The primary focus of Capturing Kids’Hearts is to develop healthyrelationships between
members of a school’s educationalcommunity and to teach effective skillsthat help participants:
Develop self-managing classrooms and decrease disciplineissues through innovative techniques such as a socialcontract
Decrease delinquent behaviors such as disruptive outbursts,violent acts, and drug use
Utilize the EXCEL Teaching Model™ and reinforce the roleof emotional intelligence in teaching
Build classroom rapport and teamwork to create a safe,trusting learning environment
Develop students’ empathy for diverse cultures/backgrounds
Increase classroom attendance by building students’motivation and helping them take responsibility for theiractions and performance
1. The EXCEL Leadership/Relationship/TeachingModel™
2. The Social Contract
3. Four Questions for Misbehavior
4. Four Questions for Disrespect
5. SOLER Listening Skills
The steps outlined in The EXCEL TeachingModel™ prepare teachers to effectivelyimpact their students each time they cometogether, from the beginning of class to theend.
E Engage
X Xplore
C Communicate
E Empower
L Launch
This first step is essential to the success of theday. It begins when we greet the students atthe door with a handshake at the beginning ofeach class. We draw them into a relationshipwith us upon which we can build as the classprogresses.
There are several things we accomplish withthis step: we start the day with a positivegreeting, affirm each student, welcome thestudents into our class, and give them our fullattention, first thing.
When we start the class with Engage, we arepreparing the way for the students to beinvolved with us in the learning process.
Facial expression: relaxed, smiling, welcoming
Tone of voice: 38% of what we communicate is throughtone of voice
Posture: lean in, turn slightly sideways to benonthreatening
Handshake: firm, yet comfortable; initiate thehandshake
Level of relaxation: be confident, but not stressed orhurried
Dress/grooming: professionally dressed, with goodhygiene
Energy: positive and energetic, confident
Eye contact: look other person in the eye and payattention to the person’s needs
This second step lays the foundation for thecontent of the class which is to follow. We getin touch with where the students arepersonally, emotionally, and academically.
Students are our “customers.” We mustidentify their needs before we can serve themeffectively. Do the products/services wedeliver meet the needs of our customers?
The skills we use when we Xplore with ourstudents are much like those of a counselor:listening, attending, conveying empathy,probing, and asking open-ended questions.
A successful Xploration can take place only in asecure environment. We do not disclose ourneeds, whether personally or academically,until we feel safe from ridicule and rejection.Learning cannot take place until we are able to
discuss what we don’t know.
This step is the Communication of the content ofthe class. The teacher addresses the needsdiscovered in the previous step.
A two-way process, it is not simply the passingalong of information and material, but instead it isa dialogue between teacher and students. Theprocess is dynamic and experiential, requiring theteacher to be facilitator and resource to the class.Teachers who are powerful Communicators in thismodel are teambuilders.
A certain degree of order is necessary, butflexibility and creativity are essential, as well.Teachers must be able to Communicate the contentof their course in a way that is captivating,creative, and responsive to their “audience.”
A very important task in this step is the ability totranslate that which is being taught into “realworld” benefits. The students must be able to seehow their studies will assist them in their futureefforts at earning a living and finding meaning fortheir lives. When students object to the need tolearn certain material or skills, the teacher, like agood salesman, must be able to overcome theirobjections and convey the need for learning to takeplace.
Empowerment occurs when students gain theability to “use and do” the things they have beentaught. Possessing the same skills as the teacher isthe goal of education. When we can do what wehave been taught, then we are truly Empowered.
The students learn information or a technique inthe Communication step, and then in this step theypractice and apply what they have learned until itbecomes a skill. Teachers who operate from anEmpowerment perspective desire that theirstudents know all they can about the subject...thatthey possess as much skill as possible.
Teachers see their students in terms of what theyare becoming. They see themselves as the resourceto help their students become.
A key to this step is to build an atmosphere of trustin which the students feel free to fail while goingthrough the learning process. With the class socialcontract in place, everyone knows the rules—whatis acceptable and what is not, as well as theconsequences. This common understandingprovides for the students the foundation forpositive interaction with the teacher and with eachother. In this environment the students areEmpowered because they experienceencouragement and support.
In the EXCEL Teaching Model™, Launchinghas to do with the way we end and send. It isthe way teachers end a classroom experienceand the way they send their charges forth toface the future. This is vastly different from justhaving students rush out the door when thebell rings.
The teacher prepares the class for “liftoff” bysummarizing what has occurred in class thatday and by getting commitments from studentsto follow the “flight plan.” Prelaunch questionswould include:
What did we do and discuss today?
What is its relevance to you, both for now andfor your future?
How are you going to use these skills beforeour next class?
What will result if you don’t use these skills?
What will result if you do use these skills?
Every great speaker and teacher realizes theimportance of ending on a powerful note. Wemust be able to effectively use quotes,anecdotes, poems, stories from our ownexperiences, and other motivational stories todrive home the points we want our students toremember. Passion is the thrust we use topropel our students toward their destination.In the words of Og Mandino, “My last must bemy best.”
E Engage: Handshake, Welcome, Affirm, Model
X Xplore: Customer’s Needs, Listening Skills,Safe Environment
C Communicate: Content, Dialogue,Flexibility, “Real World”
E Empower: Use and Do, Develop Skills,Becoming, Encouragement
L Launch: End and Send, Summary,Commitment to Action, Passion
The Social Contract is designed to let allparticipants in a classroom or school knowwhat behavior is acceptable and what is not.The primary questions to consider whendeveloping a social contract are:
1. How do you want me to treat you?
2. How do you want to treat each other?
3. How do you think I want to be treated?
4. How will we handle violations of the contract?
Using the Social Contract, the teacher is able tocreate more self-managing classrooms as eachstudent takes responsibility for his or her ownbehavior.
1. Excuse me . . . What are you doing?
2. What are you supposed to be doing?
3. Are you doing it?
4. What are you going to do about it?
These questions help the student focus on thebehavior, demonstrate that he/she knows whatbehavior is expected, own up to the fact thathe/she is not doing what is expected, anddetermine what he/she should be doinginstead.
1. Excuse me . . . whom are you talking to?
2. How are you supposed to be talking to me?
3. Were you doing it?
4. So, how are you going to talk to me?
The Chinese symbol for the word “listen”involves characters for “ears, eyes, heart, you,and undivided attention”. To listen effectivelyto another person, you must “listen with yourears, eyes, and heart with your undividedattention”. Sometimes we want to convey thatwe are listening, but we may not know how toshow the other person that we are doing that.
S= Square up to the person you are listening to
O= Open posture
L= Lean in
E= Eye contact
R= Relax and Respond