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Teaching & Learning


Giddens School is committed to graduating students with a deep foundation in academics and learning, an awareness of their own and others’ social and emotional well-being, and a commitment to advocating for themselves and the world around them. For over 40 years, Giddens, a preschool through 5th grade independent school, has been dedicated to developing students’ subject matter knowledge while supporting them to be curious, socially responsive, and creative young people well prepared to affect change.

We know from research that teachers and the quality of teaching is one of the central elements to student success. At Giddens, we leverage knowledge from practice and research to engage in ambitious teaching. Ambitious teaching is grounded on four principles:

  • We treat students as sense-makers.
  • We know students socially, emotionally, and intellectually.
  • We engage students in rich content learning that is rigorous and deep.
  • We challenge inequity within and beyond the classroom and school.

These four principles guide our decisions about how best to support student learning.

Notably, Giddens School is one of the most ethnically, economically, and socially diverse independent schools in the Northwest. Over 45% of our students are children of color, 30% of our staff are teachers of color and over 35% of our students receive financial assistance – far more than other independent schools in the greater Seattle area. Within this truly diverse community, tangible experiences shape the way students learn with and about each other. Our commitment to diversity coupled with our commitment to ambitious teaching ensures that all of Giddens students have opportunities to be active agents of their own learning.

Learn more about our unique approach: