Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Monday, March 22, 2010

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Christina Tipton works with second-graders individually and in small groups on EMPOWERMENT Days at Stonewall Elementary.

The library at Stonewall Elementary buzzes with energy on EMPOWERMENT Days, when students and teachers spend time catching up on classroom lessons, practicing new skills and moving along to higher challenges if they are ready.

“I work on multiplication,” said second-grader Allison O’Hara. “There are six or seven people in my group, and we’re kind of ahead.”

EMPOWERMENT Days – an acronym for “Empowerment Makes Proficiency Obtainable with Enhanced Re-teaching, Modeling, Encouragement and No-excuse Thinking” – was the brainchild of Principal Bill Gatliff. The aim was to carve out the additional time teachers need to work with kids one-on-one or in small groups.

Stonewall uses the opportunity for enrichment activities, as with Allison’s group, as well as targeted assistance. Gatliff said the focus is on reading and math, but teachers can cover any content the youngsters have not mastered or need enrichment in. The school plans to continue the program in 2010-2011.  

Substitutes spend a half day in each classroom roughly every other Thursday, with grades K-2 in the mornings and grades 3-5 in the afternoons. That frees up the regular teachers to devote blocks of time to individual students, who rotate through the library.

Each teacher picks a table to set up camp – spreading out storybooks, alphabet tiles, game boards and other hands-on learning materials like cardboard clocks and plastic coins.

First grade teacher Wendy Dick said students absolutely love the attention they get on EMPOWERMENT Days, and the teachers relish the chance to hone in on specifics.

“It’s very casual but very intense, too. To have that extra time that’s uninterrupted, you can really focus on a kid and meet their needs,” she said. “The kids are so excited to come and work with us.”

The topics are tailored to the students’ needs. Some teachers hand out index cards beforehand and ask the children to write down what they want particular help with or what they would like to try next.

The program is popular with students, who look forward to spending the special time with their teachers twice a month. Allison and classmate Aaron Helm recommended it for kids at other schools, too.

“Sometimes it’s hard to do fractions if you’re a beginner,” said 8-year-old Aaron. “They might get it wrong because they don’t understand, so they should have EMPOWERMENT Days to learn about it.”

Kindergarten teacher Holly Martin said she pays close attention to youngsters who might be falling behind their peers.

“We want to keep giving them nudges to move on up,” she said. For instance, “if a couple of kids are missing a step in fractions, I’ll take that small group and we’ll play a pizza game.”

Martin said she can see continuous growth in some students, especially in reading.

“When you can work one-on-one, they pick it up so much faster. And when you see them starting to take off, you can guide them in the right direction quickly,” she said. “I’m so excited about the changes I’ve seen in the kids.”