The STANG Matrix

Governor Mifflin Middle School believes that Showing Respect, Taking Ownership of Choices, Accepting Responsibility, Noting the Positive, and Giving Best Efforts are important factors in success. These aspects of personal character make up the foundation of the GMMS STANG matrix.

"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one."
Henry David Thoreau

As a pivot from the Habits of Mind discussion, I would like to take the opportunity to discuss the Governor Mifflin Middle School STANG matrix. The STANG matrix is a set of characteristics set forth for GMMS students designed to set clear expectations within the school. A great thing about the STANG matrix is that the characteristics and expectations set forth are not only good for school, but also in situations outside school. For example, learning appropriate behaviors in a cafeteria setting will transfer in more formal dining situations at home or in situations when a family might go out to a restaurant for dinner.  

The STANG matrix is formally taught to students at the beginning of each school year, and supported with positive behavioral supports to recognize appropriate behaviors that align with the expectations. GMMS uses STANG cards as a positive reward "currency" that can be redeemed in the attendance office. The STANG cards can be redeemed for an array of items, ranging from school supplies, chewing gum, to t-shirts and gift cards.

The ultimate goal of the STANG matrix is to provide students with an easy way to remember and understand basic expectations for behavior, eventually forming the habits that form strong character traits for success. 




As seen above, the STANG matrix includes criteria that align with each letter that comprise the acronym STANG. This allows teachers and principals to reference the specific criteria on the matrix and have students easily recognize and reflect on aspects of the characteristics that are outlined.  
 
In Teaching Character Traits to Kids, the author list several ways to teach kids good character traits at home. They include;

* Make a list of good character traits and explain what they ere and why they are important
* Model good character traits for kids
* Show them examples of people demonstrating good character traits
* Tell stories to kids that exemplify good character

Using these and other character building strategies with kids over time will certainly have positive and lasting effects. At GMSD, we continue to utilize the STANG matrix to help support these positive character traits and set clear expectations for the school community. Feel free to reference the STANG matrix when addressing these expectations at home!
 
Please Note: There will be no Mustang Connection communication next week. We will return to wrap up the year 20-21 school year the following week! 

Additional resources and what's on the horizon for flex period!

Additional Resources

Flex Period Schedule
Days 1 & 4 - SSR - Silent Sustained Reading - Learn More Here
Days 2 & 5 - iReady - Family Resource Page
Days 3 & 6 - SEL - Social Emotional Learning Schedule
* May 18th - GMSD and Berks County Summer Learning Opportunities
* May 21st -  Mental Health Awareness Activities

As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership in education!

Sincerely,

Chris Killinger
GMMS Associate Principal

Popular posts from this blog

Habits of Mind: Managing Impulsivity

Image
Governor Mifflin Middle School believes that the development of "Habits of Mind" should be an integral part of every child's education. Habits of Mind skills help build the foundation for learning and reaching one's potential for learning and develop the disposition for problem solving and thinking critically. This week we will take a look at Managing Impulsivity . As a continuation of our examination of the "Habits of Mind" series from  The Institute for Habits of Mind ,  it would be irresponsible to not discuss the habit of managing impulsivity, especially for middle-school aged children. This is a crucial skill for teens and pre-teens and, if not learned, can manifest into other lasting problems. One might consider managing impulsivity as the ability to practice self control, but it is far easier said than done for adolescent children. Remember, the goal of developing the 16 Habits of Mind is to become a an effective problem solver and this requires delib...
Read more

Introduction and Growth Mindset

Image
Mustang Connection:  GMMS Parents as Partners Greetings Parents and Guardians!  As part of the Governor Mifflin Middle School mission to partner with parents, I would like to introduce you to a periodic mini-newsletter you will be receiving. The intention of this newsletter is twofold. First, we believe it is important to keep you informed of the great things our school is doing to address equity and social-emotional learning. As some of you know, twice per cycle during their flex periods, the students participate in activities and explicit instruction regarding equity, diversity, social-emotional learning, habits of mind, collaboration, and academic advisement. We believe that the explicit incorporation of these things will help our students’ social and emotional development and connection to the school community.  During these difficult times, it is more important than ever to address these skills with our students. Hopefully, these communications will give you a better...
Read more

Habits of Mind: Application of Knowledge

Image
Governor Mifflin Middle School believes that the development of "Habits of Mind" should be an integral part of every child's education. Habits of Mind skills help build the foundation for learning and reaching one's potential for learning and develop the disposition for problem solving and thinking critically. This week we will take a look at Applying Past Knowledge . "Knowledge has no value except that which can be gained from its application toward some noteworthy end" - Napoleon Hill Unless you are an educator, you may not have heard of Bloom's Taxonomy . Bloom's Taxonomy is a hierarchal organization of cognitive skills used to guide educators in determining useful skills in students to direct their instruction and assessments. The components of Bloom's Taxonomy include Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Creating, Evaluating, and Analyzing . These components, originally developed in 1956 and later revised in 2001, are shown to represent di...
Read more