The Six Program Elements

The core books we teach at The New Commons consistently appear on upcoming AP®, SAT®, and ACT® exams, and are often required texts in college literature classes. We always work to ensure that the reading assignments are supportive and transferable to future academic success.

Beyond the choice of text, our discussion-based teaching philosophy is not exam-centric in the traditional sense. Instead, the focus is on asking big questions and seeking answers together through dialogue, not on writing or rote memorization.

While we always cover well-studied concepts, themes, and interpretations of the texts, we learn to do so by making statements and observations, reading closely, and taking risks to express ourselves in new and creative ways.

The experiential knowledge is aimed at growing the whole person as a reader and learner through the work of investigation, listening, and discovery.

OR, OUR TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

  1. A Curriculum for Exam Prep and a Reading Practice for Life

2. Core Texts Meet Living Artists

In the final session, we will put the core text into conversation with a contemporary text or artifact. It’s a fun, bite-sized assignment that students should always find manageable.

Whether it’s watching a film, reading a shorter second text (such as a poem or an article), or studying a painting, photograph, or geographical map, these contemporary “texts” will help us see the core text in a new way—and appreciate the foundational knowledge we collectively worked to build.

Learn more about how the cohort and session structure flows!

3. Small Cohorts by Design

4. Trusted and Guided Dialogue

Each book cohort is a tight group, capped at six students!

Cohorts are designed to be small to make sure the space is truly inclusive for everyone who enrolls. This more intimate learning environment is also necessary for building trust and relationships with each other. It’s our goal that each student feels free to express their thoughts, participate in the discussion multiple times, take risks, and work collaboratively—with dignity, respect, curiosity, and joy.

Learning can be a vulnerable process, especially in a group of new peers.

As in a choir, when each person learns to use their voice, it can create incredibly powerful, magical moments of collective revelation.

We aim to help students build the skills and capacity to use their voices together, and this can only happen through dedicated participation.

In highly structured and careful ways, the tutor will guide the students in asking questions, making observations, and stating our opinions and arguments about the text. Each student has a very important role to play!

As the tutor for each cohort and session, the founder, Lauren, will always provide frameworks to guide a successful small-group discussion from beginning to end. 

Beyond the cohort sessions, we provide an ongoing 1:1 support for each student’s unique questions, experiences, and challenges.

Coaching Sessions are 30-minute, one-on-one guided meetings with the founder, Lauren, for supportive and focused conversations.

During these mentorship meetings, we’ll check in on reading progress, develop strategies for participation, explore themes and topics that have been interesting or challenging, and—if helpful—discuss resources and pathways for academic and career ambitions.

We aim to help students feel more confident in navigating what comes next—in the cohort, in their high school classes, in exam prep, and beyond. 

5. Mentorship Every Step of the Way

6. Certificate of Completion

We will celebrate and recognize the accomplishment of completing this program by awarding a non-accredited Certificate of Completion to students who fully participate. No writing or exams are involved.

The requirement—and the most important goal of your participation—is that you deeply read and study the text! If you’ve done that, you’ve not only done very well, but you truly have prepared yourself to become a more fluent reader, skillful writer, and critical thinker in your classes, come exam season and beyond.

Please see our Program Policies for more details on all the participation requirements.