A Shared Journey

The school year is under way and students have begun to take post-assessments that reveal how much they've learned thus far. Most students see a measure that indicates growth. Whether that growth is small or great, we aim to provide opportunities for students to reflect, set goals, and give it their everything to persevere until they conquer the "YET." There are many strategies to get students to do this, but modeling is one that is most important. "Modeling and thinking aloud allows students to see inside the minds" of those who perform a set of skills well (Fisher, Frey, & Hattie, 2016) . A great example of modeling could be seen as the Principal of JJMS Kathryn Baylor and Math teacher Kelly White took on the challenge of the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) along side students in Physical Education class one afternoon.

They Stretched:

They Listened to Instructions:

 They Gave it Their Everything That Day:

When they were finished, one stated aloud, "I did 22, next time I'm going to try for 30." The other stated that she completed 43 laps, but next time will aim for 50. Additionally, they reflected on how they felt throughout the process and inspired other adults to join in next time. When students are able to see us  fall short of our goals and respond in a manner consistent with one who has a growth mindset, they too are empowered to do the same. This attitude and commitment to growth is shared throughout the staff at JJMS. It is our hope that through modeling, support, and a shared journey together, we can help all of our students adopt that same mentality.

~ Jouett Leadership