In bygone days, the image of the perfect school included a prim teacher writing on a blackboard in front of students who were lined up in neat rows, silently and conscientiously copying information to be memorized and recited. For some of today’s educators, despite the dramatic societal changes around them, the urge to perpetuate this antiquated ideal remains strong. More progressive educators, however, desire to adopt fresh ideas and radically alter the field of education.

Dawn Upshaw, the bright, dynamic principal of North Columbus Elementary School (NCES), and her staff are six months into an attempt to revolutionize teaching methods in their new school. “Back in January (2006) when the board instated me as principal, the superintendent charged me with finding an innovative learning system to compare with the programs at Britt David and Clubview Elementary,” said Upshaw.

With the help of her father, an educational consultant, Upshaw settled on a brain-based learning program called Connecting Learning Assures Successful Students (CLASS). Supported by the Muscogee County Staff Development Department and the director of elementary education, Upshaw chartered a bus, taking all but four of the NCES teachers to Indiana for intensive CLASS training. “I wanted to go to Indiana before school started so we could implement the program from square one,” she said.

NCES first opened its doors last fall with the start of the 2006-07 school year, accommodating a newly assembled faculty and student body created through a recent restructuring of school zones. A group of students from Midland and Double Churches elementary schools combined with new residents to ease overcrowding brought on by the burgeoning population in north Columbus.

Thus, in addition to launching a new program, the NCES faculty and students face the challenges of adjusting to a new environment and to each other. “The hardest part as a new school is to get to know all the students and parents,” first-grade teacher Jackie Mumpower said. “We teachers have come from all different types of schools and teaching styles, so we are acclimating to the new surroundings and the new program just as the students are.”

Upshaw explained that implementing the CLASS philosophy involves the direct application of knowledge gained from brain-based research to the education process. She went on to say that the adoption of this program will occur in three phases, the first year focusing on climate.

According to the CLASS model, during this first phase the teachers will learn to incorporate brain-compatible techniques into the concepts of classroom management, room environment, character development and standards-based curriculum. The goal will be to create a climate where students can develop the attitude and behavior needed to become productive citizens, in addition to acquiring the skills and knowledge required by the state.

Inga Randle, CLASS coach and trainer from Indiana, recently visited NCES for follow-up training and support. “Working on climate first is especially appropriate, but also challenging, since the school, faculty and student body are newly formed,” she said. “Next year will focus on community and the third year will focus on the final stage, curriculum.”

“We’re working on our mission statement and goals,” Upshaw said, looking over a spread of colorfully displayed concepts created by teachers during the day of training. “As a new school, it takes some time to develop these ideas. I see some of our teachers struggle with a desire to introduce the entire program right away because they are so excited about it, but it is an ongoing process.”

Christy Nolan, a third-grade teacher of 10 years, attributes the program’s initial success in part to Upshaw’s approach. “Our principal gave us leeway for the first two weeks to focus on the learning environment,” Nolan said. “We took time to get to know the students, to get to know their parents and acclimate to the new school. We didn’t even pass out books.” She feels that the luxury of this two-week orientation helped the teachers establish an environment conducive to positive behavior and optimum learning while helping the school meet goals for the climate phase of CLASS.

Inga Randle, CLASS trainer and coach, recently facilitated follow-up training on site in Columbus.

The teachers made many decisions for their classrooms based on their knowledge of brain research. “We have a greater awareness of the classroom environment and how it affects the students. You may have noticed lamps in the classrooms. We’re aware of how light and color affect students, and we incorporate that into our rooms,” Nolan said. Studies also show that hydration improves brain function, so there are many water fountains in the hallways and children are allowed to bring water bottles into the classrooms.

Even desk arrangement and general classroom organization have been analyzed for optimum communication. On a tour of the fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms, Randle pointed out how the flow of the classroom relates to the integration of ideas and the flow of communication and learning, teacher to student and student to student. “Use the classroom to provide focus,” Randle instructed. “If you are teaching history, you might display a statement about how throughout history, important people have used particular character skills.”

The character skills, central to the behavioral philosophy of the CLASS program, are prominently displayed in every classroom. As a core principle, the teachers treat the students with trust and respect and expect the same in return. Behavior is controlled less through fear and confrontation and more through high expectations and positive reinforcement.

Nolan reported positive results from her students within the first semester of school. Her class includes a student with Tourette’s Syndrome, a disorder causing muscle tics and occasional, inappropriate verbal outbursts. “Because they are taught every day to ‘do
the right thing and treat people right,’ the kids really accept him,” Nolan pointed out. “And because of the awareness of his art and music intelligences, he can feel successful in his schoolwork, too.”

One body of research central to the CLASS program is the Multiple Intelligences theory of Howard Gardner, a Harvard professor of education who recognized at least eight types of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist. The teachers at NCES use a simplified version of the list to help the students discover and use their strengths. Children are identified as word smart, math smart, art smart, body smart, music smart, etc.

“As a mother, I can see that this program pulls out and lets each child celebrate what they are good at,” Nolan said enthusiastically. “And as a teacher, it lets you realize how to approach each child and focus on their individual learning style.” Norma Boggs, assistant principal agreed, “It celebrates the students’ uniqueness and recognizes that we don’t all learn the same way. We take the research on learning differences and put it into practice.”

This translates directly to daily classroom instruction. Teachers plan creative, multilayered projects in an effort to engage every student. Third graders recently hosted a powwow, for example. For this type of project, a music smart child might research and perform music of Native Americans to which a body smart child might perform a native dance, while an art smart child might have designed costumes or built model teepees. So the students use their strengths to facilitate experiential learning of the material rather than relying on the more abstract process of rote memorization.

“I see differences in how my younger daughter has been taught versus how my older daughter has been taught,” said Wendy Timmons, mom to NCES third-grader Emily. “Her teacher used real-to-life instances that she could learn from on how to be a person in the real world.” While older sister Taylor experienced a traditional setting with memorization and stacks of worksheets, Emily benefited from the more experiential approach of Cathy Williams, and both teacher and student have made the transition from Double Churches to NCES easily.

Williams, now a second-grade teacher at NCES, has always taught with a style similar to that of the CLASS program. For example, when the curriculum called for the children to memorize their addresses and phone numbers, Williams’ class held an election. Each student filled out a voter registration card, which of course requires an address and phone number. The students built a voting booth, nominated two fictitious candidates to run for office, discussed possible platforms for the candidates and eventually voted for their choice.

“The fact that first graders could pull this all off with fantastic ideas, creativity, and the idea that they knew they could do it themselves was beyond anything else, to me,” said Timmons. “I think that the idea of touching each child in a way that they can learn and presenting it in a way that they can take into the real world, not just memorization, is fantastic. I feel like Emily has grown faster because of her educational experiences. It makes her so much more interested in what is going on at school which is more than half the battle.”

The teachers also enjoy working collaboratively across the grade level to encourage interdisciplinary connections, enriching the educational experience to an even greater degree. Using the powwow example again, the science teacher might relate to the project through exploration of the Native Americans’ use of natural resources, and the English teacher could relate through Native American poetry or literature. “It’s fun for us because we’re not doing the same cookie-cutter lessons. It’s more creative, and the students learn from each other,” Mumpower said, adding, “Instead of focusing on a grade on a piece of paper, they say things like, ‘Look what I learned today!’”

The words fun, interesting and amazing come up over and over again when the teachers talk about the new program at NCES. So do empowerment, collaboration and communication. The excitement and pride are palpable throughout the school.

Upshaw and other supporters hope to eventually see the CLASS program expand to the middle and high schools, allowing graduates of NCES to continue their education in a similar atmosphere. “We know that love of learning is one of the most important factors for future success in life,” said Boggs. “Our goal is for our students to become lifelong learners.”