Keeping It Fresh
This past year, we visited and retrained the first Make Your Day School, Mountain
View Elementary School in Washington School District, Arizona. After twenty years
of Make Your Day, several administrative changes and a new generation of teachers,
including a teacher who went to school there during the early days of the program
they asked me to spend a day with them. They wanted to update and refresh the
program.
What we have found through the years is that the first year of implementation
requires hyper-focus. Some teachers are learning a new philosophy and a new language,
while others are maintaining a familiar structure. During this time, teachers
and administrators are careful to implement the system in its purest form. The
second year of MYD can take off into different directions. Some schools articulate
the system with some modifications and place a focus on schoolwide citizenship.
Other schools, however, may forget from whence they've come. As new teachers
are brought into MYD schools, the program can benefit from their fresh views or
can slowly deteriorate if the commitment and training are not equal to that of
the first year. Schools that have maintained an active committee of teachers
and students remain focused on the philosophy.
The payoff for both students and staff with MYD should become greater each year
of implementation. As the philosophy and logistics of the program become more
internalized and practiced, discipline is no longer the main concern for these
schools. Steps become rote and points continue become a greater part of curriculum.
The best way to keep the program fresh is to retrain teachers and students at
least twice a year. As the staff and administration change a yearly vote and
commitment by the current staff should be sought. Without that level of ownership,
Make Your Day will deteriorate. When a district committee is available it is
possible to bring in outside observers who will offer impartial, objective feedback.
If that isn't available, we continue to offer our services to revisit and review
as often as needed.
The initial commitment to MYD required a long arduous process. As new teachers
and administrators are unaware of what it took to bring in the program, it is
valuable to incorporate any new ideas that enhance the philosophy of Make Your
Day. Occasionally, we tend to discount ideas that may seem contrary to the original
training. If we don't give credence to these new ideas, the program will stagnate
and we take the risk of alienating new staff.
It required 100% commitment to bring in Make Your Day. It requires 100% commitment
to give our students the consistent, predictable, fair and reasonable setting
that we have promised. If the common areas feel different than they did the first
year, revisit the schoolwide expectations. If your classroom than it did the
first year of implementation, revisit the logistics and philosophy of the program.
It's never the change in our student population that causes the atmosphere in
our school to change. It's always our commitment to setting high expectations
and accepting nothing less.
Next month, the former class clown will show you how he is funny after all.
We'll discuss how to "Stop, Look and Listen."
(Return to Top)
Here's Your First Lesson Plan after Winter Break
Start Fresh
Plan now for the first day after winter break when you revisit MYD with your
students. Put aside the first half-day after winter break to revitalize Make
Your Day. Don’t underestimate the importance of starting from the beginning and
then end by asking each student, “Is this your rule?” You will reap huge benefits
that will carry you through the remainder of the year by investing this time after
vacation.
Call for Presentations for Arizona MYD Conference
The highlights of the 2005 MYD Conference in Seattle came from the experts among
you. September 15-16, 2005 will provide another opportunity for you to share
your expertise with others. Attendees at the last conference asked for more of
the same, along with additional ideas for topics. Please visit the website, check out the list of topics and complete the submission form. If you presented
in Seattle and think that people might not want to hear it again, many attendees
were disappointed that they were not able to attend each and every session. Your
repeat performance would allow them that opportunity. Now, you may ask, what
do I get for this besides that warm feeling inside for helping others? Well,
we're not really in agreement with the practice of presenters paying to present
so your extrinsic reward is that your registration fee will be waived.
