I wish you could have seen it. It was breathtaking. Stella and Oliver taught our class about respect. The class gave them full attention and the two budding teachers captured their classmates imaginations and cooperation for an entire hour!
Since the first of the year, teachers in the Lower School have worked to identify behavioral characteristics we desire to develop in our SPS students. We listed traits one meeting. We offered examples of how we identify students exhibiting one of the desired traits. Finally, we listed examples of when students were failing to exhibit a desired trait. We filled in a description for the phrase, "When a student is failing to exhibit respect, it looks like this..."
In thinking about how to communicate the desired traits to our students we hoped to offer concrete examples of what the desired trait looks like and what its absence looks like.
In thinking about examples we realised we had students in our classes that were extraordinary individuals who always demonstrated the desired attitudes and behaviors and that with guidance, they could help convey the desirability of these behaviors to their classmates.
Ms. Kern volunteered to lead a group of students from each grade level from 1st grade through 5th grade. Each classroom sent two representatives. 3A sent Stella and Oliver. They spent several weeks of Wednesday lunches learning to teach a lesson and organize activities.
The big day was this week. Stella and Oliver felt prepared and I had set aside 20-30 minutes for their lesson. They grabbed their audience immediately and kept the lesson rolling with a variety of activities, including sharing a book which offered an opportunity to consider the character's behavior in terms of respect. Students were led through role playing, discussions, and finally to a conclusion.
I stayed back and watched. Ms. Kern had them well prepared and the two of them were in charge and engaging. After five minutes of watching the students react to Stella and Oliver, I dashed out of the room, grabbed Ms. Kern, and brought her back to our classroom to show her how magnificently the class was engaged, and how masterly Oliver and Stella led the activities. It exceeded our most optimistic vision of how this would work.
The 20 minutes rolled into an hour; and hour that seemed to fly by. I have never felt more proud of my students. They made their teachers' dreams come true.
Since the first of the year, teachers in the Lower School have worked to identify behavioral characteristics we desire to develop in our SPS students. We listed traits one meeting. We offered examples of how we identify students exhibiting one of the desired traits. Finally, we listed examples of when students were failing to exhibit a desired trait. We filled in a description for the phrase, "When a student is failing to exhibit respect, it looks like this..."
In thinking about how to communicate the desired traits to our students we hoped to offer concrete examples of what the desired trait looks like and what its absence looks like.
In thinking about examples we realised we had students in our classes that were extraordinary individuals who always demonstrated the desired attitudes and behaviors and that with guidance, they could help convey the desirability of these behaviors to their classmates.
Ms. Kern volunteered to lead a group of students from each grade level from 1st grade through 5th grade. Each classroom sent two representatives. 3A sent Stella and Oliver. They spent several weeks of Wednesday lunches learning to teach a lesson and organize activities.
The big day was this week. Stella and Oliver felt prepared and I had set aside 20-30 minutes for their lesson. They grabbed their audience immediately and kept the lesson rolling with a variety of activities, including sharing a book which offered an opportunity to consider the character's behavior in terms of respect. Students were led through role playing, discussions, and finally to a conclusion.
I stayed back and watched. Ms. Kern had them well prepared and the two of them were in charge and engaging. After five minutes of watching the students react to Stella and Oliver, I dashed out of the room, grabbed Ms. Kern, and brought her back to our classroom to show her how magnificently the class was engaged, and how masterly Oliver and Stella led the activities. It exceeded our most optimistic vision of how this would work.
The 20 minutes rolled into an hour; and hour that seemed to fly by. I have never felt more proud of my students. They made their teachers' dreams come true.