As we returned to campus after the summer break, many of you may have noticed the new blue and gold banners hung on the light poles along the Belmont Day driveway. These banners highlight the six core values that guide our daily life on campus. Those of you who have a keen eye for detail may have observed that the first visible banner is responsibility.
Responsibility can look and sound different in various situations, but one way it is defined is in our school’s behavior policy as: “I will take ownership of my words and actions. I will be mindful of my intent vs. impact. I will stand up for others.” Much of our work as educators and caregivers is instilling a sense of responsibility in our children so that they can navigate between right and wrong when we are in the background and perhaps even more importantly, when we are not present. As legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
During my travels in school, I encounter many instances where I observe our faculty directly and indirectly fostering accountability and integrity in our students in the classroom and in non-academic spaces. Whether it is explaining and demonstrating assembly etiquette, lunch clean-up procedures in Coolidge Hall, tips on writing down homework assignments, or the proper methods for handling learning materials or devices, there is a lot of interactive modeling in action, particularly at this time of year when routines and procedures are being established.
Students serve as role models for each other as well. Recently, I witnessed two examples of students doing the right thing even though they were unaware I was listening from my desk. One morning, a large group of middle schoolers was lining up on either side of the ramp outside of my office. Despite the number of students present, they were respectful and so quiet that they only drew my attention when some spilled into the alcove of my office. A few moments later, Ms. Bettinelli ushered them uneventfully into her music room. Curious who they were and what they had been doing, I caught music teacher Kassie Bettinelli (whose classroom is just across the hall) later in the day. She explained that they had arrived early to her class during a transition and were waiting patiently to be invited into her room. A few days later, I was at my computer when I overheard two younger students traveling on the same ramp during dismissal. One student was running down the ramp when I overheard the student trailing behind them gently reminding their friend, “Don’t forget. We need to walk while we are inside.”
While we already have a strong foundation for reinforcing our core values, I am thrilled to announce that we are launching a multi-year Responsive Classroom professional development initiative. Responsive Classroom is a research-based and student-centered approach that provides educators with practical strategies to build safe, joyful, and engaging school environments. Responsive Classroom posits that in order for students to achieve academic and personal success, they must be in a setting that prioritizes teaching a set of social, behavioral, and well-being competencies, which include cooperation, assertiveness, empathy, self-control, and responsibility. To align with our belief that “every teacher is every child’s teacher” and to ensure that we have a shared understanding and vocabulary, this learning opportunity will include every adult faculty member in our community, both teaching and non-teaching. We are excited to share updates about our experience with Responsive Classroom as the year progresses.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!