At Olney Adventist Preparatory School (OAPS), we are centered on the whole of each child entrusted to our program. Our goal is to establish a confident foundation for our youth to stand upon as they grow in their walk with Jesus. Additionally, students learn to recognize and exercise their gifts from Him to effectively impact their place in the world.
Confident students are better prepared for academic responsibilities and leadership opportunities. Olney Adventist School has embraced this educational approach for more than 20 years and frequently hears from former students and families that our program has successfully paved the way to their successes in life and learning. There are five engagements that our staff draw from in working to instill confidence in students, which we will share with you:
Focus on the student’s relationship with Jesus
The teacher’s first priority should always be the child’s relationship with Jesus. To set the tone for exciting discoveries throughout the day, we begin with a thankful prayer and a request for God’s guidance. This conviction to keep God at the head of the classroom daily reminds our students of His participation in every facet of their lives.
Build the student’s relationship with others
To help our students develop their social skills, we teach etiquette and emphasize manners through the school day: always ask with please, offer a thank you and extend courtesy to both adults and fellow students. Guests are met with a smile, a handshake and a pleasant greeting. These habits reinforce social awareness. Compassionate classroom group discussions on personal conflicts and questions, particularly in the lower grades, offer students strategies to adopt to improve their interactions, reactions, and relationships with others.
Partner with parents and families
We build trust and collaborate with families to guide each student in their spiritual journey while teaching social skills and academic learning excellence. School is the carefully selected environment that parents have handpicked to share the awesome responsibility of rearing their children.
Parents seek a complimentary program to support the family’s values and priorities and prepare their children to be independent thought leaders. Together we create a plan that identifies and addresses the interests of the parents while securing the professional objectives of the teachers.
Keep open communication consistent
At the core of this liaison is consistent and clear communication. Exchanged messages through email, texts, handwritten notes, phone calls and face-to-face conversations define expectations between parents and teachers. Students relax and are secure in knowing that there is a team of people working with them and for them.
Offer individual academic instruction
Academics are the bedrock of every school and we follow a rigorous curriculum. The key is to identify and emphasize the unique learning style of each student, meeting them where they are and leading them to learning excellence.
Teachers intentionally support student strengths and bolster learning challenges with effective strategies. Tutors and higher-course educators provide additional instruction as necessary. By focusing on their individual interests and skills, students develop a confident inquisitiveness that lasts a lifetime.
Spiritual, social and academic competency provide the foundation of confident students and their parents to continue to build upon long after they’ve graduated from Olney Adventist Preparatory School. Our education of the whole child addresses the character of a student first then delivers academic instruction, creating a ladder of learning excellence and success.
How does building students’ confidence help encourage their learning?
Author
Marjorie Stauffer Eldridge
Marjorie is an Enrollment Manager at Olney Adventist Preparatory School, United States.