From the CEO...
The Digital eWalkThrough® System is a research-based model for effective and efficient instructional leadership. If student success is the destination, education is the engine, and eWalkThrough® is the fuel.
Expect the eWalkThrough Fuel quarterly from Dr. Kelly Gillespie, CEO of Southwest Plains Regional Service Center. Our professional learning team is dedicated to the design of innovative solutions that will deliver the results you require for your staff and your students.
What are their personal interests? What are their talents? What do they enjoy and what makes them passionate? What occurs within their family/home life that might impact their success in the classroom?
Simultaneously, let your students get to know you. Share information about your family, your background, your interests/hobbies, and your dreams. Building rapport with your students will nurture increased positive interactions with them. Students will experience, understand, and believe you sincerely care about them. Don't forget the old adage, "Actions speak louder than words."
For other students, their interest might lie in horses, race cars, gymnastics, or reading. Paula Denton, author of The Power of Our Words: Teacher Language that Helps Children Learn, says, "The more we know about the child, the more we can build learning environments and find creative ways to help the student successfully grasp the material."
Teachers must build curriculum based on the interests of individual students. Be innovative. Teachers must build learning environments that are creative and that nurture reflection and deep thinking. Only then will we authentically and intentionally capture their attention so that learning can be rigorous, relevant, and most of all--successful!
When disciplining students, teachers should continue to use a calm tone. Discuss the appropriate behavior with the student and expectations for future behavior. Through this--teachers can create a classroom culture where all students feel safe and learning can occur.
The same expectation for being nice applies to student-to-student interactions in the classroom. Be mindful of what you are modeling. The words you choose, the tone you take, and the non-verbal actions you use every day are pivotal. You are truly an example for the students. They will do what you do.
