Running the race with PRIDE
Educators all across America know that for effective instruction to take place you must have order in your classroom. It stands to reason that for students to be able to listen and learn, the environment of their classroom must exhibit order as well as an air of intrigue. The programs that have been developed for helping schools maintain this type of atmosphere are endless. However, at West Chatham Middle School, they are implementing a program that promotes PRIDE in their students so that they feel a sense of ownership.
According to 7th grade Social Studies teacher, Amy Cantymagli, a few of the schools in Chatham County are implementing a program called PBS, which stands for Positive Behavior Support. West Chatham Middle School began the program this year and has already seen some success. She states that all of the students in the middle school are involved in the program which is designed to motivate and instill a sense of Wildcat PRIDE. “Our students spend a great portion of their time in school, so we feel that it is important for them to take care of the school and the people who they share it with”, she said.
The students receive progress reports that show what the grades are in their classes, but it also reflects the behaviors they have exhibited. The teachers are then available to meet with students and parents throughout the year to review these reports and give any feedback that would help. The students also have support from the school counselors and mentors.
The PRIDE stands for a motto that was developed specifically for their school. Since they are called the Wildcats, it was natural to use PRIDE as their acronym for the behaviors they wanted the students to target. It stands for, Preparation, Respect, Integrity, Dependability, and Excellence. Amy states that the students were all introduced to these values at the beginning of the school year and were given an explanation of how the program would work. The teachers model these values each day and the students are given a behavior sheet that also gives examples of how they can show positive behaviors in the hallways, restrooms, cafeteria, and of course, the classrooms.
When a teacher sees a student exhibiting certain PRIDE behaviors, they will give that student a PRIDE point and explain to the student why they are receiving it. “This helps the student to know that they are being seen by the faculty and that we know that they are behaving in a positive light”, says Amy. “Our goal is to help our students see that we are all in this together and that we all must use good behaviors both at school and in the community.”
The community was also asked to be a part of this program. A few of the businesses were asked to be in a school video showing integrity and dependability. Amy commented that this helped the students see a relationship between school and the real world. “The businesses agreed to help us with a school-wide poster contest and it was a huge success.” The school video that was created can be seen at HYPERLINK “http://wildcatpride.weebly.com” http://wildcatpride.weebly.com.
The PRIDE points that the students receive can be accumulated to use for a variety of incentives. Some of these include a dress down day, lunch in the outdoor courtyard, a movie day, and/or a positive phone call home from the principal. The faculty and staff are also surveying the students and faculty to see if they have suggestions for additional incentives.
When asked about students who continue to exhibit inappropriate behavior, Amy related what their PBS Coach and school counselor, Alison Ross, said. According to Ms. Ross, “The long-term goal of PBS is to target those students who continue to display inappropriate behavior and provide small-group or individual interventions that teach the students to re-learn appropriate behaviors. Committees of teachers, administrators, and student support personnel collaborate to help eliminate barriers that keep students from being successful.”Over time the goal is to look at the data the school is collecting on the targeted behaviors to see if they are making a positive impact. The PBS Team at West Chatham Middle School meets regularly to try and overcome any obstacles that they may experience and to also keep the program fresh and exciting for all those involved.
Amy Cantymagli is definitely committed to the program and to her students. It is evident through her discussion of her students and her educational beliefs that she only wants to provide her students with the best possible learning situation. Although Amy is not a native of Chatham County, she most certainly calls this home. Originally from Pennsylvania, she was unable to find a teaching position there following graduation. She attended a job fair and began calling principals in the southern states for interviews. She states that she was also tired of the extremely cold weather! She traveled to South Carolina and then on to Savannah where she fell in love with the city.
When asked what were some of the specific things she does in her classroom, Amy started by saying that she believes that the key to positive student behavior starts with her. “As the teacher, I set the tone of the class and it is my job to create lessons that keep students engaged and interested throughout the class period. When students are not engaged, they have more time and energy to develop negative behaviors.” She also states that she enjoys her work because she smiles and laughs each day. She is quick to point out that every day is not perfect, but that with the help of her colleagues and the special education teacher she works with, it always develops into a life lesson to be learned. Amy also tries to do her best to point out excellent behavior in her students, whether it is a PRIDE point or a smile and positive remark.
It is evident that Amy Cantymagli is committed to her students and to her school. She is also on board with the PBS program and how it has been developed for West Chatham Middle School. Her belief is that with everyone buying into the program it has to be successful. Educators know that students watch what adults do in any situation, and with all of the faculty and staff at the school modeling positive behaviors, it stands to reason that the students will begin modeling them as well.
West Chatham Middle School is running a race with positive student achievement and behaviors. Now more than ever, it is important to instill in our young people the values that are necessary to be successful adults, both in the classroom and in the real world. It is evident that West Chatham Middle School is running a great race, a race with PRIDE.
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