to be appreciated for their accomplishments, and at Brewster we do this through our recognition program, honoring students for their contributions to the community and their personal growth as students and citizens of the world.