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SEPTEMBER 13, 2017 XX NO.4

Village News

Building character(s)

classroom for students to collaborate understanding their unique needs and
and communicate effectively they were challenges. It is a children’s book for
all in.” students and teachers called “The
Social-emotional Learning (self- Character Club: It’s Time to Power Up!”
awareness, self-management, social The book is a resource that I
awareness, responsible decision-making created to help support Social-emotional
and relationship skills) has been taught Learning by engaging students in an
at Ecoff for three years. Teachers innovative and relevant way to what
and staff along with bus drivers, they are interested in. Query is the
custodians, and cafeteria workers were supercomputer in the story that comes
trained the process via the Center for to life and empowers the superhero
the Collaborative Classroom. A kit kids with inner character strengths,” he
with daily lessons focused on Social- said. “In our school, we have a Query
emotional Learning skills during their 20 mailbox [through which] students can
minute morning class meetings. write letters to Query asking for support
With the introduction of working with their needs. Then, Query gives the
with the diversity of their student ‘problem’ to a ‘superhero kid’ and the
body, empowering open-mindfulness, ‘superhero kid’ will write the student
and welcoming out-of-the-box ideas back with an empowering message.
through their 20 minute classroom We’ve created a Social-emotional
meetings, the percentage of students Learning council of fifth grade leaders to
reading on grade level has risen from help with this process, too.”
DR. JOSHUA COLE IN THE RESOURCE ROOM, WHICH IS USED BY STUDENTS AND 64 percent to 84 percent over the last Cole was inspired to initiate “The
TEACHERS, AS AN OFFICE FOR THE PTA PRESIDENT, AND FOR MEETINGS WITH THEIR three years, and suspensions have Character Club” concept at Ecoff
COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THE CHARACTER CLUB PAINTING GENERATED STORIES decreased from 58 to 16. after reading the book “How Children
FROM STUDENTS WANTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT EACH CHARACTER. THE ORAL This school year, Cole is Succeed” by Paul Tough three years ago.
STORIES INSPIRED COLE TO GIVE EACH A NAME, WRITE ABOUT AN OBSTACLE THEY introducing a new learning tool
MAY HAVE, AND PUBLISH “THE CHARACTER CLUB: IT’S TIME TO POWER UP!”
to support their daily lessons on Read more on page 3
BY: LINDA FAUSZ
The challenge for teachers starting Creating Equity in Education –
a new school year not only includes Social-emotional Learning has
teaching lessons to a classroom of become an everyday lesson for
new students to help them achieve students and staff at Ecoff.
their educational potential, but it is Cole and his assistant
working around personal and social principal, Renee Shimko-Daye,
circumstances their students bring worked hard to explain that
with them, such as gender, ethnic social emotional learning was
origin, or family background. Joshua not one more new thing in
Cole, principal at Ecoff Elementary, education, but a process that
recognized this early in his teaching would help enhance academics
career with his first assignment teaching and behaviors.
in an inner-city Detroit school. As “Teachers were yearning
principal, Cole and his staff at Ecoff set for a systematic process
a goal to create equity in education with to teach Social-emotional
a new approach to leveraging school Learning skills,” Cole said. TO GET THE SECOND WEEK OFF FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR TO A POSITIVE START,
success. Under the guidance of Cole and “Once teachers saw how the COLE MET WITH THE SECOND-GRADE CLASSES TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT ECOFF EX-
a program created by the Center for the characteristics of Social- PECTATIONS FOR BEHAVIOR, BEGINNING WITH T.E.A.M. AND HOW EVERYONE EMPOW-
ERS EVERYONE BY FOLLOWING WHAT T.E.A.M. STANDS FOR: TREAT EVERYONE WITH
Collaborative Classroom, including his emotional Learning reinforced RESPECT, EVERYONE FOLLOWS DIRECTIONS, ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. AND MAKE
own organization called – A New Angle, the skills needed in the GOOD CHOICES.
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