A Day in the Life at Primer

I often get a simple question from Parents:
Ok, but what does a day actually look like at Primer?

It’s a fair question — because a day at Primer doesn’t look like what most of us experienced growing up. 

When we design the school day at Primer, we start from a simple belief that students should be active participants in their education – not just passively experiencing a hurried schedule day after day. So, at Primer there are no bells, busy work, or mad-dashes across campus to another classroom. 

Our days are structured around connection, learning, and what makes every student tick. They begin with an opening circle. Students settle in and set goals for the day, and  It’s a small moment, but it sets the tone for the day.

Our mornings are primarily spent on literacy and math - the foundations that everything else is built on. Students have focused blocks of work, sometimes these are independent, and sometimes in a small group with a teacher. Rather than a single teacher lecturing 30 students at a time, every student works at the level that’s right for them. Most students aren’t on precisely the same grade level in every subject – rather than treat that as anomalous, we design for it as the default.

Our teachers spend their time doing what is most important; teaching. They are giving intentional feedback, catching gaps early, and encouraging students to reach their goals. 

The afternoon is focused on what we call Pursuits — this is where learning comes to life. Students apply what they have learned into projects, building, creating, and researching topics they are genuinely excited about. It’s where curiosity turns into effort, and effort turns into confidence.

The day wraps with a closing circle. This time is focused on students reflecting on what they accomplished and what is coming next.

That’s a day at Primer. Students owning their learning. Teachers focused on real teaching. Progress driven by mastery, not arbitrary time spent. 

If this sounds like a fit for your family, we’d love to chat!