MONROE - A new strategy for interacting with students implemented this year at Monroe Middle School focuses on positive behavior and building children's "inner wealth."
"It's not a classroom management strategy," said Robin Marsden, MMS school counselor. "It's a way of treating people and treating kids and being able to recognize, even in moments of chaos, the good things that are happening."
Called the "Nurtured Heart Approach," it uses three main methodologies, known as "The 3 Stands":
• "Absolutely No!" - Instructors don't give time or energy to negative behavior;
• "Absolutely Yes!" - Instructors recognize students' success enthusiastically, no matter how small; and,
• "Absolutely Clear!" - Instructors maintain clear and consistent rules and consequences for rule-breaking.
Marsden recently traveled to Tucson, Ariz. to receive training in the Nurtured Heart Approach.
"When a student is doing something that you want them to be doing, you are recognizing that, and you're doing it in a big way," Marsden said of the second stand. "It's beyond "good job.' It's "I see that you are working with your partner and that shows me that you are cohabitive and you have teamwork.'"
Students don't know what "good job" refers to, she said, which is why specific praise is more helpful.
The reasoning behind the first stand is that giving students attention when they act out teaches them that negative behavior is the way to get attention, according to Marsden. And the third stand adds discipline to the approach "so it's not just all lovey-dovey. It's firm, too."
MMS Principal Brian Boehm brought the approach to the school, having become familiar with it during a previous position.
"We know that one of the biggest challenges in education, and certainly is manifest at the middle school, is that students are coming to us with some social and emotional needs, and we really need to make more deposits in their inner wealth bank," Boehm said.
The "inner wealth" refers to the positive perceptions children have of themselves.
"For them to be ready learners, we need to go that extra mile and sort of build that inner wealth and self-concept that can really come from a cohesive environment," Boehm said.
Seventh-grade English teacher Stephanie Wiegel is MMS's "foremost practitioner" of Nurtured Heart, Boehm said.
Last year, Wiegel spent about 90 percent of her day with struggling learners.
"Every day was a challenge for me," she said.
She moved up a grade to teach many of the same students this year, knowing something would have to change. That something became the Nurtured Heart Approach.
"It has changed who I am as a person, how I teach, my relationships with students," Wiegel said. "I thought I was doing a pretty good job before, and I really feel that this has made me so much better."
She's no longer focusing on keeping everyone on task and correcting negative behaviors, she said.
"I'm focusing on the students who are doing what they're supposed to be doing and commending them and building relationships with them ... and those students that aren't, they're hearing that," Wiegel said.
She described how students who used to have behavioral issues in her class are now imitating the behaviors being praised.
"It's just a huge transformation. ... They're feeling appreciated," she said.
One particular student used to be removed from class several times a week, but has only been removed once this year, Wiegel said.
Other teachers still have problems with a student who has improved in Wiegel's class, she noted. Those teachers sometimes come to her to find out what she's doing that's working.
Boehm said office referrals might be slightly lower than usual, but that use of the approach at MMS is too new to make any conclusions. Nurtured Heart has a two-year implementation.
Both Wiegel and Marsden noted that the approach has not only had a change on students but has also increased their own happiness.
"We're leaving school smiling and happy because we're not burnt out on all the negative things because we're only focusing on what's good and what's going right," Marsden said.
Boehm added: "It really starts to diminish how many angry drives you take home."
"It's not a classroom management strategy," said Robin Marsden, MMS school counselor. "It's a way of treating people and treating kids and being able to recognize, even in moments of chaos, the good things that are happening."
Called the "Nurtured Heart Approach," it uses three main methodologies, known as "The 3 Stands":
• "Absolutely No!" - Instructors don't give time or energy to negative behavior;
• "Absolutely Yes!" - Instructors recognize students' success enthusiastically, no matter how small; and,
• "Absolutely Clear!" - Instructors maintain clear and consistent rules and consequences for rule-breaking.
Marsden recently traveled to Tucson, Ariz. to receive training in the Nurtured Heart Approach.
"When a student is doing something that you want them to be doing, you are recognizing that, and you're doing it in a big way," Marsden said of the second stand. "It's beyond "good job.' It's "I see that you are working with your partner and that shows me that you are cohabitive and you have teamwork.'"
Students don't know what "good job" refers to, she said, which is why specific praise is more helpful.
The reasoning behind the first stand is that giving students attention when they act out teaches them that negative behavior is the way to get attention, according to Marsden. And the third stand adds discipline to the approach "so it's not just all lovey-dovey. It's firm, too."
MMS Principal Brian Boehm brought the approach to the school, having become familiar with it during a previous position.
"We know that one of the biggest challenges in education, and certainly is manifest at the middle school, is that students are coming to us with some social and emotional needs, and we really need to make more deposits in their inner wealth bank," Boehm said.
The "inner wealth" refers to the positive perceptions children have of themselves.
"For them to be ready learners, we need to go that extra mile and sort of build that inner wealth and self-concept that can really come from a cohesive environment," Boehm said.
Seventh-grade English teacher Stephanie Wiegel is MMS's "foremost practitioner" of Nurtured Heart, Boehm said.
Last year, Wiegel spent about 90 percent of her day with struggling learners.
"Every day was a challenge for me," she said.
She moved up a grade to teach many of the same students this year, knowing something would have to change. That something became the Nurtured Heart Approach.
"It has changed who I am as a person, how I teach, my relationships with students," Wiegel said. "I thought I was doing a pretty good job before, and I really feel that this has made me so much better."
She's no longer focusing on keeping everyone on task and correcting negative behaviors, she said.
"I'm focusing on the students who are doing what they're supposed to be doing and commending them and building relationships with them ... and those students that aren't, they're hearing that," Wiegel said.
She described how students who used to have behavioral issues in her class are now imitating the behaviors being praised.
"It's just a huge transformation. ... They're feeling appreciated," she said.
One particular student used to be removed from class several times a week, but has only been removed once this year, Wiegel said.
Other teachers still have problems with a student who has improved in Wiegel's class, she noted. Those teachers sometimes come to her to find out what she's doing that's working.
Boehm said office referrals might be slightly lower than usual, but that use of the approach at MMS is too new to make any conclusions. Nurtured Heart has a two-year implementation.
Both Wiegel and Marsden noted that the approach has not only had a change on students but has also increased their own happiness.
"We're leaving school smiling and happy because we're not burnt out on all the negative things because we're only focusing on what's good and what's going right," Marsden said.
Boehm added: "It really starts to diminish how many angry drives you take home."