Marcia McGovern High school principal, Pawtucket	Joyce Anderle High school assistant principal, Pawtucket

Marcia McGovern and Joyce Anderle, principal and assistant principal respectively at Tolman High School in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, make a powerful duo in bringing the lessons of social emotional learning to their school. When Mrs. McGovern took over as principal at the school she “decided that climate has to be the first priority. It is also important to help kids develop leadership qualities and to encourage collaboration with their peers and the faculty.” To this end, she engaged student and faculty volunteers in the planning and designing of advisories as specified in the RI Regents Regulations. This volunteer group came together to participate in community building exercises lead by Bill Eyman. The advisories are scheduled to meet twice a week for twenty minutes.

The group that volunteered for the workshop represented a wide range of cliques, ethnic, and cultural groups at the school and reflected the diversity of the school’s population. Mrs. McGovern says that after the workshop “kids are still talking to one another. The teachers complimented the students and that connection was so important. Teachers continue to talk with these kids in the hallways.” Teachers who attended the workshop were equally engaged. As one teacher who attended the workshop noted, “kids recognize genuine respect. They were on an equal playing field and it made the teachers aware that kids want relationships with them. We can respect and build healthy relationships with the kids and they will still see us as authority figures.”

“I encourage students to talk about their concerns before the concerns become a major problem. I admire students who come to the office prior to acting out in the classroom.”

Ms. Anderle was one of six core teachers who attended classes on social emotional learning and character education. She notes that “this type of education also helps students to be academically successful.” Together, Mrs. McGovern and Ms. Anderle have made Tolman High a place where students recognize and respect faculty and feel comfortable interacting with faculty and bringing both their successes and concerns to the adults in the school.

“We can respect and build heathly
relationships with the kids and they will still see us as authority figures.”