A Day at Meridian

Teaching at Meridian means showing up to a school where literacy, language, and the arts are woven into every part of the day. While schedules vary by grade level and content area, here is what a typical day looks like for a Meridian teacher.

Morning Duty

Each staff member begins the day at a morning duty post somewhere in the school. Teachers greet students and parents as they arrive, creating meaningful memories and moments for both teachers and students. Around half of our students live in Ward 1, and many parents walk their children to school each day, giving teachers a natural opportunity to build personal connections with families and briefly touch base on student progress before the school day begins.

Class Time

Classes at Meridian are small. Teachers can expect around 19 students per class, and often fewer. That size makes it possible to know each student well and adjust instruction accordingly.

Teachers engage in high-quality instruction each day using nationally vetted, Common Core-aligned curriculum in an inquiry-based environment. A literacy block anchors the day for every student, with 90-120 minutes of dedicated reading and writing instruction. Teachers bring literacy to life through culturally relevant texts, dramatic re-enactments, classroom discussion, and writing that connects to students' own lives and communities.

Arts integration is woven throughout. Teachers across content areas are encouraged to bring creativity into their instruction, whether that means teaching fractions through a recipe, exploring the scientific method through a planting project, or connecting social studies to primary source analysis. Our location in Washington, D.C. gives teachers access to museums, theaters, artists, and cultural institutions that regularly come into classrooms or host student visits, turning the city into an extension of the school day.

Language is present across the school day as well. Daily morning announcements go out in both English and Spanish, and a word-of-the-week program keeps language learning visible for all students. Spanish-language and world language teachers carry the formal language instruction, and content-area teachers support that work by celebrating linguistic diversity in their own classrooms and using multilingual and multicultural library collections and materials.

Teachers are supported by Special Education and English Language Learner teachers throughout the day to ensure every student has the support they need. Instructional coaches and school leaders observe classes regularly and offer feedback to help teachers strengthen their practice.

Intervention Block

Most days include a grade-level intervention block. During this time, teacher teams provide targeted instruction based on each student's current needs. Special Education and ELL teachers work alongside ELA and math intervention teachers to create small groups of five to six students per teacher. Teachers use this time for both intervention and enrichment, and may incorporate blended learning environments to support different learners.

Every eight weeks, teacher teams review recent student performance data together and reorganize groups to make sure each student continues to receive the right level of support.

Planning

Every teacher at Meridian receives at least one hour of daily planning time. Teachers use this time to collaborate with their grade-level or content-area teams, dig into data, unpack curriculum, meet with a coach or principal following a classroom observation, or prepare materials and lessons for upcoming instruction.

Dismissal

At our elementary campus, students are picked up from their classrooms or in grade-level groups outside the building. Many parents pick up their children in person, giving teachers another consistent opportunity to connect with families and share how the day went

Elementary School Campus

Middle School Campus

Interested in joining the Meridian team? Take a look at our current opportunities.