Welcoming our new teachers

TO WIN THEIR HEARTS AND TO LEAD THEM TO THEIR PERSONAL BEST!

Capturing Kids' Hearts is a relationship-building approach to discipline that creates self-managing groups. Our school staff are trained in using the EXCEL model for creating positive classroom cultures. Students are taught self awareness, self regulation, and interpersonal skills through monthly character themes provided by the CKH Leadworthy Character Curriculum to increase positive relationships at a personal, school, family and community level.

Teachers use the EXCEL model to communicate with students. Students create their own rules via a social contract. Students hold each other accountable using "checks". An environment is created that emphasizes positivity through "good things" and affirmations".

The EXCEL model is used:

• • to build relationships
  • to build self-managing groups
  • to build safe classrooms and schools

Engage: Students are greeted at the door with a handshake, eye contact and a sincere welcome.

X-plore: Teachers listen and attend to the personal, emotional, and academic needs of our students.

Communicate: Teachers communicate care as well as content.

Empower: Teachers empower students to gain the ability to "use and do" the things they have been taught.

Launch: Deals with how we "end and send" our students into the world. The purpose is to start our students on a course of action by ending our classes on a powerful note.

What does it mean to Self-Direct?

Self-Direction is the ability and learned skill to cast a vision of future goals and then take intentional steps toward who, where, and what we want to be. Instead of focusing on things to control or avoid, we emphasize our responsibility to make positive choices related to our emotions, attitudes, and actions.

Why focus on Self-Direction?

• Self-direction strengthens relationships. Self-direction helps to grow social skills and develop meaningful, positive relationships with others.
• Self-direction teaches personal responsibility. Learning to self-direct teaches students to take responsibility for their own actions.
• Self-direction helps us to regulate emotions: Self-direction empowers students to regulate their impulses and emotional responses to situations and circumstances in their life.

Self-Direction in Action:

• Practice goal setting and action planning. When we establish goals and develop action plans, we learn to take intentional steps to successfully achieve goals.
• Monitor and adjust. Provide students with regular feedback and opportunities to self-assess progress toward goals to make adjustments and improvements in their behaviors.
• Reflect and evaluate. Facilitate discussions and reflection to prompt students to examine what they do, think, and say against their goals and vision for their life and learning.

• Greetings
• Social Contracts
• Contract Rater
• Social Contract Word of the Week
• Time Out and Check Signal
• Launch
• Campus Launch after announcements! Ask your child how to to it in sign language:)