In Praise of One to One Education at Oxford Academy

“The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn’t need to be reformed — it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardize education, but to personalize it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.”
Ken Robinson, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

One to One Education or learning at Oxford Academy

Oxford Academy is an esteemed institution at the forefront of educational innovation, proudly introducing The Oxford Method of Individualized Instruction. Our commitment to redefining education is founded on the belief that every student possesses unique potential, and at Oxford, we are dedicated to nurturing that potential through a personalized, one to one education learning experience.

The cornerstone of our educational approach is The Oxford Method of Individualized Instruction, a dynamic framework rooted in the understanding that students thrive when appropriately challenged. Our weekly progress evaluations empower our dedicated educators to fine-tune each student’s learning journey, ensuring a delicate balance between pushing boundaries and providing unwavering support.

What truly sets Oxford Academy apart is our unwavering commitment to putting the individual student in the driver’s seat of their educational voyage. With The Oxford Method, students actively participate in shaping their curriculum, with guidance from our experienced teachers. This unique approach allows us to tailor courses to individual interests, prior knowledge, and skill levels, fostering not only academic excellence, but also igniting a genuine passion for learning.

In a world where traditional classroom instruction often overlooks individuality, Oxford Academy stands as a beacon of educational innovation. Unlike preset curricula followed in traditional and tutorial instruction, our students experience a curriculum designed exclusively for them. This not only promotes academic growth but also eliminates the pressures of classroom competition. At Oxford, students compete solely with themselves, creating an environment that encourages self-discovery and the pursuit of excellence.

Moreover, our one-to-one learning approach is particularly beneficial for students with unique learning needs, such as those with ADHD allowing students to build Executive Functioning skills. The personalized attention and tailored curriculum enable these students to thrive academically and develop essential life skills. Here at Oxford Academy, we prepare students not just for the present but for a future where adaptability, critical thinking, and self-directed learning are paramount.

The Benefits of One to One Education or Learning

1. High-quality interaction where students feel heard.
   With the one-to-one, relational model, teachers are committed to listening to the student and actively responding. Though teachers often initiate and organize class, conversations are student-driven where the student has agency in the learning experience.
2. Provides students the opportunity to step up and feel agency in their learning.
   In one-to-one interactions and self-driven coursework, students cannot rely on their peers, copy someone else’s work or fall back on the ideas of others. This highly increases a student’s personal responsibility for their learning, encouraging them to take coursework seriously and fully master the materials.
3. Teachers gauge the student’s progress and mastery.
   In a one-to-one relationship, teachers get to know their students fully and keep track of their progress, gauging their successes and challenges. Teachers can adjust lesson plans, deadlines, course projects and assessments to fully serve the student.
4. High engagement with low stress to eliminate the fear of failure.
   Through one-to-one interactions, students learn to trust their teachers and are given a safe space to openly share. In classroom settings pressured by peers, some students fear answering questions, making mistakes, or taking risks. With caring, considerate teachers there is no wrong answer or silly question and students do not have to fear being themselves.
5. Avoids over stimulation and eliminates distractions.
   Without the distraction and over stimulation of a room full of peers, students are able to focus all of their attention on their teacher and the material being learned. One-to-one interactions allow the student to use all of their brainpower on schoolwork and not on filtering the surrounding environment.
6. Ability to personalize conversations and assignments.
   Students are able to curate their conversations with instructors to match their interests. Students can develop their course schedules, projects, reading lists, test styles, etc. to match their unique passions and learning needs. Teachers align conversations and assignments with what interests and inspires the student.
7. Teachers adapt to the student’s communication style.
   One-to-one learning provides students rich opportunities to practice interpersonal communication and converse with solely one person at a time. In one-to-one classes, students never have to decode the lesson, learn the material and then figure out how to communicate back to the teacher in a specific way. Conversely, communication, sharing of ideas, and questions and answers are organic and to the student’s preferences.

Benjamin Bloom’s Research on One to One Education/ Learning

Source: The 2 Sigma Problem: The Search for
Methods of Group Instruction as Effective as One-to-One Tutoring Benjamin S. Bloom Educational Researcher, Vol. 13, No. 6. (Jun. – Jul., 1984), pp. 4-16. Methods of Group Instruction as Effective as One-to-One Tutoring Benjamin S. Bloom Educational Researcher, Vol. 13, No. 6. (Jun. – Jul., 1984), pp. 4-16.

The advantage offered by one-to-one learning is well researched and supported. Benjamin Bloom empirically proved the achievement benefits of one-to-one instruction over the conventional classroom in 1984. The average student tutored one-to-one using mastery learning techniques performed two standard deviations better than students who learn via conventional instructional methods — the average student working one-to-one was above 98% of the students in the control class.

Bloom’s research says two variables are necessary for students to achieve these results:

• The student is mentored one-to-one.
• The mentor uses mastery learning.

Mastery learning is an educational approach in which teachers work with a student as long as necessary to ensure the student has mastered one topic or skill before moving on to the next. Mastery learning can be applied either in small classrooms or with one-on-one mentorship. Bloom concluded individual mentoring is more effective.

Mastery Learning through One to One Education at Oxford Academy

Mastery Learning refers to systems of instruction, assessment, grading, and academic reporting that are based on students demonstrating mastery of the knowledge and skills they are expected to learn before they move to the next level. The goal of mastery-based learning is to ensure that students acquire the knowledge and skills that are essential to success in school, higher education, careers, and adult life. If students fail to meet expected standards, they receive additional instruction, practice time, and academic support to help them achieve mastery. These standards include content-specific knowledge and skills as well as cross-curricular skills.

Character and Leadership Curriculum (CLC)

At Oxford Academy, we understand that adolescence is a critical period for personal development. We are dedicated to nurturing essential life skills in our students through our Character and Leadership Curriculum (CLC), delivered in an engaging seminar-style format. Our CLC program encourages self-awareness, self-management, and responsible decision-making, empowering students for a successful future.

Structured Character and Leadership Program:

Our CLC program provides a structured framework for students to develop important life skills aligned with Oxford Academy’s graduate matriculation profile. This comprehensive program is an integral part of our students’ educational journey.

Weekly Seminars and Skill Development:

Students meet weekly to delve into a range of topics that are essential for personal growth and leadership development. These seminars focus on practical skill development, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the challenges they may encounter in the future.

Open and Respectful Communication:

The foundation of our CLC is built upon open and respectful communication among students. We believe that honest dialogue fosters personal growth and a positive atmosphere within the school community.

Key Topics Explored in CLC:

• Goal-setting: Helping students define their objectives and work towards achieving them.
• Dorm Life: Providing guidance for students in their residential experience.
• Self-care: Teaching strategies for physical and emotional well-being.
• Navigating Relationships: Equipping students with the skills to build healthy relationships.
• Problem-solving Skills: Encouraging critical thinking and effective problem-solving.
• Self-regulation Skills: Assisting students in managing their emotions and behaviors.
• Increasing Self-awareness: Promoting self-reflection and personal growth.

At Oxford Academy, our faculty members are the cornerstone of our educational approach. With an average tenure of 15 years, our dedicated educators are deeply committed to empowering each student. They create tailored curricula and lessons that address individual learning needs, including challenges with attention, executive function, and learning differences. Through one-to-one interactions, students gain agency over their academic experiences, unlocking their potential and discovering the joy of lifelong learning.

Join us at Oxford Academy, the best boarding school in Connecticut, where we not only provide an exceptional education but also foster personal growth and leadership skills that will serve our students throughout their lives.  We look forward to collaborating with you to ensure the success of our students in their educational journey.