E X C E L model
Capturing Kids' Hearts
Peparing teachers to effectively impact their students each time they come together, from the beginning of class to the end.
ENGAGE
Engage students at the door: shake hands, eye contact, smile, welcome, affirm, model
- Take the "temperature of the class" Greeting students at the door gives you insight into any outside problems/concerns that may be brought into class.
- This models appropriate social and professional skills that students can use in their daily lives.
- Don't use student greeters as a way to avoid being at the door.
X-PLORE
Get in touch with where the learners are personally, emotionally and academically: journal, bell ringer, think and share, open ended thought questions, Good Things
- Students have a prompt, question, problem to get them thinking while others are coming in.
- Good Things - This will feel awkward at first, be patient
- "Process" the journal/question/problem - Quickly share some of the thoughts, ideas and observations from the X-Plore
COMMUNICATE
Communicate the content of the class
- Address the needs discovered in the X-PLORE step.
- Two-way process and should include some dialogue with learners
- Flexibility & Creativity are essential. Students need to practice thinking through questions. Have other learners share their "thinking process"
- Make "real world benefit" whenever possible.
EMPOWER
Empower the learner
- Students gain the ability to "use and do". Time for them to practice and apply what they have learned.
- Students should feel free to fail. They should have encouragement and support from teacher and other students.
- "I do." "We do." "You do."
LAUNCH
Launch is a meaningful ending.
- End & Send
- Summary of what has happened and a charge forward.
- Give students a "flight plan" for how they can use the learning.
- Quotes, poems, idea, task,stories, songs, "Exit Tickets" phrases that send students out the door thinking.