Free Webinar: The Recruitment Power of Study Skills! Interview with a Top-Ranked, Nationally Recognized Private School

If you are from a private, charter, or magnet school and have to recruit students, this is the time of year that the pressure cooker heats up!  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could easily differentiate yourself from your competition with a simple approach that improves student performance and makes families really happy, while reducing your stress level?

How can your school stand out from your competition, improve student performance, and make families happy… all while reducing your stress level? Join our free webinar on Wednesday, February 5, 2014 to find out.

 On Wednesday, I will interview Wayne Wheatley, an innovative study skills teacher from Detroit Country Day School, a nationally recognized private school.  Wayne recently invited me on a tour of his school.  He and the administrative staff of DCDS, including the Middle School Director, Julie Bianchi and the campus Headmaster, Glen Shilling, all took time out of their busy schedules to tell me –and show me—how study skills have made a big impact on their students and their school!

We walked the halls for a couple of hours, ducking into several various classrooms along the way.  It was late on a Friday morning, just before the winter holidays.

I was pleasantly surprised to see engaged students in every room, accompanied by calm, yet energetic teachers.  After the first few classroom visits, I shared my observations eagerly.  “Clearly,” I said to Julie, “You have developed a very unique culture in this school!”  Of course, strong leadership and teachers make that culture happen.

But, Julie explained, “We owe a lot of that to study skills.  Students are confident.  They have a sense of ownership and control, which naturally creates a lot of motivation.” In turn, teachers appreciate that they are free to teach, instead of spending half their day “nagging” and “prodding.”

She then added, “And study skills are great for our recruiting efforts!”  When parents –and especially the students—see that Detroit Country Day School specifically teaches students how to learn and get organized, everybody gets excited!  “Often times, parents are thinking about DCDS for high school.  But, when they learn about our study skills program in the 6^th grade, they come earlier, just to take advantage of it.”

Naturally, I spent a lot of time in Wayne’s classroom during “study skills” class.  Detroit Country Day School has been using SOAR^® Study Skills for several years and Wayne has added some innovative dimensions to the program.  He graciously volunteered to share his thoughts, insights, and strategies on tomorrow’s webinar.

One specific innovation of Wayne’s is fabulous for retaining students, too!  It’s a perfectly brilliant extension of the SOAR^® curriculum, facilitates long-term learning and application of skills, builds confidence in students, and impresses the heck out of parents!  If you want to know what it is…join us tomorrow!

We will also dive deep into the issue of “scheduling” and “collaboration.” Specifically, how to fit study skills in to the school day and work with other staff and colleagues to support students across the curriculum.

Wayne is a passionate and creative educator.  Like me, he struggled as a student in school.  But, he has clearly channeled his struggles into his dedication as a teacher.  He is a positive, inspiring resource for his students…and for you.