Pillager Elementary earns ENVoY Recognition
The Pillager School District has reason to celebrate. In one school year, Pillager Elementary School trained and certified 80 percent of their teachers in ENVoY (Educational Non-Verbal Yardsticks), a program aimed at improving classroom climate and relationships through non-verbal strategies.
National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA) facilitates the training for Region Five schools. NJPA Education Solutions Leader Rynell Schock says the Pillager School District is one of only two schools in the state to achieve the certification.
“The administration and team at Pillager Elementary, have focused on accomplishing the requirements of becoming certified in this behavioral program. They are true leaders and an example of what can happen in a school when everyone strives for the same goal,” said Schock.
Pillager Elementary third grade teacher, Wendy Hall, is one of the teachers to reach certification. She says the program has already produced results in the classroom.
“The ENVoY program is phenomenal at giving teachers a management system that makes a world of difference in the classroom,” Hall said. “They provide us with a lot of little things you can put together to be strategic with your time and resources.”
Hall now will be an ENVoY internal coach for next year for other Pillager staff who want to become certified.
“Learning these strategies empowered me to make a real difference in the classroom,” she said.
ENVoY is a teaching system that Michael Grinder developed and wrote about in his best-selling book for educators, “ENVoY: Your Personal Guide to Classroom Success.” ENVoY is a system of non-verbal strategies that improve classroom climate, enhance student productivity and decrease the level of staff burnout. The non-verbal communication skills can positively influence the single most powerful leverage point in education: the teacher-student relationship.
NJPA launched this training to Region Five teachers in the summer of 2014. Over 300 teachers have been trained since implementing the program.
Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary has also taken part in working to achieve the 80 percent of their teachers being certified, and have plans to hit that goal by this fall.
