Cievo+Comments+and+Questions

Cievo Comments and Questions

In regards to the 3 teams that this program consists of I was wondering what happens if the third team which is involving the parent and/or I am assuming guardian is not really present in the students life. I know a lot of circumstances where parents or caretakers arent really present nor do they wish to be. Is there someone or something else that can take the place of this 3rd team so that the student in this situation can benefit just as well as those students with parents who are actively involved and willing to be a part of their childs education. -Audrey Spronz

Looking at reaching decisions in the classroom via consensus, I'm getting a vibe of teaching democracy in the classroom. Is there any research or evidence that students in this model have a better understanding (via higher test scores or some other means) of government and social studies. Its seems like an interesting thing to study. -Meryl Rubin

The Comer Process focuses on physical, psychological, language, social, ethical and cognitive development as being the key to a child's academic success. How do schools measure each student developmentally according to these 6 pathways in order to assess where the child needs improvement? Jennifer Scalabrino

I agree with Comer's thought of democracy in the classroom. I had a class in high school where the teacher and we as students came up with classroom rules. This made the students feel important and that the teacher wants to make sure everyone in the classroom is involved with the way the class is structured and how we as students are taught. I always thought that when I teach my class I want to model my class off of that. Great information! - Kate Sullivan

I found the Comer Process interesting, in a sense that it seems to be a very structured and organized program. The concept of having the three teams work together and in conjunction with the individual students seems to be a very powerful way to get results. For example, the 6 principles or pathways ensuring that all educational/emotional needs are met is a well-rounded, structured approach. Rebecca Calvi

"Teachers facilitate learning by forming positive emotional bonds with students, which in turn compensate for the lack of emotional support that student are provided with at home." I thought this was a key statement on your page since we as educators and facilitators find oursevles becoming frustrated at times with children when they have trouble understanding something that may seem very simple. For the most part, we do not know what that children's home life is like and that may be the cause of the child struggling in school, so for a program to notice and understand something like this is a big step in the right direct for education. - Matt Kimbell

You mention that this program promotes children to form emotional bonds with their peers as well as the staff of the school; this is an extremely important point because in order for a child to succeed, they need to enjoy their learning environment. the student/staff suport team and the parent team, you mentioned are also effective. The Student/Staff Support Team promotes desirable social conditions and relationships and the Parent Team encourages parents to become more involved with their children's school work and activities. - Amanda Damato

It seems the Comer School Development Program is not only focused on 'just another child' but focuses on each child's needs and well being. It is almost like the program really researches the child to get the best out of him/her. I like how the 'Parent Team' comes up with activities to support schools social and academic programs, the more ideas the better! It is interesting how many staff members participate in the Comer School like nurses, principals, teachers, etc. I think that says a lot. - Jenna Sernio

I agree whole-heartedly with the concept behind the Corner Process. Yet, I believe that the problem might be the way that it is being enforced. I agree with one of the concerns for the program that teachers are becoming more like parents and counselors. But in some way, we are. There is a very thin line between a teacher and a caregiver. Each student is different and their psychological and emotional concerns are a major aspect that should be looked upon when teaching them. There just needs to be a more categorical way of splitting the children up into groups that are taught differently, instead of individually seperating each child. -Marissa Bezerra

The Comer Process encourages shared teaching and learning and allows the students to become involved in classroom decision-making processes. I agree with the three guiding principles for the teams, particularly “no fault,” which is an especially beneficial skill to prepare students for the workforce. On a separate note, I’m curious how special education is incorporated into the Comer model? - Lori Dunn

I see many similarities between this program and the Accelerated School program. Both stress the involvement of everyone in the school community: teachers, parents, school officials, etc. By having everyone collaborate to reach a common goal and by making everyone accountable, more time can be spent on fixing the problems within the school instead of complaining about them. - Jamie Fullam

Good Information. The part I felt was most compelling was "The Balanced Curriculum Process." I really liked that teachers and administrators come together to decided what to teach their students based on multiple factors (like the needs and developmental rate of their students). I think that is an extremely logical way to approach education.-Valerie Wakeham

I also like Jamie see similarities with this program and the Accelerated School program. What I liked about the Comer Process was that they had a no fault system. I really liked how they believe that there should be no blame placed on anyone with in the school the students, the teachers, administration, nor families. Instead they will all work together in order to find the solution that is best. I believe that this will help students in life because within life they are going to run into alot of diferent people and they are going to have to know how to interact with these people, especially in the work force. Within the work force you are going to be placed with people you may not like or agree with and instead of blaming them or causing fights you have to learn how to work as a group and fix the problem together. I feel, that many adults still to this day don't really know how to work well together and this type of school program will help children learn how to deal with others opinions and thoughts with out criticising anyone. ~ Roxanne Gencarelli

I like the idea of the 'no fault' idea implemented in the Comer Process. However, it also emphasizes creating a positive and warm school environment for the lack of emotional relationships at home. I personally like the democratic feel this process employs, but not all children respond positively to this. All children are unique, come from unique families and cultures, and may respond differently to different approaches of teaching. Some children may benefit more from the teacher being viewed as an authority type that implements a more structured environment. I am curious if any studies address this factor. - Michelle Flam

I was impressed by Comer's emphasis on the student's psychological/developmental well-being. Too often, traditional curriculums that focus solely on language, social and cognitive factors forget that psychological/developmental factors can have a huge impact on a child's ability to learn. The Comer approach doesn't just give lip service to the importance of "recogniz[ing] and address[ing] the experience deficits" that can inhibit lower income children's developmental trajectory and the need to compensate for these deficits by providing students with "the developmental opportunities that they lack". It devotes one of its school-wide organizational teams, the Student & Staff Support Team, to addressing individual student needs and developing prevention programs and staffs the team with psychologists, social workers, and nurses "with expertise in child development and mental health" who are qualified to engage in this important work. The "students' developmental abilities & needs" are even taken into account when devising the school's unique "balanced curriculum." - Claudia Sayre

To me, the Comer School Development Program seems like the most well-rounded and mutually beneficial for all relevant parties. I like the 3 teams that handle the school operations, although it seems like the School Planning and Mgmt Committee has a tons of resonsilbilities - I would think subcommittees would be needed for certain areas. I really like how they consistently focus on the six developmental areas and work them into their daily curricula. By doing so, this allows everyone to develop their skills, abilities, interests, etc. on their own. This builds self-esteem, self-awareness, social and language skills and hopefully motivates them. This helps them become more well-rounded people, not just students. This program does all this while still focusing on high academic acheivement. -- Jonathan Reinsdorf