Make a difference

Every day, Summit teachers are making a difference in the lives of students, connecting with colleagues, and growing as professionals.

Teaching at Summit

Teachers are at the heart of every Summit classroom. Summit teachers play a variety of roles as they establish self-directed learning structures, support student progress, and build positive school culture. They are subject matter experts, mentors, and leaders. They ensure that students have the right supports to meet and exceed grade-level expectations; help students practice self-direction, an invaluable skill that they will use in all parts of their lives; and provide mentoring and coaching to help students reach their goals.

Projects are the foundation of the academic experience and give students hands-on experience with real-world scenarios they’ll encounter after graduation, like collaborating with a team, interpreting data, and presenting a persuasive argument. In the classroom, teachers teach cognitive skills and content through real-world projects and help students apply their knowledge to the world around them.

In addition to teaching, Summit teachers get to know their students deeply by serving as mentors. With dedicated mentor time each week, teachers support their mentees throughout their entire time at school and work to help them develop Habits of Success. Mentors help students set both long-and short-term goals and provide guidance as students progress over time. See sample teacher schedules at Summit here (PDF).

Growth and Development at Summit

We are committed to teachers’ continued professional growth at Summit. Teachers get weekly 1:1 coaching from their school leader and additional time to collaborate with their colleagues. With 40 dedicated days of professional development built into the academic year, we equip teachers with the tools necessary to improve their practice and tackle challenging issues.

We prioritize developing leaders from within and have invested in multiple career pathway programs for our teachers and school leaders.

Learn more about what it’s like to be a Summit teacher.