Pädagogisches Konzept 

The TCGIS Pädagogisches Konzept - our educational philosophy and structure - is the result of years of responsive, adaptive, innovative educational work in German immersion. Founded in 2005 as a public charter school, TCGIS shares with all Minnesota public schools its mandate to serve our community by preparing our children for life beyond our walls as successful students, engaged citizens, and healthy human beings.

Our Pädagogisches Konzept is rooted in our mission of "Innovative education of the whole child through German immersion.” We use best teaching practices and research-based instructional strategies to prepare our children for world citizenship, prioritizing social-emotional and academic learning equally. 

We value seeing the world through the lens of another language and culture. We learn German, specifically, because it opens doors and connects our students to a culture that innovates and excels in science, art, politics, economics and education. Germany is a geopolitical and economic leader in Europe and is a strong ally and partner to the U.S. Our students also benefit from the cultural value placed on developing self-reliance and curiosity for life-long-learning in German-speaking countries. 
 
We challenge our students to learn through German immersion because we believe a broadened perspective and deepened understanding of our world comes through the ability to speak, understand, read, and write German. TCGIS students learn how to live out our school's vision in real life:  Andere hören, andere sehen, weltoffen denken und handeln (to see others, hear others, and to think and act with a mind open to the world).

The Pädagogisches Konzept forms the framework for the K-8 educational experience at TCGIS and is built upon a foundation of five distinct educational elements:

​Pillar 1: ​K-8 Framework Curriculum & Assessments

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Pillar 1 is the WHAT we teach at Twin Cities German Immersion School. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) identifies knowledge and skills that students learn each grade in the subjects below:
  • Language Arts
  • Science
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies
  • Physical Education & Health
  • Performing and Visual Arts
Our curriculum is driven by Minnesota State Standards in those subjects. Student mastery of state-defined benchmarks for English Reading, Math, and Science are measured by Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs  for grade levels identified by the state each spring. 

In addition to Minnesota State Standards, we use German language acquisition standards from the Education Standards of the Cultural Ministry Conference (Bildungsstandards der Kultusministerkonferenz) and DaF Rahmenplan from the ZfA (German as a Foreign Language Framework from the Central Agency for Schools Abroad). 

Students’ German language proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking is measured through these exams:
  • SOPA (Student Oral Proficiency Assessment) - 2nd grade
  • A1 - 3rd grade
  • A2 - 6th grade 
  • DSD I - 8th grade

The A1 and A2 exams measure language skills that correspond to the six-level scale of competence in the Common European Framework of References for Languages. The DSD I exam is the first step toward demonstrating a language proficiency that would enable students to study at a German university. At the end of 8th grade, students could choose to continue studying German at St. Paul Central High School and take the DSD II exam.

​Pillar 2: ​Study Skills Training / Methodenkonzept und Tech / Digital Citizenship

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We not only teach subject matter, we also teach our students HOW to learn. In German this is called Das Lernen lernen (learning to learn), and it includes, among other things, learning how to organize belongings and work, how to research and find out what they don't know, how to work efficiently and productively, individually and with others. These are fundamental life skills that are integrated into every German school curriculum. 

In our constantly evolving and interconnected world, learning cannot only concern subject knowledge, but must also integrate learning how to learn for life: Wir lernen nicht für die Schule, sondern für das Leben (We don't learn for school, we learn for life).

The promotion of these fundamental life skills are one of the aims of our study skills pillar.  Based on the German concept of Methoden-Training (method training) we are developing a study skills/method curriculum that will facilitate the students’ ability to structure and organize their work and enrich their education. 

Examples of methods that will be integrated into our curriculum are:
  • Organization  
  • Note-taking
  • How to use a planner
  • Grade check-ins
  • How to use a Chromebook for learning  
  • Looking up information and present it clearly, to structure it and visualize it in an attractive way
  • Developing and applying learning strategies
  • Responsible use of technology (computers, the Internet, and digital devices) when engaging with society on any level (Digital Citizenship)

Our long term goals are the development of a school-wide study skills curriculum Methodenführerschein/ Methodenportfolio (method portfolio) and the redesign of our tech curriculum.  Study skills can either be embedded  into subjects or taught in at certain time Methodentage (method days).

​Pillar 3: ​German Immersion

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German Immersion is the center pillar and the core of our Pädagogisches Konzept -  our schoolwide philosophy. Language immersion teaching happens by exclusively using the target language through interaction with subject areas and through literacy development (teaching language through content and content through language).  While immersion learning happens most consistently in the classroom, children at TCGIS also experience it on the playground, in the lunch room and even in the front office, as they use their German to interact with adults and other children (immersive environment). 

Our curriculum is designed to enable students to communicate actively in German by giving them a strong foundation in understanding German, building their vocabulary, speaking, reading and writing. Furthermore, we teach German Immersion not only with the focus on language but also with a focus on cultural learning. Our goal is to equip students with solid cultural and intercultural competencies as multilingual internationally-connected children in an urban Minnesota school.
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TCGIS follows a full immersion model in Kindergarten through grade 2, with instruction delivered fully in German; English is spoken only when warranted by concern for safety.  Students have one hour of English daily in grades 3 and 4. In grades 5-8, Math is taught in English, in addition to Language Arts. For the remainder of students’ time at TCGIS, these two of seven class periods are taught in English, with a possible addition of Spanish in grades 7 & 8. ​
More detailed information on immersion learning can be found by visiting the website for the Minnesota Advocates for Immersion Network  or the University of Minnesota’s Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition.  
"At TCGIS, every teacher is a language teacher" 
Mike Mullins (fmr Director of Teaching & Learning) ​

​Pillar 4: ​PBIS / Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) /  Equity & Belonging

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Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and Equity & Belonging cut across all grade levels and subject areas. These programs directly support our mission to develop the “whole child” at TCGIS.

​PBIS is a school-wide program to help standardize and communicate behavior expectations to students and adults while at school. PBIS aims to reinforce desirable positive behaviors that support our school-wide expectations: 
  • Sicherheit (Safety)
  • Verantwortung (Responsibility)
  • Respekt (Respect)
  • Freundlichkeit (Kindness)  

​One way to do this is by reinforcing desirable behaviors through Mausmünzen. Staff can award a Mausmünze to students who they catch in the act of living out our school expectations while at school. Mausmünzen are entered into a drawing and winners who exemplify our expectations may choose a small prize. 

Our discipline policies intersect with PBIS. We have a system to help us track student behaviors and intervene as patterns develop: “yellow sheets” (minor) and “green sheets” (major) are tracked by our behavior software.

Increasing student understanding of SEL (social-emotional learning) helps kids to build stronger friendships, increase school success, and leads to a better understanding of oneself. SEL is supported in grades K-4 by the 2nd STEP curriculum which helps students identify feelings, how best to process these feelings, and how friends should interact with one another while at school. The MS program helps students identify and address stress, depression, and other strong emotions that bubble up during adolescence. 

Equity & Belonging are newer pieces to our Pillar 4. We are focusing on the concept of “windows and mirrors” - windows to provide students with a view into another culture or lives, and mirrors that reflect back their own lived experiences. TCGIS staff are partnering with the Equity & Belonging Committee and St. Paul-based AMAZEWorks to develop our Equity & Belonging curriculum.

Pillar 5: Individual Learning and Inclusion  (Special Education, MTSS)

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TCGIS is a public charter school that is responsible for educating all enrolled students, including students who are identified with different learning needs. TCGIS uses a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Our Intervention program supports students through the MTSS model in academics and behavior.  Tier 1 are strong instructional practices that all students receive.  Tier 2 are supports that some students receive.  And Tier 3 are the supports that few students receive.  These supports are given to students identified through our screener processes.
The structures and systems of practice for teaching students with identified learning  are rooted in Federal and MN law, but individualized to reflect the unique style of programming offered through the German-immersion mission of our school. 

​Through a system of School Wide Support Team (SWST) Referrals, students who need support are identified and provided interventions on a multi-tier level.  We use universal screeners for literacy, mathematics and behavior.  Using scientific, research based interventions and intervention data cycles, we implement an individualized plan for the learner that involves one one one and small group support. In addition to our universal screeners, we have developed screeners specifically to support our unique German Immersion learning setting. As a consequence, we are able to provide individual supports that go along with our German immersion program like German literacy or DaF support (German as a Second Language). 
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Progress is then monitored through the data collection and modified by our instructors.  This progress screening and monitoring process helps to catch kids that would maybe not receive Special Education services, but are still struggling and need support.  

TCGIS further  provides a full range of educational service alternatives. All students with disabilities are provided the special instruction and services appropriate to their needs. The following is representative of Twin Cities German Immersion School’s method of providing the special education services for the identified pupils, sites available at which service may occur, and instruction and related services are available.

​Appropriate program alternatives to meet the special education needs, goals, and objectives of a pupil are determined on an individual basis. Choice of specific program alternatives are based on the pupil’s current levels of performance, pupil special education needs, goals, and objectives, and must be written in the IEP. Program alternatives are comprised of the type of services provided, the setting in which services occur, and the amount of time and frequency in which special education services occur. A pupil may receive special education services in more than one alternative based on the IEP.