Please take note of our Open House event dates and details. Open House for next-year is coming!
Registrations, regarding the current school year or next-year, with all related details, can be found in the FOR PARENTS tab above.
Ability, Character, and Citizenship are the foundations of the belief system at Riverbend Junior High School. Students continually strive to maximize their abilities and stretch their limits. We believe in being of high moral character and always demonstrating and finding the best in each of us. We expect all members of the Riverbend family to continue to show the kindness and consideration that is good citizenship.
Teach Like a Champion
I once read a book entitled, “Teach Like a Champion” by Doug Lemov. Mr. Lemov served as a teacher, trainer, consultant and administrator during his career and observed many teachers, both good and bad, over the years. Mr. Lemov became intrigued by what exactly separated the good teachers from the great teachers and decided to write a book about what tools excellent teachers use to separate themselves from the good teachers.
Riverbend School takes pride in hiring talented teachers. We know the importance of having great teachers in our school. When a teaching position is being filled, the screening and interviewing process is very intense. We thoroughly comb through the application materials. We look hard at the transcripts to ensure that the applicant took challenging courses and received good grades in those courses. We also dig into the educational philosophy of each candidate. We know that it takes a certain type of teacher to be successful at Riverbend and we work hard at finding ones that agree with “The Riverbend Way.” And of course, we want the teachers that are able to connect with children.
But just what is it that makes a great teacher? What types of things were identified by Mr. Lemov in his book, “Teach Like a Champion?” Listed below are some of the key chapters that address what it takes to be a great teacher. I am proud to say that for the most part, our teachers are “spot on” in these areas:
1. Setting High Academic Expectations – The teachers know that at Riverbend we want to raise the academic bar as high as possible. There is no room for “academic fluff” in our curriculum. The content is demanding and rich for our junior high students.
2. Planning that Ensures Academic Achievement – The beauty of collaborative planning time is that our grade level and content teachers are able to effectively plan how to cover the information in a given year. Our teachers know the importance of developing curriculum maps, unit organizers and lesson plans. Our teachers are well-planned and well-prepared.
3. Structuring and Delivering Your Lessons – There are many creative and effective ways to deliver the content. The teachers at Riverbend School are encouraged to utilize a variety of methods in delivering the content. The number one priority is to make sure the students get the pertinent information, but we also encourage the teachers to do so in a way that is exciting and engaging.
4. Engaging Students in Your Lessons – It is important to get the students excited about the topic. Often times that means providing a “hook” to peak their interest. Students also like to know the relevance of the content. The awesome teachers of Riverbend do a masterful job of getting the students engaged in the lesson.